The Secretary-General is saddened by the deaths of three Indian peacekeepers serving with the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), who were killed early this morning following a surprise attack by a group of unidentified armed men. The Secretary-General condemns the assault and calls on the Government to launch an immediate investigation into this incident.

The Secretary-General will address the General Assembly this afternoon about the humanitarian needs in Pakistan. He will say that Pakistan is facing a slow-motion tsunami, with needs expected to grow. He will thank the international community for the generosity it has shown so far, while underscoring that the needs are great, and this disaster is far from over. He will ask nations to respond urgently to the UN emergency appeal for the $460 million to cover the next 90 days.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Pakistan called on donors Thursday to massively scale up aid to that flood-ravaged country in order to prevent a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

The Quartet issued a statement today at 11 a.m. United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and United States Presidential Envoy George Mitchell also extended an oral invitation to the parties to join in launching direct negotiations on 2 September in Washington.

United Nations agencies are continuing their work to provide relief in Pakistan, even as the floods there continue to affect more than 15 million people. To date, the World Food Programme has reached about 1.3 million people with a one-month emergency ration of food. But the agency says that approximately 6 million people in all are expected to require food assistance over the next three months.

The Secretary-General is outraged by the rape and assault of at least 154 Congolese civilians, during an attack by armed elements of the Mai-Mai and the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is another grave example of both the level of sexual violence and the insecurity that continue to plague the DRC. He calls on the Government to investigate and bring to the perpetrators justice.

Amid international outrage over the rape and assault of at least 154 Congolese civilians during an attack by two armed groups in North Kivu Province in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Roger Meece, the Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo said the United Nations was reviewing how it conducted patrols in the area and how to improve communication with local communities.

The Secretary-General addressed the Security Council during its open debate on Somalia piracy this morning. He said that more could be done and he added that that would require political and financial commitment from Member States. He set out seven possible options to further the aim of prosecuting and imprisoning persons responsible for acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia. The Council later adopted a presidential statement.

The Security Council today, through a press statement, expressed their outrage at the recent case of mass rape in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They also welcomed the Secretary-General’s decision to dispatch Assistant Secretary-General Atul Khare to the country, and his instruction to his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, to coordinate follow-up. Both officials will brief the Council on their findings.

As the number of people significantly affected by the catastrophic floods in Pakistan climbed to an estimated 17.2 million, the United Nations was scaling up relief operations, John Holmes, outgoing Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said today during a Headquarters news conference.