South Africa

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today released its first major global assessment of salt-affected soils in 50 years. It shows that nearly 1.4 billion hectares of land — which is about 10 per cent of the total global land area — are already impacted by salinity.

Marking one year since Hamas attacked Israel and killed over 1,250 Israelis and foreign nationals, the Secretary-General urged the global community to condemn “in the loudest voice” Hamas’s acts, demanded the immediate release of all hostages and called for the Red Cross to be allowed to visit the hostages. 

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk today jointly sounded the alarm on the new asylum law and plans to transfer asylum-seekers from the United Kingdom to Rwanda, calling for practical measures instead to address irregular flows of migrants and refugees.

In Mali, armed conflict, internal displacement and restricted humanitarian access risks pushing nearly 1 million children under age five into acute malnutrition by the end of 2023. The UN Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme urgently seek $184.4 million to reach 8.8 million people, including 4.7 million children.

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

On Tuesday evening, 22 August, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres departed New York for Johannesburg, South Africa, where he landed late on Wednesday, 23 August.

In Niger, the United Nations, along with its partners, continues to deliver assistance across the country. In Tahoua, in the country’s south-west, humanitarians have provided medical care, reproductive health services and nutrition to over 1,000 people through mobile clinics.

In Yemen, the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Food Programme warned today that nearly all districts under the Government control are facing high levels of food insecurity. They said that far more programme investments and money is needed until the end of the year.

With Tropical Cyclone Freddy putting 2.6 million people in Madagascar, Mozambique and Zimbabwe at risk, the United Nations and its partners have pre-deployed about 80 staff, has pre-positioned emergency stocks to areas likely to be affected and has two aircraft on standby to facilitate assessments and initial response.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today reported a sharp increase in violence in the country at the end of 2022. In its quarterly report, the Mission said that the number of civilians harmed increased by 87 per cent, compared to the same period in 2021.