The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said it continues to receive reports of systematic forced return of Mozambican families from the United Republic of Tanzania. The Agency urged Mozambique’s neighbours to respect access to asylum for those fleeing widespread armed conflict in the northern part of the country.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the General Assembly tribute to the memory of John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, the late President of the United Republic of Tanzania, today:
United Nations humanitarian staff in Nigeria continue to receive alarming reports of clashes between insurgent groups and the armed forces in the town of Damasak in Borno State. Recently, they say, non-State armed groups have been searching house to house, reportedly looking for civilians identified as aid workers.
The following statement was issued by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The global economy is set to grow by 4.7 per cent in 2021, faster than the 4.3 per cent predicted in September, says a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report released today. It sees a misguided return to austerity, after a destructive recession, as the main risk to the global outlook.
Marking the twentieth anniversary of resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security, the Secretary-General told the Security Council today that the world has a choice: continue down the path of increasing militarization, conflict and inter-generational losses or work towards greater inclusion and gender equality.
Some parts of Yemen are showing the highest rates of acute malnutrition among children under 5 ever recorded there, with more than half a million cases in southern districts, according to a food analysis released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme and partners.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
Exceptional and prolonged heat in Siberia has fuelled devastating Arctic fires, the World Meteorological Organization said today, noting that temperatures in Siberia again topped 30°C this week. The heat will influence weather and climate in lower latitudes, where hundreds of millions of people live, it warned.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the voluntary repatriation of registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan has been suspended and it has closed several repatriation centres until further notice due to the Government’s precautionary steps to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The new Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, Kennedy Godfrey Gastorn, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Zlatan Milišić of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the United Republic of Tanzania, with the host Government’s approval.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet today strongly condemned the beheading of 37 men in Saudi Arabia, most of them Shi’a Muslims, despite the repeated appeals by the United Nations about the lack of due process and fair trial guarantees. She appealed to the authorities to halt pending executions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has scaled up efforts to support five western African countries as they respond to outbreaks of Lassa fever. The largest outbreak thus far has affected 16 states in Nigeria, with 213 confirmed cases to date.
The High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration launched their regional refugee and migrant response plan for Venezuela, the first of its kind in the Americas. The plan will respond to the needs of Venezuelans on the move, and for next year require $378 million.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Filippo Grandi paid his first official visit to Sudan as High Commissioner this week, with refugees continuing to flee the brutal conflict in South Sudan. Sudan has hosted more than 416,000 South Sudanese since 2013, including some 170,000 new arrivals in 2017, as well as refugees from Eritrea, Syria, Yemen and Chad.
The new Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, Modest Jonathan Mero, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
