GENEVA — Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the United Nations, said on Saturday that the world had responded with “disturbing paralysis” to conflicts around the globe and their devastating effect on civilians.

Mr. Ban joined the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, to issue “an unprecedented joint warning” on lassitude in confronting suffering.

In the face of blatant inhumanity, the world has responded with disturbing paralysis

“In the face of blatant inhumanity, the world has responded with disturbing paralysis,” Mr. Ban said in a statement. Without greater international commitment to maintaining peace and security, “we can expect only greater chaos and suffering,” he told journalists. “The continued failure to act is a disgrace.”