United States

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reports that it has managed, for the first time since civil war broke out in South Sudan almost five years ago, to send a food-assistance boat convoy up the Sobat River, a tributary of the White Nile in the Upper Nile region, with enough food to sustain 40,000 people for one month.

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres spent Saturday, 23 June, in Washington, D.C.

Heavy rains marking the start of the monsoon season in Bangladesh have impacted nearly 2,500 families in the Rohingya refugee settlements in the Cox’s Bazar district, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which is continuing aid distribution and prepositioning more supplies.

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

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Washington, D.C., from Belgium, on Wednesday evening, 16 May.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the murder of three human rights defenders working with indigenous and peasants’ rights organizations in Guatemala during the last 10 days, calling for a prompt investigation into those and other attacks against rights defenders, and accountability for the perpetrators.

A peacekeeper from the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was killed and eight others injured this morning in the southern part of the country.  The contingent from Mauritania was escorting a convoy to the town of Alindao when it was attacked by presumed members of the anti-Balaka.

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

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

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and the United Nations human rights office released their annual report on the impact of armed conflict on civilians, finding that 10,453 civilians had lost their lives or suffered injuries in 2017.  While down 9 per cent from 2016, casualties were caused mainly by suicide bombings.