China

The Secretary-General arrived in Shanghai from Singapore on the night of 2 September.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit, in Beijing today:

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reports that a vicious cycle of climate change, wildfires and air pollution is having a spiralling negative impact on human health, ecosystems and agriculture.

The new Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, Fu Cong, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

On Tuesday, 17 October, at the invitation of the Chinese Government, the Secretary-General arrived in Beijing to take part in the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that at least 10,000 children in Sudan under the age of five may die by the end of this year due to increased food insecurity and disruptions to essential services since conflict broke out in the country.

Over 200,000 people have fled the crisis in Sudan to seek refuge in Chad. United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths has allocated $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to host communities in eastern Chad who need food and livelihood support.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that, halfway into 2023, it has only received 20 per cent of the $54.8 billion needed to help the one in 22 people globally that require assistance. Further, unequal funding across emergencies has challenged the Office’s ability to respond to surging needs.

In Syria, a United Nations cross-line convoy of 10 trucks carrying 220 metric tons of humanitarian assistance for 22,000 people crossed from Aleppo to Sarmada on 23 June. While an important complement, the cross-line operation cannot substitute cross-border aid that reaches 2.7 million Syrians each month.

Officials with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) say they have asked all staff - both men and women - to work from home, following the Taliban’s decision to ban Afghan women from employment with the Organization. An operational review is under way to plan for all possible outcomes.