Environmental issues and sustainable development

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad, François Batalingaya, said today the country is in crisis with the east reaching a breaking point. Floods impacted nearly 2 million people last year; 3 million people are struggling to feed themselves. The $1.4 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 9 per cent funded.

In Ukraine, attacks across the country, which started last night and continued this morning, have reportedly killed over 45 civilians. The UN and humanitarian partners are providing immediate assistance in the impacted regions, including construction materials, hygiene kits, emergency shelter and psychological support.

In Bangladesh, where monsoon rains and high winds triggered landslides, floods and damage across the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, the International Organization for Migration, in coordination with State authorities, launched an emergency response to support emergency relocations and rescue operations.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, observed on 17 June:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the ninth Austrian World Summit, in Vienna today:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks at the opening of the International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, in Dushanbe today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for World Oceans Day, observed on 8 June:

Good afternoon and welcome to this distinguished group of delegated. It is especially important to see so many Ministers of Environment around the table, to which I belonged when I was Minister of Environment in Nigeria. It is great to see all of you here.

In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the catastrophic situation there is the worst since the war began. Strikes have continued across Gaza, particularly in north Gaza, where the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate last night.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Environment Day, observed on 5 June: