"POPULATION"

Marking this year’s United Nations Day, the world body’s top officials in Somalia today flagged some of the support being provided to and challenges faced in assisting Somalis on their path to peace and stability, while also re-affirming their commitment in line with the organization’s founding principles. UNSOM

The World Food Programme's (WFP) Country Director for Afghanistan. Mary-Ellen McGroarty, said, "there is tsunami of destitution, incredible suffering, and hunger spiraling out of control across Afghanistan.”

New and updated commitments made ahead of the pivotal climate conference COP26 in the past months are a positive step forward, but the world remains on track for a dangerous global temperature rise of at least 2.7°C this century even if fully met, a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has warned. UNIFEED

The combined impacts of drought, conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and an economic crisis in in Afghanistan, have left more than half of the country’s population – a record 22.8 million people – facing acute hunger. UNTV CH

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

“Over eight months since the military takeover, the overall situation in Myanmar continues to deteriorate sharply with the conflict intensifying in many parts of the country,” the outgoing UN Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener said on Thursday. UNIFEED

WHO chief Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said the pandemic “is a powerful demonstration of just how much we rely on health workers, and how vulnerable we all are when the people who protect our health are themselves unprotected,” after a paper issued by the Organization estimated that some “115,000 health workers may have died from COVID-19 between January 2020 and May this year.” WHO

The IMF is predicting that the pandemic has permanently lowered the path of real GDP in sub-Saharan Africa, suggesting a loss of real per capita output of close to 5.6 percent in the latest issue of the sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook report released Thursday in Washington, D.C. IMF

Afghanistan’s economy is imploding, with all but three per cent of households expected to fall below the poverty line in coming months, the UN said on Thursday. To help ordinary Afghans, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) has announced the launch of a “people’s economy” fund, to provide desperately needed access to cash. UNTV CH

UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia highlighted to the Security Council the necessity to “sustainably build on these accomplishments while firmly addressing the challenges that persist” in the region. UNIFEED