Source: United Nations (video statements)
The Ebola outbreak in the DRC is spreading faster than containment efforts can manage.
United Nations Senior Ebola Coordinator, Julien Harneis, briefs on how the Bundibugyo strain has moved across a massive region in just three months, the escalating response, the growing death toll and the urgent need for more resources to contain the outbreak.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Colombia
– Deputy Secretary-General
– UNMISS
– Central African Republic
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism
– International Days
COLOMBIA
A response appeal led by the Resident Coordinator Maria-Jose Torres Macho and UN partner was launched following the deadly earthquake that struck Colombia earlier this month.
The authorities say 319 people have been killed, with more than 280,000 people impacted overall. The earthquake destroyed over 31,000 homes and damaged thousands of educational facilities, community centres and health facilities.
The appeal, which complements the Government-led response and was coordinated by the Humanitarian Country Team in Colombia, seeks $148 million to support 671,000 of the most vulnerable with health, shelter, food, nutrition, education, protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene support.
UN partners have already reached over 34,000 people with assistance in 18 municipalities.
Even before the earthquake, hundreds of thousands of families were in need of humanitarian support due to the impact of armed conflict and limited access to basic services, livelihoods and infrastructure. Today’s plan adds to the UN’s existing $472 million humanitarian appeal for Colombia this year, which puts the total at nearly $620 million.
So far, donors have mobilized $35 million for the earthquake response, and Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, has allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for that effort. But additional support is urgently needed, as the combined appeal is less than half funded.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in China in Xi’an today, where she participated in the third regional convening on Artificial Intelligence and Human Development, building on the previous regional gatherings in Cairo and Mexico City. Together with experts and thought leaders, she discussed the implications of artificial intelligence on societies, economies, and communities, and how to shape the global conversation on artificial intelligence and human development.
Tomorrow, she will travel to Beijing, where she is expected to meet with Cai Wei, the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, as well as members of the UN country team. She will then go on to Mongolia on Sunday, to participate in the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date=2026-08-21
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Informal comments to the media by Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Denmark and President of the Security Council for the month of August, on the election of the next Secretary-General.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/72/165, proclaimed 21 August as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. The theme of this year’s commemoration, "Healing Through Memory", was selected through consultations with the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN). It recognizes the important role that remembrance, memorialization, solidarity, and collective memory can play in healing, resilience, recovery, and social cohesion.
https://www.un.org/en/observances/terrorism-victims-day
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Briefing from the capital of Colombia’s Chocó region, Quibdó, an International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) humanitarian response and recovery specialist told journalists in New York that ten days since a devastating earthquake hit large areas of the country “everything is still urgent,” and there are communities “that haven’t been accessed yet or have only been accessed to once.”
Providing an update on the humanitarian situation in the country following the earthquake, the IOM official, Jean Philippe, said, “the full picture of the impact is still emerging, but according to preliminary data by the National Disaster Risk Management Unit, 282,000 people have been affected. Amongst these, we have many who have lost their loved ones, their homes, children have lost their schools and communities no longer have access to something as simple as a park or as essential as a hospital.”
Antolin said, “nearly 163,000 homes are affected and undergoing structural evaluations.”
He said IOM has launched a flash appeal of USD 30 million, “to expand its earthquake response in the initial six months,” and it aims to cover “both urgent life-saving help now and a gradual shift toward longer term recovery, including shelter, managing accommodation sites, clean water and sanitation, health care, protection for vulnerable people and helping communities to rebuild.”
The response and recovery specialist noted that “recent heavy rains across Colombia’s Pacific region, including Pereira, Buenaventura and here in Quibdó, have further worsened living conditions for many earthquake-affected families.”
He said, “these conditions have increased shelter, water, sanitation and protection needs, particularly for people in open spaces, community centres, sports fields, schools, public buildings and churches,” and is also “making it easier for epidemic vector diseases to spread such as dengue, which is especially dangerous in shelters where many people live close together.”
Antolin said, “we must continue to provide blanket coverage of several items, from shelter to food, to health.”
Among the most pressing urgent needs, he said, is “the need for information,” as “people need to know whether their house is safe, structurally sound.”
The IOM official said, “people are sleeping outside for fear of the roof collapsing over the heads. They need the structural evaluations to carry on. Someone to tell them it’s safe or unsafe to be there.”
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Joint comments to the media by Olegs Ilgis, Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations, on behalf of Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom, Austria and Portugal, on the situation in Georgia.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Comments to the media by Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative of Denmark and President of the Security Council for the month of August, on informal dialogues with Secretary-General candidates.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Comments to the media by Vassily Nebenzia , Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, on the situation in Georgia & other topics.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Olara Otunnu (Uganda) and Ivonne A-Baki (Ecuador) arrive at UN Headquarters to participate in interactive dialogues as candidates for the position of UN Secretary-General.
Source: United Nations (video statements)
Comments to the media by Olegs Ilgis, Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations, on the situation in Georgia & other topics.
