The Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, welcomed reports today of tangible progress in ending hostilities and improving the security situation in Yemen. He also began talks with the heads of the delegations assigned to monitor support for the cessation of hostilities that took effect 10 April.
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Noon Briefings
The Deputy Secretary-General, on behalf of the Secretary-General, told the High-Level Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change are inseparable and mutually reinforcing. He stressed that the breadth and depth of 2030 Agenda calls for adopting new approaches and for breaking down silos.
The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) is calling for restraint after a recent outbreak of violence in East Darfur ended in an attack in El Daein on Monday. The Operation also calls on all parties involved to refrain from acts that could further aggravate the situation.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says countries bordering South Sudan have reported a rise in the number refugees fleeing the country. Meanwhile, sharp funding shortfalls for a regional response plan were threatening many life-saving services.
The Secretary-General condemns the killing of a peacekeeper from the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in the town of Rafai and calls on the newly elected Government to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria was expected to address the press following a meeting with the Syrian Government delegation. In Syria, the World Food Programme this week carried out three airdrops over the besieged city of Deir Ezzour, sending urgently needed food assistance of more than 25,000 people.
The Secretary-General today told the Security Council meeting on countering terrorism that efforts must address the drivers of violent extremism through approaches that respected the shared values of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights law.
Flooding caused by extended rains in Paraguay that started in November 2015 has affected tens of thousands of people across the country, and the United Nations has deployed a team of experts to support the Government-led response. Some 63,000 people remain displaced in 125 temporary shelters, while 7,000 have found shelter with relatives and neighbours.
UNHCR is calling today for the negotiators of the Colombia peace talks to give special attention to the rights of victims, especially internally displaced people and refugees. Colombia's five-decade armed conflict has produced the world's second biggest displacement situation — Syria being currently the biggest.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has welcomed the start of a cessation of hostilities that began at midnight on 10 April. He urges all parties to ensure that the cessation of hostilities creates an environment conducive to the peace talks set to resume in Kuwait on 18 April.