Syria

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the conference titled “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region”, in Brussels today:

Today is World Malaria Day and on this occasion, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recalls that every two minutes, a child dies of malaria.  Although preventable and treatable, malaria remains a major public health problem and the number of cases worldwide is growing.

Amid the highest levels of violence against civilians since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, concrete action must be taken to turn pledges of aid into progress on the ground, the Security Council heard today.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development launched an action plan to expand employment opportunities for refugees to help them integrate into their host communities from the very start and contribute to the local economy.

The Secretary-General’s Youth Envoy spoke to the Security Council today on the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security.  She said the report points to two key issues needing attention:  the growing mistrust from young generations towards formal political institutions, and the exclusion of young people from political, civic and economic life.

Drought hits the Sahel region hard, with more than 10 million people expected to need emergency food assistance, up from 7.1 million currently, if adequate assistance is not provided in time. Poor rains in 2017 are now deeply affecting parts of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Senegal.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq commended Kurdistan Region political parties and blocs for signing the Electoral Charter of Honour on 18 April in Erbil.  He said that the Charter is essential to conducting the elections in a free, fair, impartial, transparent and credible manner.

More than 200 children were released by armed groups in South Sudan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced today.  They were among a series of arranged releases of almost 1,000 children over the coming months.  About 19,000 children still serve in the ranks of armed forces and groups in the country.

Casting a spotlight on the pressing needs of civilians in Raqqa and Rukban, the Security Council met this afternoon to hear a briefing on recent developments and discuss ways forward.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today condemned the killing of three Ecuadorian newspaper staff workers:  Javier Ortega, Paul Rivas and Efrain Segarra.  The three workers, employed by the newspaper El Comercio, were kidnapped on 26 March, near the border between Ecuador and Colombia.