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Nearly two million people in Ethiopia’s drought-stricken southern region urgently require food assistance, livestock support, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and health interventions, the United Nations said today, highlighting a worsening humanitarian situation that is affecting increasing numbers with funds running low.

To consolidate the peace in Liberia, following the installation of a democratically-elected government in the aftermath of a brutal, decade-long civil war, the head of the United Nations Mission in the country (UNMIL) today cautioned the Security Council against a precipitous drawdown of the mission’s forces while also appealing for actions to improve the country’s economy.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has decided to extend the mandate of the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) into the scandal-ridden Iraq Oil-for-Food Programme until the end of this year to assist national authorities who wish to follow up on the findings included in the Committee’s reports.

The United Nation’s top humanitarian official, expressing “grave concern” for 5,500 civilians who have fled recent clashes in northern Guinea-Bissau between Senegalese rebels and the Guinean army, today called upon the parties to cease their hostilities.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for speedy resolution of a maritime border dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, stressing the need to have a “good result by the end of the year,” and pledging his support for the negotiations.

The United Nations Special Envoy for the South Asia Earthquake, former United States President George H. W. Bush, met with United Nations officials today on the launch of the recovery phase in areas of Pakistan devastated by the October 2005 disaster, which killed more than 73,000 people, injured nearly 70,000 and left millions homeless.

The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission focussed on southern Sudan (UNMIS) until 24 September 2006, requesting that Secretary-General Kofi Annan also expedite the planning for a transformation of the African Union force in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region to a UN-led operation.

Emphasizing the need for agreements on the non-use of force and the return of internally displaced people in the conflict between the Government of Georgia and Abkhaz separatists, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for the UN mission in the Caucasian country to be extended for six months until 30 September.

Stressing the need for immediate dialogue between Lebanon and Syria, a senior United Nations envoy has called for their common border to be demarcated and embassies to be set up “as soon as possible.”

With the world’s appetite for fish continuing to grow and three-quarters of global fish stocks either fully exploited, over-exploited or depleted, guidelines for strengthening a landmark treaty to protect those stocks were adopted today at United Nations headquarters, as delegations wrapped up five days of preparations for a May review of the treaty.