Yemen, Ethiopia, Afghanistan & other topics -…

In Yemen, fierce fighting continues, including in Marib, Shabwah and Al Bayda governorates, where clashes have escalated over recent weeks, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the situation in the northern part of Ethiopia continues to be highly unpredictable and volatile. The delivery of humanitarian supplies into Tigray remains heavily constrained through the only road access route from Afar. In Afghanistan, the UN team there continues to support the people of the country to tackle the pandemic. To date, there have been more than 150,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, as well as more than 7,200 deaths. With support from the UN, some 760,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted. This morning, the Secretary-General spoke to the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee on the proposed programme budget for 2022. He noted that, around the world, thanks to the support and engagement of Member States, the United Nations has stayed and delivered in a world upended by the pandemic. Today is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. In a message for the day, the Secretary-General stresses that to meet the cascading challenges of the 21st century and safeguard the lives, health and livelihoods of all people, we must reduce systematic risks.