The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the situation in the northern part of Ethiopia is rapidly deteriorating, amid fighting in and around Dessie and Kombolcha in the Amhara region, which led to large-scale displacement and increasing humanitarian needs. The two towns were already hosting a large number of displaced people from nearby areas.
The World Health Organization (WHO) released the latest edition of its Mental Health Atlas, which cites a worldwide failure to provide people with the services they need. It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts continue to spotlight a growing need for mental health support in countries across the globe.
The Secretary-General told the High‑level Dialogue on Energy that the double imperative of ending energy poverty and limiting climate change could be accomplished by investing in clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all, and by shifting to decarbonizing energy systems and mobilizing finance, to name a few.
Following are UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ remarks at his virtual meeting with Pacific Islands Forum leaders, today:
Pacific leaders met with United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres on 23 September 2021 in a virtual meeting held on the margins of the high‑level week of the seventy‑sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the High-level International Conference on Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity, in Tashkent today:
The World Food Programme (WFP) warned that an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis shows that 350,000 people are facing catastrophic conditions of hunger in Tigray, Ethiopia — the highest number of people classified in a “phase 5 catastrophe” in a single country in the last decade. WFP increased food distribution to reach 1.4 million people.
Despite a decline in the numbers of migrants arriving in Europe via the central Mediterranean route in recent years, hundreds — including at least 632 so far in 2021 — continue to die, finds a new report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Office, which cites risks created by policy decisions.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message to the seventy‑seventh session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), held today:
Acute hunger could soar in more than 20 countries over the coming months without urgent, scaled-up assistance, a report issued today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Programme warns. Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria top the list, according to the “Hunger Hotspots” report.
The Security Council today reiterated its deep concern about developments in Myanmar, following the state of emergency imposed by the military on 1 February and arbitrary detention of members of the Government, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.
Violence in the Central African Republic is disrupting critical supply routes, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Bangui. Following recent attacks on aid convoys and peacekeepers, more than 1,600 trucks carrying food and medicine are blocked at the border with Cameroon, as food prices spike.
NEW YORK, Friday, 11 December (Department for Operational Support) — On 9 and 10 December, Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare participated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) as a Guest of the Chair.
This morning, David Beasley, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Executive Director, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on his organization’s behalf. With 270 million people approaching starvation and only $5 billion needed to save 30 million from famine, he said, in the Nobel spirit of peace and brotherhood, let’s feed them all.
Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s video message, “Together to End Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence in Central Asia and Afghanistan”, at the high‑level launch event of the Spotlight Initiative Regional Programme for Central Asia and Afghanistan, today:
Central America is bracing for another potentially catastrophic storm – named Iota – just two weeks after Hurricane Eta made landfall in the region, causing death and destruction. Ahead of Iota, the United Nations, alongside regional and national partners, is building on preparedness and response efforts for Eta.
Following is the textof UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message to the East Asia Summit 2020: “Global Efforts Addressing COVID-19 and Promoting Recovery”, held today:
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ opening remarks to the open session of the eleventh Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-United Nations Summit, held today:
A series of tropical cyclones have devastated areas in the Philippines, Viet Nam, Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic since early October, United Nations humanitarian officials report, noting that the Organization and partners are seeking $95 million to help nearly 675,000 displaced people.
In Nicaragua, UNICEF and its partners have prepositioned emergency supplies and developed a joint response plan to address the needs of families impacted by Hurricane Eta, including 10,000 people evacuated from the northern coast, while the World Food Programme has positioned 80 metric tons of food assistance in the region.
