Africa

Responding to urgent and growing humanitarian needs in northern Ethiopia, almost 40 trucks with food and other relief supplies from the United Nations and aid partners departed Monday for Tigray, the first convoy since mid-October, and the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service resumed flights to Mekelle.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for Africa Industrialization Day, observed today:

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message to launch the regional strategy for accelerating social protection coverage in Africa, on 16 November:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s opening remarks at the official launch of the African Women Leaders Network Mentoring Programme, in New York today:

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that 8.7 million people are at risk of facing famine-like conditions in Afghanistan, with an additional 14.1 million facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity.  Conflict has displaced more than 600,000 people and the country is experiencing drought following a poor rainy season.

Amid a persistently unstable security situation punctuated by alarming terrorist attacks, troops deployed to combat violent extremism in the Sahel region need more predictable funding and broader international support, the United Nations senior peace operations official told the Security Council today.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore voiced deep concern over reports that child marriage in Afghanistan is on the rise, with families offering daughters as young as 20 days old for future marriage in return for a dowry.  Some 28 per cent of Afghan women aged 15–49 were married before 18.

Mahamat Annadif, the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative for West Africa, and Foreign Minister of Guinea, Morissanda Kouyaté, launched a new initiative to facilitate an inclusive transition in Guinea by fostering reconciliation at national and community levels and increasing participation of women and all communities.

In Yemen, the United Nations and partners continue to provide life-saving aid to thousands of civilians on both sides of the front lines in Ma’rib, Al Bayda and Shabwah since fighting escalated in these governorates in September, amid calls by the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, for de-escalation.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico):