Algeria and Argentina have been certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as being malaria-free. The head of WHO said today that the nations have eliminated malaria thanks to the unwavering commitment and perseverance of the people and leaders of both countries.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that the number of attacks on schools in eastern Ukraine increased four-fold during the first four months of 2019, versus the same period in 2018, with schools attacked 12 times between January and April.
A new United Nations report on Afghanistan has found that continued focus and efforts are needed to advance the nation’s anti-corruption reforms. It describes how corruption there is eroding public trust and confidence in Government institutions and hindering efforts to bring peace and prosperity to the country.
Briefing the Security Council today on Syria, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs expressed concern at the escalation of fighting in the country’s north-west. She said that, on 6 May, Government forces began ground offensives there, and, as of 15 May, they seized many towns in Hama.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas of Libya’s capital, Tripoli, continues to cause civilian casualties, with at least six killed and five others injured in an apparent air strike in Qasr bin Ghashir on Tuesday, according to staff of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In Sudan, the African Union-United Nation Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) condemned an incident that took place on 14 May in its El Geneina camp, when a crowd forcefully entered, looting Organization property and contingent-owned equipment, vandalizing premises and putting lives of staff and personnel at risk.
As of yesterday, some 1,705 probable and confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. About 1,122 people, or two thirds of reported cases, have died since then.
The first day for redeploying Ansar Allah forces from Yemen’s three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa went according to established plans on Saturday, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, said yesterday. Formal verification is expected on Tuesday.
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 World Food Programme says it reached 10.6 million people with emergency food assistance across Yemen in March – more than in any other month. An estimated 10 million people in the country are one step away from famine, and the United Nations and partners are doing everything to help them and roll back the risk.