Somalia

United Nations peacekeeping officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to sound alarms over deadly attacks perpetrated by fighters — presumed to be with the militant coalition known as CODECO — against displaced civilians in Ituri Province.  There are currently 1.7 million people displaced in Ituri.

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

Humanitarian personnel in Somalia, along with the Federal Government, have sounded alarm over worsening drought conditions.  Some 2.3 million people — 18 per cent of the population — are severely affected by water, food and pasture shortages in a country that has experienced more than 30 climate-related hazards since 1990.

Welcoming the completion of recent elections to the Upper House of Parliament in Somalia, a senior United Nations official in that country, along with an official of the African Union and a civil society representative, told the Security Council that more must be done to ensure the full inclusion and representation of women in the country’s political system, while also highlighting the serious threat by armed groups to Somalia’s security.

In Belarus, an Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) team has been granted limited access to the Polish border, where it delivered aid with help from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  The agencies are advocating to move people to safer locations away from the border.

To enforce the arms embargo on Somalia, the Security Council decided today to reauthorize maritime interdiction of illicit weapons imports and charcoal exports, while also renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Somalia.

A new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that Governments and detaining authorities in at least 84 countries have released more than 45,000 children since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Some 261,000 children in conflict with the law are still being held in detention worldwide.

On 22 October 2021, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia held informal consultations to hear a briefing by the Deputy Head of the Global Maritime Crime Programme, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), on the Programme’s support to the implementation of resolution 2551 (2020).

The Security Council entity overseeing sanctions on Somalia sent two letters covering issues concerning possible adjustment of the arms embargo on that country, and measures to counter the funding of Al-Shabaab, its Chair said today, briefing on the subsidiary body’s work between 15 June and 20 October.

Despite increased climate ambition and net-zero commitments, Governments still plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, according to the United Nations Environment Programme’s Production Gap Report, released today.