The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are deeply saddened over the tragic capsizing of a boat off the coast of Malaysia and Thailand carrying up to 70 people from Myanmar, including Rohingya. Some 13 people were brought ashore by Malaysian authorities; at least 21 people died.
Central America
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that this year, more than 42,000 refugees have returned home voluntarily in the West and Central Africa region, bringing the total to more than 272,000 since 2021. The majority have returned to Nigeria and the Central African Republic.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers have resumed Operation Secure Harvest, patrolling a major route in Ituri province to ensure a safe environment for the harvest season and deter potential attacks against farmers and civilians.
The United Nations and its aid partners in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have launched this year’s Humanitarian Response Plans to assist 2.2 million people in need, seeking a total of $306 million.
In Haiti’s capital, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have distributed more than 900,000 litres of water to more than 60,000 [displaced] people in 26 sites over the last week. The World Food Programme (WFP) has provided more than 95,000 hot meals to some 24,000 displaced people across four sites.
In Ukraine, attacks today and over the weekend continue to impact civilians in front-line areas. Authorities reported that, on 13 July, an attack on a railway in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine caused nearly 30 civilian casualties, including children.
The Secretary-General said today that 195 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members have been killed, the highest staff death toll in UN history. UNRWA’s $1.2 billion appeal to cover critical humanitarian needs until year’s end is less than 20 per cent funded.
The UN, along with humanitarian aid partners, last night launched a response plan calling for $9 million to support 43,000 people impacted by Hurricane Beryl in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Immediate action is crucial, particularly in light of what is expected to be a very intense hurricane season.
The United Nations continues to support countries in the Caribbean that have been impacted by Hurricane Beryl. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that most of the health facilities assessed in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are now operational, despite sustaining damage.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen said that negotiations held in Oman over the weekend led to a significant breakthrough, where the Yemeni parties reached an understanding on releasing Mohamed Qahtan, a prominent politician who has been held incommunicado by the Houthis since 2015.