Lebanon

In Democratic Republic of the Congo, UN peacekeepers there responded to an alert this morning about shots fired by CODECO combatants near the area of Tata Hill, in Ituri province. The peacekeepers established a presence in the area, including between a hospital, the local church and market, to deter further threats.

In Haiti, the United Nations and its partners continue to provide emergency assistance to people impacted by the crisis in Port-au-Prince. Yesterday, the World Food Programme (WFP) supplied more than 30,000 hot meals to displaced people in the capital.

The United Nations is planning a mission to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza city to help people receive medical attention and to assess the state of the hospital. This comes following reports that the Israel Defense Forces have vacated the premises of the hospital.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

In Malawi, the United Nations and its partners are supporting the Government to respond to severe drought, which has prompted national authorities to declare a state of emergency in 23 of the country’s 28 districts. Nearly 2 million farming families and over 40 per cent of Malawi’s agricultural land has been impacted.

A report released today by the International Labour Organization (ILO) shows that forced labour in the private economy generates $236 billion in illegal profits per year. ILO notes that the total amount of illegal profits from forced labour has risen by $64 billion since 2014.

In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs reports that an attack earlier today hit residential areas of Odesa, a city with a population of some 1 million people, causing destruction and multiple civilian casualties.

In Lebanon, United Nations peacekeeping personnel report an escalation in the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line in recent days. Several fatalities were reported following Israeli strikes. At least five people were reported to have been killed in Sector West-Khirbet Silim on 9 March, and another person in Baalbek on 11 March.

In Bolivia, the United Nations is supporting authorities to tackle massive floods, which have been worsened by the El Niño phenomenon and climate change. The Organization is further assessing the impacts on water, sanitation, education, health and shelter.

In Ethiopia, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated $17 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to address worsening food insecurity in the country. The new funding reflects the Organization’s deep concern over the impact of a new El Niño-driven drought that is impacting Ethiopia.