Cyprus

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus announced today the clearance of nine suspected hazardous areas on both sides of the island, amounting to a total area of 210 square meters.  This confidence-building measure was agreed upon by both leaders on 26 February as part of their commitment towards a mine-free Cyprus.

The following statement by UN Secretary‑General António Guterres was issued today:

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.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Jerry Matthews Matjila (South Africa):

The World Food Programme (WFP) today welcomed what it called important and positive steps by authorities in Yemen to ensure food aid reaches the most vulnerable in Government-controlled areas.  WFP will resume food distributions after the Eid Al-Adha festival for 850,000 people in Sana’a City.

Extending the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 January 2020, the Security Council today expressed regret over the lack of progress since 2017 and urged all sides to renew their political will to achieve a settlement under United Nations auspices.

Andreas D. Mavroyiannis, the new Permanent Representative of Cyprus to the United Nations, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is working with the Government of Bangladesh to help more than 275,000 people affected by flooding in the country’s north-west. Some 5,000 households have received cash transfers as part of an innovative project which uses weather forecasts to trigger early action.

Around 1 million species are threatened with extinction as nature declines at unprecedented rates, a global assessment launched today by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warns, listing amphibians, corals and marine mammals as among the most threatened.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea):