In Ecuador, a UN team arrived on 24 March to support authorities to respond to the environmental emergency caused by a major oil spill. The spill in the Esmeraldas Province, in the country’s north-west, has contaminated key water sources, leaving half a million people without access to safe water and sanitation.
In progress at UNHQ
Lebanon
As the new school year starts today in Afghanistan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that an additional 400,000 girls there are being deprived of their right to education, bringing the total number of girls without access to this essential right to 2.2 million.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report today stating that human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some consequences irreversible over hundreds — if not thousands — of years. The report also noted that 2024 was the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.
In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its partners continue to deliver aid across the country. This includes restoring water supplies, providing food and nutrition assistance, distributing winter aid and supporting vulnerable mothers and children.
In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, today and over the weekend, attacks have caused dozens of civilian casualties, including among children. Homes, schools and energy facilities have also sustained damage, impacting electricity supplies.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children Najat Maalla M’jid presented her annual report to the Human Rights Council today, which highlights an alarming rise in child trafficking. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), children now represent 38 per cent of detected victims.
The Secretary-General will convene the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom for an informal meeting in Geneva from 17 to 18 March, which will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward on the Cyprus issue.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN, its humanitarian partners and the Congolese Government today launched in Kinshasa, the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan seeking $2.5 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection for more than 11 million people, including 7.8 million internally displaced.
The Advisory Committee established by the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) concluded its second three-day meeting in Tripoli on 20 February. The Committee held discussions on the current electoral framework, focusing on the contentious aspects that have impeded the holding of national elections in Libya.
The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is sheltering and protecting some 1,400 people in its premises in Goma, North Kivu. In recent days, nearly 56,000 displaced persons have relocated to 34 newly created collective centres across Goma, mainly schools, churches and hospitals.