Afghanistan

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Joanna Wronecka (Poland):

In Syria, our humanitarian colleagues are concerned for the safety and protection of tens of thousands of people as fighting continues to be reported in several areas of northern rural Homs Governorate.  The United Nations calls on all parties, and those with influence over them, to ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow for safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all in need.

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

The Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy spoke to the Security Council today on the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security.  She said the report points to two key issues needing attention:  the growing mistrust from young generations towards formal political institutions, and the exclusion of young people from political, civic and economic life.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Gustavo Meza-Cuadra (Peru):

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

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs launched its 2018 needs and priorities plan for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, seeking $111 million to assist 6 million of the most vulnerable people.  Undernutrition, a serious concern, continues to stunt more than one quarter of children in the country.

The World Food Programme today airlifted life-saving, nutrient-dense biscuits from its Humanitarian Depot in Dubai to Papua New Guinea.  The plane carried enough food to feed approximately 60,000 people.  More than 270,000 people require humanitarian aid since a devastating earthquake struck the country in February.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Tashkent Conference on Afghanistan on 26 March:

The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has released over $9 million in funding to coverprovide for the immediate needs of those affected by a strong earthquake that recently struck Papua New Guinea.  The event follows a February earthquake that had left some 270,000 people needing assistance..