Greece

The Emergency Relief Coordinator today released $30 million from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund to urgently scale up relief efforts in the Sahel, where an acute drought, combined with exceptionally high food prices and worsening insecurity, has escalated humanitarian needs.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a new outbreak of Ebola in Bikoro in Equateur Province yesterday after lab results confirmed two cases of the deadly virus.  The World Health Organization is working closely with the Government to rapidly scale up its operations and mobilize health partners.

The Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy spoke to the Security Council today on the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security.  She said the report points to two key issues needing attention:  the growing mistrust from young generations towards formal political institutions, and the exclusion of young people from political, civic and economic life.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have agreed with the United Nations on the modalities to transfer, by the end of March, $930 million in support of the 2018 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan, according to Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock.

The World Food Programme is warning today that the twin scourges of another prolonged dry spell and an invasive crop-eating worm are set to sharply curtail harvests across southern Africa, driving millions of people into severe hunger.

The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen briefed the Security Council, warning of alarming levels of violence affecting civilians and emphasizing an acute need for a negotiated settlement and inclusive peace process at a time of sharply shifting political dynamics following the killing of the former President.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned today that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a level not seen in 800,000 years, rising at record speed in 2016.  The WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reported that globally averaged carbon dioxide concentrations reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400 parts per million in 2015 due to human activities and a strong El Niño.

The new Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations, Maria Theofili, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

This week marks two years since the escalation of the conflict in Yemen, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien said last night.  Yemen is now on the brink of famine, with nearly 19 million people — more than two thirds of the population — in need humanitarian aid.