The Secretary-General and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees condemned the attack yesterday on Camp Hurriya, near the Baghdad International Airport that had left at least 26 residents dead and many more injured, and called on the Iraqi Government to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
Today in South Sudan, the 20 United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) peacekeepers who, while transporting a barge of refuelling oil, had been detained by 100 armed men affiliated with the SPLA-in Opposition were extracted by helicopter from Kaka to Malakal. However, 12 contractors have not been released.
Accepting a medal of honour at the Carlos III University of Madrid, the Secretary-General told students he looked to them and youth across Spain to help usher in a new future for the country and the world by putting people first. He also urged them to focus on the potential of a green economy.
The major impact of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan was in the provinces of Kunar, Takhar, Badakshan and Nangarkhar, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Authorities reported that 74 people have been killed, more than 250 people have been injured and some 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed.
A powerful earthquake struck Badakshan Province in Afghanistan today, also affecting a large area of Pakistan. Early indications are that the impact of the initial shock may be relatively light, but in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority says that 148 people were killed and 815 injured.
The Secretary-General briefed King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman on meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, in which he appealed to them to put an end to the continuing violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, released a video and radio message ahead of Sunday’s elections. She stressed that there is no room for violence in the electoral process and called on all Haitians to show their engagement for democracy and stability in the country.
In an effort to defuse current tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, the Secretary-General began a visit to the region today, where he is scheduled to meet with senior officials. He said the visit is intended to encourage all efforts to lower tensions and prevent the situation from spinning out of control.
The UN Mission in the Central Africa Republic reports that seven UN police were ambushed and detained by alleged anti-Balaka elements last evening near Boali in Ombella Mpoko. All were freed the same night, but without their equipment and weapons. Separately, peacekeepers under fire killed one assailant.
The United Nations refugee agency said today that up to seven people, four of them children, were killed in a collision between a smuggling boat and a Greek coast guard vessel off Lesbos. Separately, refugee agency staff had to be evacuated from a registration site after violence flared up as frustration boiled over.