ADDITIONAL FUNDING URGENTLY NEEDED FOR ZIMBABWE

HARARE/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 2 April (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- The United Nations in Zimbabwe is urgently seeking additional funds to meet massive humanitarian needs, especially for health care, safe water, sanitation, education, and recovery at household and community levels.

UN LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR SUDANESE REFUGEES IN CHAD

New York, 2 April (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- Today, the United Nations launched a new appeal for over $30 million to provide aid to Sudanese refugees in Chad during 2004.

Because of the ongoing conflict in Darfur, some 110,000 Sudanese refugees are estimated to have fled to Chad from fighting in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

Press Statement on Darfur, sudan, by security council president

The following press statement on Darfur, Sudan, was delivered today by Security Council President Gunter Pleuger (Germany):

The Security Council was briefed today on the humanitarian situation in the Darfur region of the Sudan by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS DEVASTATING CONFLICT IN DARFUR, SUDAN, MUST STOP;

CALLS FOR EFFECTIVE HUMANITARIAN CEASEFIRE

Following is the statement of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, distributed at the ceasefire talks on Darfur, Sudan, in N'Djamena, Chad, on 31 March:

RETURN VISIT OF SPECIAL ENVOY TO ERITREA

ASMARA, Eritrea, 30 March (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -– Martti Ahtisaari, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa, arrives in Asmara, Eritrea, on 31 March 2004 for a two-day visit.  Mr. Ahtisaari’s mandate was recently extended for six months.

STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Following is today’s press statement by Security Council President Jean-Marc de La Sablière (France) on the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

SECRETARY-GENERAL SADDENED AT KILLING OF MEMBER OF UN MISSION

IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION WORSENS IN DARFUR, SUDAN

New York, 30 March (OCHA) -– Civilians in Darfur, Sudan, who continue to be attacked by armed groups, also now face shortages of water and outbreaks of communicable diseases such as measles.

                                                            SG/SM/9229

EIGHT UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTED

WIDESPREAD ABUSES IN DARFUR, SUDAN

(Delayed in transmission.)

GENEVA, 26 March (UN Information Service) -- The following statement was issued today by eight fact-finding experts of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: