Japan

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over continuing arrests and apparently arbitrary detentions of human rights defenders and activists in Saudi Arabia.  Since 15 May, at least 15 Government critics have been detained, their whereabouts unknown, in some cases, amid a serious lack of transparency.

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has temporarily deployed 40 peacekeepers to Bijombo, South Kivu, where violent clashes between local armed groups have reportedly destroyed entire villages, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee to such areas as Uvira.

The United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti reports that the situation there remains tense and volatile following the suspension of a fuel price hike by Prime Minister Lafontant on Saturday.  The Mission is helping to remove roadblocks to ensure access to key roads.

In Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights welcomed the commitment by the Government to improve the human rights situation, but he also urged more action to end attacks on civilians, mainly by extremists, and the continued discrimination against Afghan women at all levels of society.

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

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Food Programme today said it is energizing two key elements of its emergency operation to prevent famine in war-ravaged Kasaï:  cash distributions to the most vulnerable and specialist support to check acute malnutrition in women and young children.

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres arrived in Tokyo from Paris on Wednesday evening, 13 December.

A growing number of districts in Yemen are at risk of famine as the situation rapidly deteriorates, aggravated by protracted conflict, limited imports of essential commodities necessary for basic survival, lack of salaries and collapsing health, water and sanitation services, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports.

Some 350,000 children remain in need of support across the Caribbean three months after hurricanes Irma and Maria barrelled through the region, UNICEF reported today.  More than 35 per cent of children in Dominica - particularly those in shelters - are yet to be enrolled in education activities, and many children and families in Antigua and Barbuda remain unable to return home.

The Secretary-General, in a message to the United Nations Environment Assembly opening in Nairobi today, said that solutions to prevent, mitigate and manage pollution existed, and that beating pollution would help reduce poverty, improve health, create decent jobs, address climate change and protect life on earth and sea.