Myanmar

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that escalating violence continue to harm civilians there. In North Kivu province, partners estimate that more than 2,300 people fled clashes between armed groups in the Kibua area of Walikale Territory on 15 April.

The horrific war in Sudan today entered its third year. Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami called for protecting civilians and aid workers. Demand for life-saving support after sexual violence is up 288 per cent; the number of children needing aid has doubled since 2023 to over 15 million.

In Ecuador, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs’ UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team reports at least 150,000 people have been impacted by the massive oil spill in Esmeraldas in March and need humanitarian assistance.

In Myanmar, two weeks after the country was hit by two earthquakes, pushing 2 million more people into critical need of support, the UN and partners have launched a $275 million appeal, which is an addendum to the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan to reach 1.1 million people with urgent assistance.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council this morning that there have been hundreds of reported Israeli air strikes across Syria since 8 December 2024. He said Syria’s opportunity to stabilize after 14 years of conflict must be supported and protected, for Syrians and for Israelis.

In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that hostilities across the Strip continue to exact a devastating toll on civilians, causing further death, further displacement and further destruction of critical infrastructure.

The United Nations team in Afghanistan today urged the international donor community to maintain critical support for the people of Afghanistan. With 22.9 million men, women and children in need of assistance in 2025, the country is today the world’s second-largest humanitarian crisis.

In South Sudan, the head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) continues to be engaged in intensive high-level political efforts to de-escalate the current tensions and convince the parties to preserve the peace deal they all agreed to.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Jérôme Bonnafont (France):

In Somalia, nearly 4.6 million people are likely to experience high levels of hunger from now until June, according to United Nations estimates. Humanitarian needs in the country are rising at a time when funding for aid operations is plummeting.