In a stark address to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the world has entered a cruel era of turmoil and suffering, with the very foundations of peace eroding under the weight of impunity, inequality, and indifference.

Turning to the crisis in Gaza, Guterres stated that the region’s horrors are approaching their third year. He stressed that nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people or the systematic destruction of their livelihoods. He further emphasized that famine has become a reality in Gaza, marking an alarming deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

He condemned the global normalization of violence and injustice, stating that sovereign states are being invaded, hunger is being used as a weapon, the truth is being silenced, and smoke rises from bombed cities.

Guterres criticized the growing disregard for international norms and human rights, noting that countries around the world act as if the rules do not apply to them and that people are being treated as if they are less than human.

He also expressed deep concern over the consequences of cutting development aid, warning that such actions create chaos. "This is a death sentence for many and a theft of the future for many more," he said, without directly naming the United States, which has drastically reduced its support for international institutions since Donald Trump returned to the White House.