The Secretary-General is following with increasing concern the situation in Guinea, where demonstrations have been called against a Government proposal to review the Constitution. The United Nations continues to monitor the situation and remains in contact with key stakeholders with a view towards de-escalating tensions.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The International Organization of Migration today launched a $10 million appeal to support recovery efforts in the Bahamian islands of Abaco and Grand Bahamas, which were hit by Hurricane Dorian in September. The funds will be used to assist shelters, provide non-food items and track missing persons.
Today is World Mental Health Day. This year’s theme focuses on preventing suicide, which claims the lives of nearly 800,000 people annually – or one every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which is asking people to join in “40 seconds of action” to raise awareness about the problem and help prevent it.
A World Health Organization study shows that more than one third of women in four lower-income countries — Ghana, Guinea, Myanmar and Nigeria — experience mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities: 42 per cent of women who participated experienced physical or verbal abuse, stigma or discrimination.
UNICEF chartered a plane carrying 1.6 million doses of oral cholera vaccines to Sudan, delivering the medicine at a critical time as cholera cases continue to be reported. The agency and its partners are also strengthening water treatment systems, distributing water purification products and providing technical support.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and its partners kicked off a five-day conference today on climate change and the role of nuclear power. Topics include challenges and opportunities for existing nuclear power plants and the prospect for synergies between nuclear power and other low-carbon energy sources.
Acknowledging the 1,000th person in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to survive Ebola after treatment, the head of the emergency relief operation, in a joint statement with WHO, WFP, UNICEF and Save the Children, commended the country’s health leadership and the efforts of local health workers and partners.
The Secretary-General said he is deeply disturbed by the scale, severity and recurrence of grave violations endured by boys and girls, in a new report on the impact of conflict on children in Afghanistan. More than 12,000 children were verified killed or maimed between 2015 and the end of 2018.
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced today the launch of Stop the Waste, a global campaign to raise awareness about the 4 billion tons of edible food that is discarded daily, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion annually. Top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs can join the movement through #StopTheWaste.
Vulnerable migrants are still being taken to the Tajoura detention centre despite persistent calls for its closure due to its proximity [to] a military location, and just three months after an air strike killed 53 people and injured more than 130, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today.