Mali

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on Mali, in New York today:

Emphasizing that “investing in peace in Mali is an investment in global security”, the Secretary-General urged the Security Council today to maintain full support for the United Nations mission in the country, calling on the Government, opposition leaders and signatories to the 2015 peace agreement to redouble efforts to restore calm.

The World Food Programme (WFP) says tens of thousands of South Sudanese children in 150 schools will benefit from a just-launched programme for education in emergencies.  Funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by WFP and the United Nations Children’s Fund, it will provide hot meals daily to 75,000 children.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said today that it is concerned that, according to its preliminary findings, an airstrike by international forces against the Taliban carried out overnight between Friday and Saturday in Kunduz killed 13 civilians, 10 of whom were children.

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

The Secretary-General’s report “Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse” is now available, outlining progress made, including a new reporting form, a measure to track victims’ assistance and the launch of a tool to ensure perpetrators are not rehired in any part of the Organization.

To assist 2.3 million people in Mali, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners today launched the 2019 Humanitarian Response Plan requesting $296 million.  The situation there has deteriorated in recent years due to increased conflict and intercommunal clashes, as well as a high level of food insecurity.

More civilians were killed in the conflict in Afghanistan in 2018 than at any other time since records have been kept, according to a new report by the United Nations, which documented 3,804 deaths.  The report attributed nearly two thirds of the casualties to anti-Government elements.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea):

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