Mladic to appear before ICTY on Friday, WFP expresses concern over food security in Mistrata, new report on HIV prevention released and more from UN Direct

SG Travel: The SG is in Rome today, where he met with Berlusconi and Foreign Minister Frattini, discussing Libya, Somalia, Lebanon, the Middle East/North Africa and nuclear safety, among other issues.  He also addressed the International Conference on the Inter-Ethnic City, noting that we live in a world where division sells and it is much easier to blame others than to think for one’s self. He will be back in NYC June 3.

HIV: According to a new inter-agency global report on HIV prevention out today (by  UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA, ILO, WHO and the World Bank), roughly 2,500 young people are newly infected with HIV every day. In 2009, people between the ages of 15 and 24 accounted for more than 40% of new infections among adults over the age of 15. While HIV prevalence has declined slightly among young people, young women and adolescent girls face a disproportionately high risk of HIV infection due to biological vulnerability, social inequality, and exclusion.

Security Council: Yesterday, USG for Political Affairs Pascoe briefed the Council on Libya, adding that the SG met with Special Envoy for Libya, Abdul Ilah Khatib, on the margins of the AU Summit and reiterated that Khatib is ready to engage in talks with both sides. At the G8 the SG also called for an increase in humanitarian assistance to Libya, and Pascoe said the protection of civilians still remains a fundamental concern.  Gabon assumed the presidency for the month of June today.

Libya: Humanitarian Coordinator, Panos Moumtzis, told media in Tripoli yesterday that the longer the conflict lasts, the more food stocks are going to be depleted, and that it is a matter of weeks before the country reaches a critical situation. The Libyan government has indicated that food and medicine stocks are being used up and can’t be replenished because of sanctions.  A WFP ship carrying enough supplies to feed 25,000 people for one month arrived in Misrata today – the fourth time WFP has sent food assistance to the city since early April.  Thus far, WFP has reached more than 250,000 people in eastern Libya – mostly IDPs, foreign migrants, and other vulnerable groups.  WFP has expressed its concern about food security, since stocks are being consumed without adequate levels of replenishment and has chartered another vessel to Mistrata carrying more food.

Sudan: According to OCHA, humanitarian operations in the south are underway, and the Office is working to respond to critical humanitarian needs. The number of people displaced from the Abyei area is up to 60,000 people. The displacements come at the height of the planting season. WFP stated that unless people are able to return to their farms, there will be a shortage of food and that the number of those in need of food aid could climb to 100,000.

ICTY: Ratko Mladic, former Commander of the army of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, will make his initial appearance at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Friday.  Last week, the SG welcomed Mr. Mladić’s arrest, noting that it sends a powerful message that those who are alleged to have committed crimes against humanity may try to evade justice but they will, in the end, be held accountable.