Kyrgyzstan

Although hand-washing with soap is critical to anti-coronavirus efforts, millions of people around the world lack ready access to a place to wash their hands, UNICEF) warned today, reporting that, according to the latest estimates, only three out of five people worldwide have basic hand-washing facilities.

Despite steady progress against tuberculosis in many countries before the COVID-19 pandemic — with a 9 per cent reduction in incidence and a 14 per cent drop in deaths between 2015 and 2019 — a World Health Organization report released today warns that global prevention and treatment targets are likely to be missed.

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

To mark Space Week, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs will hold a webinar tomorrow on the KiboCUBE programme, a collaboration with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency giving developing countries an opportunity to deploy a satellite from Japan’s module of the International Space Station free of cost.

The United Nations is increasingly concerned about the impact of Syria’s economic downturn.  Food prices there have more than tripled in the past year, a record 9.3 million people are food insecure, and without future support, over 2 million more risk being pushed further into hunger, according to the World Food Programme.

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

In Yemen, the United Nations and its aid partners report they have distributed emergency food, hygiene kits and other essential items to over 7,600 families impacted by deadly floods and torrential rains that destroyed homes, crops and livestock in July and August. An estimated 62,000 families have been affected.

In Bangladesh, aid workers and the Government continue scaling up operations and, as of 4 October, have given food assistance to 515,500 Rohingya refugees that have fled from Myanmar. On Tuesday, the World Health Organization and partners will launch the world’s second-largest cholera vaccination campaign in Cox’s Bazar.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres travelled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from Nukus, Uzbekistan, on the evening of Saturday, 10 June.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the commemoration of the June 2010 events in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, today: