Pakistan

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The United Nations and humanitarian partners today appealed for $4.2 billion to help up to 19 million people in need in Yemen, including 10 million on the brink of famine.  Mark Lowcock, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said he expects current aid funding to run out by the end of March.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Ma Zhaoxu (China):

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

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.

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.

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 following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

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.