Noon briefing of 17 March 2016

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 17 MARCH 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS SUICIDE ATTACKS IN NIGERIA

• The Secretary-General condemned the double suicide attacks that took place on 16 March in Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, by suspected Boko Haram elements, which left 20 people dead and many injured.
• He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
• The Secretary-General also reiterated the UN’s support to the Nigerian Government in its fight against terrorism, which should be grounded in international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law.

U.N. EXPRESSES CONCERN REGARDING FURTHER OPERATIONS OF MISSION IN WESTERN SAHARA

• The UN Secretariat briefed the Security Council in closed consultations on Thursday afternoon on the topic of Western Sahara.
• Meanwhile, both the Department of Field Support (DFS) and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) are continuing planning for a number of possible contingencies due to the announcement on Wednesday by the Moroccan authorities.
• In addition, the Permanent Mission of Morocco transmitted to the Secretariat a list of 84 international civilian members of MINURSO as well as the African Union “who should leave the Kingdom of Morocco within three days”.
• The Spokesman said that all these measures would seriously impede the functioning of MINURSO and negatively impact on its ability to deliver its mandate granted to it by the Security Council.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ADDRESSES COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE BRONX

• The Secretary-General addressed students at Lehman College in the Bronx, New York City. He reminded them that for five months in 1946, years before the United Nations moved into its own headquarters on the East Side of Manhattan, the Lehman College campus was the UN’s home. It was where diplomats and staff came together to help the world recover in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
• The Secretary-General spoke to the diverse student body at Lehman, saying that many of the students may have a special window of understanding into the plight of those escaping from insecurity, inequality and injustice, and the bigotry they often face. He noted that we all have seen the heart-breaking images of people perishing at sea during perilous escapes from conflict, and we have heard the stories of those left stranded in the desert by ruthless human traffickers.

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR LIBYA CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVIST

• Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, strongly condemned the assassination of a prominent civil society activist, Abdul Basit Abu-Dahab, on Wednesday in Derna. He expressed his deep sympathy and sincere condolences to his family.
• Mr. Kobler called Mr. Abu-Dahab an example of courage, selflessness and dedication and emphasized that activists in Libya have taken great risks as they continue to work for peace and respect of human rights. He called on all Libyan stakeholders and those with effective control on the ground to protect activists and human rights defenders from any harm or intimidation. .

U.N. HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES PROVIDE EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IN IRAQ, EXPRESS CONCERN OVER LIMITED ACCESS

• Humanitarian workers are rushing to provide emergency assistance to an estimated 35,000 people who have been newly displaced in hard-to-reach areas west of Ramadi, in western Iraq.
• Lise Grande, the UN’s Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, said that thousands of people who have been trapped in Heet for months are trying to reach safety. The UN doesn’t have full access, and we are very worried that some of the families who are escaping are in areas very close to the front lines.
• Displaced families are receiving ready-to-eat food, safe drinking water and hygiene kits through the Rapid Response Mechanism, which is managed by UNICEF and the World Food Programme. And the World Health Organization has dispatched two mobile health clinics and two medical teams.
• The United Nations and partners have requested $861 million for 2016 to provide emergency relief to 7.3 million vulnerable Iraqis. Only 9 per cent, or $75 million, has been received so far.

U.N. INTER-AGENCY CONVOYS PREPARE AID DELIVERY TO 60,000 PEOPLE IN SYRIA

• Inter-agency convoys to the Four Towns in Syria - Madaya, Zabadani, Foah and Kefraya – are on the move today. Water, sanitation and hygiene items, health, nutrition, and basic household items are planned to be delivered to some 60,000 people.
• On Wednesday, an inter-agency humanitarian convoy to the hard-to-reach area of Bloudan and surrounding areas in Rural Damascus delivered food, health supplies, nutrition and other items for 20,000 beneficiaries.
• While recent convoys to besieged and hard-to-reach areas are welcome, much more is needed.
• The United Nations continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all the 4.6 million people in besieged and hard-to-reach locations across the country.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS AIRSTRIKES IN YEMEN, HUMANITARIAN ACCESS RESTRICTED IN PARTS OF COUNTRY

• The Secretary-General condemned Tuesday airstrikes that hit al-Khamees market in Mastaba district in the Hajjah province of Yemen. He said it was one of the deadliest such incidents since the start of the conflict.
• Meanwhile, aid agencies report from Yemen that fighting has spread within Taizz City and other districts of the governorate over the past few days. Conflict lines remain fluid with some areas, which were formerly under the control of armed groups, now being opened up to humanitarian access.
• For the past eight months, humanitarian access to the 175,000 people living in this enclave has been extremely challenging due to severe Houthi-imposed restrictions. The Governor of Aden has appealed to humanitarian organizations to assist civilians in the enclave, now that some access is possible. Humanitarian partners are responding to the crisis and deploying additional staff to Ibb, where their operation, both in Taizz city as well as the rest of the governorate, is being coordinated.

SECURITY COUNCIL HOLDS MEETING ON LIBERIA, LIBERIAN WOMEN PRAISED FOR RESILIENCE ON WAR, EBOLA

• The Security Council held an open meeting on Liberia, in which the members heard from the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to that country, Farid Zarif. He said that with less than four months remaining, the Government of Liberia has intensified its efforts to implement the transition plan by which it is to assume full responsibility for security by 30 June 2016, in line with the deadline set by the Security Council.
• He noted that the implementation of the plan has been uneven, with a number of activities falling behind schedule. In addition to delays in the passage of legislation, challenges in releasing the necessary Government funding for security transition has been a considerable constraint.
• Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the head of UN Women, also spoke to the Council, saying that Liberian women have earned global fame for helping to bring an end to the civil war, convincing rebels to lay down arms, and consolidating peace in a country that has avoided a relapse to conflict since it ended thirteen years ago. Now, she said, they are also known for the extraordinary role they played in halting, reversing, and eliminating the Ebola epidemic.

WHO AND SIERRA-LEONE ANNOUNCE END OF EBOLA FLARE-UP

• The World Health Organization (WHO) joined the Government of Sierra-Leone today in marking the end of the recent flare of Ebola in that country.
• WHO stresses that the rapid containment of Ebola is a real-time demonstration of the increased capacity at the national districts and community levels to respond to Ebola outbreaks and other emergencies.

WHO: TB RATES REMAIN HIGH AMONGST EUROPEAN REGION’ VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

• New data released by the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ahead of World TB Day (24 March) shows that an estimated 340 000 Europeans had tuberculosis (TB) in 2014, corresponding to a rate of 37 cases per 100 000 population.
• While the European region has met the Millennium Development Goal target to reverse the incidence of tuberculosis by 2015, the high rates of the disease among the vulnerable populations and the increased number of multi-drug resistant TB cases continue to challenge the elimination of tuberculosis in the European region.
• According to Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe, people from the most vulnerable groups, such as homeless, migrants and refugees are at the higher risk of multi-drug resistant TB. Because of their living conditions TB is often diagnosed late, and it is harder for them to complete a treatment course.
• At this point no systematic association between migration and transmission of TB has been established, the WHO emphasises that TB screening must never be used as a reason to reject a refugee or a migrant.

U.N. EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER DISRUPTIONS OF WATER SUPPLY IN THE DONBASS REGION OF UKRAINE

• Regarding water supplies in the Donbass region of Ukraine the United Nations expressed concern about the continuing impact of the armed conflict in the region on civilians. Earlier this week, availability of clean water for over 300,000 people living in the Donetsk area was at risk because the Voda Donbassa water treatment plant was evacuated on 13 March because of increased insecurity in the area.
• The United Nations welcomes the news that water is again reaching people after the plant resumed operations earlier today.
• UNICEF Representative in Ukraine Giovanna Barberis warned that disruption of basic services for undetermined periods of time severely impacts on the most vulnerable and that access to reliable and safe water supply is of particular importance for children and women.

FAO AND WFP RELEASE REPORT ON CYCLONE KOMEN AFTERMATH IN MYANMAR

• According to a United Nations report released today, poor rural communities in Myanmar are still enduring increased levels of food insecurity more than seven months after Cyclone Komen struck the country.

• The report was prepared jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
• In particular, the reports notes, people in the hardest-hit areas of Chin and Rakhine states are still suffering, which serves to highlight their vulnerability to withstand similar emergencies in the future. These people may face severe food shortages in the coming months and require relief assistance.
• Given the availability of rice and generally well-functioning markets within Myanmar, the report recommends that assistance be provided in the form of cash or vouchers to help vulnerable people to purchase food.
• The report details Cyclone Komen impact on crops, livestock and fisheries and provides a set of recommendations for long-term recovery.