Somalia

The Government and the United Nations held an event in Mogadishu to celebrate Somalia’s polio-free status of the last three years.  The World Health Organization applauded Somalia’s efforts to ward off the highly infectious virus while urging continued caution and vigilance.

Calling upon all parties in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and north-east Nigeria to urgently take steps that would enable a more effective humanitarian response, the Security Council today expressed its grave concern about the unprecedented level of global humanitarian needs and the threat of famine currently facing more than 20 million people in those countries.

Welcoming a $1 million contribution from the United States in support of Western Sahara refugees in Algeria, the World Food Programme said today it will use the funds to provide staple food items as part of monthly food rations for thousands of refugee families living in extremely harsh conditions for more than 40 years.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt):

A new report by UNICEF and the World Health Organization says no country fully meets the recommended breastfeeding standards.  The Global Breastfeeding Scorecard evaluated 194 countries and found that only 40 per cent of children under six months are breastfed exclusively, and in only 23 countries do exclusive breastfeeding rates exceed 60 per cent.

The United Nations has allocated $10.5 million to help people in need of life‑saving humanitarian assistance in north-east Nigeria.  The humanitarian crisis there and in the Lake Chad region is among the most severe in the world today, with 8.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance in the three worst‑affected Nigerian States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

The new Permanent Representative of Somalia to the United Nations, Abukar Dahir Osman, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The United Nations and the humanitarian community remain deeply concerned for the safety and protection of tens of thousands of men, women and children trapped in Raqqa City in Syria.  Heavy fighting continues to affect civilians, resulting in the displacement of thousands and scores of deaths and injuries.

In Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it will be able to provide food assistance to more than 577,000 people in need thanks to a $20 million contribution by the United States.  The money will be spent to buy local wheat flour, salt, yellow peas and cooking oil, among other supplies.

At its 63^rd meeting, on 18 April, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, in connection with the examination of the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Somalia, agreed to address the following messages through a public statement issued by the Chair of the Working Group.