Yemen

In Bangkok, the Climate Change Conference ended on 9 September with an urgent call for accelerated climate action.  The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Executive Secretary said that the Conference had resulted in “uneven progress” on the guidelines to implement the Paris Agreement.

The United Nations peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan reports that a military court handed down lengthy sentences today after finding 10 Government soldiers guilty of violence against civilians at the Terrain Hotel in the capital, Juba, in July 2016.  In a statement, the Mission notes that the trial’s outcome sends a powerful message that other would-be offenders will be prosecuted and punished.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Nikki R. Haley (United States):

The Special Envoy for Syria warned of what he called a possible “perfect storm” in Idlib due to the potential military escalation in the area.  He stressed that 2.9 million lives are at stake in Idlib, which is the largest of the so‑called de‑escalation areas.

The United Nations Children’s Fund is taking measures to ensure a safe start to the school year in Ebola-affected regions of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, including training of principals and 1,750 teachers about the virus, setting up procedures for early detection, isolation and referral to health services for children who may have Ebola‑like symptoms.

The 2018 Department of Public Information/NGO Conference got under way today under the theme “We the Peoples… Together Finding Global Solutions for Global Problems”.  It will focus on the value of multilateralism in solving global problems, and on opportunities for closer partnership between the United Nations and civil society in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that an estimated 200 to 250 civilian casualties have been reported in Afghanistan following recent fighting in Ghazni, which damaged the water system and electricity services.  In support of Government efforts, humanitarian partners are on standby to scale up activities once safe, secure access is ensured for aid workers and people in need.

On 10 August 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) held informal consultations to consider the midterm update of the Panel of Experts on Yemen, submitted in accordance with paragraph 6 of resolution 2402 (2018).

The new Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is ramping up assistance to Ecuador, which declared a state of emergency in three provinces on Wednesday due to the influx of Venezuelans, some 547,000 of whom entered the country through the Colombian border.  About 30,000 Venezuelans entered at a rate exceeding 4,000 per day in the first week of August.