Central African Republic

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

The United Nations human rights office said today it is very concerned about repeated attacks against indigenous peoples in Nicaragua, non-protection of their rights and impunity for crimes committed against them.  Some 40 indigenous people have been killed, 47 injured, 44 kidnapped and four disappeared since 2015.

World food prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in January, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Food Price Index, with vegetable oils, sugar and wheat among the chief drivers of the price increases.  FAO also forecast a record 2.715 billion metric tons of cereal production for 2019.

The World Health Organization today launched a strategic preparedness and response plan to help countries prevent, detect and diagnose transmission of the coronavirus.  The agency is requesting $675 million to fund the plan for the next three months; most of money will support countries particularly at risk.

A medical air bridge operation in Yemen coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and local authorities began today, bringing several Yemeni patients of an initial group of 30 from Sana’a to Amman, with more flights to follow.

The Security Council today decided to renew its Central African Republic sanctions regime for six months — including an arms and ammunition embargo, with a number of exemptions — while renewing the mandate its related Panel of Experts for seven months.

The Government of Ethiopia, the United Nations and humanitarian partners today called for $1 billion to help 7 million of the 8.4 million people in the country identified as requiring humanitarian aid due to conflict, disease outbreaks, rain shortfalls and floods.

The United Nations, jointly with the Government of Somalia and humanitarian partners, launched the 2020 Humanitarian Response Plan in Mogadishu, calling for $1 billion to provide life-saving assistance and livelihood support for 3 million people, nearly half of whom are internally displaced.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Daniel Sidiki Traoré of Burkina Faso as the Force Commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

Peacekeepers are now patrolling the Central African Republic city of Alindao to protect civilians displaced by violence, including some 400 people who have sought shelter at the United Nations base after deadly clashes last week between the country’s armed forces and an armed group associated with the ex-Seleka coalition.