Yemen

The World Food Programme warned that it is running out of funds to continue its provision of food assistance to 13 million people in Yemen.  From January, 8 million people will receive a reduced food ration, while 5 million who are at immediate risk of slipping into famine conditions, will remain on a full ration.

In Myanmar, the United Nations country team there remains deeply concerned over increasing internal displacement and more people needing humanitarian assistance as a result of conflict, political instability and COVID-19 since the military takeover on 1 February.

Hans Grundberg, the Special Envoy for Yemen, told the Security Council this morning his is deeply alarmed by the ongoing military escalating, intensified fighting and shifting frontlines in Yemen, which are endangering civilians.  Aid operations in the country are helping almost 11 million people each month.

Responding to urgent and growing humanitarian needs in northern Ethiopia, almost 40 trucks with food and other relief supplies from the United Nations and aid partners departed Monday for Tigray, the first convoy since mid-October, and the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service resumed flights to Mekelle.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations peacekeeping mission reports that some 16,000 people fled to a camp located near its Temporary Operational Base, following deadly attack deadly attacks by the CODECO armed group in Drodro, Ituri province.  The mission has reinforced security in the area.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez (Mexico):

In Belarus, an Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) team has been granted limited access to the Polish border, where it delivered aid with help from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).  The agencies are advocating to move people to safer locations away from the border.

The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that 8.7 million people are at risk of facing famine-like conditions in Afghanistan, with an additional 14.1 million facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity.  Conflict has displaced more than 600,000 people and the country is experiencing drought following a poor rainy season.

On 13 August 2021, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) held informal consultations to consider the midterm update of the Panel of Experts, submitted in accordance with paragraph 10 of resolution 2564 (2021).

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta Fore voiced deep concern over reports that child marriage in Afghanistan is on the rise, with families offering daughters as young as 20 days old for future marriage in return for a dowry.  Some 28 per cent of Afghan women aged 15–49 were married before 18.