NEWS

With the deadline just hours away, the Security Council has failed on its third attempt this week to extend its authorization for lifesaving food, medicine and shelter to cross into northwest Syria from Turkey. UNIFEED

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, told reporters that the WHO is “looking into the origins of the virus,” and said two WHO experts will meet with Chinese scientists to “learn about the progress made in understanding the animal reservoir for COVID-19 and how the disease jumped between animals and humans.” WHO

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the Organization remained “extremely concerned” about the SAFER oil tanker off the coast of Yemen, which is carrying 1.1 million barrels of oil and is in poor condition. UNIFEED

“The shocking murder” of Iraqi leading researcher and security analyst Hisham Al-Hushami “has brought into sharp relief the risks faced by people who dare to challenge powerful militias in Iraq,” said today the UN Human Rights Office. UNTV CH

A World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson today told reporters “the humanitarian situation in Yemen is deteriorating at an alarming rate”, calling donors for an urgent appeal to fund its life-saving operations in the country. WFP needs USD 737 million to the end of the year to keep their humanitarian work ongoing. UNTV CH

On a video message for the launch of policy brief on the impact of COVID-19 on Latin America and the Caribbean, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “in a context of already gaping inequalities, high levels of informal labour and fragmented health services, the most vulnerable populations and individuals are once again being hit the hardest.” UNIFEED

With the cross-border humanitarian operations from Turkey into Syria agreement set to expire on 10 July, pressure mounts on the UN Security Council to renew its resolution to extend this lifeline for some 2.8 million women, children and men across northwest Syria in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. OCHA

UN Special Rapporteur Agnes Callamard called on States to “establish a transparent, multilateral and multi-stakeholder process for the development of robust standards and accountability mechanisms for the use and export of armed drones.” UNTV CH

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus today announced the initiation of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR) to evaluate the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO

Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council that, with battle lines shifting, foreign interference growing, thousands fleeing their homes and COVID-19 cases on the rise, time is running out for bringing a peaceful end to the conflict in Libya. UNIFEED