The International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, today released new figures showing that renewables accounted for over 90 per cent of total power expansion globally in 2024. As in previous years, most of the increase occurred in Asia, with the greatest share being contributed by China.
In progress at UNHQ
Haiti
In Sudan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned in the strongest terms the looting of vital humanitarian supplies from Al Bashair Hospital in Jabal Awlia in Khartoum. These supplies are intended to support malnourished children and provide critical healthcare to mothers and newborns.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that a surge in violence in Ituri province is harming civilians and hindering relief efforts.
In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its partners continue to deliver aid across the country. This includes restoring water supplies, providing food and nutrition assistance, distributing winter aid and supporting vulnerable mothers and children.
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.
The United Nations welcomes the agreement signed by the leaderships of the caretaker authorities in Syria and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on 10 March. Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen hopes that the agreement can feed into a broader, credible and inclusive political transition process.
The new Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations, Ericq Pierre, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, visited Bangladesh and called for sustained support and solutions for the Rohingya refugees. He went to Cox’s Bazar and met with refugees and the host community, urging the international community to provide sustained financial support for them.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN, its humanitarian partners and the Congolese Government today launched in Kinshasa, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan seeking $2.5 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection for more than 11 million people, including 7.8 million internally displaced.
The UN, its partners and Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé today will launch the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti, appealing for $908 million to aid and protect 3.9 million vulnerable people in the strife-torn country.