Noon Briefings

The first State of the World’s Migratory Species report was launched today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which is a UN biodiversity treaty. The report shows that while some migratory species listed under the treaty are improving, 44 per cent are showing population declines.

In war-torn Sudan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 3.5 million children are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year. The Agency and its partners have secured ready-to-use therapeutic foods through July and are scaling up their response to prevent a massive loss of lives.

In Ukraine, the Humanitarian Coordinator there denounced a new wave of attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns that took place overnight. The attacks reportedly caused scores of civilian casualties in six regions of Ukraine and have massively disrupted essential services at the height of winter.

In Ethiopia, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said that it is scaling up its operations to deliver food assistance to up to 3 million people in the country in the coming weeks; 2 million of those are in Tigray.

In Abyei, located along South Sudan’s border with Sudan and which has been the site of violence recently, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners have been providing food and shelter materials to displaced men, women and children, despite major access and logistical challenges.

The massive humanitarian needs of over 2 million people in Gaza risk deepening, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will likely be forced to close operations by the end of the month if donor funding remains suspended, UNRWA Head Philippe Lazzarini warned today.

On the borders along the Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, United Nations peacekeepers report that they continue to carry out their tasks, including patrols and other activities, amid daily exchanges of fire along the Line.

In the Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that more than 520,000 people need life-saving assistance following severe floods in country. A joint UN-Government assessment found that nine of the country’s 12 departments are now impacted, since the floods started in October.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is strengthening its presence near the borders with Sudan, and peacekeepers are intensifying their patrols in Abiemnom County in Ruweng State and in Mayom County. A priority is to enhance security along the main supply route, which is vital for the transport of humanitarian aid.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today said that nearly 100 people have died or disappeared in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean since the beginning of 2024. The toll is over twice as high as the figure for the same period of 2023.