Children

The United Nations and the Government of Bangladesh are making preparations as Super Cyclone Storm Amphan approaches landfall tomorrow, potentially impacting more than 14 million people in the country.  The Humanitarian Coordination Task Team and the Government are working on preparedness and response activities.

The 2020 World Health Statistics, published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), show that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant loss of life, disrupting livelihoods and threatening recent development gains, underlining the urgent need for all nations to invest in strong health systems.

Today on International Nurses Day, the World Health Organization remind us that as the world struggles to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent shortage of nurses worldwide. Almost 6 million more are needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

Ahead of Mother’s Day — observed in May in nearly 130 countries — the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting ways that COVID-19 has recast motherhood and overwhelmed health facilities.  It is calling on Governments to help pregnant women receive check-ups and delivery care.

In the Americas, chronic overcrowding, unhygienic conditions and lack of health‑care access have led to COVID-19 infections among thousands of inmates and prison officials.  The Human Rights High Commissioner urged States to ensure widespread access to testing and care for detainees, and both testing and protective gear for staff.

The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, in connection with the examination of the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan (document S/2019/727), agreed to convey the following messages through a public statement by the Chair of the Working Group:

The World Food Programme and the United Nations Children’s Fund are urging Governments to prevent devastating nutrition and health consequences for the 370 million children missing out on school meals as a result of school closures.  The daily lunch at school is the only food for millions of children around the world.

United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partners are asking donors for an initial $350 million to rapidly scale up logistics services, aimed at supporting countries disproportionately affected by cancelled flights and disrupted supply routes to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released new guidance on COVID-19 and the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, stressing that they must not fear retribution for seeking health care amid the pandemic.

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