The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life and serious damage to homes and infrastructure in the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Bopha (known locally as Typhoon Pablo), the second devastating storm to hit Mindanao in a year. He extends his sincere condolences to those who have lost family members and who have been otherwise affected by this disaster.

After visiting camps for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey today, the Secretary-General said he was shocked and humbled by the refugees’ stories. With the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan only 50 per cent financed, he pleaded for more funds, saying the people he met “...are our family; let us stand by them”.

The Secretary-General told the Security Council today that the warning lights for the Sahel region continue to flash, with political turmoil, terrorist activity, drug trafficking and arms smuggling spilling over borders and threatening peace and security. He added that the issues in Mali cannot be effectively addressed without confronting the challenges affecting the broader region.

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says more than half a million Syrian refugees have now been registered, or are awaiting registration, in four surrounding countries and North Africa. Since the beginning of November, the number of registered refugees region-wide has risen by about 3,200 a day, including new arrivals and those who had already been in the asylum countries for some time.

Whether an Indian girl, an albino or another boy - South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka could not care less whom her son brought home as long as he was happy, she said today at a Headquarters press conference.

The Secretary-General deplores the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, saying it is all the more regrettable because it defies the unified and strong call from the international community. He reaffirms his commitment to working for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

The UN Mine Action Service said today that Syrians will be at risk of being killed and maimed as a result of explosive remnants of war left behind in the wake of the conflict in Syria. It is urgently seeking funding to deliver risk awareness to Syrian refugees and internally displaced people, as well as funding to pre-position clearance teams and equipment to enable rapid deployment when the situation allows.

The value of early and sustained action by the Security Council was dramatically affirmed during Germany’s tenure, which was dominated by momentous change in the Arab world, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said at a press conference today.

Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, launched the 2013 humanitarian appeal in Rome on behalf of the United Nations and international relief organizations, and called for $8.5 billion to help an estimated 51 million people who will need urgent assistance next year.

The newly formed Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had already adopted rules of procedure and targeted substantial issues for review, including the rights of minorities, marginalized communities and women and children, officials from the body told reporters at Headquarters today.