United Nations officials in the Central African Republic report that 300 peacekeepers have been deployed to Bakouma, one of several places where security concerns prevented the holding of elections in 2020.  They will protect the civilian population and help organize legislative elections later in May.

The United Nations country team in Myanmar calls for the immediate release of dozens of journalists who are detained more than three months after the military seized control of the Government.  To date, military authorities have revoked the operating licenses of six Myanmar media outlets; 82 journalists have been arrested, more than half of them are still detained.

Humanitarian workers in Sudan report that the security situation in the town of Ag Geneina in western Darfur is stable but remains tense and unpredictable.  More than 230,000 people were displaced by the conflict in Darfur since the beginning of 2021, more than four times the 53,000 displaced in all of 2020.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for World Press Freedom Day 2021 — “Journalism as a Public Good:  30 Years of the Windhoek Declaration” — observed on 3 May:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for International Jazz Day, observe on 30 April:

Progress in protecting the world’s forests — and the people who rely on them — is at risk due to the devastating impacts of the coronavirus and the escalating climate and biodiversity crises, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, observed on 24 April:

The World Food Programme (WFP) said it will launch an operation to reach up to 2 million vulnerable people in Myanmar’s main cities and other areas where people have recently been uprooted.  WFP estimates that 3.4 million more people will be hungry within the next six months, amid the ongoing effects of poverty, COVID-19 and political crisis.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message for the International Day of Mother Earth today:

United Nations staff report that, despite recent improvements in humanitarian access, the situation in Ethiopia’s Tigray remains alarming, with conflict in some areas restricting humanitarian movement and response.  Insecurity in Tigray’s east zone last week reportedly impacted the movement of more than 20 relief trucks.