POPE
The Secretary-General intends to travel to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. When we have more details we will share them.
MOTHER EARTH DAY
Today is International Mother Earth Day. In his message, the Secretary-General said Mother Earth is running a fever with last year being the hottest ever on record.
We know what’s causing this sickness, he said, referring to the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere, but we also know the cure. All countries must create new climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius – it is essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe, he said.
And as a reminder, tomorrow the Secretary-General, together with President Lula of Brazil, will convene a group of Heads of State and Government for a virtual closed-door meeting to discuss strengthening global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate a just energy transition. The Secretary-General is expected to deliver some remarks on climate to you at the Security Council stakeout after the meeting. We’ll share more details as we have them.
And what better way to celebrate Mother Earth Day than with a fashion show. We are unveiling a new tour guide uniform collection this evening at 6:15 p.m. during a fashion show in the Sputnik area of the Visitor’s Lobby. This is a collaboration between the Government of Sweden, the UN Office for Partnerships, the UN Department of Global Communications, and students from the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to sustainable lifestyle, fashion and innovation. Designed with natural fibers, renewable materials, and low-impact production methods, the uniforms embody a fusion of creativity, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility. We look forward to seeing our tour guides in their new uniforms, they have the toughest job in the building.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT
The Secretary-General is appointing of Ian Martin of the United Kingdom as Head of the Strategic Assessment, as part of his UN80 initiative, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, that you all know as UNRWA.
The Secretary-General is tasking Mr. Martin with conducting the Strategic Assessment in order to review UNRWA’s impact; implementation of its mandate under present political, financial, security and other constraints; and, consequences and risks for Palestine Refugees.
As you all know, Ian Martin has had a distinguished service within the United Nations. He was involved in a number of strategic reviews, most recently as the Lead of the Independent Strategic Review of the UN Mission in Somalia and before then as a member of the
High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. We will share that announcement with you.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Meanwhile on the ground in Gaza, the situation continues to worsen. Our humanitarian colleagues report that hostilities across the Gaza Strip are continuing, with a devastating toll on civilians and critical infrastructure. Earlier today, local authorities reported attacks by Israeli forces that struck several heavy machinery vehicles across Gaza, halting solid waste and rubble removal services.
Despite the ongoing hostilities and despite the fact that aid has not come in for more than 50 days, we and our partners are doing what we can to support people throughout the Strip. In Gaza City yesterday, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Suzanna Tkalec, led a mission to Al Shifa Hospital, where she and partners viewed work underway to install a desalination plant to serve dialysis patients at the facility.
Our partners also report that several people suffering from severe acute malnutrition have been admitted to hospitals for treatment this week, with cases on the rise.
Despite extremely low supplies, some 180 community kitchens in Gaza continue to operate every day. However, many of these kitchens are at imminent risk of shutting down since stocks are being depleted. Because of lack of cooking gas, families are resorting to burning plastic to cook their meals.
OCHA warns that access to fuel is a major concern among many major concerns. There are modest quantities available in Rafah and the North of Gaza, but they cannot be accessed due to displacement orders and locations of these fuel depots in no-go zones – these are areas where humanitarian partners are required to coordinate their movements with Israeli authorities.
And to end on a more positive note, OCHA reports that humanitarian partners have rehabilitated a temporary dumping site in Al Bureij. This will help reduce health risks and diseases among vulnerable populations there and in the wider Deir al Balah area.
HAITI
Our humanitarian colleagues are informing us that a surge in armed violence has driven many people to flee their homes in parts of the country’s Centre Department, and that took place during the first half of this month. More than 51,000 people in the communes of Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau were displaced during this period, that’s what the International Organization for Migration is telling us. The vast majority – 95 per cent – remain in the department, with more than 12,500 people now sheltering in 95 newly established informal sites. Our humanitarian colleagues say that the crisis has disrupted public services and education. All schools in Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau are closed, with more than 30 schools in neighbouring communes being used as temporary shelters for displaced families.
Power cuts, disruptions to communications networks, and limited access due to the presence of armed groups continue to hamper response efforts. Despite these challenges, we and our partners are scaling up the response to support people impacted by violence in the Centre Department. The Pan American Health Organization has supported five cholera awareness sessions and delivered 1.5 metric tons of emergency health kits, that’s enough for 50 surgeries and more than 1,000 consultations. Our friends across the street at UNICEF has dispatched medical and hygiene supplies, and Government partners are providing water trucking to displacement sites in Hinche, which is the capital of the Centre Department. Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues note that protection needs are surging. Women, children and people with disabilities require urgent support, and signs of post-traumatic stress have been reported, particularly in the area of Boucan Carré.
This week, OCHA is leading a humanitarian mission to Hinche and Boucan Carré to enhance coordination among partners and inform priorities for response efforts in the Centre Department.
COLOMBIA
This morning, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, briefed Security Council members. He told them that despite the many challenges still present, Colombia is a changed country today compared to the years preceding the signing of the Peace Agreement. He noted that the Agreement brought an end the largest insurgency in the country which spanned decades and added that a more inclusive political system has emerged.
However, Mr. Ruiz Massieu also warned that violence, insecurity and poverty continue to persist in places like Catatumbo, Cauca or Chocó, and added that this underscores the importance of advancing in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. He also called on the Council to continue supporting Colombia in its consistent efforts to consolidate peace.
BOLIVIA
From nearby Bolivia, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the Resident Coordinator there, Anna Marttinen-Pont, is leading our support of the Government-driven response to major flooding. Overflowing rivers have claimed 55 lives, destroyed 6,000 homes and caused a significant loss of livestock. As of now, more than 9 million hectares of land remain flooded. Nearly 700,000 people have been directly impacted, with indigenous and rural communities disproportionately impacted.
We and our partners have provided food, health, protection and water and sanitation assistance to more than 50,000 people in 44 municipalities. $103 million is required to effectively respond to the scale and severity of the crisis.
Our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help provide life-saving assistance to more than 15,000 people and scale up the response.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that civilians there continued to suffer the impact of hostilities over the Easter period. Ukrainian authorities reported nearly 190 civilian casualties between April 18th and today. The most severe attack occurred in Kharkiv on Good Friday, injuring several people and damaging schools and homes, that was reported to us by authorities. The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned that attack and others over the same period in Dnipro and Kherson, calling the violence unbearable for civilians. Our humanitarian colleagues note that despite a ceasefire declared by the Russian Federation and agreed to by Ukraine from 19 – 20 April, both sides continued to fight.
In Ukraine, front-line areas in Kherson and Donetsk regions continued to be hit, causing dozens of casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure, according to local authorities. This included a drone attack in the Donetsk region on Sunday, when a clearly marked aid vehicle returning from an evacuation mission was damaged, injuring one civilian. Evacuations from front-line areas are continuing, particularly from Kherson, where civilians are being transported to safer regions by rail and bus. Since Ukraine regained control of parts of Kherson, nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated, including more than 6,700 children and nearly 480 people with limited mobility have also been evacuated.
During a recent visit to the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, Mr. Schmale called for continued support to meet urgent humanitarian needs.
GOOD DEFEATS EVIL
Lastly, on a closing note, I think you will agree that almost every day here at the UN we hear powerful speeches with strong messages. However, few things are as powerful as art.
Today we mourn the loss of Zurab Tsereteli the artist who created one of the most iconic pieces of art in the UN campus.
His sculpture, Good defeats Evil, which sits in the north lawn at about 47th street is a modern take on St. George defeating the dragon. The dragon, in this case, is a nuclear missile being slayed by St. George on horseback.
The sculpture commemorates the 1987 signing by the US and the Soviet Union of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Nuclear Missiles. The sculpture was given to us by the Soviet Union to the United Nations in 1990.
The message of the sculpture against nuclear weapons sadly remains as valid today as it was in 1990. We send our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Tsereteli.
