Afghanistan

The Qatar Fund for Development and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees signed an agreement yesterday under which Qatar will contribute $20.7 million to support Palestine refugees’ access to basic services in Syria.  This contribution brings the Qatar Fund’s total support to the Agency to $40 million.

The results of the 28 September presidential election in Afghanistan must be accepted by all stakeholders, especially the candidates, if it is to move forward along a path to sustainable peace, the top United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.

The Security Council decided today to extend for 12 months the mandate of the team monitoring sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the Taliban, reiterating the need to ensure that the measures contribute to security and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

In a report on Chile published today, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says that during the recent mass protests and state of emergency the police failed to adhere to international human rights norms and standards relating to management of assemblies and the use of force.

The United Nations and partner organizations today launched the Humanitarian Response Plan 2020 for South Sudan, requesting $1.5 billion to assist 5.6 million people, particularly women and children whose need for aid remains high despite a relative stable period since the Revitalized Peace Agreement was signed last year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that more pregnant women and children were protected from malaria, but accelerated efforts and funding are needed to reinvigorate the global response.  According to WHO, malaria afflicted 228 million people and killed an estimated 405,000, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Marking International Day to End Violence against Women, the Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations commitment to end all forms of violence against women and girls, which are among the most horrific, persistent and widespread human rights violations and affect one in every three women in the world.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:

Violence and insecurity have sparked an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso, Mali and western Niger, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says.  The number of internally displaced persons exceeds 750,000 and 2.4 million need food assistance, the World Food Programme reports.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary‑General Amina Mohamed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the launch of the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan, in New York today: