Somalia

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

The United Nations and partner organizations today launched the Humanitarian Response Plan 2020 for South Sudan, requesting $1.5 billion to assist 5.6 million people, particularly women and children whose need for aid remains high despite a relative stable period since the Revitalized Peace Agreement was signed last year.

The Security Council today renewed for 12 months the authorization for States and regional organizations cooperating with Somalia to use all necessary means to fight piracy off the coast of the east African country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees welcomed today Somalia’s ratification of the Kampala Convention to protect internally displaced people in Africa as a “landmark achievement for the country and the African continent”.  Somalia became the thirtieth African Union member State to ratify it since 2009.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Karen Pierce (United Kingdom):

Welcoming advances in Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab and in its planning for political and economic progress, speakers in the Security Council called today for international support with a view to building consensus throughout the East African country with the approach of critical elections in 2020.

Through a recorded vote, the Security Council today renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts for the sanctions regime on Somalia until 15 December 2020, while also extending exemptions for the arms embargo and enforcement authorizations for the ban on illicit trade.

More than 210,000 people in Chad have been affected by widespread flooding following heavy rains over the past few months and need food, shelter and non-food items, according to the Chadian Red Cross.  The United Nations and humanitarian partners plan to scale up the aid response, but have very limited resources.

The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about developments in Bolivia and has appointed a Personal Envoy who will be travelling to La Paz today to engage with all Bolivian actors and offer United Nations support in efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the crisis, including through inclusive elections.

The first flight of humanitarian aid organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) arrived in Somalia today to help more than 20,000 people cut off by the worst flooding in years.