The UN Mine Action Service said today that Syrians will be at risk of being killed and maimed as a result of explosive remnants of war left behind in the wake of the conflict in Syria. It is urgently seeking funding to deliver risk awareness to Syrian refugees and internally displaced people, as well as funding to pre-position clearance teams and equipment to enable rapid deployment when the situation allows.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General deplores the rocket launch announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, saying it is all the more regrettable because it defies the unified and strong call from the international community. He reaffirms his commitment to working for peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says more than half a million Syrian refugees have now been registered, or are awaiting registration, in four surrounding countries and North Africa. Since the beginning of November, the number of registered refugees region-wide has risen by about 3,200 a day, including new arrivals and those who had already been in the asylum countries for some time.
The Secretary-General told the Security Council today that the warning lights for the Sahel region continue to flash, with political turmoil, terrorist activity, drug trafficking and arms smuggling spilling over borders and threatening peace and security. He added that the issues in Mali cannot be effectively addressed without confronting the challenges affecting the broader region.
After visiting camps for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Turkey today, the Secretary-General said he was shocked and humbled by the refugees’ stories. With the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan only 50 per cent financed, he pleaded for more funds, saying the people he met “...are our family; let us stand by them”.
The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life and serious damage to homes and infrastructure in the Philippines as a result of Typhoon Bopha (known locally as Typhoon Pablo), the second devastating storm to hit Mindanao in a year. He extends his sincere condolences to those who have lost family members and who have been otherwise affected by this disaster.
Briefing the Security Council on Mali, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said a first step in the multidimensional international response to the “horrendous crisis” must focus on supporting Malian authorities in conducting an inclusive national dialogue towards restoring constitutional order.
The Secretary-General addressed the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha today. He told the gathered leaders and delegations that we should be under no illusion that climate change is a crisis that threatens us all — our economies, our security and our future well-being.
The Secretary-General arrived in Doha today, to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Tomorrow he will address the opening of the high-level part of the Conference and then he will give a press conference with the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres.
The General Assembly resolution on the question of Palestine was adopted yesterday by 138 votes in favour to 9 against, with 41 abstentions. The Secretary-General said the vote underscores the need to resume meaningful negotiations, urging the parties to renew their commitment to a negotiated peace.