The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today released its World Forests report, which says that forests face increasing climate-related stress amid growing demand for their products. The report also warns that climate change is making our forests more vulnerable to stressors such as wildfires and pests.
Noon Briefings
Moving to South Sudan, where the Mission there will be supporting a mobile court in Bentiu, Unity State, scheduled to begin on 22 July. This national initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the rule of law and accountability.
In Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs today said that it, along with its partners, are coordinating with the de facto authorities there on the response to the heavy rainfall and flash flooding that have impacted the east and north-east of the country earlier this week.
In Haiti, a United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) report shows that 300,000 displaced women and girls face alarming living conditions.
In Sudan, over 10 million people — 20 per cent of the population — have been displaced since fighting broke out 15 months ago, the International Organization for Migration reports. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme continued aid delivery this week despite major challenges.
In Ukraine, attacks today and over the weekend continue to impact civilians in front-line areas. Authorities reported that, on 13 July, an attack on a railway in the Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine caused nearly 30 civilian casualties, including children.
The Secretary-General said today that 195 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) staff members have been killed, the highest staff death toll in UN history. UNRWA’s $1.2 billion appeal to cover critical humanitarian needs until year’s end is less than 20 per cent funded.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers provided training to 400 new recruits of the Congolese Armed Forces to better equip them to respond to the abuses committed against civilians by armed groups in hard-to-reach areas.
The UN, along with humanitarian aid partners, last night launched a response plan calling for $9 million to support 43,000 people impacted by Hurricane Beryl in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Immediate action is crucial, particularly in light of what is expected to be a very intense hurricane season.
The United Nations continues to support countries in the Caribbean that have been impacted by Hurricane Beryl. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that most of the health facilities assessed in Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are now operational, despite sustaining damage.