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.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
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.
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.
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.