Myanmar

The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL), General Aroldo Lázaro, met over the weekend with 13 mayors of the Al Qalaa Union representing communities in the south-west to discuss the situation due to the ongoing exchanges of fire along the Blue Line and its severe impact on the local population.

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

In Sri Lanka, the United Nations is supporting the Government in assessing and meeting the immediate needs of over 250,000 people impacted by the ongoing severe floods and landslides since 2 June.

In Gaza, aid partners report being able to reach Al Aqsa Hospital, in Deir Al Balah, with about 15,000 litres of fuel. Consistent fuel delivery is vital to keep oxygen generators running, without which the lives of over 20 newborn babies would be at risk. Between 7 and 23 May, just over 900 aid trucks have entered Gaza.

In Myanmar, the United Nations continues to follow closely the situation in Rakhine State, which is worsening the vulnerabilities of all communities in one of the country’s poorest regions.

In Haiti, the UN and its aid partners are responding in the wake of recent attacks in the Port-au-Prince commune of Delmas, providing food, shelter and other supplies. This week, the World Food Programme distributed food to 264,000 schoolchildren and over 5,600 displaced people in the capital.

In a joint statement today, more than 190 organizations, including UN agencies, appealed for sustained support for the more than 18 million people in need in Yemen, warning that the 2024 humanitarian appeal for the country is only 16 per cent funded, with only $400 million received of the total $2.7 billion needed.

In Myanmar, the United Nations team there reports that they are concerned by the spreading of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, especially in northern Rakhine State.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Julie Bishop of Australia as his Special Envoy on Myanmar.  Ms. Bishop succeeds Noeleen Heyzer of Singapore to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service.

Bringing the multifaceted crisis in Myanmar to the fore, speakers urged the Security Council today to take decisive measures to end violence by that country’s military and address the deteriorating humanitarian situation, also calling for the swift appointment of a United Nations Special Envoy to enhance the Organization’s engagement on the matter.