IDP camp in Myanmar. Top news of the day | Friday: Yemen, Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the Houthis in Yemen seized UN property, the IAEA warns of risks at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, a ceasefire agreement in northwestern Syria, the fifth anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.
Events in Yemen
UN Coordinator in Yemen Julien Harnays expressed regret that the Houthis recently seized equipment from six UN offices in Sanaa, and also confiscated several cars belonging to the organization. These steps were taken unilaterally, which, according to him, deprived the UN of the opportunity to agree on the delivery of aid to the people of Yemen. The UN recalled that Security Council resolutions require the Houthis to ensure safe working conditions for humanitarian organizations, as well as to release previously detained UN staff and other agencies.
Nuclear safety at Zaporozhye NPP
The war on Ukrainian territory still poses “the most serious threat to nuclear security in the world.” This was stated by IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking on Friday at a meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors in Vienna. Grossi said that in recent months the IAEA had to coordinate temporary ceasefires between Ukraine and Russia four times to allow repairs to power lines feeding the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP).
Agreement in Syria
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry into Events in Syria welcomed the agreement to end fire between the government and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which controlled the northeast of the country. The Commission called on all parties to ensure strict compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. Experts also expressed concern about the situation of more than 17 thousand children and young people arbitrarily detained in Al-Hol and Al-Rauj camps and in “rehabilitation centers.”
Conflict in Myanmar
Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the military takeover in Myanmar on February 1, 2021, General UN Secretary António Guterres said that violations of international law in the country remain unpunished. The UN chief expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, where attacks on civilian targets continue, crime is on the rise, and more than 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes. The Secretary General also emphasized the need to protect all communities, including the Rohingya.