The committee tasked with drafting a new Syrian constitution resumed its difficult deliberations this week, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy told the Security Council today, calling for urgent compromise to pave a peaceful path forward as the country marks 11 years of gruesome conflict.
In Tajikistan, the United Nations is mobilizing $40 million to help authorities address the needs of over 14,000 refugees and asylum seekers, nearly all of them from Afghanistan. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is coordinating the effort, with over 30 humanitarian and development partners.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today released a report that says that groundwater, which accounts for 99 per cent of all liquid freshwater on Earth, is being undervalued, mismanaged and even abused.
More than 70 per cent of South Sudan’s people will struggle to survive the peak of the 2022 lean season, amid unprecedented food insecurity due to conflict, climate shocks, COVID-19 and rising costs, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today. WFP says 8.3 million people could face extreme hunger within months.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ statement on Syria today:
Malawi confirmed its first polio case in 30 years on 16 February, which was also Africa’s first polio case in in more than five years. So far, there has been no further spread of the disease, thanks to swift and concerted efforts by the national authorities, with support from the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said they are closely following reports about the mobilization of forces and movement of large convoys of armed groups that have increased tensions in and around Tripoli. The Mission calls on all parties to refrain from any action that could lead to armed clashes.
Pending issues with Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme remain unresolved, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, as delegates traded barbs over the impartiality of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the frequency with which the 15-member organ considers the matter.
According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 400 civilian casualties in Ukraine have been reported since the conflict began, including more than 100 deaths. The real figure could be considerably higher, as many reported casualties have yet to be confirmed.
Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme still cannot be considered accurate and complete due to identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies that remain unresolved, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, as delegates, including from the Russian Federation and the United States, sparred over the fact-finding mission’s report.
