Afghanistan, Ethiopia & other topics - Daily Press…

This morning, the Secretary-General spoke by video message to the meeting on Afghanistan which was organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran. He warned that Afghanistan is confronting an epic humanitarian crisis and is on the verge of a development catastrophe. The Security Council met this morning on the situation between Sudan and South Sudan. Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, noted that the recent coup in Sudan reflects the shaky transitions that many countries are going through. In Ethiopia, nearly one year since the start of the conflict in the north, the situation remains unpredictable, volatile, and highly tense. The latest report of the Secretary-General on the “Safety and Security of Humanitarian Personnel and Protection of United Nations Personnel” is out today. It analyses global security and security incidents involving UN personnel in 2020 and the first half of 2021. During that period, a total of 28 UN civilian personnel lost their lives owing to acts of violence and safety-related incidents. The International Labour Organization (ILO) today warned that the employment impact from the COVID-19 pandemic is worse than expected. On Monday afternoon, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Noeleen Heyzer of Singapore as his new Special Envoy on Myanmar. Ms. Heyzer succeeds Christine Schraner Burgener of Switzerland. Today is World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. The theme this year is "Your Window to the World". Audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world.