The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today said that world food commodity prices dipped for a fifth month in a row. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 138 points in August, down 1.9 per cent from July although remaining 7.9 per cent above its value a year before.

In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, where 1.3 million Palestinian children will be returning to school this week, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator there issued a statement today in which she said she is concerned that, since the beginning of the year, 20 children were killed in the West Bank.

The Security Council today renewed until 31 August 2023 the travel ban and asset freeze imposed through resolution 2374 (2017) against individuals and entities obstructing implementation of the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.

In Ukraine, a convoy, organized by the United Nations and its partners, recently reached Toretsk in eastern Donetsk Oblast on 26 August. The convoy delivered 56 tons of food and other items for 2,000 people living close to the front line and who are under shelling.

The United Nations is stepping up its response to severe rains and flooding across Pakistan which have reportedly killed over 1,000 people, including hundreds of children. The situation is expected to worsen with more ongoing rainfall.

Today marks five years since the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force. The Convention protects human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) administers the agreement, which has 137 parties.

The Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) just completed a visit to Kidal, where he met with officials and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on means of improving cooperation and supporting the acceleration of the implementation of the Peace Agreement.

A United Nations-chartered vessel carrying the first shipment of humanitarian food under the Black Sea Grain Initiative is expected to berth soon at Ukraine’s Yuzhny (Pivdennyi) port to collect Ukrainian wheat purchased by the World Food Programme in support of the drought-stricken Horn of Africa where there is risk of famine.

On 28 July, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2374 (2017) concerning Mali held informal consultations to consider the final report of the Panel of Experts on Mali, submitted in accordance with paragraph 4 of resolution 2590 (2021).

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