In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns the worsening cholera outbreak – which has caused nearly 950 deaths since January – urgently demands a scaled up response. The Central Emergency Response Fund on Thursday allocated an additional $750,000.
Noon Briefings
The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that it has certified Timor-Leste as malaria-free. WHO noted that this is a remarkable achievement for a country that prioritized the disease and embarked on a concerted, nation-wide response shortly after gaining independence in 2002.
A new $7 million cross-border project investing in water management, climate security and peacebuilding in the border areas of Mali, Mauritania and Senegal was approved today for funding by the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund. It is one of the Fund’s largest and will be implemented over the next two years.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher today allocated $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to scale up life-saving assistance at Afghanistan’s border to support the surge of people returning from Iran in recent weeks, especially the most vulnerable, including women and children.
In Ukraine, attacks killed at least 20 civilians and injured more than 100 others, including several children. These strikes impacted the capital, Kyiv, as well as western and front-line regions — damaging homes, schools and a health facility.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today released a report warning that following major cuts to humanitarian budgets, up to 11.6 million refugees and others forced to flee risk losing access this year to direct humanitarian assistance from UNHCR. The figure represents about one third of those reached last year.
In southern Lebanon, UN peacekeepers continue to observe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activities in its area of operations, including air strikes and ground military activities. In one such incident on 16 July, 20 IDF soldiers crossed north of the Blue Line and conducted military exercises near the village of Houla.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), more than half of all infants in Sudan, 880,000 babies and toddlers, missed last year their first doses of vaccines to protect against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. This is the lowest immunization rate in the country in over 40 years.
In Syria, UN humanitarian partners in Suweida report that medical services are overstretched, and that markets and basic services such as electricity, water and education have been disrupted. UN aid operations are suspended in the impacted areas, as movements along the main roads have been disrupted.
The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that on 10 July in Bangui, leaders of two armed groups, the 3R and the UPC, took part in a ceremony where they committed to laying down their arms and rejoining the 2019 Peace Agreement.