Sudan

The new Permanent Representative of Sudan to the United Nations, Omer Mohamed Ahmed Siddig, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

Today is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and the 2019 theme is “Let’s Grow the Future Together”.  In his message, the Secretary-General stressed that protecting and restoring land can reduce forced migration, improve food security, spur economic growth and help address the global climate emergency.

Today is World Blood Donor Day.  The Day serves to thank voluntary, unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood, and to raise awareness about the universal need for safe blood in the delivery of health care.  The World Health Organization encourages more people all over the world to become blood donors.

Given the significant political developments unfolding in Sudan, the Security Council must carefully consider the options for the drawdown and liquidation of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the head of United Nations peacekeeping said today.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said at least 19 children have been killed and dozens injured in Sudan since 3 June, amid reports that they are being detained, recruited to join the fighting and sexually abused.  Many parents are far too scared to let their children leave the house, fearful of violence.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Mansour Ayyad Sh. A. Alotaibi (Kuwait):

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians by anti-Government elements throughout the holy month of Ramadan, citing more than 100 civilian casualties in Kabul alone.  The Secretary-General’s Special Representative said that by definition these are war crimes.

An estimated 115 million boys around the world were married off as children, with one in five wed before they turned 15, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) first in-depth analysis of child grooms.  The Central African Republic had the highest prevalence, followed by Nicaragua and Madagascar.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today said that more than 5 million families across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean spend over 40 per cent of their non-food household expenses on maternal health services.  The costs of prenatal care and delivery services can deter women from seeking medical attention.

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