Sudan

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today issued new legal guidance to ensure that international refugee protection is provided for Haitians who need it. UNHCR’s new guidance aims to assist States with their assessment of asylum claims considering the stark realities facing Haitians today.

Conflict between warring parties in Sudan is driving a hunger crisis dangerously approaching famine for millions of people, senior United Nations officials warned the Security Council today, calling for an urgent cessation of hostilities before an entire generation is destroyed and the wider region is destabilized.

Violence against civilians and violations of the arms embargo continue to increase in Sudan, the senior United Nations official of that file warned the Security Council today — while Khartoum’s representative stressed that sanctions imposed in 2005 are no longer relevant and hamper its Armed Forces’ efforts to defeat the Rapid Support Forces and bring peace to the country.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs reports that an attack earlier today hit residential areas of Odesa, a city with a population of some 1 million people, causing destruction and multiple civilian casualties.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners today launched a $852.4 million response plan for nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi hosts. Ninety-five per cent of Rohingya households in Bangladesh are vulnerable and dependent on humanitarian aid.

The Security Council today extended through 12 March 2025 the mandate of the Panel of Experts charged with assisting its Sudan sanctions committee, requesting a final report on its findings and recommendations by 13 January 2025.

The Security Council today called for an immediate cessation of hostilities by warring parties in Sudan during the month of Ramadan and for them to seek a sustainable resolution to the conflict through dialogue.

In Somalia, the deputy heads of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Food and Agriculture Organization arrived in the country today on a joint mission to urge continued global support for Somalis suffering from the impact of hunger, conflict and climate change.

April will mark one year since the outbreak of brutal fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council today, calling on all parties in Sudan to “honour the values of Ramadan” by observing a cessation of hostilities during the holy month.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on Sudan, in New York today: