SG TRAVELS
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is in Beijing today, where he spoke earlier at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
In his remarks, he said that this is a time of uncertainty and unease, but that the choices we make now are essential to put us on a low-carbon growth path that is sustainable and inclusive and will build resilience.
The Secretary-General said that the world will benefit from a Belt and Road Initiative that accelerates efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and stressed that the world needs to take profit of the Initiative to help close the significant financing gaps for achieving the SDGs.
He said that United Nations country teams will work to support the Member States in capacity and governments building and in achieving harmonious and sustainable integration of Belt and Road projects in their own economies and societies in accordance with national development plans anchored in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
He said that he also sees the Initiative as an important space where green principles can be reflected in green action, adding that fully expanding our policy options for green and sustainable development and backed by green financing instruments must become the new norm.
In the Chinese capital, the Secretary-General also met with President Xi Jinping. He expressed his appreciation for China’s support for the UN’s work, including through its contributions to peacekeeping, South-South cooperation, UN reform and leadership on climate change. He also congratulated President Xi on the upcoming 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China this year, noting that 2019 marks 40 years of the UN’s presence in the country.
The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the Belt and Road Initiative’s potential to bolster development and reduce poverty in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Tomorrow, he will participate in Leaders’ Roundtable Sessions and will deliver the keynote speech at a session on the topic of promoting green and sustainable development to implement the 2030 Agenda.
On the sidelines of the Summit, of the Conference, the Secretary-General met with President Nyusi of Mozambique. The Secretary-General expressed his solidarity with the people and Government in the wake of Cyclone Idai and the more recent Cyclone Kenneth. The Secretary-General pledged the United Nations’ support for relief efforts.
CYCLONE KENNETH
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, said in a statement today that he is deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction caused by Cyclone Kenneth, which first hit the Comoros two days ago and made landfall last night in northern Mozambique.
The disaster comes six weeks after Cyclone Idai devastated central Mozambique, killing more than 600 people and causing widespread devastation. Cyclone Kenneth marks the first time two cyclones have made landfall in Mozambique during the same season.
Malawi and Zimbabwe are also expected to experience heavy rains and flooding caused by the weather system.
OCHA is helping to coordinate the Government-led response and manage information, while a joint World Food Programme (WFP) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) teams are pre-positioned in to support the response.
Emergency stocks have also been positioned in the Comoros; the UN is supporting Government-led assessments.
LIBYA
The UN is gravely concerned about continued reports of indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas in Tripoli. The United Nations reminds the parties of the need to protect civilians and grant immediate and unconditional access for humanitarian partners.
The humanitarian situation in Tripoli continues to deteriorate with heavy fighting ongoing, including in populated areas. Last night, rockets and mortar shells were reportedly fired on residential neighbourhoods in the city.
Nearly 39,000 people have now been displaced, that’s according to the UN Migration Agency. Verification of civilian casualties is ongoing.
Civilians in conflict-affected areas are experiencing electricity cuts and water shortages as a result of damaged infrastructure, while access to essential items such as food, medicine and fuel is being severely hampered.
Humanitarian partners evacuated 655 refugees and migrants from the Qasr Bin Ghashir detention centre, where violence injured a dozen people on Tuesday. More than 3,000 refugees and migrants remain trapped in seven facilities around Tripoli.
SYRIA
The Special Envoy, Geir Pedersen, was is Astana today and yesterday for the meeting organized by Iran, Russia and Turkey and hosted by Kazakhstan, in an effort to support progress that could contribute to the political process in Geneva as per Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). Mr. Pedersen was accompanied by a technical delegation from the UN. Next Tuesday, Mr. Pedersen will brief the Security Council in person.
ROHINGYA REFUGEES
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) António Vitorino, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, today highlighted the urgent need to sustain the support for Rohingya refugees.
At the end of their visit to Bangladesh, the three officials called on the international community to continue supporting the critical needs of 1.2 million people, mostly Rohingya refugees but also the generous host communities, in the south-eastern part of Bangladesh.
During their visit, they went to see the refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar and met with various refugee groups. They also stressed the importance of expanding opportunities for these refugees to learn and get skills training, as most refugees have access to limited schooling or are missing out on education altogether.
VENEZUELA REFUGEES
The UN Refugee Agency today said it is deeply concerned about the fate of at least 21 Venezuelans missing after their boat sank yesterday morning on the way to Trinidad and Tobago. The boat was carrying at least 25 people. The Trinidad and Tobago authorities said four people had been rescued in a joint effort with their Venezuelan counterparts. At least 21 people, among them women and children, are still unaccounted for while the rescue efforts are continuing.
More than three million Venezuelans have left their country since 2015, mostly to neighboring countries, including islands in the southern part of the Caribbean.
YEMEN
The UN Migration Agency (IOM) reports that authorities in Aden, Yemen, have – since Sunday – rounded up and arbitrarily detained more than 2,000 irregular migrants, predominantly Ethiopian nationals.
IOM says it is deeply concerned about the conditions in which these migrants, including at least 400 children, are being held. The organization is engaging with the authorities to ensure access to them, and is coordinating the humanitarian community’s response, focusing on critical needs such as basic health care, food and water, and sanitation.
The United Nations is urging local authorities to work with the humanitarian community to find safer alternatives to detention, and to ensure a full spectrum of protection services are available for those detained.
MALI
UNICEF is warning that the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the region of Mopti, which has seen so much recent violence, is increasingly impacting the most vulnerable children.
UNICEF is particularly concerned about the increase in school closures. Nearly one-third of all schools in the Mopti region are now closed due to insecurity, compromising the right to education to over 157,000 children.
UNICEF has also been working with the Government of Mali and other humanitarian actors to support children, including advocating for school reopening wherever conditions allow, which has led to the recent reopening of 150 schools in other parts of the country.
SECURITY COUNCIL
Yesterday afternoon, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, and the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ursula Mueller, briefed the Security Council on the latest developments in Ukraine.
Ms. DiCarlo commended the Ukrainian people on the peaceful conduct of the recent elections, adding that the UN is committed to continuing to work with Ukraine and the people of Ukraine to support the provision of humanitarian assistance, the promotion and safeguarding of human rights, and the country’s reform process.
Ms. Ursula Mueller also noted that 3.5 million people are still need humanitarian assistance and protection and stressed the importance of redoubling efforts to provide them with all the necessary support.
VENEZUELA
From January to April, UNICEF distributed over 2,000,000 kits for child and maternal health to nine health centres and hospitals. Over 7,400 children have received nutritional support in 8 states. Twenty-five communities and 10 schools are now being supported by critical water, sanitation and hygiene activities, 84 safe birth kits have been distributed to health centres and hospitals, and over 12,000 people with HIV have received treatment. 46,000 meal rations have been distributed for people in transit and more than 1,500 family kits have been distributed for people in transit.
