Haiti

About 540,000 children in the area impacted by last month’s earthquake in Haiti now face the possibility that water-borne diseases will re-emerge, UNICEF warns.  The agency is working with Haitian authorities and civil society partners to improve access to water and sanitation, with the aim of reaching 500,000 people.

Acting without a vote, the General Assembly adopted three resolutions today, two proclaiming World Wetlands Day and World Cotton Day, respectively and the third expressing solidarity with the people and Government of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating 14 August earthquake in that country.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are concerned about the impact on children of new cases of the bubonic plague in the eastern province of Ituri.  They say the plague has been reported in areas that had not seen a case in more than 15 years.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that the first day of school has been indefinitely postponed for 140 million first-time students around the world, due to the pandemic.  The consequences of school closures – notably learning loss, heightened risk of dropping out and child labour – will be felt by the youngest learners.

Humanitarian officials in Myanmar said today they will continue to call on security forces to ensure the protection of civilians, as the number of people killed in political violence tops 1,000.  They strongly condemn the widespread use of lethal force, arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearances.

One billion children are at extremely high risk of suffering the effects of the climate crisis, according to a new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  Environmental shocks may be particularly severe in the Central African Republic, Chad and Nigeria, jeopardizing access to education and basic services.

Today marks three years since the death of former Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  As the current Secretary-General said, Kofi was one-of-a-kind, a man who embodied United Nations values.  Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that, on this day three years ago, the world lost one of its moral voices.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today it urgently needs $27 million to continue providing emergency shelter for internally displaced people in Tigray.  With more than 2.1 million people internally displaced, some have fled Ethiopia and sought refuge in neighbouring Sudan, the agency reported.

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

United Nations personnel in Lebanon are responding to a fuel tank explosion in the northern district of Akkar, which killed 28 people and injured over 80 others on 15 August.  The incident comes as the country grapples with a deepening crisis and electricity shortages have forced hospitals to operate at reduced capacity.