Syria

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

In Bolivia, the United Nations is supporting authorities to tackle massive floods, which have been worsened by the El Niño phenomenon and climate change. The Organization is further assessing the impacts on water, sanitation, education, health and shelter.

The Security Council met this morning to discuss the situation in Syria. Briefing the Council was Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

In Abyei, the United Nations Interim Security Force there reported that they are continuing to patrol in order to protect civilians and are engaging with community leaders and local authorities to de-escalate intercommunal tensions.

The Security Council met this morning to hear a briefing on the situation in Syria. Addressing the Council were Geir Pedersen, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, and Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

In Ethiopia, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address worsening food insecurity in the country. The new funding reflects the Organization’s deep concern over the impact of a new El Niño-driven drought that is impacting Ethiopia.

The first State of the World’s Migratory Species report was launched today by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which is a UN biodiversity treaty. The report shows that while some migratory species listed under the treaty are improving, 44 per cent are showing population declines.

In Ethiopia, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said that it is scaling up its operations to deliver food assistance to up to 3 million people in the country in the coming weeks; 2 million of those are in Tigray.

The new Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, Koussay Aldahhak, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

In Gaza, a senior United Nations official there said that heavy fighting near the remaining hospitals in Khan Younis, including Nasser and Al Amal, has effectively encircled these facilities, leaving terrified staff, patients and displaced people trapped inside.