HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

TUESDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL, AFRICAN UNION HEAD DISCUSS WAYS TO ADDRESS BURUNDI’S POLITICAL IMPASSE, SECURITY SITUATION

• Today, the Secretary-General called H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, to discuss the situation in Burundi.
• The Secretary-General welcomed the decision made by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on 17 October to address the political impasse and deteriorating security situation in Burundi. He noted that such comprehensive and resolute action could offer Burundi the opportunity to put an end to the continuing violence and find a consensual political solution on the way forward.
• The Secretary-General assured the Chairperson of the African Union Commission that the United Nations stands ready to provide any support necessary to advance the implementation of the measures agreed upon by the members of the African Union Peace and Security Council.

SYRIA SITUATION WORSENS SINCE START OF YEAR, U.N. RELIEF CHIEF TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

• Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Security Council on Syria this morning and said that, by any measure, the situation there has worsened since the beginning of the year. He estimated that some 13.5 million people in Syria are in need of some form of protection and humanitarian assistance throughout the country, an increase of some 1.2 million people in just ten months. More than six million of those in need are children. He added that there are now some 6.5 million people displaced inside Syria. In addition, nearly 4.2 million have fled the country, with neighbouring countries in the region bearing an enormous burden.
• Mr. O’Brien warned that indiscriminate attacks on civilian-populated areas continue with impunity. In Aleppo city, for example, pro-government forces and non-State armed opposition groups have continued mutual shelling inside civilian-populated areas of Aleppo city, with hundreds killed and injured in September.
• He added that while humanitarian workers know where those considered most vulnerable are located, humanitarian organisations are still not able to get sustained, unimpeded access to millions of affected people. Latest estimates indicate that some 4.5 million people are living in hard-to-reach areas.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME STEPS UP VALUE OF VOUCHERS FOR SYRIAN REFUGEES IN JORDAN, LEBANON

• As a result of new donor support, the World Food Programme (WFP) has increased the value of electronic vouchers used to provide food assistance to extremely vulnerable Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon to an average of $21 per person per month, or 80 percent of the full intended value of the vouchers.
• In addition, WFP is resuming assistance to 229,000 vulnerable Syrian refugees in Jordan who stopped receiving food vouchers in September due to severe shortage of funds.  Their electronic vouchers will be uploaded with a value of $14 per person per month.
• The World Food Programme can continue to assist Syrian refugees at the current levels until January 2016 but the agency is wrestling with trying to run this operation on an ad hoc basis. Without predictable sources of funding, WFP may not be able to provide regular food assistance to the most vulnerable Syrian refugees for more than two months.
• Inside Syria, WFP continues to provide food for more than 4 million people every month, although as a result of the funding crisis the size of the food parcel has been reduced.

U.N.I.C.E.F. CHIEF SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ATTACK ON YEMEN HEALTH CENTRE

• Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF, said that the health facility reportedly attacked today in Saada, Yemen, is the 39th health centre hit since the violence escalated in March. Critical shortages of fuel, medications, electricity, petrol and water threaten to stop many more from operating.
• He warned that more children in Yemen may die from a lack of medicines and healthcare than from bullets and bombs. The threat of preventable diseases is acute and the number of children at risk of the deadliest form of malnutrition has tripled to more than half a million.
• Across the country, 10 million children require humanitarian aid. Once again, Mr. Lake appeals to all of those involved to respect international humanitarian law and to bring an end to this tragedy.

IN SPITE OF CONFLICT, NEARLY 70,000 PEOPLE FLEE TO YEMEN IN 2015, U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that despite the ongoing conflict in Yemen, nearly 70,000 refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants – primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia – have arrived by boat in Yemen so far this year. More than half of these arrivals have been since the conflict erupted in March.
• UNHCR and its partners provide shelter, food and medical care in the Mayfa'a reception centre for those arriving on the Arabian Sea coast.
• For those arriving along the Red Sea coast, reception facilities have been suspended after an attack destroyed a village hosting new arrivals in Bab el Mandab.
• Yemen itself is seeing a continue rise in the number of people who are displaced internally. On 15 October a displacement-tracking mechanism run by the International Organization for Migration and UNHCR published new data showing that the number of internally displaced people has reached a record-high of 2.3 million people, up from more than half a million individuals in mid-May.

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: U.N. MISSIONS CONDEMNS ATTACK ON POLITICAL GROUP

• The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has strongly condemned the attack yesterday in Bangui against a delegation of the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC).
• The delegation was attacked by unknown elements in the 8th district of the capital. One representative was seriously wounded and taken to the MINUSCA Level II Hospital in Bangui on humanitarian basis for emergency treatment. The whereabouts of at least three delegates are currently being investigated.
• The Mission says that the attack comes at a moment when the Head of State of the Transition, the national authorities, and the international community have been steadfastly engaged in consensus-building dialogue to establish an electoral calendar. MINUSCA denounces this direct attempt to use violence to disrupt, once again, the positive developments underway. 
• The Mission calls on those behind this attack to release any hostages they might be illegally detaining. It also calls for calm and restraint and to resolve their differences through dialogue.

U.N. PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN WAKE OF HEAVY RAINS IN SAHRAWI REFUGEE CAMPS IN ALGERIA

• According to initial UN estimates, at least 7,000 families have suffered total or partial destruction of their homes in Sahrawi refugee camps due to unprecedented heavy rains causing catastrophic damage in Tindouf, Alberia.
• More destruction could occur as the mud brick construction continues to crumble. 
• The most urgent need is to provide shelter. Food stocks, health services, and other social infrastructure such as schools have also suffered.
• UN agencies have established a coordination team led by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with the Algerian and Sahrawi Red Crescents as well as NGOs active in the camps.
• Initial shipments of emergency supplies have been scheduled and a flash appeal for humanitarian aid will be issued in the next few days.
• The UN calls on the international community to mobilize to meet these urgent requirements.
• Beyond these immediate needs, planning and financing for the rebuilding of the camps on a less fragile basis will be required to provide for the Sahrawi refugees until they are able to return home.

HUNDREDS KILLED IN QUAKE IN AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN – U.N.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the major impact of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan was in the provinces of Kunar, Takhar, Badakshan and Nangarkhar.
• According to authorities, 74 people have been reported killed, more than 250 people have been injured and some 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed.
• OCHA says that national and provincial authorities are responding to needs, supported by the international humanitarian community.
• Over the border in Pakistan, the official death toll has risen to 228 people, with 1,600 injured and over 2,500 houses damaged.
• The province of Khyber Pakhtunkwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas have been most affected by the earthquake. 
• The response is being led by the Pakistan authorities, and the UN is ready to provide assistance, if requested by the Government.
• For its part, UNICEF warned today that children in earthquake-hit areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan are facing further deadly threats as extreme conditions and insecurity cut off communities from aid. 
  UNICEF in Afghanistan and Pakistan are working with the national governments and are prepared to deliver life-saving supplies to tens of thousands of affected children and their families.

U.N. RESUMES TO AID DELIVERY TO UKRAINE’S LUHANSK

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the UN has resumed aid operations in parts of Luhansk that are not under government control after a three-month suspension.
• The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Neal Walker, said that the UN is working with all parties to quickly distribute aid to the most vulnerable people.
• Some 16,000 metric tons of food, medicine and other materials have been ready to be delivered for some time.
• Mr. Walker said he hoped to receive similar permission to resume aid operations in Donetsk.

NEW U.N. REPORT SEEKS TO ADDRESS YOUTH VIOLENCE

• A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) entitled Preventing youth violence: an overview of the evidence seeks to help policy-makers and planners – particularly in settings with limited human and financial resources – to address youth violence using an evidence-informed approach.
• Each year an estimated 200,000 young people between the ages of 10 and 29 are murdered, making homicide the fourth leading cause of death for this age group.

NEW HEADS OF JOINT U.N.-AFRICAN UNION PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN SUDAN’S DARFUR NAMED

• The Secretary-General and the African Union Commission Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, today announced the appointment of Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi of Nigeria as Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). 
• He succeeds Mr. Bashua of Nigeria, to whom the Secretary-General and the Chairperson wish to reiterate their deep appreciation for his dedicated service during his tenure as Acting Joint Special Representative.
• In another appointment, Bintou Keita of Guinea will take up the post of Deputy Joint Special Representative. Ms. Keita succeeds Abdul Kamara of Sierra Leone, to whom the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the AU are grateful for his dedicated service during his tenure with UNAMID.

BOTSWANA BECOMES 137^th MEMBER STATE TO PAY U.N. REGULAR BUDGET DUES IN FULL

• Botswana has become the 137^th Member State to pay its UN regular budget dues in full.