Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Ghassan Salamé, told Council members via videoconference from Tripoli, that the mission was working to both “prevent recent developments and tensions on the ground from escalating”, and “pivot to stability and a political compact” which would end the country’s crisis. For most of the period since the 2011… Read More

The UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $20 million on Wednesday to ensure aid reaches those most affected. The cyclone made landfall on Thursday night near Beira City, in central Mozambique, bringing heavy rains and flooding to the three countries and forcing thousands from their homes. To date, it is feared that over 1,000 may have died in the… Read More

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights (OHCHR), Andrew Gilmour, welcomed Mr. Tshisekedi’s inaugural speech in January, in which he made a “clear commitment” to respect citizens’ rights and end discrimination. The president’s recent decree ordering the release of all political prisoners was also to be welcomed, Mr. Gilmour said, in anticipation of their actual release and the closing of all… Read More

Five days after the storm made landfall in Mozambique, causing widespread damage and flooding, at least 1,000 people are feared dead there alone. Victims are reportedly trapped on roofs and clinging to trees awaiting rescue, UN agencies said, while across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, tens of thousands of people have lost their homes, while roads, bridges and crops have been… Read More

In briefing the Security Council on Monday, Leila Zerrougi said that in North Kivu the ongoing deadly Ebola outbreak in the Grand Nord region, was the second-largest in history; and militias continued to attack civilians and Government forces – known by the French acronym FARDC – as well as humanitarian workers and personnel from the UN Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO), which she… Read More

“Cyclone Idai underlines that no matter how effective early warnings are, there is still a huge demand for greater investment in resilient infrastructure in many parts of the world if we are to break the cycle of disaster-response-recovery”, UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Mami Mizutori said, extending her condolences to the peoples and Governments of the three affected… Read More

“The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life, destruction of property and displacement of people due to the heavy rains and flooding,” said a statement from António Guterres on Sunday, passing on condolences to the families of the more than 30 people who have died in Zimbabwe, since the cyclone moved westwards from Malawi and Mozambique. “The United Nations expresses its solidarity with the Zimbabwe authorities and stands… Read More