Johannesburg - According to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, about 100 million people were on the move, fleeing wars, wildfires, droughts, poverty and hunger.
Guterres said millions of people around the world literally swept out ashes.
“From Ukraine to Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and beyond, people left the ruins of their homes and lives in search of something better. Around the world, 100 million people were on the move, fleeing wars, wildfires, droughts, poverty and hunger,” he said.
He was delivering his New Year message, in which he urged for peace around the world.
“Peace with nature and our climate, to build a more sustainable world. Peace in the home, so women and girls can live in dignity and safety. Peace on the streets and in our communities, with the full protection of all human rights. Peace in our places of worship with respect for each other’s beliefs and peace online, free from hate speech and abuse,” he said.
Guterres added that there should be peace at the heart of all words and actions.
“Together, let’s make 2023 a year when peace is restored to our lives, our homes and our world,” he said.
He expressed his sadness over the deaths of dozens of civilians in the devastating gas tanker explosion in Boksburg, South Africa.
“The secretary-general expresses his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives from the explosion and to the people and the government of South Africa. The secretary-general wishes a full and fast recovery for those injured and the quick reconstruction of the damaged health infrastructure,” he said.
The Star