HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY FARHAN HAQ
ASSOCIATE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
WITH
AHMAD FAWZI, DIRECTOR OF THE NEWS AND MEDIA DIVISION,
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK
Thursday, August 3, 2006
ANNAN “VERY CONCERNED” BY VIOLENCE IN SRI LANKA
The Secretary-General is very
concerned about
the increasing violence in Sri Lanka, and the escalation that has resulted
from a water dispute in the northeast. He is disturbed by reports that there
have been many civilian victims, including children, as well as large
displacements of people. He calls on the parties to allow humanitarian
agencies unimpeded access to the affected population.
The Secretary-General notes the
efforts underway by Norway to resolve the conflict, and calls on the parties
to cease hostilities immediately to create a conducive climate for
negotiations over the water issue. He reiterates his appeal to the Government
of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume peace
talks.
Asked if the UN was doing anything to
further the peace process in Sri Lanka besides expressing concern, the
Spokesman said that the UN was supporting Norway, which was in the lead, and
encouraging the sides to work towards peace.
ANNAN ARRIVES IN HAITI
The Secretary-General has arrived in
Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, where he is to meet later this afternoon
with President René Préval and other senior officials.
While in Haiti, he will also meet with
the staff of the UN peacekeeping mission to that country.
The trip to Haiti has been abbreviated
a bit, since the Secretary-General had to reschedule his departure to this
morning, after the plane he was on yesterday was unable to take off due to a
technical problem. Tomorrow, he is scheduled to meet President Leonel
Fernandez in an official visit to the Dominican Republic.
HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUES IN MIDDLE EAST
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon
reports
that Hezbollah fired the largest number of rockets within a 24-hour period
since the outbreak of hostilities from various locations. Meanwhile, it says,
the Israeli Defense Forces continued intensive shelling and aerial bombardment
all across the south.
The UN Mission reports that fifteen
Lebanese civilians and six US citizens from Marun Al Ras remain inside the UN
position in that area. Attempts to relocate them out of the area are still
ongoing.
It adds that humanitarian convoys to
two other areas in southern Lebanon are planned for today, but the ability to
move the convoys will depend on the situation on the ground.
Asked if the body of the fourth UN
military observer who had been killed at Khiam had been found, the Middle East
spokesperson said no. The UN had been unable to continue the search because of
continued shelling in and around the area.
U.N. AGENCIES WORK TO ALLEVIATE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN
LEBANON
Thousands of people have left Tyre, in
southern Lebanon, over the past two days, sinking Tyre’s population from over
100,000 to around 15,000 people. Tomorrow
there will be a joint UN humanitarian assessments mission to Tyre
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports
that a planned convoy from Beirut to Jezzine was postponed until tomorrow
because WFP did not have the necessary armoured escort vehicles in Beirut.
Meanwhile, the Office of the High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says it is helping to transform an old
railway depot in greater Beirut into a temporary shelter site for 800-1000
displaced people. UNHCR also reports that yesterday it handed out mattresses,
blankets and kitchen sets in two Lebanese Governorates.
The World Health Organization is
concerned about water and sanitation problems increasing the risk of
infectious diseases, especially since diarrhoea has been reported in schools
sheltering displaced people. And UNICEF
notes that it has
provided emergency supplies and family packs with mattresses, blankets,
buckets and soap to people made homeless by the bombardment of Qana.
Asked where those Lebanese who had
been displaced from southern Lebanon were going, the Middle East spokesperson
said they were moving north, some across the border into Syria, and some to
Beirut.
Asked how many Lebanese had crossed
into Syria as a result of the current crisis, it was later added that the UN
refugee agency’s preliminary figure was between 140,000 and 150,000. In
addition, some 5,000 displaced Lebanese were arriving in Syria daily.
Asked to what extent southern Lebanon
was being depopulated, the Middle East spokesperson said many people in
southern Lebanon were leaving their homes, and he reiterated the example of
Tyre. Overall, however, it was difficult to give precise figures, especially
since the situation was evolving so rapidly, and the UN did not have people in
every village to conduct a census.
Asked for updates on the fuel
situation, Fawzi said it was easing somewhat. Lebanon was, however, still
waiting for 2 shipments that were currently held up in Cyprus.
ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCY CONCERNED BY MIDDLE EAST OIL SPILL
The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)
reports that the oil spilled caused by Israel’s bombing of a power plant
has reached the Syrian coastline.
Already, the spill has polluted over
80 kilometres of the Lebanese coastline and now 10 miles of Syria’s coast as
well.
UNEP is calling for urgent action to
stem the damage, warning that the oil could spread further, causing even more
pollution.
The agency has a regional seas network
which is working to help the Lebanese Government through its marine pollution
emergency centre. Seven countries in the region have also come forward with
help.
U.N. AGENCIES “DEEPLY ALARMED” BY GAZA VIOLENCE
The following is a statement by UN
humanitarian agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“The United Nations humanitarian
agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory are deeply alarmed by
the impact continuing violence is having on civilians and civilian
infrastructure in Gaza, which has resulted in a sharp decline in the
humanitarian situation facing 1.4 million people, more than half of them
children. We are concerned that with international attention focusing on
Lebanon, the tragedy in Gaza is being forgotten.
“We estimate that since 28 June, 175
Palestinians have been killed, including approximately 40 children and eight
women, and over 620 injured in the Gaza Strip. One IDF soldier has been killed
and 25 Israelis have been injured, including 11 Israelis injured by homemade
rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. Palestinians have fired on average between
8-9 homemade rockets per day towards Israel (319 in total) and the Israeli
military has fired on average 200-250 artillery shells per day into the Gaza
Strip and conducted at least 220 aerial bombings. The latest IDF incursion in
the area around the Gaza Airport overnight has left eight Palestinians dead,
including a 12 year-old girl and 20 injured.
“UNRWA estimates that at least 475
families have fled their homes in the area and are now being sheltered in an
UNRWA school in nearby Rafah.
“These facts speak for themselves.
Closures must be lifted, bearing in mind Israel’s legitimate security
concerns. Gaza must be given back the capacity to export its goods. Both the
Palestinian rocket attacks from Gaza and the disproportionate shelling by the
IDF must stop. The United Nations stands firmly by its commitments to uphold
the dignity of the Israelis and the people of Gaza - and the right of both
sides to live in peace and security."
NEPAL: U.N. MISSION ENDS WITH “CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM”
On Nepal, the visit of the UN
assessment mission concluded today with a sense of “cautious optimism,”
according to a statement by team leader Staffan de Mistura.
After conducting extensive meetings
and field visits, the mission settled on four concrete areas in which the UN,
with the support of all sides, could positively contribute to the peace
process. Those are: arms and armies management; electoral assistance; helping
to monitor the code of conduct; and expanding human rights activities in
Nepal.
The mission reports that all parties
wanted to continue the peace process, and that all understood that the basis
for going forward was the implementation of the Eight Point Agreement.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON LEBANON & CONGOLESE ELECTIONS
The Security Council held
consultations this morning on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),
Lebanon, and other matters.
Regarding the DRC,
Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Marie Guéhenno
briefed on the country’s recent elections. The Council later moved into a
formal meeting to adopt a
Presidential
Statement on that topic.
On Lebanon, the Council was briefed by
Guéhenno on the continuing heavy exchanges of fire between the Israeli Defense
Forces and Hezbollah along the entire length of the Blue Line.
The Security Council also heard from
Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlstrom on the humanitarian
situation in Lebanon.
ANNAN CALLS FOR ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF U.N. MISSION IN IRAQ
The Secretary-General, in a
letter to
the Security Council President, asks the Council for a one-year extension of
the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. The current mandate expires
on 11 August.
The Secretary-General notes in the
letter that the United Nations will provide strong support in developing an
International Compact for Iraq, which he describes as a new partnership
between Iraq and the international community. The Compact was formally
launched last week.
He adds that the UN Mission in Iraq
has further grown in size and expanded its activities beyond Baghdad, as far
as the security situation permits. A total of 396 international civilian and
military personnel are in the country now.
Asked if the UN was focusing too much
on Lebanon and forgetting Iraq, the Spokesman replied that the UN was keeping
up its activities in Iraq. Last week, for example, the UN had launched with
the Government of Iraq the International Compact for Iraq. It had also put out
a human rights report on Iraq. In addition, the Secretary-General’s letter to
the Security Council today on the UN Mission in Iraq detailed what the UN
Mission was doing on the ground.
Asked for more information about the
International Compact for Iraq, the Spokesman drew attention to a recent press
release containing additional details.
BURUNDI: U.N. CONCERNED BY COUP ATTEMPT AND ARRESTS
The United Nations Operation in
Burundi (ONUB) today expressed its deep concern at the reports of a coup
attempt and the consequent arrests of some political figures in the past few
days in Burundi.
These events, the Mission says,
constitute a threat and may jeopardize the commendable achievements of the
peace process in Burundi.
The UN Mission is profoundly concerned
about allegations of torture and reiterates its demand to the Government
authorities for access to the detainees.
EFFORTS CONTINUING ON U.N. FORCE IN DARFUR
Asked about a report by the
Secretary-General on Dafur, the Spokesman said he could not comment on the
report until it became public.
Asked to respond to comments that the
UN was trying to starve the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) of money,
the Spokesman said he had not seen the particular comments to which the
reporter was referring. Nevertheless, it would be strange for anyone to say
that the UN was trying to starve AMIS of cash, especially since the
Secretary-General had recently gone to Bruissels to co-chair a pledging
conference to raise money for AMIS.
In response to a further question, the
Spokesman said the UN was continuing its efforts with Sudan on progress
towards a UN force in Darfur. The idea of such a force was also still on the
table in the Security Council. Meanwhile, the UN Mission in Sudan was
continuing its work in the southern part of the country.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
DEPUTY SOMALIA ENVOY APPOINTED:
The United Nations today announced the appointment of Per Lindgarde as Deputy
Special Representative for Somalia. Lindgarde is a Swedish national who has had
a long career with the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
U.N. ENVOY
CONGRATULATES WINNERS OF
KABUL GIRLS FOOTBALL COMPETITION: UN Deputy
Special Representative for Afghanistan Ameerah Haq
presented
a trophy this morning to the winners of the first-ever Kabul Girls Football
Competition. Haq calls the event a “milestone” for young Afghan women, who just
five years ago were not even allowed to attend school, let alone play sports.
ANNAN CONDEMNS CALLS FOR DESTRUCTION
OF COUNTRIES: Asked about the Secretary-General’s
reaction to the Iranian President’s call for the destruction of Israel, the
Spokesman said that the Secretary-General condemned any call for the destruction
of a Member State. According to the UN Charter, Member States should not
threaten one another.
ANNAN SPEAKS WITH BLAIR & RICE:
Asked if the Secretary-General had spoken to British Prime Minister Tony Blair
or any US officials recently, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General had
spoken with Blair this morning and with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
on Tuesday.
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations, S-378
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
