"WOMEN"

Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption to education in history and prolonged school closures could further entrench inequalities in access to learning, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on a video message released today. UNIFEED

The risk of COVID-19 infection from breastfeeding is negligible and has never been documented, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, while warning that not using mother’s milk is linked to more than 820,000 child deaths a year, at a cost to the global economy of some (USD) 300 billion. UNTV CH

Briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Yazidi genocide survivor and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking Nadia Murad, said, “ignoring the suffering of the Yazidis is unacceptable. The international community must not defer meaningful actions any longer.” UNIFEED

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, successive conflicts in recent decades have seen systematic use of rape and sexual assault by all fighting forces. SOFEPADI, a Congolese non-governmental organization, assists with psychological support to women, children and men who have suffered from this violence. OHCHR

On a video message for the launch of policy brief on the impact of COVID-19 in Southeast Asia, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the health, economic and political impact of the pandemic “has been significant across Southeast Asia — hitting the most vulnerable the hardest,” highlighting “deep inequalities, shortfalls in governance and the imperative for a sustainable development pathway.” UNIFEED

The relentless rise of hunger, struggling economies, deepening inequality and an active hurricane season are threatening the people of Latin America and the Caribbean and may have far-reaching consequences unless swift action is taken, warns the United Nations World Food Programme. WFP

Limited cross-border access into north-west Syria placing strain on humanitarians to reach many in need, aid worker tells Security Council.

Concerned by worsening situation in West Africa, Sahel, Security Council presidential statement calls for national, regional, international support.