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Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
The Secretary-General is in Paris, where he is to meet with President Emmanuel Macron today.
In the Central African Republic, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, today met with leaders of political parties in Bangui, to discuss the ongoing attacks against civilians, mainly the Muslim community, as well as UN personnel and premises. He said that these deliberate attacks in Bangassou, with heavy weaponry, seem to have been well planned as the perpetrators made access very difficult by destroying bridges and blocking all accessible roads to the town. The UN Mission also briefed political leaders about ongoing efforts to put an end to the violence and to stabilize the situation in Bangassou, including by reinforcing its presence by deploying additional troops to neutralize attackers, protect civilians and facilitate critical humanitarian support to the population.
The UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) reports that its camp in Timbuktu was targeted in a mortar attack yesterday. According to preliminary reports, four peacekeepers and three members of the Malian armed forces were injured. Eight shells were reportedly fired in the direction of the airport, close to the UN camp. The UN Mission condemns this attack and denounces the increasing violence in several regions of Northern Mali. The Mission also calls on all signatories of the peace agreement to increase their efforts towards the implementation of the agreement, which is the only way to achieve stability in the country.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Kosovo, Zahir Tanin, briefed the Security Council this morning.
In response to questions about the humanitarian conditions in Raqqa, Syria, the Spokesman said that the United Nations and its partners continue the large-scale humanitarian response to those affected by fighting and military operations in Raqqa.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today said that fighting in Yemen’s Taizz has displaced nearly 50,000 people since the beginning of the year.
The UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has urged an investigation into the murder of Mexican journalist Javier Arturo Valdez Cárdenas.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that over the weekend, some 500 were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Libya. However, around 20 men, women and children are missing and feared dead.
In a new report, the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners say that more than 3,000 adolescents die every day, totaling 1.2 million deaths a year, from largely preventable causes, such as road traffic injuries, lower respiratory infections and suicide.
The UN torture prevention body today urged Bolivia to improve monitoring of detention places and tackle its high rate of pre-trial detention, which amounts to 70 per cent of the prison population in the country.
Iraq has paid its regular budget dues, becoming the 99th Member State to have done so.
