Ethiopia

On Thursday, 12 February, the Secretary-General landed in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, to take part in the thirty-ninth ordinary session of the African Union Summit.

In Ethiopia, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today urged all parties to take urgent steps towards de-escalation, warning that recent fighting in Tigray risks deepening the human rights crisis in the country’s north.

In Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that severe drought conditions continue to displace people across the country. According to authorities and UN agencies, nearly half a million people have now abandoned their homes since September 2025.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

In Sikikede and in Sam-Ouandja — both in north-east Central African Republic — the national disarmament body launched new disarmament and demobilization operations, with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) providing logistical, technical and security support.

In Ethiopia, the Emergency Relief Coordinator today allocated $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide life-saving assistance to South Sudanese refugees arriving there. At least 35,000 people fleeing violence in South Sudan have crossed into Ethiopia’s Gambela region.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report today stating that human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some consequences irreversible over hundreds — if not thousands — of years. The report also noted that 2024 was the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.

In Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that public health risks remain very high, including for communicable diseases, due to the overcrowding and poor sanitation. As of the end of February, 24 out of 32 environmental samples collected tested positive for vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2.

On Thursday, 13 February, the Secretary-General arrived in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, to take part in the thirty-eighth African Union Summit.