Africa

Results from the Global We the Women survey, produced by the UN Office for Partnerships and the polling company John Zogby Strategies, show that 86 per cent of women from 185 countries cite climate change and more than 50 per cent identify conflict as primary concerns for the next decade.

The Security Council today unanimously adopted a presidential statement aimed at addressing security, political and humanitarian challenges in West Africa and the Sahel.

The Security Council today unanimously adopted a presidential statement aimed at strengthening the role of African countries in addressing global security and development challenges, as speakers debated the intricate and complex dynamics between peace and development in those States and across their continent.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the United Nations Security Council debate “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Strengthening the Role of the African State in Addressing Global Security and Development Challenges”, in New York today:

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers are conducting day and night joint patrols with the Congolese armed forces in several areas in North Kivu province to ensure the protection of civilians and prevent the free movement of armed groups, particularly the Allied Democratic Forces.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the occasion of Africa Day, observed on 25 May:

On Thursday, Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, while UNRWA and other UN agencies’ staff were on the compound. This is the second appalling incident against UNRWA in less than a week.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Barrie Freeman of the United States as his new Deputy Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

In Zambia, the UN and partners have launched an $228 million appeal to assist 4.6 million people this year after the Government there declared a national drought disaster at the end of February. The driest agricultural season in over 40 years has left over 9 million people, nearly half the population, food insecure.

In a joint statement today, more than 190 organizations, including UN agencies, appealed for sustained support for the more than 18 million people in need in Yemen, warning that the 2024 humanitarian appeal for the country is only 16 per cent funded, with only $400 million received of the total $2.7 billion needed.