Environmental issues and sustainable development

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the 2023 Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, held in New York and virtually from 25 to 27 April:

A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization says that more than one in two preschool-aged children – approximately 372 million children, three quarters who live in South and East Asia, the Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa - suffer from the lack of at least one of three micronutrients; iron, vitamin A or zinc.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the Major Economies Forum, held virtually today:

The Resident Coordinator in Haiti today signed with host authorities the five-year United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework — a road map to boost sustainable development and address the root causes of instability.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on International Mother Earth Day, observed on 22 April:

A World Food Programme (WFP)-chartered vessel berthed today in Al Salif port in Hudaydah, carrying 30,000 metric tons of wheat to support humanitarian assistance in Yemen, where approximately 85,000 tons of wheat is needed each month. Continued donor support has so far kept famine at bay, according to WFP.

In Somalia, the number of people affected by flooding has reached 175,000 and displaced 140,000. The United Nations and partners are providing food, shelter, cash and hygiene kits to over 100,000 people. However, the $2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023 is only 15 per cent funded.

In Chad, the United Nations, along with the Government and aid partners, today launched the 2023 humanitarian response plan, appealing for $674 million to help about 4.4 million people in need, with a focus on food security, health services and addressing the impacts of climate change.

The World Food Programme today urgently called for $26.7 million to support 541,000 people impacted by Cyclone Freddy in Mozambique who have no alternative for meeting their basic needs. This crisis is unfolding at the beginning of the main harvest season, exacerbating the already high levels of hunger.

In Türkiye and Syria, the United Nations, along with partner organizations, have provided water, sanitation and hygiene support to more than 440,000 men, women and children impacted by the earthquake. Rehabilitation work and emergency repairs have also restored water and sanitation access for some 250,000 people.