Nigeria

The World Food Programme (WFP) is working with the Government of Bangladesh to help more than 275,000 people affected by flooding in the country’s north-west. Some 5,000 households have received cash transfers as part of an innovative project which uses weather forecasts to trigger early action.

The cholera outbreak in Yemen has reached more than 460,000 suspected cases in 2019, exceeding the 380,000 total suspected cases in all of 2018.  While the United Nations and partners operate 1,200 treatment facilities, funding remains an urgent issue, with only 32 per cent of the $4.2 billion response plan met.

Today is the Day of the Seafarer.  This year’s theme, “I Am on Board with Gender Equality”, focuses on the importance and value of women within the professional ranks of the maritime world.  The theme is also in line with this year’s theme for World Maritime Day:  “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community”.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Mansour Ayyad Sh. A. Alotaibi (Kuwait):

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

Today is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and the 2019 theme is “Let’s Grow the Future Together”.  In his message, the Secretary-General stressed that protecting and restoring land can reduce forced migration, improve food security, spur economic growth and help address the global climate emergency.

A recent spike in clashes in north-western Nigeria has forced some 20,000 people to flee to neighbouring Niger since April, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today.  UNHCR is working closely with authorities in Niger to provide basic assistance and register these people.

UNICEF reports that 894 children — including 106 girls — were released today from the ranks of the Civilian Joint Task Force, a local militia that helps the Nigerian security forces in the fight against insurgency in the country’s north‑east.  UNICEF says more than 3,500 children were recruited between 2013 and 2017.

The Secretary-General continues to follow the developments in Sudan very closely and reiterates his call for calm and utmost restraint by all.  The Secretary‑General reaffirms that the United Nations stands ready to support the Sudanese people as they chart a new way forward.

The flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Idai has caused at least 122 deaths and affected more than a million people in both Mozambique and Malawi, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  Close to 83,000 people are displaced in Malawi and more than 17,000 in Mozambique, OCHA says.