Samoa

The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, arrived in Apia, Samoa, in the evening of 21 August 2024.

The United Nations Children’s Fund says that three in four children in South Asia — 460 million boys and girls — are exposed to extreme high temperature, compared to only one in three children globally, with toddlers, malnourished children and pregnant women most vulnerable to heat stroke and other serious effects.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Themba Kalua of Malawi as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Samoa, with the host Government’s approval.

In Yemen, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that aid agencies remain concerned that the humanitarian crisis there will deteriorate sharply in the coming months largely due to economic problems, including a weaker currency and higher prices due to the Ukraine war.

In Nigeria, the humanitarian community and the Government today launched the 2022 humanitarian response plan for the north-eastern part of the country.  The plan seeks $1.1 billion to provide critical aid and services to 5.5 million people impacted by the conflict in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

The humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia is spiralling out of control, with 5.3 million people requiring food aid and 400,000 in famine-like conditions, according to United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths.  In the past week, 79 trucks carrying aid arrived in Tigray, but 100 truckloads are needed daily.

The new Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations, Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, paid a courtesy call on UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The new Permanent Representative of Samoa to the United Nations, Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the eruption of Mount Nyiragongo near Gomas has caused 13 deaths and destroyed the homes of 5,000 people, humanitarian colleagues report.  The United Nations is assisting with water, shelter, health and family reunification, and peacekeepers are set to clear the main roads into Goma.

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