Noon briefing of 17 August 2011

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING

BY FARHAN HAQ, ACTING DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 17 AUGUST 2011

SOME NON-ESSENTIAL STAFF HAVE LEFT SYRIA TEMPORARILY

• In response to questions, the Spokesperson confirmed that some non-essential international UN personnel had been temporarily relocated from Syria due to security concerns. He noted that the United Nations system has some 160 international personnel in Syria normally.
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• Asked about humanitarian access to Syria, Haq said that the Secretary-General had raised the issue in a recent phone call with President Bashar al-Assad and that he was following up with further high-level contacts with the Syrian Government.

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSED SYRIA, FLOTILLA REPORT WITH TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary-General spoke by telephone on Tuesday with the Foreign Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu. The Foreign Minister shared information about his recent discussions on Syria, and they also discussed the forthcoming report of Geoffrey Palmer’s panel looking into the 31 May 2010 flotilla incident.
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• Asked about the flotilla report, Haq said that the Secretary-General expected to receive it from the panel in late August. Once the report had been received, the Secretary-General would study it and then decide on next steps.
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• Asked about the legality of the blockade around Gaza, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had repeatedly expressed his concerns about the blockade and had pushed for more access to Gaza. The panel, he added, may also be examining that question.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY WARNS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE, ATTACKS ON SOMALIS FLEEING FAMINE

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports that there are some 875,000 Somali refugees and asylum seekers in neighbouring countries, with Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia and Djibouti hosting more than 90 percent of them. About 1.5 million more Somalis are internally displaced, mostly in the south-central region of the country.
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• The influx of Somalis into Ethiopia remains at an average of 200 to 300 persons daily, while 1,500 people arrive on average each day in Kenya, where they continue to settle spontaneously on the outskirts of Dadaab’s three camps. UNHCR has moved thousands of tents to Dadaab in recent weeks, but requires an additional 45,000 more tents to keep up with the steadily growing population.
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• The Refugee Agency warns that armed bandits attack and sometimes rape women who often travel alone. Within the host community at the border village of Liboi, the health centre reports seeing cases of sexual violence amongst newly arrived Somali refugees.

LEBANON: SPECIAL TRIBUNAL ORDERS INDICTMENT TO BE MADE PUBLIC

• The Pre-Trial Judge for the Special Tribunal for Lebanon has ordered that his decision confirming the indictment related to the 14 February 2005 attack, as well as the indictment itself, be made public. In his decision confirming the indictment, the Pre-Trial Judge found that the Prosecution has presented sufficient evidence on a prima facie basis to proceed to trial.
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• There are small parts of the decision and the indictment, as well as sections of its annexes, which remain confidential. They relate to matters that could affect the ongoing Prosecution investigation, as well as the privacy and security of victims and witnesses.
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• Asked about the Secretary-General’s evaluation of the Tribunal’s work, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General supports the work of the Tribunal as an independent judicial body.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. EXAMINING SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PEACEKEEPERS IN HAITI: Asked about sexual exploitation allegations being brought against UN peacekeepers in Haiti, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was looking into the allegations to determine their credibility.

NO EVIDENCE OF SUDANESE TROOPS LEAVING ABYEI: Asked whether Sudanese troops had begun to pull out from Abyei, the Spokesperson said that there was no sign that they had done so, but added that the Force Commander of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) was discussing the matter with Sudanese officials.

**The guest at the noon briefing today was Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the Emergency Relief Coordinator, who spoke on the situation in the Horn of Africa and Somalia.