Middle East

Today marks International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, affecting an estimated 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab region, and Latin America and the Caribbean.  Because this injury is almost entirely preventable, the Day seeks to raise awareness of the importance of obstetric care for women around the world.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the murder of three human rights defenders working with indigenous and peasants’ rights organizations in Guatemala during the last 10 days, calling for a prompt investigation into those and other attacks against rights defenders, and accountability for the perpetrators.

Despite the increasingly dire circumstances in the territory occupied by Israel and in exile abroad, the Palestinian people would never abandon their struggle for peace, freedom and self-determination, the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine stressed in closing remarks as the United Nation Forum on the Question of Palestine concluded today.

A peacekeeper from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed and eight others injured this morning in the southern part of the country.  The contingent from Mauritania was escorting a convoy to the town of Alindao when it was attacked by presumed members of the anti-Balaka.

Following are Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the opening of the United Nations Forum on the Question of Palestine, in New York today:

Seventy years after a General Assembly resolution first sought to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish States — an anniversary that sparked both joyous commemorations and lethal violence earlier this week — Palestinian and Israeli scholars, legal experts and Government officials today opened a high-level forum aimed at harnessing the region’s difficult historical lessons and forging a new path forward towards peace.

Michael Keating, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, joined that country’s President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmaajo” on Tuesday in calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities between “Somaliland” and Puntland forces following recent fighting in the Tukaraq area of the Sool region.

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today that 14 May was a day of tragedy for the people of Gaza.  He said that there is no justification for the killing, and there is no excuse.

A reported 60 Palestinians were killed on 14 May during protests at the perimeter fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, the deadliest day of violence since 2014, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today, condemning the actions leading up to the bloodshed and calling for an independent investigation.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, visited the town of Bikoro in north-western Democratic Republic of the Congo today to assess the response to the current Ebola outbreak.  WHO is deploying experts and coordinating partners as well as providing supplies and equipment to the area.