Somalia

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths visited Port Sudan today to reaffirm the UN’s commitment to meet the Sudanese people’s humanitarian needs. In calls with Generals Abdelfattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, he stressed aid must reach everyone in need.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Catriona Laing of the United Kingdom as his new Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Somalia on his annual solidarity visit for Ramadan early on Tuesday morning, 11 April.

In Somalia, the number of people affected by flooding has reached 175,000 and displaced 140,000. The United Nations and partners are providing food, shelter, cash and hygiene kits to over 100,000 people. However, the $2.6 billion Humanitarian Response Plan for 2023 is only 15 per cent funded.

In Chad, the United Nations, along with the Government and aid partners, today launched the 2023 humanitarian response plan, appealing for $674 million to help about 4.4 million people in need, with a focus on food security, health services and addressing the impacts of climate change.

Officials with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) say they have asked all staff - both men and women - to work from home, following the Taliban’s decision to ban Afghan women from employment with the Organization. An operational review is under way to plan for all possible outcomes.

The United Nations resident coordinator’s team in Peru is responding to ongoing heavy rains and floods, which have left more than 500,000 people in need of aid. The World Food Programme (WFP) is also providing emergency cash transfers and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is treating cases of acute malnutrition.

United Nations humanitarian partners in Somalia have reported an early start to the country’s annual rainy season, which has brought flash floods, killing 14 people, destroying property and displacing thousands. The rains also come amid several disease outbreaks, including cholera, which are now likely to increase.

The World Health Organization’s new report on the effect of COVID-19 on people living with non-communicable disease said such people had difficulty accessing routine medicines and experienced disrupted treatments, thus underlining the importance of including such treatment and care into national preparedness plans responses.

A joint operation between the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and the country’s internal security forces has led to the arrest of Hussein Damboucha, regional commander of the armed group Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique and member of the Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement.