Humanitarian issues

The UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, today allocated $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address the humanitarian needs of refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan to Egypt, in support of the ongoing response there, which has become host to some 1.2 million Sudanese refugees since last April.

As indiscriminate killings, sexual violence and famine deepen the crisis in Sudan, the Security Council must rise to the challenge of delivering lasting peace in that country, that body heard today from both humanitarian officials and Member States.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that Sudan risks becoming the world’s largest hunger crisis in recent history and the only place globally where famine has been confirmed today. WFP explains that nearly 1.7 million people across the country either face famine or are at risk of famine.

At least 184,000 people in Mozambique have been impacted by Tropical Cyclone Chido, with a reported 45 dead and nearly 500 injured, as well as approximately 35,000 homes, 50 health centres and 150 schools destroyed or damaged. The UN and partners have provided 2,000 families food, shelter and other essential supplies.

The General Assembly adopted 47 draft resolutions and one decision recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, covering a wide range of issues, from countering violence against children and combating the glorification of Nazism to protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and ensuring the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that UN-led aid missions to the North Gaza governorate continue to be overwhelmingly denied, especially those seeking to reach besieged areas in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and parts of Jabalya.

In Lebanon, over 900,000 people have begun returning to their areas of origin since the cessation of hostilities was announced on 27 November, the International Organization for Migration reports. Nearly 179,000 people remain displaced. The UN and its partners continue supporting the response across the country.

In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that he United Nations and its partners continue to support the response there as the security situation permits. Health care across the country continues to be disrupted against the backdrop of a fluid security situation.

At least 68 journalists and media workers have been killed in the line of duty so far this year, according to a report published today by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Over 60 per cent were working in countries in conflict, the highest percentage in over 10 years.

On 22 November 2024, in pursuance of paragraph 5 of resolution 2664 (2022), a representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on behalf of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 2745 (2024) on the delivery of life-saving assistance and other activities that support essential human needs in the Central African Republic.