Food

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the launch of the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises, in Rome today:

The Secretary-General has appointed experts to develop recommendations for measures that complement or go beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is a way to recognize that GDP — relied upon as a gauge of prosperity — provides an incomplete picture of the different dimensions of sustainable development.

In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 670,000 people have been displaced since November 2024, while over 1 million people have returned to their areas of origin. Meanwhile, the UN and its partners continue to deliver aid across the country despite reduced funding.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that air strikes on 6 May and today resulted in further civilian casualties across the country. The attacks, in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv, killed 6 civilians and injured nearly 30 others, including 10 children, and damaged homes.

In Sudan, a World Food Programme team successfully arrived today in greater Khartoum, where they are coordinating with local authorities to scale up assistance. WFP aims to expand aid deliveries to nearly 1 million people over the coming month, amid high risk of famine in many areas.

In South Sudan, the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to be engaged in intensive high-level political efforts to de-escalate the current tensions and convince the parties to preserve the peace deal they all agreed to.

In Somalia, nearly 4.6 million people are likely to experience high levels of hunger from now until June, according to United Nations estimates. Humanitarian needs in the country are rising at a time when funding for aid operations is plummeting.

In response to the earthquake in Myanmar, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees rushed emergency supplies from Yangon to some 25,000 earthquake survivors in the Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw areas. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners have also begun delivering emergency supplies.

Following is the text of UN Secretary General António Guterres’ video message to the Nutrition for Growth Summit, in Paris today:

In Haiti, the humanitarian situation in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area continues to deteriorate as armed groups enact violence. This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan requires more than $900 million to support 3.9 million people, but is funded only at 5 per cent or just $46 million.