Peacekeeping

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Major General Erdenebat Batsuuri of Mongolia as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs today expressed concern about the impact on civilians of escalating hostilities in the north-west of the country — as well as the potential for the violence to jeopardize cross-border missions by United Nations staff.

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

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months until 30 June 2024 and requested that the Force have the required capacity and resources to safely fulfil its mandate.

The Security Council today extended for one year the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and set out a comprehensive disengagement plan that includes three distinct and successive phases and the gradual handover of responsibility to the Government.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned about the plight of civilians during the winter as, yet again today, there was another wave of attacks in the Kherson and Odesa regions. These attacks damaged critical civilian infrastructure, including homes, a hospital and a school.

With upcoming elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo fast approaching, speakers in the Security Council today expressed concern over the country’s security situation, humanitarian conditions and regional tensions.

In South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that more than half of the country’s population is going hungry, and an estimated 1.6 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition through June 2024.

On 11 December, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will launch its Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024. This is the annual overview of humanitarian trends and needs worldwide — as well as interagency plans to respond to the crises.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Anita Kiki Gbeho of Ghana as his new Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan.  Ms. Gbeho will also serve as the Humanitarian Coordinator.