Comoros

SG/SM/19150

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General expresses his concern over persisting restrictions of civil liberties and democratic rights in the run-up to the 30 July constitutional referendum in the Comoros. He urges the Government, political parties and all other relevant stakeholders to do their utmost to respect the rule of law and human rights.

By CLIMATE ADAPTATION UNDP

With heavenly beaches, an active volcano with an impressive crater, and the ever-present scents of ylang-ylang, vanilla and clove, the Comoros is an island archipelago located in the Indian Ocean between Africa and Madagascar, known as the “Perfume Islands.”

This is paradise. But climate change is threatening lives and livelihoods, upending traditional agricultural practices, and putting paradise at risk.

Addis Abéba, le 29 juillet 2018: Le Président de la Commission de l'Union africaine, Moussa Faki Mahamat, suit de près l’évolution de la situation aux Comores dans le contexte du référendum constitutionnel du 30 juillet 2018. Il s'inquiète des tensions existantes et des divergences entre les acteurs politiques, ainsi que de leurs conséquences potentielles sur la stabilité à long terme de l'archipel.

Le Secrétaire général des Nations Unies a exprimé sa préoccupation dimanche concernant la persistance des restrictions des libertés civiles et des droits démocratiques à l’approche du référendum constitutionnel du 30 juillet aux Comores.

Dans une déclaration, António Guterres a exhorté le gouvernement, les partis politiques et toutes les autres parties concernées à faire tout leur possible pour respecter l'Etat de droit et les droits de l'homme.

Africa - Disaster Risk Reduction, Fiscal Year (FY) 2017, September 30, 2017

OVERVIEW

• Many countries across the African continent face recurrent complex emergencies, frequent food insecurity, cyclical drought, and sudden-onset disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and storms. In FY 2017, USAID/OFDA continued to respond to urgent needs resulting from disasters and support DRR programs that improve emergency preparedness and response capacity at local, national, and regional levels.

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1257/96 of 20 June 1996 concerning humanitarian aid1 , and in particular Article 2, Article 4 and Article 15(2) and (3) thereof,

Having regard to Council Decision 2013/755/EU of 25 November 2013 on the association of the overseas countries and territories with the European Union ('Overseas Association Decision')2 , and in particular Article 79 thereof,

Global Overview JUNE 2018

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

OVERVIEW

MIGRANT BASELINE

A. SITUATION ANALYSIS

Description of the disaster

A plague outbreak in Madagascar raised concern in neighbouring countries. As of 12 October 2017, a total 684 cases (suspected, probable and confirmed) including 57 deaths (CFR 8.3%) had been reported from 35 out of 114 districts. Of these, 474 were clinically classified as pneumonic plague.

On 16 October 2017, Madagascar Ministry of Health (MoH) reported that caseload that was at 805 (confirmed and suspected) with 74 deaths.

On April 19th and 20th, CaLP and the Regional Platform for Social Protection hosted a learning event exploring how humanitarian cash transfer programmes can work to support national social protection systems in the Sahel.

We were joined by a good number of government representatives from the Sahel region and beyond, including Liberia, Niger, Mali, Chad, Senegal and Comoros.

They accompanied humanitarian actors, donors and development partners to look at case studies in Liberia, Mali and Senegal, and collectively draw recommendations.

L’OIF, à travers son organe subsidiaire, l’Institut de la Francophonie pour le développement durable (IFDD) et son Bureau régional pour l’Océan indien (BROI), et en partenariat avec le ministère comorien de l’Intérieur, de l’Information et de la Décentralisation, organise à Moroni, aux Comores, du 23 au 26 avril 2018, un atelier d’échange et de formation sur la prévention et la gestion des catastrophes naturelles.

MORONI, Comoros – As a midwife, Hadjira Oumouri, 49, spent years advocating for the health and rights of women. Today, she is the second-ever woman Member of Parliament in the Comoros, and currently the only female MP.

Her experience has informed her leadership. Since taking office, she has introduced multiple bills to promote gender equality, and she has worked hard – with success – to gain the support of her male colleagues.

“I think the fight of the woman is every day,” she said. “Politics is also a fight you have to keep fighting.”

Health Ministers and Environment Ministers, Experts, Officials and other key stakeholders from Small Island Development States (SIDS) of Africa and South East Asian regions, namely Cabo Verde, Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Sao Tome and Principes and Seychelles participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) Third Global Conference on Climate Change and Health on 21-22 March 2018 in Mauritius.

They were lively and lovely, and they moved me close to tears. The Angolan teenaged girls I met told me about their dreams and the barriers they face to achieving what is simply normal elsewhere – finishing primary school, graduating from high school, protecting themselves from unplanned pregnancy and HIV, being safe from male aggression, living and loving in peace and harmony, and having a better future than their parents.

By Ragy Saro

“Reduce disaster loss and protect lives.”

CAIRO, 14 March 2018 - That refrain echoed through Cairo, the capital city of Egypt as a 3-day training event kicked off this week bringing together representatives from 11 Arab States committed to implementing the global plan for reducing disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This activity report summarizes activities of Result Area 5, also known as the Africa Disaster Risk Financing (ADRF) Initiative—referred to as the “ADRF Initiative,” the “Initiative” or “R5”—from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. The report gives an overview of the achievements to date and identifies upcoming priorities and challenges.

Last month, Ousseni Souffiani’s life was turned upside down. He had lived in a hillside shantytown on the island of Mayotte, but a torrential downpour swept his flimsy home away, killing his wife and four of his children who were sheltering inside.

Read more on IRIN.

Geneva – IOM, the UN Migration Agency, reports that 7,795 migrants and refugees entered Europe by sea through the first five and a half weeks of 2018, with about 60 per cent arriving in Italy and the remainder divided between Greece and Spain, both at roughly 20 per cent. This compares with 12,217 arrivals across the region through the same period last year.