Tonga

Briefing the Security Council today on Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there noted that, six months after the takeover by the Taliban, the country is hanging by a thread.

United Nations international experts arrived today in Peru to carry out a rapid assessment of the social and environmental impacts of an oil spill disaster.  The team started working today and expects to continue for two weeks.

In Ethiopia, the United Nations and humanitarian partners have been forced to reduce aid distribution in Tigray as fuel supplies are blocked from entering the area.  Last week, food aid reached only 10,500 of the 800,000 people in need.  The humanitarian response is being scaled up in accessible areas in Amhara and Afar.

In Tonga, following the volcanic eruption, humanitarian colleagues report that over 80 per cent of the population have been impacted by the disaster, with three confirmed fatalities to date.  Relief efforts are scaling up, including by the United Nations Children’s Fund, but it is difficult to reach remote areas.

Briefing the Security Council today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the situation that now faces women human rights defenders, and prospects for women’s full participation in shaping and building peace, are vastly worse than they were before the pandemic got under way.

After a volcanic eruption and tsunami caused significant infrastructure damage in Tonga, the World Food Programme said it is exploring ways to bring in aid and the United Nations Children’s Fund is ready to send emergency water, sanitation and other supplies from warehouses in Fiji and Brisbane.

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

The first United Nations “Solidarity Flight” left Addis Ababa today to bring medical supplies and protective equipment to boost COVID-19 response on the African continent, with preparations being made to distribute to 32 countries and to facilitate medical evacuations.

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

The new Permanent Representative of Tonga to the United Nations, Viliami Va’inga Tone, presented his credentials to UN Secretary‑General António Guterres today.