Syria

The United Nations Children’s Fund announced a partnership to build a first-of-its-kind factory to convert plastic waste in Côte d’Ivoire into modular plastic bricks, which will be used to build classrooms.  Côte d’Ivoire needs 15,000 classrooms; 500 will be constructed through the partnership in the next two years.

Honduras has declared a national health emergency due to the prevalence of dengue, with 29,000 cases registered as of 25 July. So far, 54 people have died, mostly children.  The United Nations is assisting authorities with medical supplies and equipment, door-to-door awareness campaigns and other support.

Today, the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund released $19.5 million to assist 500,000 people in need of emergency food and other crucial support.  Toby Lanzer, the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, said it comes at a critical time as aid agencies are running out of funds.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is working with the Government of Bangladesh to help more than 275,000 people affected by flooding in the country’s north-west. Some 5,000 households have received cash transfers as part of an innovative project which uses weather forecasts to trigger early action.

The humanitarian situation in north-west and south-west Cameroon continues to deteriorate and 1.3 million people are now in need of assistance.  The humanitarian response for the country is one the most critically underfunded in the world.  Only 20 per cent of the $300 million requested has been received.

Across parts of Bangladesh, monsoon rains have led to flooding and landslides that has reportedly killed at 30 people affected 2 million.  The Government is providing food, shelter and emergency cash assistance, and the United Nations and aid partners are supporting water and health-related efforts.

In Venezuela, a mass polio vaccination campaign for more than 3.1 million children under the age of five started today, led by the Ministry of Health, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) warns today that the pace of progress to reduce new HIV infections, increase access to treatment and end AIDS-related deaths is slowing down.  In 2018, for the first time, the global resources available for the AIDS response fell significantly by nearly $1 billion.

There have been unprecedented wildfires in the Arctic since the beginning of June, according to the World Meteorological Organization.  In June alone, they emitted 50 megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, an amount equivalent to Sweden’s annual carbon dioxide emissions.

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