The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said more than 2,000 people have lost their lives trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea this year — a sharp increase over 2014 death toll — in large part due to reduced search and rescue capacity in the area. The agency called for action to address this situation.
Pakistan
In Bangkok, the Climate Change Conference ended on 9 September with an urgent call for accelerated climate action. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary said that the Conference had resulted in “uneven progress” on the guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement.
The United Nations peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan reports that a military court handed down lengthy sentences today after finding 10 Government soldiers guilty of violence against civilians at the Terrain Hotel in the capital, Juba, in July 2016. In a statement, the Mission notes that the trial’s outcome sends a powerful message that other would-be offenders will be prosecuted and punished.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Recovery and response efforts are continuing in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic following the 23 July dam collapse, according to the humanitarian community. The United Nations is working closely with the Government to provide any support requested.
The United Nations country team in El Salvador will meet tomorrow to develop a plan of action following the Government’s declaration of a red alert emergency due to the severe drought affecting some 77,000 farmers growing corn, one of the country’s main staple foods. Eastern El Salvador has reported 33 consecutive days without rain, and record temperatures reaching 41°C.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Olof Skoog (Sweden):
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Major General José Eladio Alcaín of Uruguay as Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).