Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Food Programme has begun distributing food rations to people affected by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Equateur Province.  The World Health Organization is helping the nine surrounding countries scale up national emergency preparedness and response capacities.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo welcomes the condemnations by the province’s leaders regarding recent ethnically motivated incidents, and calls upon authorities to intensify efforts to fight against impunity and bring perpetrators to justice.

On 18 May, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo received a briefing from the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in connection with the Group’s final report in pursuance of paragraph 6 of resolution 2360 (2017).

In Syria, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is delivering United Nations humanitarian aid for more than 92,000 people to Talbiseh in northern rural Homs and Tlul Elhomor in southern Hama.  This is the first convoy to northern rural Homs since a convoy reached Dar al‑Kabira and surrounding areas on 4 March.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the murder of three human rights defenders working with indigenous and peasants’ rights organizations in Guatemala during the last 10 days, calling for a prompt investigation into those and other attacks against rights defenders, and accountability for the perpetrators.

A peacekeeper from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed and eight others injured this morning in the southern part of the country.  The contingent from Mauritania was escorting a convoy to the town of Alindao when it was attacked by presumed members of the anti-Balaka.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited the town of Bikoro in north-western Democratic Republic of the Congo today to assess the response to the current Ebola outbreak.  WHO is deploying experts and coordinating partners as well as providing supplies and equipment to the area.

On 30 April 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo convened a formal meeting with a representative of the Permanent Mission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s efforts in the fight against sexual violence and child recruitment.

After decades of displacement, 93 refugees in Thailand have returned to south-eastern Myanmar with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and its partners.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development launched an action plan to expand employment opportunities for refugees to help them integrate into their host communities from the very start and contribute to the local economy.