Sudan

In Haiti, the humanitarian situation in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area continues to deteriorate as armed groups enact violence. This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan requires more than $900 million to support 3.9 million people, but is funded only at 5 per cent or just $46 million.

The International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, today released new figures showing that renewables accounted for over 90 per cent of total power expansion globally in 2024. As in previous years, most of the increase occurred in Asia, with the greatest share being contributed by China.

In Ecuador, a UN team arrived on 24 March to support authorities to respond to the environmental emergency caused by a major oil spill. The spill in the Esmeraldas Province, in the country’s north-west, has contaminated key water sources, leaving half a million people without access to safe water and sanitation.

As the new school year starts today in Afghanistan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that an additional 400,000 girls there are being deprived of their right to education, bringing the total number of girls without access to this essential right to 2.2 million.

In Sudan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has condemned in the strongest terms the looting of vital humanitarian supplies from Al Bashair Hospital in Jabal Awlia in Khartoum. These supplies are intended to support malnourished children and provide critical healthcare to mothers and newborns.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that a surge in violence in Ituri province is harming civilians and hindering relief efforts.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released a report today stating that human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some consequences irreversible over hundreds — if not thousands — of years. The report also noted that 2024 was the warmest year in the 175-year observational record.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Christina Markus Lassen (Denmark):

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that, today and over the weekend, attacks have caused dozens of civilian casualties, including among children. Homes, schools and energy facilities have also sustained damage, impacting electricity supplies.

Horrifying, systemic sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war in Sudan — including against children — the Security Council heard today, as its members underscored the need to protect civilians, assist survivors, and ultimately, end the war causing this suffering.