UN Daily Press Briefing: Vietnam SDGs, Sudan Crisis, DRC Displacement, Gaza Aid, Ukraine Attacks

Deputy Secretary-General's Visit to Vietnam

• 🇻🇳 Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed participated in the Partnership for Growth Summit in Vietnam, focusing on public-private partnerships for innovation and sustainability.
• 🤝 She discussed UN-Vietnam cooperation on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), peacekeeping, and climate action with the State President.
• 📈 Discussions also covered Vietnam's green and digital transformation and economic diversification with the Prime Minister and Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade.
• 🏭 Mohammed visited an electric vehicle factory, observing manufacturing's role in attracting investment and creating skilled jobs towards a zero-emission future.
• 🌏 The Deputy Secretary-General will chair the annual retreat for UN Resident Coordinators in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on accelerating SDG implementation and mobilizing investments.

Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

• 🌍 The World Food Programme (WFP) has reached greater Khartoum, aiming to scale up assistance to nearly one million people.
• 🚚 A convoy delivered over 280 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies to Jabal Awlia, an area at high risk of famine, marking the first aid delivery since December.
• 💧 Humanitarian partners delivered emergency food and launched a water trucking initiative to support newly displaced persons in North Darfur.
• ⚠️ Humanitarian access is severely undermined by visa approval delays for personnel, with only 16% approved in March, down from 50%.
• 💔 Over 400,000 people have fled violence, many to already strained host communities, with access to Zamzam camp remaining completely blocked.
• 🕊️ The UN calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to uphold international humanitarian law and ensure safe access.

Displacement and Health in DRC and Gaza

• 🇨🇩 The volatile situation in North and South Kivu provinces continues to fuel displacement, with thousands sheltering in schools, disrupting educational activities.
• 🆘 Over 25,000 displaced individuals have arrived in Kanya-Bionga seeking healthcare and food security, with limited support available.
• 🏥 A cholera outbreak is reported in the Minova area, with over 100 new cases, and a surge in EMPOX cases.
• 🇵🇸 Humanitarian supplies in Gaza are nearing depletion due to a full closure on cargo entry since March 2nd, impacting life-saving services.
• 🚑 Only three out of 30 ambulances are operational in Gaza City due to a lack of fuel, and nearly 90% of water assets are destroyed or damaged.

Conflict and Displacement in Ukraine and West Bank

• 🇺🇦 Dnipro was hit by a massive drone attack, causing civilian casualties, including children, and damaging infrastructure, including apartment blocks and a school.
• 💥 Heavy shelling in Kherson and Kkefe regions also caused civilian casualties and damaged homes and an ambulance.
• 🏘️ In the West Bank, Israeli forces' operations have displaced thousands, with access to education impeded as schools remain closed due to ongoing operations.

Security Council and Mediterranean Tragedy

• 🇱🇷 The Security Council heard a briefing on Libya, emphasizing the need for political will for compromise to resolve the crisis and complete the transition.
• 🚢 Tomorrow marks 10 years since a tragedy in the Mediterranean where a thousand people died or went missing, with over 34,000 reported dead or missing since trying to reach Europe by sea.

Other Topics and Programming Notes

• 🗓️ The Permanent Forum on People of African Descent concludes today, with a closing event discussing Haiti's independence debt.
• 🇨🇳 Sunday is Chinese Language Day, coinciding with Easter.
• 💰 Maldives and Japan were recognized for paying their dues in full.
• 🗣️ The UN spokesperson addressed questions on the Human Rights Council architecture, the situation in Gaza, potential funding cuts from the Trump administration, the Rohingya refugee situation, and the impact of US visa revocations on pro-Palestinian students.
• 🤝 The UN hopes dialogue between the United States and Iran yields positive outcomes, leading to lowering tensions in the Gulf region.