With the failure of South Sudan to meet the 22 January deadline to establish a transitional government, the Secretary-General pledged United Nations’ continued support as the people remain subjected to unimaginable suffering and human rights abuses two years after the conflict began.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The World Health Organization and its partners predict a major global increase in El Niño-related health consequences of emergencies in 2016. A new report cites UN figures to estimate that Ethiopia, Lesotho, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda have requested $76 million in support.
The Secretary-General has expressed concerns about reports of the Israeli Government authorizing the declaration of 370 acres in the West Bank, as so-called "State land". He said that settlement activities are a violation of international law, running counter to Government pronouncements supporting a two-State solution.
With food supplies in Syria at an all-time low, the Food and Agriculture Organization called upon Governments today to boost funding so as to help farmers prevent a further deterioration. Wheat flour and rice prices in some markets have soared by as much as 300 and 650 per cent, respectively, over the past 18 months.
A United Nations report released today says more than 18,800 civilians have been killed in the ongoing Iraq conflict and another 36,000 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Another 3.2 million people have been internally displaced since January 2014, including more than a million school-age children.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is increasingly concerned about food security in Southern Africa, where an estimated 14 million people facing hunger following prolonged dry spells that led to a poor 2015 harvest. WFP says Malawi, Madagascar and Zimbabwe are the worst affected.
The Secretary-General today briefed the General Assembly on his plan of action to prevent violent extremism, calling for a new global partnership to confront this menace. He stressed that violent extremism is a direct assault on the United Nations Charter and poses a grave threat to international peace and security.
The mission in the Central African Republic reports that final provisional results in the legislative elections were announced yesterday, with three women among 21 candidates elected by an absolute majority during the first round. A second round will be held in 113 constituencies.
UNICEF says nearly 24 million children in 22 conflict-affected countries worldwide — that is one in four children — are out of school. South Sudan has the highest proportion, with more than half its primary and lower secondary age children not accessing education, with Niger a close second, followed by Sudan and Afghanistan.
The Secretary-General today marked the seventieth anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly. Calling the Assembly a “Parliament for all people”, he said that although the resolutions adopted by it may not all be acted on right away, they stand as our common position on the most pressing issues of our times.