Yemen

The Secretary-General condemns the series of suicide bombing attacks on 25 and 26 June in Maiduguri, Borno State, in Nigeria.  He extends his condolences to the people of Nigeria for the loss of life, and wishes a quick recovery to those injured and hopes that those responsible for this act will be swiftly brought to justice.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that the announcement of an end to famine conditions in South Sudan this week should not distract from the fact that severe food insecurity continues to put the lives of millions of children at risk in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and north-east Nigeria.

The Secretariat has concluded a review of the deployment of uniformed personnel from the Republic of Congo in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA.  It found that the nature and extent of existing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse point to systemic problems in command and control.

The Secretary-General welcomed the adoption today of General Assembly resolution A/71/L66, which endorsed his proposal for a new United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.  He stressed that combatting terrorism and preventing violent extremism was one of the Organization’s highest priorities in its work towards international peace and security.

Expressing grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Security Council today adopted a presidential statement calling on all parties to engage constructively and in good faith to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in that country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling up emergency operations to help people urgently in need of help in Yemen, which is on the brink of famine.  In Syria, WFP delivered food this week to seven hard-to-reach areas in Raqqa and Deir, where regular aid service had been suspended for over three years due to conflict.

Speaking to reporters in Saint Petersburg, Russia, today, the Secretary-General said that climate change is undeniable, and added that climate action is unstoppable.  He urged all the Governments around the world to stay the course and to remain committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Only an end to war would reverse the suffering endured by the people of Yemen, a civil society representative from that country told the Security Council this morning, emphasizing the conflict was taking the greatest toll on women.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is appealing for urgent safe passage and admission for 41 Syrian refugees stranded in dire circumstances on the remote Algerian-Moroccan border since 17 April.  Both Algeria and Morocco consider the group not to be in their respective territory.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said today that it is concerned by the recent prosecution, arbitrary arrest, detention and ill-treatment of men perceived to be gay in Indonesia.  In the past two months, more than 150 men were reportedly arrested in Aceh, Surabaya and Jakarta and subjected to public humiliation.