Myanmar

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

In Gaza, Humanitarian Coordinator Jamie McGoldrick informed donors that the United Nations emergency fuel programme has run out of money.  New funds are needed immediately to prevent a potentially catastrophic breakdown in service delivery at health centres, sewage treatment plants, water and sanitation facilities.

Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on Myanmar, today:

One year after the start of the Rohingya refugee crisis, the Security Council considered today the report issued by the independent fact-finding mission dispatched to that country, which alleges that national security forces committed gross human rights violations and abuses that “undoubtedly amount to the gravest crimes under international law”.

The United Nations Children’s Fund is taking measures to ensure a safe start to the school year in Ebola-affected regions of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including training of principals and 1,750 teachers about the virus, setting up procedures for early detection, isolation and referral to health services for children who may have Ebola‑like symptoms.

The United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, established by the Human Rights Council, issued a report today in which it called for the country’s military leaders to be investigated for crimes committed in north Rakhine State, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The 2018 Department of Public Information/NGO Conference got under way today under the theme “We the Peoples… Together Finding Global Solutions for Global Problems”.  It will focus on the value of multilateralism in solving global problems, and on opportunities for closer partnership between the United Nations and civil society in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Emergency fuel stocks at a number of critical health, water and sanitation facilities in the Gaza Strip have almost run out, creating enormous risks for the population, according to United Nations humanitarian personnel.  The immediate lack of fuel is due to Israeli restrictions on imports, which also apply to United Nations‑procured emergency fuel.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has found that children make up nearly 30 per cent of all identified victims of human trafficking.  In regions such as sub‑Saharan Africa and Central America and the Caribbean, the proportion is more than 60 per cent.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees condemned the attack on its compound in South Sudan's north-western town of Bunj, in which two United Nations staff were injured when demonstrators forcefully entered the premises and looted offices and residences.  Peacekeepers were immediately deployed to re-establish order.