Armenia

The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has launched a joint operation in Djugu Territory, in Ituri Province, with the Congolese Armed Forces against the armed group CODECO in response to recent attacks against civilians and the presence of CODECO members in the area.

Abdoulaye Bathily, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN mission there, expressed concern today over the emergence of unilateral and competing initiatives on the reconstruction of Derna and other flood-affected areas. He urges leaders to agree on a unified response.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that more than 11,600 children crossed the Central Mediterranean Sea to Italy without a parent or legal guardian. That’s between January and mid-September 2023. This is an increase of 60 per cent compared to the same period last year.

On the situation in the Caucasus, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it’s deeply concerned about the rapidly increasing number of refugees fleeing into Armenia, with long queues reported at the border.

The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide expressed concern over the ongoing situation in the South Caucasus, in which it is reported that tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians have left the area for Armenia in the span of just a few days. All efforts must be made to ensure their protection and human rights.

At a 21 September high-level meeting, co-hosted by Jordan and Sweden in support of Palestine Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as Member States, reaffirmed their strong political support for the Agency.

Use of force undermines the prospect for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, speakers in the Security Council warned today, as they assessed the situation resulting from the latest military operation by Baku in Nagorno-Karabakh and the immediate truce that followed.

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

According to the World Food Programme, some 7.3 million food-insecure people could see their situation worsen due to the unfolding crisis in Niger. Humanitarian exemptions to sanctions and border closures are required to avert a rapid deterioration of the food security and malnutrition situation.

Movement through the Lachin Corridor — connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia and the rest of the world — must be reopened immediately, speakers told the Security Council today, as they called on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to refrain from the politicization of humanitarian aid to meet the civilian population’s needs and normalize relations for a future peace treaty.