5th UN Conference on least developed countries opens in Qatar

Heads of states and officials from different nations met in Doha on Sunday for the opening of the 5th United Nations Conference on the least developed countries.

The conference opened with remarks from the president of the conference Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar, in which he criticised delays of humanitarian aid to Syria following the devastating earthquake.

"As I wonder at the delay in the arrival of aid to Syrian people, I stress that exploiting a human tragedy for political purposes is unacceptable," Hamad al Thani said.

Climate change and its effects on least developed countries was one of main topics discussed during the opening.

Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly warned of the "ominous" effects of climate change on least developed countries, stating that the demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 40% by the end of the decade.

In his address, the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu thanked international support during the "darkest days" of the earthquake aftermath and credited least developed countries for being the first to help.

The LDC conference held every decade was postponed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 5th edition of the conference convenes for five days, amid challenges facing the world as a result of Ukraine war, global food security crisis, climate change and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.