Editor's note: Here is a fast take on what the international community has been up to this past week, as seen from the United Nations perch.
Black Sea grain deal extended for 60 days; wheat prices decline
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the 60-day extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative on Wednesday, a day before it might have expired had Russia made good on its threat to withdraw from the deal. The U.N. chief said the 10-month-old grain deal that has facilitated the export of more than 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain and the parallel Memorandum of Understanding with Moscow on its food and fertilizer exports "matter for global food security."
Reuters reported Thursday that wheat prices fell to a two-week low after the grain deal was extended.
Latest in Ukraine: Russia, Ukraine Agree to 60-Day Extension to Black Sea Grain Shipments
Wheat Prices Decline Further After Black Sea Pact Extended
Record heat expected over next five years
The World Meteorological Organization warned Wednesday that global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels over the next five years, affecting health, food security and the environment. The WMO said there is a strong likelihood that temperatures could reach more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for at least one year, and said in the coming 15 to 20 years, that might become more common.
Surge of Record Global Temperatures Expected in Next 5 Years
Report: $1 billion in arms has flowed to Myanmar's military since coup
The U.N. special rapporteur for Myanmar said Wednesday that Myanmar's military has imported at least $1 billion worth of weapons and weapons materials since overthrowing the democratically elected government in February 2021, with Russia as the junta's top supplier. Tom Andrews said that weaponry provided by Russian suppliers has been used to commit probable war crimes and crimes against humanity in Myanmar.
UN Rights Expert: $1 Billion in Arms Flowing to Myanmar Military
Afghan women continue to work for UN agencies, despite Taliban prohibition
The U.N. children's agency representative in Afghanistan says his agency, including its female Afghan staff, continue to work in the country despite a Taliban decree last month banning local women from working for the organization. "I would say that all women of the U.N. in Afghanistan are working," UNICEF's Fran Equiza said Wednesday. He said this applies to UNICEF and other U.N. agencies in Afghanistan.
UNICEF, Afghan Female Staff Delivering Aid Despite Taliban Edicts
Afghanistan faces potentially devastating locust outbreak
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is also facing a potentially devastating locust outbreak that could further worsen food insecurity in the country, where the World Food Program reports 19.9 million people face acute hunger and 6 million are on the verge of famine.
Huge Locust Outbreak Threatens Afghanistan's Wheat Basket
In brief
— American Amy Pope was elected head of the International Organization for Migration on Monday, beating her incumbent boss, Antonio Vitorino of Portugal. Vitorino, who headed the IOM for the past five years, withdrew from the race after a poor showing in the first round of voting. Days before the vote, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement supporting Pope's candidacy and calling her "an innovative, strategic leader with impeccable qualifications." Washington is the IOM's largest bilateral donor. Pope becomes the first woman to lead the U.N. migration agency in its more than 70-year history.
— The U.N. and its humanitarian partners appealed on Wednesday for $3 billion to help 18 million people this year in Sudan as well as hundreds of thousands fleeing Sudan to neighboring countries. The country has been caught in intense fighting since April 15, sparked by a power struggle between two generals. Overall in Sudan, the U.N. says a record 25 million people — more than half the population — need humanitarian aid and protection.
— On Saturday, the U.N. said that following its request and subsequent discussions, Syria's foreign minister informed U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths that Damascus had decided to allow the organization to continue using the Al Ra'ee and Bab Al-Salam border crossings for an additional three months. The Syrian government opened the two crossings that connect Syria and Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating February earthquakes that struck the two countries. The additional crossings have helped humanitarians get vital supplies to non-government-controlled areas of northwest Syria.
— Cyclone Mocha battered parts of Myanmar making landfall on Saturday. Some 5.4 million people are believed to have been in the path of the cyclone in Rakhine state and in the country's northwest. Humanitarians say they need more cash, full access, expedited travel authorizations, and customs clearances for supplies to deliver aid to people impacted by the cyclone. Before the cyclone hit, more than 17 million people were already in need in Myanmar.
— The World Health Organization is advising consumers against the use of artificial sweeteners for weight control, saying Monday that replacing real sugar with non-sugar substitutes does not present any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children. WHO said the results of a review also suggest that there could be adverse effects from long-term use of such sweeteners, including an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults. WHO said this advice does not apply to individuals with pre-existing diabetes.
Quote of note
"The Afghan women are not going to give up, no matter what."
— Fran Equiza, UNICEF's representative in Afghanistan, to reporters Thursday, speaking of Taliban restrictions on women in Afghanistan and the resilience of Aghan women.
What we are watching next week
The U.N. secretary-general is in Hiroshima, Japan, for the gathering of G-7 leaders. On Saturday, Guterres will speak at a session on addressing multiple crises, where he is expected to call on G-7 nations to deliver financial justice for developing countries, which he says are facing an international system that is unfair and dysfunctional. He will also hold several bilateral meetings with leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
