Around the world: Daily updates from UN country teams - August 2023
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians. UN Resident Coordinators and their teams utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
Tuesday, 29 August
Iran: Providing midwifery and nursing skill-based education to Afghan women and girls
In Teheran, our UN Population Fund (UNFPA) colleagues signed yesterday with health authorities an agreement to provide midwifery and nursing skill-based education to Afghan women and girls in Iran. Our UN Resident Coordinator in Iran Stefan Priesner said this was an important step forward in fostering inclusiveness and empowering individuals who have been forced to leave their homes in Afghanistan. The new initiative is led by UNFPA with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to support the Government’s efforts to address the needs of Afghan refugees. UNFPA will also support services for people in vulnerable situations, including access to reproductive health services and HIV prevention. According to UNHCR, with over 3.4 million refugee and refugee-like populations, Iran has become the second largest refugee-hosting country globally after Türkiye, hosting over 1.1 million Afghans of varying status.
Tuesday, 22 August
Ecuador: Successful first round of presidential elections
Just yesterday afternoon our UN team in Ecuador, led by Resident Coordinator Lena Savelli, congratulated all people in the country for holding a successful first round of elections this past Sunday, highlighting the democratic, peaceful, and inclusive participation. Our team further condemned the acts of violence that occurred during the electoral campaign, leading to the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. Our team calls on all people to maintain a peaceful environment for the second round of elections, and for strengthening Ecuador’s institutional framework and democracy.
Peru: Supporting nearly a quarter of a million people affected by El Nino
Our team in Peru, led by Resident Coordinator Igor Garafulic is supporting nearly a quarter of a million people currently affected by the El Nino phenomenon. Six UN entities are providing humanitarian assistance to those in vulnerable situations in the regions most affected by torrential rains, floods, and landslides. Emergency initiatives are financed by the UN´s Central Emergency Fund (CERF) and from our UN team's funding. Our colleagues [including from UNFPA, UNICEF, FAO, IOM, PAHO and WFP] are working closely with national and local authorities focusing on shelter; nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene, along with health services, including sexual and reproductive health. They are also preventing gender-based violence and boosting social protection. Another priority is to protect livelihoods as many of the affected population work in the informal market and lost their means of subsistence due to the emergency, including farming. Our team is concerned that the heavy floods could affect food security for up to 3 million people.
Friday, 18 August
Dominican Republic: After deadly explosion, UN team expresses sincere condolences and recognizes challenging rescue operations
Following the explosion of a bakery in the Dominican Republic on Monday that has so far killed 28 people, the UN country team, led by UN Resident Coordinator Mauricio Ramírez Villegas, has expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with the victims’ families and close ones. The UN team wants to recognize the challenging rescue operations by so many men and women who have come together and worked admirably, as firefighters continue efforts to put out the persistent fire set off by the blast.
Monday, 14 August
Bosnia and Herzegovina: UN team expresses deep sorrow after tragic gender-related shooting
Ingrid Macdonald, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has expressed her deep sorrow and has extended condolences to the families of the victims after the tragic shooting that took place in Gradačac on Friday. “This senseless and gruesome act of violence left us all in shock. No one has the right to use violence and there is no justification for taking a life – whether of a woman, man or child. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and with the injured,” says Macdonald. The United Nations stands horrified by the fact that the murder of a woman was livestreamed via a social network, which is one of the latest in a streak of femicide and severe cases of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls based on their gender, represents a glaring and grave violation of human rights. To address this pressing issue and protect the lives and dignity of women and girls, the United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina urges immediate collective action and unequivocal condemnation of all forms of gender-based violence, including femicide. (Statement by the UN Resident Coordinator on the occasion of the shooting in Gradačac | United Nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Thursday, 10 August
Ecuador: UN team strongly condemns attack against presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio
The UN system in Ecuador, led by Resident Coordinator Lena Savelli, has strongly condemned in a statement the attack against presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio. The country team has called for an investigation of this crime to avoid any sense of impunity, and to redouble efforts to stop this wave of violence that is sadly impacting all the country’s population. Colleagues added that these events are an aggression against the democratic system in Ecuador, and sent their sincere condolences to friends and family of Fernando Villavicencio, reiterating a call for peace.
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