Ukraine

Today is the one-month anniversary of the volcano and tsunami in Tonga.  Sanaka Samarasinha, United Nations Resident Coordinator, reiterated the Organization’s solidarity with the people of Tonga, where approximately 85 per cent of the population was impacted and more than 2,500 people have been internally displaced.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks on Uraine at the press stakeout, today:

In Sudan, the first stage of the United Nations-facilitated consultations for a political process on the way forward has concluded.  The talks began on 8 January and brought together a range of groups, including civil society, women’s rights groups, political parties, academics, journalists and others.

Calling for de-escalation of tensions along the borders between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, the United Nations political affairs chief told the Security Council today that any military intervention by one country in another would be against international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as Moscow denied any intention of launching a war on that neighbouring State.

In tsunami-hit Tonga, the United Nations continues to support the recovery, providing satellite phones for Government staff to communicate while the underground communications cable undergoes repairs.  On Tongatapu, the main island, 90 per cent of power has been restored and aid distribution continues.

United Nations international experts arrived today in Peru to carry out a rapid assessment of the social and environmental impacts of an oil spill disaster.  The team started working today and expects to continue for two weeks.

Osnat Lubrani, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, today launched the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan seeking $190 million in education, food, shelter, water and other aid to alleviate the suffering of 2.9 million conflict-weary people in the eastern part of the country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is warning today that, without urgent funding, the displacement crisis in the north of Mozambique could become a hunger emergency.  Displacement has left at least 730,000 people in Cabo Delgado without access to their land and no means of earning a living.

Hanaa Singer, Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka – alongside the United Nations Environment Programme and the European Union — facilitated the rapid deployment today of experts to help with marine litter and environmental impact assessment work related to the sinking of the 'MV X-Press Pearl' cargo ship.

The World Food Programme (WFP) said it will launch an operation to reach up to 2 million vulnerable people in Myanmar’s main cities and other areas where people have recently been uprooted.  WFP estimates that 3.4 million more people will be hungry within the next six months, amid the ongoing effects of poverty, COVID-19 and political crisis.