In Cuba, an ongoing energy crisis driven by United States sanctions, compounded by hurricanes and other disasters, is severely disrupting essential services like water, sanitation, food production and healthcare. Over 100,000 surgeries have been postponed. The United Nations and partners have a plan to assist up to 2 million people.
The UN Interim Security Force for Abyei has finished rehabilitating a critical 37-kilometre road linking Abyei to Agok, reconnecting communities across that region. With the rainy season approaching, peacekeepers are racing to rehabilitate some 200 kilometres of roads to prevent further isolation of various communities.
The UN Peacebuilding Fund has approved $2.5 million for an anti-corruption initiative in Guinea-Bissau to strengthen the country’s oversight and audit institutions, advance digital solutions and reinforce partnerships with national stakeholders.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report today that maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has come to a near halt, with a 95 per cent drop in daily ship transits over the past month, according to UNCTAD report released today. UNCTAD forecasts a drop in world GDP to about 2.6 per cent by the end of the year.
In Ukraine, recent attacks have caused civilian casualties and damage to critical infrastructure, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports. In Odesa, a 28 March strike killed people, damaging a maternity hospital and more than 70 homes. The World Health Organization (WHO) verified 124 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine, out of 357 globally.
The Secretary-General has approved a request by Papua New Guinea to renew eligibility for the Peacebuilding Fund’s Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility until the end of 2030 to advance joint UN-Government efforts in the context of the Bougainville post-referendum peace process.
The Peacebuilding Fund has allocated $2.5 million for an initiative in Togo’s northern Savanes region to support peaceful relations, stronger community ties and help prevent the spread of violence from the Sahel.
In Madagascar, the Government reported at least 52 deaths following Tropical Cyclone Gezani that made landfall earlier this month near Toamasina on the eastern coast. More than 800 people have been injured, nine remain missing and some 470,000 people have been impacted by the cyclone.
In Chad today, a humanitarian response plan was launched, calling for $986 million to assist 3.4 million people, including $540 million dedicated to refugees. The plan comes as Chad continues to face one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the Sahel.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered by Chef de Cabinet Courtenay Rattray, at the ambassadorial-level formal meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission, in New York today:
