South Sudan

The World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that nearly 55 million people in West and Central Africa will struggle to feed themselves during the next lean season — which is from June to August. This is an increase of 4 million in the number of food-insecure people as compared to the previous forecast published in late 2023.

In Zimbabwe, humanitarian officials say they are concerned over the impact of the drought brought about by El Niño, which last week prompted the country to declare a state of emergency. Authorities in Zimbabwe say that more than 2.7 million people there are facing food insecurity as a result.

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.

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.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warns that, nine years into the Yemen conflict, almost 10 million children remain in need of humanitarian assistance. While the reduction in conflict since April 2022 has led to fewer civilian casualties, the situation remains fragile without a sustainable political settlement, UNICEF says.

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.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that intense Israeli bombardment and ground operations — as well as heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups — continue to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip.

The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan until 30 April 2024, unanimously adopting resolution 2726 (to be issued as document S/RES/2726 (2024)) under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

In Haiti, the United Nations and its partners are continuing to work to deliver life-saving assistance to people in need, despite the limited access and the very concerning security situation.

The Security Council today called for an immediate cessation of hostilities by warring parties in Sudan during the month of Ramadan and for them to seek a sustainable resolution to the conflict through dialogue.