A new report released today says that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mobilized $25 million to increase resilience and restore more than 800 buildings for the most vulnerable people in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, which were hit by two powerful back-to-back hurricanes a year ago.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Government of Zimbabwe has declared a state of emergency following a cholera outbreak in the capital, Harare, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports. As of this morning, there have been more than 4,000 suspected cases, including 58 confirmed cases, and 25 cholera-related deaths.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen today said the situation in Hodeidah has deteriorated over recent days and that families are terrified by the bombardment, shelling and air strikes. More than 25 per cent of children are malnourished; 900,000 people are desperate for food; and 90,000 pregnant women are at risk.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, marking the United Nations Day for South‑South Cooperation, said that developing countries have become key actors to implement the Sustainable Development Agenda and that their leadership, practices and experiences have played a major part in global transformation.
The Secretary-General, en route to Ghana for the memorial service for the late former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called Mr. Annan “a man who embodied United Nations values” and was a voice for the voiceless who did not shy away from the most challenging issues, but worked to bridge differences.
In Bangkok, the Climate Change Conference ended on 9 September with an urgent call for accelerated climate action. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary said that the Conference had resulted in “uneven progress” on the guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) welcomed Qatar’s decision to end exit visa requirements for most of its migrant workers. ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said in a tweet that this is a “positive step towards decent work”, adding that the agency is committed to working with the Government of Qatar as it pursues further reforms. The Secretary-General adds his welcome to the voice of ILO.
The United Nations peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan reports that a military court handed down lengthy sentences today after finding 10 Government soldiers guilty of violence against civilians at the Terrain Hotel in the capital, Juba, in July 2016. In a statement, the Mission notes that the trial’s outcome sends a powerful message that other would-be offenders will be prosecuted and punished.
Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, called today for urgent funding to restore depleted supplies of emergency fuel for essential services in the Gaza Strip. Within a week, Al Aqsa Hospital in the Middle Area of the Gaza Strip may have to shut down, and, without fuel, some 300,000 people will potentially be affected by serious public health concerns.
Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, will be conducting her first-ever mission in South Sudan between 4 and 8 September. She intends to take stock of progress and challenges in the implementation of action plans to end and prevent grave violations against children.