Libya

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, visited Hroza today, less than 24 hours after an attack that killed dozens of civilians — calling it a barbaric consequence of the war that 20 per cent of a community can be wiped out in mere seconds. The UN is mobilizing humanitarian aid to civilians in the area.

In Armenia, the UN, led by acting Resident Coordinator Natia Natsvlishvili, is boosting support to national authorities to address the needs of over 100,000 refugees, who recently arrived. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to distribute locally procured core relief items requested by local municipalities.

Abdoulaye Bathily, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of the UN mission there, expressed concern today over the emergence of unilateral and competing initiatives on the reconstruction of Derna and other flood-affected areas. He urges leaders to agree on a unified response.

The Security Council today decided to renew, for a period of 12 months, its prior authorization allowing Member States to inspect vessels on the high seas off Libya’s coast, when there are reasonable grounds to believe they are participating in acts of migrant smuggling and human trafficking.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that more than 11,600 children crossed the Central Mediterranean Sea to Italy without a parent or legal guardian. That’s between January and mid-September 2023. This is an increase of 60 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The Mediterranean remains a perilous route for a swelling number of migrants and asylum seekers trying to reach Europe, Security Council members said today, as they discussed the situation in the high seas off Libya ahead of a decision to renew resolution 2240 (2015), which authorizes States and regional groups to inspect and seize vessels in that area suspected of being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking.

On the situation in the Caucasus, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it’s deeply concerned about the rapidly increasing number of refugees fleeing into Armenia, with long queues reported at the border.

The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide expressed concern over the ongoing situation in the South Caucasus, in which it is reported that tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians have left the area for Armenia in the span of just a few days. All efforts must be made to ensure their protection and human rights.

At a 21 September high-level meeting, co-hosted by Jordan and Sweden in support of Palestine Refugees, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as Member States, reaffirmed their strong political support for the Agency.

On 18 August 2023, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya held informal consultations to consider the final report of the Panel of Experts on Libya, submitted in accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 2644 (2022).