Attacks against community leaders, human rights defenders, former combatants and women — along with the COVID-19 pandemic that is exacerbating them — are the gravest threats now facing Colombia’s five-year-old peace process, the United Nations senior official in the country told the Security Council today.
Following an initiative by Jordan, 167 Member States and Permanent Observers have issued a statement of solidarity and appreciation to the City of New York in the midst of COVID-19. New York City, the statement says, has been the home that has welcomed and nurtured collective action against global challenges.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Singer Weisinger (Dominican Republic):
The global COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on Colombia, but it cannot be allowed to derail the Latin American nation’s quest for sustainable peace after five decades of conflict, the Head of the United Nations Verification Mission in that country told the Security Council in a videoconference meeting on 14 April.
The first United Nations “Solidarity Flight” left Addis Ababa today to bring medical supplies and protective equipment to boost COVID-19 response on the African continent, with preparations being made to distribute to 32 countries and to facilitate medical evacuations.
The United Nations donated 250,000 surplus protective face masks to the United States for New York City’s health workers who are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, as agencies called for a $2.5 trillion assistance package for developing countries, who face an estimated $220 billion in income losses.
Heavy rain and flooding caused by a recent tropical disturbance have affected more than 100,000 people in Madagascar and resulted in at least 31 deaths. The Government is leading the response with support from the United Nations and humanitarian partners.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Dang Dinh Quy (Viet Nam):
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees launched a Refugee Response Plan for Sudan today in Khartoum, calling for $477 million to help more than 900,000 refugees and nearly a quarter million of their Sudanese hosts.
The United Nations is in touch with the Government of the Philippines, which is leading the response to the Taal volcano eruption in the Calabarzon region, some 70 kilometres south of Manila. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that 18,000 people have taken shelter in evacuation centres.
