SANTIAGO, Chile, September 12 (IPS) - At eighty, the United Nations is bogged down by structural limitations and political divisions that render it powerless to act decisively – nowhere more clearly than in the Gaza genocide.

Over 100,000 people in South Sudan have been displaced by what the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has called “new deadly floods.”

In the Gaza Strip, hope may be all that is left but it is not enough to keep people alive, a veteran humanitarian said on Friday, calling for more action to end the conflict and stop the bloodshed.

UN agencies in Nepal welcomed the appointment of Sushila Karki as interim prime minister on Friday, as the country reels from a deadly crackdown on youth-led protests that left more than 50 dead, widespread destruction and forced the resignation of her predecessor.

Reports that Russian drones crossed deep into Polish territory and were shot down by NATO allies highlight the growing regional risks of the war in Ukraine, UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo told ambassadors in the Security Council on Friday.

The death penalty in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is “more widely allowed by law and implemented in practice” than a decade ago, said a senior UN human rights official on Friday.

The Security Council is meeting in emergency session at Poland’s request at 3pm in New York, after some 19 Russian drones violated their and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) airspace earlier this week. It marked the most serious incursion into NATO territory since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began – and highlights the extent to which drone technology has reshaped tactics, logistics and strategy in wars worldwide. Follow the live coverage of the debate around the iconic horseshoe table below.

Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel.

The UN Security Council is set to meet in an emergency session Friday afternoon (New York time) to discuss the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, amid concerns that the conflict in Ukraine could spill over into the wider region.

The UN Secretary-General appealed on Friday for greater efforts towards peace in a “fractured world” where conflicts are increasing.