South Sudan

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Javier de la Gasca Lopezdominguez (Ecuador):

In South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that more than half of the country’s population is going hungry, and an estimated 1.6 million children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition through June 2024.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Anita Kiki Gbeho of Ghana as his new Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan.  Ms. Gbeho will also serve as the Humanitarian Coordinator.

On 11 December, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will launch its Global Humanitarian Overview for 2024. This is the annual overview of humanitarian trends and needs worldwide — as well as interagency plans to respond to the crises.

At the high-level pledging event for the Central Emergency Response Fund yesterday, 40 donors announced contributions of more than $419 million for 2024, thus exceeding the $409 million pledged last year. In 2023, the Fund allocated more than $640 million to support millions of people in dire need in 40 countries and territories.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) notes with concern that exchanges of fire across the Blue Line continued throughout the weekend, with reports that people were injured on both sides of the border. This follows the reported deaths of three people there following exchanges of fire on 1 December.

In Somalia, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator there, George Conway — together with the Government and the Somali non-governmental organization consortium — have jointly warned that the country is in the midst of a disaster as devastating rains and floods continue to spread.

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

Over 70 peacebuilders from around the world will meet at the UN in New York for the first Civil Society-UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding, a new annual initiative that will facilitate exchanges among civil society organizations and enable discussions on strategy and policy in peacebuilding.

On 17 November 2023, the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts on South Sudan briefed the members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) in connection with the Panel’s interim report, which was submitted in pursuance of paragraph 19 of resolution 2683 (2023).