Amid the continued humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) reports that it provided food to nearly 150,000 people and cash assistance to 6,000 on 14 December.  Some 100 food shops and other businesses have closed in Jalalabad city due to currency devaluation and high food and commodity prices.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message to the tenth Open Government Partnership Global Summit, in Seoul today:  

Noting that the United States and Iran have reaffirmed their seriousness to return to full implementation of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the top United Nations political affairs official today called on both countries to expeditiously translate these pledges into a mutually acceptable agreement, as she briefed the Security Council on the latest developments.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for International Migrants Day, observed on 18 December:

Warring parties can and must talk even if they are not ready to put down their arms, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for Yemen told the Security Council today, as he and the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shared a grim snapshot of escalating violence, shifting front lines and widespread hunger, displacement and desperation among civilians.

Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council this morning his is deeply alarmed by the ongoing military escalating, intensified fighting and shifting frontlines in Yemen, which are endangering civilians.  Aid operations in the country are helping almost 11 million people each month.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Joyce Msuya of the United Republic of Tanzania as Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the seventh meeting of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, in New York today:

The Independent Audit Advisory Committee of the United Nations held its fifty-sixth session from 7 to 10 December 2021.  Due to the ongoing challenges associated with the pandemic, the meetings were held virtually.  The session was presided over by the Chair, Janet St. Laurent.  All the other members of the Committee, namely Agus Pramono (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Bradley, Anton Kosyanenko, and Imran Vanker, were in attendance.

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals — the judicial body that took over the remaining work of the two dedicated tribunals for war crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia — has delivered judgments on three cases on schedule, diminishing its active caseload and demonstrating its intention to complete its functions efficiently and effectively, its President told the Security Council today.