Zimbabwe

In Myanmar, the World Food Programme has launched an emergency relief response for over 100,000 people impacted by ongoing floods. WFP teams are on the ground delivering cash, rice, special nutritious foods and fortified biscuits to at least 120,000 people in Bago, Kachin, Kayin, Magway and Sagaing.

In Zimbabwe, 7.6 million people are at risk of acute hunger due to a historic El Niño-induced drought that has destroyed over half of the harvest. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and aid partners are supporting Government efforts to help affected communities and build long-term resilience.

The new Permanent Representative of Zimbabwe to the United Nations, Taonga Mushayavanhu, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.

On Thursday, Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, while UNRWA and other UN agencies’ staff were on the compound. This is the second appalling incident against UNRWA in less than a week.

In Zimbabwe, humanitarian officials say they are concerned over the impact of the drought brought about by El Niño, which last week prompted the country to declare a state of emergency. Authorities in Zimbabwe say that more than 2.7 million people there are facing food insecurity as a result.

In West Darfur, the UN Population Fund has sent health and social workers to support thousands of displaced and vulnerable women and girls with reproductive health care and protection services, and in eastern Sudan has delivered reproductive health supplies for 150,000 women and girls at the Port Sudan Maternity Hospital.

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

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, United Nations peacekeepers and the Congolese armed forces are regularly patrolling along national route 72 in Ituri’s Djugu territory. Reassured by the presence of national security forces and the United Nations, some displaced persons are also returning to their communities.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Edward Kallon of Sierra Leone as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, with the host Government’s approval.

World Braille Day, on 4 January, aims to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication in the full realization of the human rights for blind and partially sighted people.  COVID-19 has revealed how critically important it is to produce essential information in accessible formats.