Türkiye

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is appealing for calm and an easing of tensions on Turkey’s borders with the European Union, following a recent increase in movements of people.  Groups arriving at Turkey’s borders have included Syrians, Afghans, Iranians, Sudanese and other nationalities.

Heavy rain and flooding caused by a recent tropical disturbance have affected more than 100,000 people in Madagascar and resulted in at least 31 deaths.  The Government is leading the response with support from the United Nations and humanitarian partners.

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

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres departed New York very early on Wednesday, 30 October, and arrived in Istanbul that afternoon.

In Somalia, Beletweyne district and other areas have been severely affected by unusually heavy rains and flooding.  Humanitarian needs are dire.  The World Food Programme is working with the Federal Government and with sister United Nations agencies to coordinate the response and reach the hardest-hit people.

The United High Commissioner for Human Rights today condemned this week’s protests in Venezuela and called for effective investigations into the violence that has led to several deaths and injuries.  She urged all sides to conduct immediate talks to defuse the increasingly incendiary atmosphere.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reported that refugees fleeing militia violence in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and arriving in Zambia have crossed the 12,000 mark, with 80 per cent of them women and children, driven out by extreme brutality of rampaging militias.

The World Food Programme in Turkey says more than 850,000 refugees are now receiving cash assistance thanks to the European Union-funded Emergency Social Safety Net, which provides the most vulnerable refugee families with a debit card covering basic needs.  It also provides about $35 dollars per family every month.

The Secretary-General welcomed the return of calm in Côte d’Ivoire following the unacceptable acts of violence committed by soldiers of the Forces Armées de Côte d’Ivoire over the past few days.  He commends the Government of Côte d’Ivoire for its efforts to address the unrest and restore security.

The Security Council met for its debate on Afghanistan this morning, during which it renewed the mandate for the United Nations Mission there (UNAMA).  The Secretary-General’s Special Representative highlighted the challenging security environment in the country, which in 2016 resulted in UNAMA recording the highest number of civilian casualties in a single year.