<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called for ceasefires in Gaza and Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>As Monday marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan, it is a period when Muslims around the world celebrate and spread the values of peace, reconciliation and solidarity. Yet the killing, bombing and bloodshed continue in Gaza, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>"My strongest appeal today is to honor the spirit of Ramadan by silencing the guns -- and removing all obstacles to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid at the speed and massive scale required," he told reporters.</div><div><br></div><div>The civilian killing and destruction have been at a level that is unprecedented in his years as UN secretary-general. Meanwhile, life-saving relief for Palestinians in Gaza is coming in trickles -- if it comes at all, said Guterres.</div><div><br></div><div>International humanitarian law lies in tatters. And a threatened Israeli assault on Rafah could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell, he warned.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres also called for a Ramadan cessation of hostilities in Sudan.</div><div><br></div><div>"The fighting there must end for the sake of the Sudanese people who face hunger, horrors and untold hardships," he said.</div><div><br></div><div>"In Gaza, in Sudan, and beyond, it is time for peace. I call on political, religious and community leaders everywhere to do everything in their power to make this holy period a time for empathy, action and peace," said Guterres.</div><div><br></div><div>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks to the press outside the Security Council Chamber at the UN headquarters in New York on March 11, 2024.</div><div><br></div><div>Guterres on Monday called for ceasefires in Gaza and Sudan during the holy month of Ramadan. According to XINHUA reports&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>