Burkina Faso

Briefing the Security Council today on Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there noted that, six months after the takeover by the Taliban, the country is hanging by a thread.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned today that the deteriorating drought conditions in Somalia could displace more than 1 million people by April if urgent action is not taken now.  IOM noted that water scarcity in some parts of the country is the worst in 40 years.

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

United Nations international experts arrived today in Peru to carry out a rapid assessment of the social and environmental impacts of an oil spill disaster.  The team started working today and expects to continue for two weeks.

The new Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the United Nations, Seydou Sinka, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.

One billion children are at extremely high risk of suffering the effects of the climate crisis, according to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  Environmental shocks may be particularly severe in the Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria, jeopardizing access to education and basic services.

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

Today marks three years since the death of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  As the current Secretary-General said, Kofi was one-of-a-kind, a man who embodied United Nations values.  Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that, on this day three years ago, the world lost one of its moral voices.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Barbara Manzi of Italy as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Burkina Faso, with the host Government’s approval.

Today at the G20 environment and energy ministers meeting in Naples, Italy, Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, called upon countries to provide the leadership needed to hold the global average temperature rise as close to 1.5°C as possible.