Afghanistan

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

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged Australia to address the imminent humanitarian crisis for refugees and asylum seekers in Papua New Guinea, stressing his profound concern over the risks of “offshore processing” arrangements, for which Australia seeks to decrease support by the end of October.

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

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in Paktia, Ghazni and Kabul on 17 October, which resulted in more than 70 people killed and over 200 wounded, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.

With today marking one year since the start of the military campaign to retake Mosul from Da’esh, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq said that of the 1 million people who fled the city, some 673,000 are still displaced.  She noted that the number of people who fled exceeded the worst-case projections of aid workers.

Progress, as well as daunting challenges and opportunities for political engagement, characterized the situation in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for that country told the Security Council today.

In Afghanistan, the United Nations Mission there has verified allegations that Taliban and local self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Daesh fighters killed at least 36 people, including civilians, during an attack on 5 August in the Mirza Olang village of Sari Pul province.  The Mission’s findings were released as part of its human rights report.

Welcoming a $1 million contribution from the United States in support of Western Sahara refugees in Algeria, the World Food Programme said today it will use the funds to provide staple food items as part of monthly food rations for thousands of refugee families living in extremely harsh conditions for more than 40 years.

The United Nations Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic says it started an operation this week to remove armed fighters from Bangassou, epicentre of recent interethnic violence that resulted in the displacement of more than 2,000 civilians and the killing of three peacekeepers.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt):