The World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves during the next lean season — which is from June to August. This is an increase of 4 million in the number of food-insecure people as compared to the previous forecast published in late 2023.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Autism Awareness Day, observed on 2 April:

The United Nations is planning a mission to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city to help people receive medical attention and to assess the state of the hospital. This comes following reports that the Israel Defense Forces have vacated the premises of the hospital.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, observed on 4 April:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message on prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse, in New York today:

The scourge of slavery has left a painful legacy through persisting inequities, as well as marginalization, dehumanization and brutality, speakers in the General Assembly emphasized today, underscoring the need for education about its causes and consequences, as well as for meaningful collective action to end its modern-day forms and build a more just world.

The United Nations will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda with events under the theme of “Remember. Unite. Renew.” The events remember the victims and honour the survivors and those who tried to stop the genocide, while also focusing on young people who have grown up in the shadow of 1994, and warning against the dangers of hate speech and disinformation.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, delivered by Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray on behalf of the Secretary-General, at the General Assembly event marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, in New York today:

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that new strikes across the country over the weekend left hundreds of thousands of people in Kharkiv, Odesa and Kryvyi Rih without electricity and heat.

In the Gambia, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today raised concerns on the proposed repeal of the ban on female genital mutilation in the country, highlighting the proposal as a grave violation of human rights and significant setback in the global fight against gender-based violence.