Environmental issues and sustainable development

The World Food Programme warned that it is running out of funds to continue its provision of food assistance to 13 million people in Yemen.  From January, 8 million people will receive a reduced food ration, while 5 million who are at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions, will remain on a full ration.

The United Nations Population Fund launched a $835 million appeal to reach 54 million women, girls and young people in 61 countries in 2022 — the agency’s largest ever humanitarian appeal — seeking integrated sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, as well as comprehensive support for survivors of violence.

The Security Council today, in a contentious meeting, rejected a draft resolution that would have integrated climate‑related security risk as a central component of United Nations conflict‑prevention strategies aiming to help counter the risk of conflict relapse.

The International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the today launched a $1.79 billion plan to help Venezuelan refugees and migrants and their host communities in 17 Latin American and Caribbean nations.  The number of Venezuelan refugees has surpassed 6 million.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Global Environment Facility, in New York today:

Warning that people and countries most vulnerable to climate change also are most vulnerable to terrorist recruitment and violence, nearly 60 speakers in an open debate today told the Security Council that the negative synergy between the two crises threatens to undermine States and international security itself, as the 15-nation organ considered a draft resolution proposed by Niger and Ireland on the matter.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security:  Security in the context of terrorism and climate change”, in New York today:

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict urged Ethiopia to promptly sign an agreement with the United Nations to prevent and respond to conflict-related sexual violence.  She noted that extreme brutality is a hallmark of the ongoing conflict in the country’s Tigray region.

Following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the General Assembly of the World Trade Organization (UNWTO), in Madrid today:

Osnat Lubrani, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, today launched the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan seeking $190 million in education, food, shelter, water and other aid to alleviate the suffering of 2.9 million conflict-weary people in the eastern part of the country.