Guterres denounces that the world is failing to protect civilians from wars
The Secretary General has denounced before the Security Council that the world is failing in its commitment to protect civilians in wars.
Civilians, said Antonio Guterres, continue to be a large part of the fatalities and injuries left behind by wars, but they are also forced to leave their homes and suffer from a lack of food and water.
“War means famine. Armed conflicts are one of the main causes of hunger in the world. Last year, more than 117 million people went hungry mainly due to war and insecurity. This is shameful”, he assured.
Guterres called for “political will” to enforce international law. “Peace is the best form of protection,” he said, urging work to “prevent conflicts,” “preserve peace and find political solutions to war.”
UN appeals for $333 million for those affected by Cyclone Mocha in Myanmar
In Myanmar, the UN is asking for $333 million to help 1.6 million people after Cyclone Mocha passed through the west of the country.
“The catastrophe has left hundreds of thousands of communities already vulnerable without a roof to shelter under. Humanitarian agencies are now in a race against time to provide people with safe haven and prevent the outbreak and spread of waterborne diseases,” said Ramanathan Balakrishnan, Acting Humanitarian Affairs and Resident Coordinator for Myanmar.
With coastal winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour making landfall off the Bay of Bengal on May 14, Mocha triggered flooding and landslides in an area home to hundreds of thousands of people already displaced by Myanmar’s long-running conflict, many of them belonging to the Rohingya minority in Rakhine state.
The UN speaks of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in one of the poorest areas of the country and assures that they need donors to “do their best.”
Yellow alert in Mexico due to the eruption of the Popocatépetl volcano
After days of increased activity and explosive eruptions at the Popocatépetl volcano in central Mexico, Civil Protection has raised the volcanic alert level to Amarillo.
In the states of Puebla, Morelos and Mexico, the National Civil Protection Coordination (CNPC) has increased the traffic light Volcanic Alert to Amarillo Phase 3, which allows the initiation of prevention, mitigation and preparation actions, reports the UN Office for Humanitarian Coordination.
The volcano is located approximately 72 kilometers southeast of Mexico City and an estimated 25 million people live within a radius of 100 kilometers. Several municipalities in the state of Puebla have already been affected by the fall of ash. Since May 17, the Puebla Civil Protection authorities have prepared 35 shelters with a capacity for 22,000 people in case of evacuation. Classes have been suspended in 40 state municipalities. The increase in ash fall has also forced the temporary closure of the Benito Juárez international airport and the Felipe Ángeles airport in Mexico City.
That no more women suffer an obstetric fistula is possible
Today marks the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, one of the most serious and tragic injuries of childbirth. He Population Fund of the UN calls for accelerating measures to end these injuries by 2030.
obstetric fistula It is a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or rectum caused by prolonged and obstructed labor without access to high-quality and timely medical treatment. Obstetric fistula leaves women and girls with urinary or fecal incontinence, or both, and often leads to chronic medical problems, depression, social isolation, and poverty. 90% of pregnancies involving fistula end with a dead baby.
Bold political leadership and increased investment could help eradicate fistula. Ambitious partnerships and large investments are imperative to end fistula by 2030, says the UNFPA who leads the Global Campaign to Eradicate Fistula.
