Food

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) today launched an appeal for $10.7 million to deliver life-saving health care in the next six months to over 2 million women and girls in Sri Lanka, where the health system risks collapsing amid debilitating power shortages and a lack of critical supplies and equipment.

In Mauritius and the Seychelles, the United Nations is ramping up its support to authorities to address the impacts of the rising costs of fertilizers. This is urgent for both countries, which are currently 100 per cent dependent on imported chemical fertilizers.

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

Senior humanitarian directors of United Nations agencies and partners wrapped up a visit yesterday to Somalia where the threat of famine looms, with more than seven million people already acutely food insecure. Assistance has reached over four million drought-affected people, but aid workers face severe funding shortfalls.

​​​​​​​While the newly signed deal to resume grain exports through Ukrainian ports offers a “beacon of hope” for countries in increasingly desperate need, close coordination among the parties involved will be critical to its success, the United Nations political affairs chief stressed today, as delegates in the Security Council both welcomed its potential for staving off famine and condemned the strike on the port of Odesa less than 24 hours later that threw that likelihood into jeopardy.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic and the Development Programme continue to help build national capacity, with 27 Internal Security Forces heads of units, including five women, participating in training on “Central African model community policing”.

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

The Joint Coordination Centre was inaugurated today in Istanbul with Ukraine, Russian Federation, Türkiye and United Nations representatives. The Centre will facilitate implementing the Black Sea Grain Initiative on allowing ships to exporting grain and related foodstuffs from Ukraine.

In Haiti, United Nations humanitarian colleagues have started delivering humanitarian assistance to help people in the commune of Cité Soleil, as well as in other Port-au-Prince neighbourhoods. Enough food to feed 7,000 people for a week has been distributed, along with drinking water and kits of basic relief items.

In Burundi, the United Nations has allocated $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help 340,000 people in areas affected by Rift Valley fever. The viral disease primarily affects livestock, a large component of the economy which accounts for 14 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.