Refugees

Joyce Msuya, Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for early action for drought in Somalia, which, according to local authorities, national partners and UN humanitarian colleagues, faces a 70 per cent likelihood of La Niña-induced drought and reduced rainfall.

Amid “non-stop humanitarian emergencies” that have displaced 123 million people globally, States must include refugees in their societies instead of using illegal methods to prevent migration, a United Nations official told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today.

Peacekeepers, supporting flood response, have airlifted medical supplies from Agok airstrip in the southern part of Abyei to other parts of the region, to ensure medical stocks, and the Mission is doing weekly flights to multiple areas in Abyei helping to provide humanitarian assistance to communities that are cut off because of flooding.

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

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the Donor Conference to Support Internally Displaced People and Refugees in the Sahel and Lake Chad Region, in Jeddah today:

“Syrians need today the urgent protection provided by de-escalation and the support needed to face crises upon crisis,” the UN’s senior mediator told the Security Council today, underscoring the need for a restoration of the country’s sovereignty and a resumption of the long-stalled UN-facilitated political process, amid a spiralling of regional tensions and conflicts..

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that an urgent request to access the Falouja area of Jabalya to help those trapped under the rubble was denied by Israeli authorities for the fourth consecutive day, and teams, in Gaza City, reported that shelter support is urgently needed.

In Sudan, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that due to the intensifying conflict in Darfur, nearly 25,000 people have arrived in Chad in the first week of October. According to UNHCR, nearly 3 million refugees and returnees have now fled Sudan over the last 18 months, crossing borders to seek safety in neighbouring States.

In Lebanon, 12 UN trucks delivered bottled water, family hygiene kits and blankets, among other vital aid, to the Marjeyoun and Klayaa villages. This inter-agency mission is supported by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, World Food Programme, UN refugee agency, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund.

The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is alarmed by reports of a series of violent clashes in the Central Equatoria state, which resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including 19 civilians. UNMISS has intensified patrols across Central Equatoria and is working to access the area and prevent further escalations.