3,758 backpacks.
3,758 children not going back to school because they were killed in conflict last year.
Today I visited ’s powerful and heartbreaking installation .
World leaders need to do more to #ENDviolence against children, and all civilians caught in conflict.
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The official Twitter account of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
Martin Griffiths’s Tweets
I’ve just concluded my first visit as ERC to Ethiopia. I held constructive meetings with authorities, including . I also met with people in desperate need of aid in Tigray, and with humanitarian organizations working tirelessly to get assistance to them. 1/4
اشعر بالقلق الشديد نتيجة التصعيد العسكري الحاصل في مأرب وتداعياته المحتملة على الاوضاع الانسانية.
I met with the leadership of the Taliban to reaffirm ’s commitment to deliver impartial humanitarian assistance & protection to millions in need in #Afghanistan.
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At the request of Secretary-General @antonioguterres, @UNReliefChief Martin Griffiths
is currently in #Kabul, where he met today with Mullah Baradar and the leadership of the Taliban to engage with authorities on humanitarian issues.
un.org/sg/en/node/258
Thank you to our top donors for their contributions to our Yemen humanitarian response plan:
KSA 🇸🇦
USA 🇺🇸
UAE 🇦🇪
UK 🇬🇧
reliefweb.int/sites/reliefwe
More bombing.
More fighting.
More death.
More destruction.
More maiming of women and children.
More hunger.
More misery.
That is what has happened with zero humanitarian access in Syria since the UNSC passed its latest resolution.
More, in other words, of the same.
I am beyond worried about the safety of civilians and humanitarian staff in Shire, #Ethiopia. The situation is increasingly tense. I was horrified to learn that two frontline staff were injured in shelling today.
What I saw today in #Türkiye was devastating.
What were once homes, filled with families and memories, now lay contorted and tangled.
Our thoughts are with those affected and we will continue to support in any way we can.
Replying to
I will continue to personally engage on ensuring aid can reach every Ethiopian in need, and to ensure aid workers are protected. Getting aid to every Ethiopian in humanitarian need– be they in Tigray, in Amhara, in Afar, or indeed in any region–is my highest priority. 4/4
There is now a clear and present danger of an imminent and great big famine engulfing #Yemen: much bigger than anything any professional in this field has encountered during their working lives.
I strongly condemn recent attacks against aid workers in Ethiopia. This week alone, was beaten and witnessed extrajudicial killings in #Tigray, and yesterday said a driver was killed by gunmen in Benishangul Gumuz.
Aid workers must never be a target.
Yesterday was my last day as the and I want to thank humanitarian workers everywhere for their relentless efforts.
Please keep going, despite the challenges. The world would be a lot worse without what you do. The people most in need are relying on you. 1/2
Honoured to address the Extraordinary Ministerial on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, hosted by and .
The people of Afghanistan are in a free fall. We cannot fail to do what we know is right, and what we know is possible.
I’m honoured to start today as . From the pandemic, to conflicts, to climate change, humanitarian work has never been more needed. I will listen to, and speak up for, people whose lives are on the very edge.
The humanitarian situation in #Tigray is getting worse. People still lack food, water, health services, fuel, cash, and communications after nearly three months of conflict. Life is becoming harder and harder.
📸 UNHCR
I’m soon returning to the UK to spend more time with my family. It’s been a privilege to work and support .
What humanitarian agencies do matters, above all for those we’re trying to help. I’ll stay in my position until the SG has chosen my successor.
I began my visit to #Afghanistan today at the Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital in Kabul.
I struggle to put into words how profoundly affected I was by the plight of the babies I met.
Tiny, listless newborns, two to an incubator, suffering from acute malnutrition. 1/2
The humanitarian situation in Tigray, Ethiopia, continues to worsen. Reports of indiscriminate and targeted attacks against civilians, including rape and other horrific forms of sexual violence, continue to surface. This must stop.
Our statement here: reliefweb.int/report/ethiopi
Baidoa, #Somalia. I'm at the epicenter of the hunger crisis ravaging the country. I saw babies too weak to cry, and mothers who are still children themselves.
The silence of the international community is deafening.
Excited to begin post today as the new humanitarian Chief. Please follow me on .
We welcome the announcement that the US intends to revoke the designation of the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.
This will provide profound relief to millions of Yemenis who rely on humanitarian assistance and commercial imports to meet their basic survival needs.
It's impossible to overstate the gravity of humanitarian need in #Afghanistan. More than 24M people need lifesaving help. 160 organizations are delivering vital supplies for over 17M people.
Afghanistan is set to be the largest humanitarian operation in 2022. We need to ramp up.
I am alarmed about the situation in Tigray. Aid agencies must be able to get more help to the hundreds of thousands of people - if not more - who do not have access to food, water, health, and telecommunications.
My interview with here:
From
UN Humanitarian
The suffering, trauma & deprivation of #Rohingya refugees that I'm meeting is a stain on our collective humanity. We must urgently scale up:
Sexual violence in crises is a scourge that must end. We need to:
Put survivors in centre of response.
Focus on prevention.
End impunity.
My op-ed with #EndSGBVOslo
We need immediate and unfettered access to Tigray to scale up urgently needed assistance for vulnerable civilians. Access needs to go hand in hand with security for aid workers.
My op-ed in the on the situation in Ethiopia:
I am gravely concerned by the latest escalation in #Ukraine and join in calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The impact on the lives of civilians will be high.
We are determined to stay and deliver humanitarian support to everyone in need.
I am horrified by reports that 35 civilians were killed in Kayah State, #Myanmar on 24 Dec.
Two humanitarian workers also remain missing.
I condemn all attacks against civilians and call on authorities to investigate.
My statement: bit.ly/3EyloUi
There is famine in Ethiopia right now. To save lives and stop the situation getting far worse, humanitarian actors need:
➡️far more funding, urgently
➡️unobstructed access to people who need aid
➡️to dramatically scale-up their response
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New @TheIPCinfo report shows more than 350,000 people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity in Tigray, Ethiopia.
Humanitarian organizations need immediate and continuous access to provide life-saving assistance to people in need.I am extremely concerned by the deteriorating situation in #Afghanistan. I join and the Security Council in strongly condemning attacks against civilians & I echo their calls for a ceasefire.
Humanitarians are committed to #StayAndDeliver
Hello Mogadishu!
It's my first time in #Somalia and I'm sad to see how much the country is suffering from the impact of climate shocks, hunger, conflict and insecurity.
The people of Somalia have shown so much resilience. We cannot fail them.
My message from the Dharwan IDP camp in #Yemen. This war needs to end, these people deserve a better future.
Saddened and outraged by the killing of four humanitarians in Tigray, Ethiopia. My deepest condolences to their families and colleagues at and .
All parties must respect international humanitarian law.
Aid workers and civilians are #NotATarget
I met the leader of a Turkish search-and-rescue team in Kahramanmaraş, #Türkiye.
He told me that people were still being rescued from the rubble - a true miracle.
The bravery and commitment of all the first responders on the ground is truly remarkable.
Replying to
اي هجوم عسكري على مارب سيضع ما يصل إلى مليوني مدني في خطر وينتج عن نزوح مئات الاف ، الأمر الذي سيؤدي الى عواقب إنسانية لا يمكن تصورها. لقد حان الوقت الآن للتهدئة ، وليس مضاعفة المزيد من البؤس للشعب اليمني. سوف اقدم إحاطة في مجلس الأمن يوم الخميس
القادم.
We're in a race against time! Humanitarians need $816 million to help 9.5 million people affected by the #PakistanFloods.
As winter approaches, time is of the essence.
People in Pakistan are bearing the brunt of a climate crisis they didn't create. The world cannot fail them.
Replying to
And at the same time, we need to work with the Government to improve the conditions under which aid and humanitarian workers can reach those in need. We’ve been working hard to get 100 trucks a day in and we’ve been assured by the government that this will happen. 3/4
. & NGOs are making every effort to continue delivering assistance in Tigray, Amhara and Afar.
I reiterate our grave concern for civilians.
All parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law.
In response to the multiple earthquakes that rocked southern #Türkiye and northern #Syria yesterday, I've released $25 million from to help kick-start the humanitarian response.
unocha.org/story/un-emerg
The stories of the families I met in Baidoa, #Somalia, need to be heard by people around the world. Their children are dying. Their livelihoods are gone. Their suffering is immense.
We fear it’s about to get worse.
We can’t allow that to happen.
I am deeply saddened to learn that two staff and four children were among those killed in an attack on civilians in Kayah state, #Myanmar on 24 December.
I am pleased to announce that today 36 donors pledged nearly $1.3 billion for the humanitarian response in #Yemen.
We thank you for the generosity and continued support for millions of people in need.
#InvestInHumanity.
Yemenis are not “going hungry”.
They are being starved.
All of us – parties to the conflict, Security Council members, donors, humanitarian organizations and others – should do everything we can to stop this. Time is running out.
Afghans experience severe hardship because of the country’s economic freefall. The US decision is an encouraging signal. I urge all countries to ensure Afghanistan's assets can be unfrozen for the Afghan people, to prevent economic collapse and avert a humanitarian catastrophe.
I've just returned from Ethiopia, where conflict continues to spread, leaving more Ethiopians in need of humanitarian aid.
Fighting must stop, and aid access must increase.
Read more here:
It is shameful that we have to remind the world about equal rights for girls & women almost every day. On this #DayOfTheGirl, we must remember that a world in crisis that shuns girls & women has a very bleak future. Let's do better.
We are in the last minute of the eleventh hour to avoid a full-blown disaster in #Somalia.
My statement: bit.ly/3CUTfcY
I am allocating $25M from to support lifesaving assistance in Ethiopia. A $15M allocation from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund is also ongoing, bringing the total to $40M.
The funds will support aid efforts in the north of the country and drought response in the south.
🇦🇹 🇧🇪 🇧🇬 🇨🇦 🇨🇾 🇨🇿 🇩🇰 🇪🇺 🇫🇮 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇬🇷 🇮🇸 🇮🇪 🇮🇹 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 🇱🇹 🇱🇺 🇲🇾 🇲🇹 🇳🇱 🇳🇴 🇷🇺 🇸🇦 🇸🇮 🇸🇪 🇨🇭 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
Thank you to the donors who pledged today to deliver critical, life-saving aid to the people of #Yemen.
#InvestinHumanity #FundForYemen
Thank you Member States for pledging more than US$1.2 B for the people of #Afghanistan today.
Your contributions are a demonstration of solidarity with the millions of Afghans who face a hard road ahead. We will stand by Afghanistan's people & support them as they travel it.
Every day in Yemen, & partners are saving millions of lives in what has become the world's largest humanitarian operation.
We could not achieve this without our generous donors.
The Syrian war has already killed more than 750 medical personnel- a disgusting and blatant disregard for the int'l humanitarian law
I am thrilled to welcome as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Her extensive experience will add critical capacity to , including in climate change, a defining issue of our time.
The world’s attention is largely focused on #COVID19.
But it would be a mistake to lose sight of other equally devastating humanitarian emergencies, like the #DesertLocust situation in the Greater Horn of Africa.
Millions of people depend on us.
reliefweb.int/node/3637098
Afghanistan is in free fall.
We are in a race against time to help people through a harsh winter.
Humanitarian aid is vital, but far from sufficient. Without more systemic and sustainable support, chaos will ensue.
@PMaurerICRC
Disgusted an aid convoy was hit this eve in Urum al-Kubra #Syria. Zero explanation for waging war on brave and selfless humanitarian workers
Honoured to be with of 🇳🇴, of 🇵🇰 and other world leaders at #COP27 today.
I shared the humanitarian community's perspectives on climate change, our obligations, our responsibilities and how we can better support people crushed by the #ClimateCrisis.
Trucks with UN relief are rolling into north-west #Syria.
I am encouraged by the scale-up of convoys from the UN transshipment centre at the Turkish border.
We need to open more access points and get more aid out fast.
In #Yemen:
22M+ people need aid
8.4M risk starving
1 in 4 children is out of school
The situation is getting worse, and I cannot reiterate it enough: we need access, and parties must respect IHL, civilians must be protected. #NotATarget
unocha.org/story/yemen-co
Today in Afghanistan, I met people who were forced to flee their homes. Half the population now need aid to survive with the humanitarian and economic crisis deepening further.
Providing aid to all vulnerable Afghans in need must be our top priority. #StayAndDeliver
Replying to
We need two things urgently. We need to see an end to the spread of conflict, which is pushing humanitarian needs higher and making it harder to reach people in need. 2/4
🚨We join humanitarian organizations across the world in an URGENT call to fund the global emergency logistics system to fight #COVID19.
No one is safe until everyone is safe.
Hundreds of people killed. Many more injured. Homes destroyed. Children buried in the rubble.
The #AfghanistanEarthquake is the latest tragedy to befall the country. I released $10 million from to help with the immediate response.
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ALT
Thank you, #Germany, for your additional $35.6M to the #Yemen Humanitarian Fund. This year, contributed $205M to 14 of the 18 #humanitarian funds to save millions of lives, making #Germany the top donor to the in 2017.
bit.ly/CBPF_BI
Without adequate resources, the aid operation in #Yemen will grind to a halt. Current resources will be used by end of March.
On Tuesday, at the high-level pledging conference in Geneva, I implore donors to pledge generously, to continue to save lives.
#InvestInHumanity
Famines will be back in 2021.
As we mark a new year, thousands of children like Abdo are dying of hunger. op-ed and ’s pictures on Yemen are a painful reminder that we need to act now.
#Sudan and its people need urgent assistance to move forward. The #SudanPartnershipConference presents an important opportunity for the international community to support #Sudan transition and rebuild. We must not fail the people of Sudan. #TogetherWithSudan #BerlinSudanConf
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I told the Security Council today that Yemen is on the brink of a famine the likes of which the world has not seen in forty years.
Aid agencies believe that the US FTO designation of the Houthis will accelerate Yemen’s slide into a large-scale famine. reliefweb.int/node/3704280
75% of the population need humanitarian aid
Millions of people are hungry
#Yemen is the worst humanitarian crisis of our time
Tomorrow, the & member states come together to raise urgently needed funds for the humanitarian response. #InvestinHumanity
unocha.org/2018-yemen-hig
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Shock and outrage. Humanitarian Coordinator #Yemen condemns horrific attack on funeral #Sanaa. 140 killed and 525+ injured so far.
I urge donors to prioritise #education in Syria. One of the most tragic impact of the horror story in #Syria has been the robbing of millions of children of their right to #education. About 2.45 million children are out of school. #SyriaConf2020 bit.ly/2ZpBg8W
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ALT
The UN released $65M for the humanitarian response in Ethiopia, where more than 16 million people need humanitarian assistance, including at least 4.5 million in Tigray.
But humanitarian organizations need much more funding + safe and unfettered access.
unocha.org/story/un-relea
Today’s milestone Security Council decision to adopt an exception in UN sanctions applicable in #Afghanistan will save lives and livelihoods.
Read my statement here:
The numbers are staggering.
More than 700,000 people have been displaced within #Sudan since the start of the crisis. This number has doubled in the past week.
It's a race against time to provide life-saving assistance to those in need.
The fighting needs to stop now.
I’m allocating US$100 million from to fight hunger in 7 countries.
The spillover effects of the war in Ukraine are pushing the most vulnerable people even closer to famine.
The funds will enable our agencies and partners to scale up critical operations and save lives.
Weeks of fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have reportedly left hundreds of people dead, thousands displaced & millions in need of humanitarian assistance.
Today, is releasing $35.6M for water, sanitation, medical supplies & protection.
Thank you to Qatar 🇶🇦 for what it has done to help alleviate humanitarian suffering for so many years.
We’re keen to make sure that we stay & deliver in #Afghanistan and grateful for the Government and the people of Qatar for their important support.
In Port #Sudan, I met the humanitarian community, including Sudanese NGOs, and civil society.
These are two things they all said to me are necessary and I'm convinced both are possible:
Today in Kahramanmaraş, #Türkiye, I met families affected by the earthquake and listened to their stories of shock and devastation.
We stand with them during this crisis and will ensure they receive the support they need.
The NW Syria crisis has reached a horrifying new level: 900,000 ppl have been displaced since 1 December
The 21st century’s biggest humanitarian horror story will only be avoided if the Security-Council and those with influence, act:
Some 33 million people have been affected by the deadly flooding in #Pakistan.
We have already mobilized up to US$7 million, supporting the Government-led response. But much more is needed. A Flash Appeal will be launched tomorrow seeking US$160 million for relief support.
Yemen is the world’s largest food security crisis with 17 million+ people who are food insecure, 6.8M of whom are one step away from famine
In 2017, every hour of every day, 50 families were forced to flee their homes in the DRC.
Our plan aims to help 10.5 million people.
Years of war have decimated people’s lives in #Yemen.
Yemenis need urgent support, but many are without assistance due to funding shortages.
I urge the international community not to forget this humanitarian crisis and fund life-saving relief efforts.
#YemenCantWait
