Sudan

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warns that the Darien jungle crossing between Panama and Colombia is witnessing record numbers of migrants and refugees, with over 250,000 people crossing on foot in the first seven months of 2023 alone, surpassing the total for all of 2022.

In Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that hunger and displacement due to the ongoing war are spiraling out of control. More than 6 million people in the country — about 13 per cent of the population — are now one step away from famine.

Despite the ongoing conflict in Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 40 trucks carrying some 1,600 tons of food reached Kassala, Gedaref and White Nile between 22 and 27 July and five trucks delivered roughly 300 tons of relief supplies to West Kordofan.

The Support Mission in Libya, noting the approval of a road map and the announcement of nominations for a new Government by the House of Representatives, stressed that the political process is at a critical stage. Abdoulaye Bathily, Head of the Mission is intensifying his engagement with various stakeholders.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) have provided support to the Central African and Ugandan Governments as they carried out the voluntary repatriation of 61 Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) ex-combatants and their families to Entebbe, Uganda.

Wrapping up her visit, Bintou Keita, Head of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, met with representatives of displaced communities, civil society and the local community in Bukavu, South Kivu, to discuss ways to strengthen partnerships to support provincial peace and security efforts.

The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, in connection with the examination of the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in South Sudan (S/2023/99), agreed to convey the following messages through a public statement by the Chair of the Working Group:

United Nations efforts on transferring the millions of oil barrels from the FSO Safer continue, with the replacement vessel, Nautica, now known as the Yemen, only 3 kilometres from the Safer and in final preparations for ship-to-ship transfer of oil expected at the end of the week. The Ndeavour is already alongside to help with the transfer.

In Haiti, the World Food Programme (WFP) today said it has been forced to cut the number of people receiving emergency food assistance by 25 per cent this month due to dwindling funding levels, ending support for 100,000 of the most vulnerable Haitians. WFP urgently needs $121 million to continue vital aid through 2023.

The United Nations Development Programme, launching their policy brief, “The Human Cost of Inaction: Poverty, Social Protection and Debt Servicing, 2020–2023”, and noting that an 165 million additional people fell into poverty as a result of the cumulative crisis, proposed a “debt-poverty pause” for developing economies.