The Secretary-General spoke this morning at a special event on eliminating female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2030. He called for the focus to be shifted away from mutilation to education and a world where FGM stands for “Focus on Girls’ Minds”.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan voiced concern over the legislature’s passing of the Non-Governmental Organizations’ (NGO) Bill, which limits foreign aid workers in the country. He said he was concerned that its adoption would have wide-ranging and negative ramifications on humanitarian operations.
The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic has identified seven new possible victims of sexual exploitation and abuse in Bambari. The soldiers implicated are from Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Their Governments have been notified and asked to launch investigations.
Aid organizations expressed concern today over the thousands of mainly elderly and vulnerable Ukrainian citizens facing daily difficulties in crossing the so-called “contact” line. Neal Walker, Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, said increased hostilities could expose civilians to violence, mines and unexploded munitions.
The United Nations has released $8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for severely underfunded aid operations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The funds will help to provide life-saving assistance for more than 2.2 million of the most vulnerable people at risk of malnutrition.
A total of 849 Iraqis were killed and another 1,450 wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in January, according to figures released today by the United Nations in Baghdad. The figures showed that Baghdad Governorate was the worst affected, with 1,084 civilian casualties, including about 300 killed.
The Secretary-General, in Addis Ababa to attend the African Union Summit, announced that he was allocating $100 million for underfunded emergencies in nine countries, including Ethiopia where more than 10 million people needed food assistance resulting from severe drought and the worst El Nino effect on record.
World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan briefed board members in Geneva today on the Zika situation. She said the virus is spreading explosively in the Americas and the level of alarm is extremely high. As of today, cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the region.
The Secretary-General spoke earlier today at the event marking the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was a colossal crime and the evidence is irrefutable, yet today, he said, we continue to see hurtful efforts to question the reality and the scale of this tragedy.
The Secretary-General spoke to the Security Council today about the Middle East, and he informed Council members that 2016 has begun with unacceptable levels of violence and a polarized public discourse in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He noted that security measures alone will not stop the violence.