Libya

Alarmed at the volatility and human rights situation in Libya, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there cautioned today that the country risked a return to wide-spread conflict.

Today is World Tuberculosis Day, and UNAIDS is urging countries to do much more to reduce the number of tuberculosis (TB) deaths among people living with HIV.  The most common cause of death among people living with HIV, TB caused the deaths of 400,000 of the 1.1 million people who died from AIDS-related illnesses in 2015.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya said today he is concerned at continued reports of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law across the country.  He said that credible, effective and accountable security institutions are urgently required to end the deteriorating security situation.

The Government of Iraq reports that 180,000 civilians have fled western Mosul since mid-February, when military operations to retake the city’s western districts began.  Humanitarian agencies are bracing for the possibility of an additional 300,000 to 320,000 civilians fleeing in the coming weeks.

The Secretary-General was in Nairobi today.  He expressed his solidarity with the Kenyan people in dealing with the drought that has hit the country.  He added that he had deep gratitude for Kenya’s commitment to multilateralism and also the Government’s commitment to peacekeeping and peace-enforcing.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in a statement issued today, condemned the firing yesterday of a rocket from Gaza towards Israel. This is the third such incident in the past 30 days after a period of almost four months of quiet.  Such provocations seek only to undermine peace, he said.

A new report by the Joint Human Rights Office of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo says defence and security forces used excessive, disproportionate and lethal force to prevent and contain last December’s demonstrations, in which at least 40 people were killed.

Extremely concerned for the safety and protection of more than 400,000 people who remain besieged in eastern Ghoutah in Syria, the United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure and to ensure unimpeded, sustained and unconditional access to all those in need.

The Secretary-General spoke today at the Security Council’s debate on conflicts in Europe, saying that such conflicts are not only a tragedy for those directly involved, but they are also reversing development gains and preventing communities and societies from achieving their potential and contributing to regional and global prosperity.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya is following with concern the reported formation of parallel military forces under the name “National Guard” and their deployment in Tripoli and surrounding areas.  Special Representative Martin Kobler called for a united army under civilian control with a clear chain of command.