Colombia

Women in Afghanistan are falling significantly behind global standards for human development, a UN-Women report released today states. The country has the second-widest gender gap in the world, with a 76 per cent disparity between women’s and men’s outcomes in health, education, financial inclusion and decision-making.

A United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, released today, finds that one in five people globally do not expect to have the number of children they desire. Key drivers include the prohibitive cost of parenthood, job insecurity, housing, concerns over the state of the world and the lack of a suitable partner.

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

In Chad, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Thomas Fletcher has allocated $2.5 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to urgently respond to the massive influx of refugees and returnees in the east of the country from Sudan. This brings CERF's total allocation to Chad this year to $16 million.

In Colombia, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs reports that so far in 2025, more than 66,000 people were newly displaced due to fighting. The UN and its partners continue implementing a $3.8 million allocation from the Central Emergency Fund to help more than 56,000 impacted people in Catatumbo.

In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 670,000 people have been displaced since November 2024, while over 1 million people have returned to their areas of origin. Meanwhile, the UN and its partners continue to deliver aid across the country despite reduced funding.

In Ukraine, humanitarian officials there report that civilians continued to suffer the impact of hostilities over the Easter period. Authorities reported nearly 190 civilian casualties between 18 April and today. The most severe attack occurred in Kharkiv on Good Friday, injuring several people and damaging schools and homes.

Eight years after the signing of Colombia’s peace accords, significant challenges remain, the Head of the United Nations special political mission in the country told the Security Council today, warning that violence is resurging in some areas.

In Myanmar, two weeks after the country was hit by two earthquakes, pushing 2 million more people into critical need of support, the UN and partners have launched a $275 million appeal, which is an addendum to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to reach 1.1 million people with urgent assistance.

In South Sudan, the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to be engaged in intensive high-level political efforts to de-escalate the current tensions and convince the parties to preserve the peace deal they all agreed to.