Today is International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction and this year’s theme is “Stop Food Loss and waste, for the people, for the planet”. Food loss and waste account for 8 to 10 per cent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
In progress at UNHQ
Equatorial Guinea
At least 10 people have died and more than 43,000 are displaced across 180 displacement sites as a result of Tropical Cyclone Batsirai, which made landfall on the east coast of Madagascar on 5 February. The first aerial assessment took place today with a United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flight.
The United Nations and the Government of Iraq today released the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan which seeks $607.2 million in humanitarian aid to assist 1.5 million of the most vulnerable internally displaced people in Iraq and returnees. According to the overview, 4.1 million Iraqis need humanitarian assistance.
On International Women’s Day, peacekeeping colleagues report that Bangladesh, for the first time, is deploying four justice government-provided personnel, all women, to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), later this month.
SG/SM/19990
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
United Nations agencies and their partners launched an appeal today for $877 million to help some 855,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar who are in Bangladesh, as well as more than 444,000 vulnerable Bangladeshis in communities generously hosting those refugees. More than half will fund vital services.
The United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti reports that the situation there remains tense and volatile following the suspension of a fuel price hike by Prime Minister Lafontant on Saturday. The Mission is helping to remove roadblocks to ensure access to key roads.
The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic has strongly condemned violence by armed group members on 31 December against Muslim neighbourhoods that has led to deaths and population displacement in the north-west city of Paoua. The Mission has sent reinforcements and multiplied patrols to better prevent attacks.