Syria

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus announced today the clearance of nine suspected hazardous areas on both sides of the island, amounting to a total area of 210 square meters.  This confidence-building measure was agreed upon by both leaders on 26 February as part of their commitment towards a mine-free Cyprus.

The United Nations and partner organizations today launched the Humanitarian Response Plan 2020 for South Sudan, requesting $1.5 billion to assist 5.6 million people, particularly women and children whose need for aid remains high despite a relative stable period since the Revitalized Peace Agreement was signed last year.

Today, the United Nations Development Programme released its 2019 Human Development Report on Inequality titled “Beyond Income, Beyond Averages, Beyond Today”, which identifies a new generation of inequalities that are driving the global protests sweeping the world, including the gap in basic living standards.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said today that more pregnant women and children were protected from malaria, but accelerated efforts and funding are needed to reinvigorate the global response.  According to WHO, malaria afflicted 228 million people and killed an estimated 405,000, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Marking International Day to End Violence against Women, the Secretary-General reiterated the United Nations commitment to end all forms of violence against women and girls, which are among the most horrific, persistent and widespread human rights violations and affect one in every three women in the world.

Calling the launch of a Constitutional Committee for Syria a potentially historic moment, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria warned the Security Council today that conditions on the ground must improve to give the talks a chance for success in ending the years-long conflict.

During her 10-day visit to Myanmar, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy met with the Union Electoral Commission, representatives of the main political parties in Parliament and Rohingya and Rakhine political [parties] and activists, as well as local officials, community leaders and returnees in northern Rakhine State.

The United Nations Environment Programme and its partners released a report stating that countries plan to produce 120 per cent more fossil fuels by 2030 than can be burned under the 1.5°C warming limit, creating a “production gap” that makes climate goals more difficult to reach.  The report also details options for closing the gap.

Violence and insecurity have sparked an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso, Mali and western Niger, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says.  The number of internally displaced persons exceeds 750,000 and 2.4 million need food assistance, the World Food Programme reports.

More than 210,000 people in Chad have been affected by widespread flooding following heavy rains over the past few months and need food, shelter and non-food items, according to the Chadian Red Cross.  The United Nations and humanitarian partners plan to scale up the aid response, but have very limited resources.