This morning in Geneva, the Human Rights Council held a special session on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and adopted a resolution establishing a fact-finding mission to examine violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed in North and South Kivu provinces.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today published a report which says air pollution in East Asia and the Pacific is linked to nearly one in four deaths of children under the age of five and can impact every stage of a child’s life.
In Gaza, United Nations aid operations — together with UN partners — continue to scale up across the Gaza Strip. The Organization is also carrying out assessments to determine the needs of impacted and displaced families. Across Gaza, 22 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme are now operational.
In Sudan, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Clementine Nkweta-Salami, today condemned the relentless and intensifying shelling and air and drone strikes against civilians in Darfur, Kordofan and other conflict-affected areas as “a ruthless assault on human life”.
In Colombia, the Emergency Relief Coordinator released $3.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help more than 42,000 people in the north-east of the country. The new funding will support displaced people and host communities in the region of Catatumbo.
In Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that clashes this week between security forces and armed groups on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince resulted in a wave of people trying to flee. The International Organization for Migration says more than 1,600 people have now been displaced.
In Ukraine, local authorities and humanitarians on the ground report that an attack in the residential area of Sumy City overnight resulted in a number of fatalities. Humanitarian partners mobilized an emergency response, complementing the efforts of first responders and the authorities.
Nearly half the population in Myanmar lives below the poverty line and less than 48 per cent had access to electricity last year — the lowest access rate in Asia, according to a UN Development Programme report released today highlighting the severe challenges dramatically reshaping the country.
In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that humanitarian needs across the country remain massive. The UN and its humanitarian partners will need $1.2 billion to reach 6.7 million of the most vulnerable people through March 2025.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Emergency Relief Coordinator allocated $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for an urgent response to new displacement in North and South Kivu Provinces in the eastern part of the country.