Teacher in Senegal. Top news of the day | Thursday: Gaza, Nigeria, teacher shortage, UN mission in Sudan UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the death toll during the conflict in Gaza exceeded 30 thousand people, grain from Ukraine arrived in Nigeria, the world lacks 44 million teachers, the UN mission in Sudan completed the withdrawal of its contingent.
UN chapter on casualties in Gaza
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is shocked by reports that the death toll in the Gaza conflict has exceeded 30,000 and more than 70,000 injured. In addition, an unknown number of people remain trapped under the rubble. The UN chief condemned Thursday’s incident in the north of the sector, in which more than a hundred people were reportedly killed and wounded as they waited for humanitarian aid to arrive. Desperate civilians in the enclave need urgent support, especially in the besieged northern areas where the UN has been unable to reach for more than a week, the Secretary-General said in a statement. Guterres again called for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages.
Grain from Ukraine for Nigeria
The UN World Food Program (WFP) has welcomed a donation of 25,000 tonnes of wheat from the Ukrainian government, which will help provide emergency food assistance to more than a million people affected by the crisis in north-east Nigeria. This contribution is part of the Ukrainian humanitarian initiative “Grain from Ukraine”, initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky. The costs of transporting and distributing the grain were covered by several European countries, as well as Canada and South Korea. Previously, Ukrainian wheat arrived in Sudan.
The world is short of teachers
The world urgently needs 44 million teachers, says a new report by UN agency UNESCO. which deals with issues of education, science and culture. “People around the world need high-quality skills, knowledge and education. Above all, they need the best teachers,” said UN chief Antonio Guterres. UNESCO notes that by 2030 there will be a need to replace more than half of all existing teachers, who will leave the profession by the end of the decade. Although it is a global problem, the teacher shortage most affects sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 15 million new teachers will be needed by 2030.
Withdrawal of the UN mission from Sudan
The UN mission in Sudan on Thursday completed the withdrawal of its contingent from this country. The UN Secretary-General expressed his deep gratitude to all international and local mission personnel. According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, a small group of UN staff will remain in the city of Port Sudan to monitor the dismantling process, which will begin on March 1. The Secretary-General looks forward to effective engagement with the Sudanese authorities in this process.