Afghanistan

The Indonesian Government has confirmed that 1,234 people have died following last week’s earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports.  United Nations agencies and others are on the ground or en route to the affected areas to provide assistance and assess needs.

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

Amid the recent rise in civilian casualties inside Afghanistan, decisions made now ahead of elections in October will have far‑reaching implications for the country’s future and play a key role in advancing the peace process, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Nikki R. Haley (United States):

The Secretary-General, en route to Ghana for the memorial service for the late former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called Mr. Annan “a man who embodied United Nations values” and was a voice for the voiceless who did not shy away from the most challenging issues, but worked to bridge differences.

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

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Ingrid Hayden of Australia as his Deputy Special Representative (Political) for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The United Nations peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan reports that a military court handed down lengthy sentences today after finding 10 Government soldiers guilty of violence against civilians at the Terrain Hotel in the capital, Juba, in July 2016.  In a statement, the Mission notes that the trial’s outcome sends a powerful message that other would-be offenders will be prosecuted and punished.

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

Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, called today for urgent funding to restore depleted supplies of emergency fuel for essential services in the Gaza Strip.  Within a week, Al Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip may have to shut down, and, without fuel, some 300,000 people will potentially be affected by serious public health concerns.