With Yemen “at the crossroads between war and peace”, both sides of the conflict in that country must set aside their differences and move towards a lasting political settlement, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today.
As of yesterday, some 1,705 probable and confirmed cases of Ebola have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the outbreak was declared on 1 August 2018, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports. About 1,122 people, or two thirds of reported cases, have died since then.
The first day for redeploying Ansar Allah forces from Yemen’s three ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras-Issa went according to established plans on Saturday, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, said yesterday. Formal verification is expected on Tuesday.
The World Food Programme says it reached 10.6 million people with emergency food assistance across Yemen in March – more than in any other month. An estimated 10 million people in the country are one step away from famine, and the United Nations and partners are doing everything to help them and roll back the risk.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched a report today saying that the demand for sand has led to pollution, flooding, drought, beach erosion and reduced deposits in river deltas. With global demands at 40-50 billion tonnes a year, UNEP warned that sand is being used faster than it can be replenished.
Around 1 million species are threatened with extinction as nature declines at unprecedented rates, a global assessment launched today by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services warns, listing amphibians, corals and marine mammals as among the most threatened.
The United Nations refugee agency said today it is deeply concerned about the fate of at least 21 Venezuelans missing after their boat sank yesterday morning on the way to Trinidad and Tobago. It was carrying at least 25 people, and the Trinidad and Tobago authorities said four were rescued.
The World Health Organization today welcomed the launch of the world’s first malaria vaccine. It will be made available in Malawi, followed by Ghana and Kenya, through a pilot programme aimed at reaching 360,000 children under the age of 2 every year.
UNICEF is launching a global campaign to emphasize the power and safety of vaccines, primarily aimed at parents, the agency announced today. Launching next Wednesday, the campaign will coincide with the start of World Immunization Week. The campaign will be conducted on social media with the hashtag #VaccinesWork.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Christoph Heusgen (Germany):
