Iraq

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

Acknowledging the 1,000th person in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to survive Ebola after treatment, the head of the emergency relief operation, in a joint statement with WHO, WFP, UNICEF and Save the Children, commended the country’s health leadership and the efforts of local health workers and partners.

The Secretary-General said he is deeply disturbed by the scale, severity and recurrence of grave violations endured by boys and girls, in a new report on the impact of conflict on children in Afghanistan.  More than 12,000 children were verified killed or maimed between 2015 and the end of 2018.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced today the launch of Stop the Waste, a global campaign to raise awareness about the 4 billion tons of edible food that is discarded daily, costing the global economy nearly $1 trillion annually.  Top restaurateurs and celebrity chefs can join the movement through #StopTheWaste.

The Security Council today decided to extend until 21 September 2020 the mandate of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (UNITAD).

More than half the population of South Sudan — 6 million people — do not know where they will find their next meal.  The Food and Agriculture Organization is providing crop seeds, while the United Nations Children’s Fund is distributing food for women and children and the World Food Programme is responding with food and cash.

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

After a long journey across the seas, youth climate activist Greta Thunberg is arriving this afternoon in New York.  The United Nations will be there to welcome her with a flotilla of 17 sailboats, each branded with a sustainable goal.  Ms. Thunberg is scheduled to attend the Secretary-General’s climate summit.

The leadership of Iraq is hard at work building on progress made since the territorial defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), but the recent flare-up in regional tensions could potentially undermine ongoing efforts to restore stability and prosperity, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country warned the Security Council today.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director General announced today he will reconvene the Emergency Committee on Ebola to assess the threat after yesterday’s confirmation of the first case in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.  He also raised concerns about targeted attacks against the Ebola health response.