The International Organization for Migration (IOM) warned today that the deteriorating drought conditions in Somalia could displace more than 1 million people by April if urgent action is not taken now. IOM noted that water scarcity in some parts of the country is the worst in 40 years.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
United Nations international experts arrived today in Peru to carry out a rapid assessment of the social and environmental impacts of an oil spill disaster. The team started working today and expects to continue for two weeks.
In Ethiopia, the United Nations and humanitarian partners have been forced to reduce aid distribution in Tigray as fuel supplies are blocked from entering the area. Last week, food aid reached only 10,500 of the 800,000 people in need. The humanitarian response is being scaled up in accessible areas in Amhara and Afar.
In Tonga, following the volcanic eruption, humanitarian colleagues report that over 80 per cent of the population have been impacted by the disaster, with three confirmed fatalities to date. Relief efforts are scaling up, including by the United Nations Children’s Fund, but it is difficult to reach remote areas.
Briefing the Security Council today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the situation that now faces women human rights defenders, and prospects for women’s full participation in shaping and building peace, are vastly worse than they were before the pandemic got under way.
After a volcanic eruption and tsunami caused significant infrastructure damage in Tonga, the World Food Programme said it is exploring ways to bring in aid and the United Nations Children’s Fund is ready to send emergency water, sanitation and other supplies from warehouses in Fiji and Brisbane.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said it is deeply concerned by recent incidents in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia that saw individuals glorify atrocity crimes and convicted war criminals target certain communities with hate speech, warning of a potential uptick in such acts in 2022, an election year.
In the Central African Republic, the number of improvised explosive devices has increased significantly, especially in the north-west, the United Nations peacekeeping mission there said today. It believes the armed group 3R has been intentionally targeting peacekeepers and the national armed forces.
In Yemen, the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) has expressed its concern at the allegations of the militarization of the Hudaydah ports. The Mission has made a request to undertake an inspection and reminds all parties that the ports are a crucial lifeline for millions of Yemenis.
Mahamet Saleh Annadif, Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), told the Security Council this morning that concern that the terrorist threat from Sahel countries could expand to the Gulf of Guinea is now a reality and that insecurity is compromising progress in the entire region.