Noon briefing of 5 April 2016

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

TUESDAY, 5 APRIL 2016

U.N. SYRIA ENVOY MEETS RUSSIA’S FOREIGN MINISTER IN MOSCOW

• The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is in Moscow for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
• The meeting is taking place at the Special Envoy9;s initiative in order to discuss preparations for the forthcoming resumption of the Intra-Syrian Geneva Talks.

LIBYA: U.N. ENVOY MEETS MEMBERS OF PRESIDENCY COUNCIL IN TRIPOLI

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Martin Kobler, was in Tripoli, Libya - his first visit to the country since the arrival of the Presidency Council in the capital last week.
• During his one-day visit, Mr. Kobler met with Prime Minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj, members of the Presidency Council as well as representatives of the Grand Tripoli municipalities.
• Speaking to the Libyan officials, Mr. Kobler said that he was moved by their courage and determination to find a political solution to the conflict in Libya.
• He discussed the way forward and the United Nations’ commitment to support their efforts.

HEAD OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON MALI

• The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, told the Security Council this morning that important steps had been achieved in the implementation of the peace agreement, progress was still too slow regarding defense and security.
• He encouraged the government and the armed groups who signed the peace agreement to establish a timeline to resolve all pending questions of the agreement.
• He said that the upsurge of insecurity in the north of Mali and the Mopti region, combined with the rise of terrorism in the sub-region called for greater attention to the security threat in West Africa.
• Mr. Ladsous welcomed regional efforts to reduce the influence of terrorists groups against this threat.

U.N. PROVIDES DETAILS ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION ALLEGATIONS

• The Spokesman said that in addition to the information provided yesterday on the allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by the Tanzanian contingent in MONUSCO, it was now confirming that out of the 11 allegedly abused women, six were minors.
• Seven of the alleged victims have already given birth and four women are still pregnant. They have been referred to UNICEF who has deployed a team on the ground.
• The Tanzanian Permanent Mission to the UN in New York has informed the United Nations on 4 April during a meeting with the Department of Field Support, that they have appointed an investigation team, which will travel in the DRC in the coming days.
• The Secretariat has recommended to the Tanzanian authorities to conduct joint investigations with the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE CONCERNED OVER MOB-KILLINGS IN MALAWI

• The Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said on 5 April in Geneva that it was concerned about the increasing number of people killed in mob attacks in Malawi.
• Over the past two months, at least nine separate incidents leading to the death of 16 people have been reported across the country.
• The Office is urging the authorities in Malawi to act promptly to identify and prosecute those involved in mob killings, and to offer remedy to victims.
• It also urged the authorities to address the root causes of such attacks and to launch an awareness campaign to encourage people to report crimes to police rather than take justice into their own hands.
• OHCHR has welcomed President Arthur Mutharika’s 30 March statement strongly condemning these crimes and calling on all citizens, NGOs and Government agencies to support the Malawi police in its fight against mob killings in accordance with the rule of law.

SOUTH SUDAN: U.N. AGENCIES WARN OF DEEPENING FOOD INSECURITY

• The World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are warning that civil strife and unfavourable rains have further reduced crop production in South Sudan, aggravating the already severe food shortages.
• The two agencies said that cereal prices have shot up nearly five-fold since early last year, making it increasingly difficult for people to get enough to eat.
• Some 5.8 million people, or nearly half of the country’s population, are unsure where their next meal will come from, while the rate of severe food insecurity has now reached 12 percent, double the rate of one year ago.
• In a new joint report, the two agencies made a series of recommendations for immediate action to address hunger, strengthen domestic food production and reduce the food gap in 2016 and into next year.
• The most urgent need, the report said, is for an immediate improvement of security across the country.

SUDAN: U.N. OFFICE FOR COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS SCALES UP ASSISTANCE

• In Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the refugee influx into the country from South Sudan continues with some 54,000 new arrivals recorded since the end of January.
• These new arrivals continue to arrive primarily into East Darfur State, which has seen a significant increase in the last three weeks and are fleeing mainly from North and West Bahr El Gazal States in South Sudan, reportedly due to hunger, food scarcity and high food prices.
• Most of the new arrivals are settled in the Khor Omer Camp, where between 100 and 120 families continue to arrive every day.
• OCHA said that assistance has been scaled up, including food, health, and water.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME SAYS CHRONIC MALNUTRITION IN RWANDA HAS DECREASED

• The World Food Programme (WFP) also released a new study on Rwanda, indicating that rates of chronic malnutrition in Rwanda have fallen significantly in the last three years, but still remain stubbornly high, especially in rural areas.
• The Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) report in Rwanda found that levels of stunting among children aged under 5 dropped to 36.7 percent in 2015, down from 43 percent at the time of the last analysis in 2012.
• Stunting, where a child is short for their age, is an indicator of chronic malnutrition and permanently affects brain development and health.

IN STOCKHOLM, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTLINES U.N. 2030 AGENDA

• The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, was in Sweden on 5 April, where he spoke at the Fifth Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding as well as the 2016 Stockholm Forum on Security and Development.
• Highlighting that the International Dialogue offers a unique platform, bringing together countries affected by conflict and fragility, as well as development partners and civil society, the Deputy Secretary-General stressed the importance of political will and inclusive dialogue in achieving solutions to conflicts.
• At the 2016 Stockholm Forum, Mr. Eliasson said that the global landmark decisions of 2015 reflect that there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.
• He added that neither peace nor development can be lasting without respect for human rights and the rule of law.
• In today’s turmoil and turbulence, achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will to a large degree depend on progress in conflict-affected and fragile countries, he told high-level delegates gathered at the Forum.

U.N REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FLEEING VIOLENCE IN CENTRAL AMERICA

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on 5 April that the number of people fleeing violence in Central America has surged to levels not seen since the region was wracked by armed conflicts in the 1980s.
• As in previous years, preliminary data from 2015 shows that the United States remains the main country receiving asylum applications from the Northern Triangle – that’s El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala - almost twice the number of 2014.
• But last year, Mexico also saw an increase in asylum claims of 65 per cent since 2014, and Belize, Nicaragua and Panama are seeing similar sharp increases in asylum requests from people fleeing the Northern Triangle countries.
• UNHCR says that action is urgently needed to ensure that unaccompanied children and others receive the protection to which they are entitled.

STORMS IN FIJI AND VANUATU CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that storms in cyclone-devastated Fiji are causing widespread river flooding, as well as road and school closures, according to meteorological authorities.
• More than 3,600 people who have been evacuated are taking emergency shelter and an estimated 77 evacuation centres are now up and running in the Western and Central divisions of the country.
• Further heavy rains are expected and local authorities in Fiji and Vanuatu warn there is now a high risk that the storm will strengthen to a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone as it approaches Fiji.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION APPEALS FOR LIFESAVING HEALTH SERVICES FUNDING

• Health needs from humanitarian emergencies are at an all-time high, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners said today.
• They ask for US$ 2.2 billion to provide lifesaving health services to more than 79 million people in more than 30 countries facing protracted emergencies this year, including Syria, Ethiopia, Fiji and Angola.
• In one of the most profound transformations in its history, WHO is rolling out a new Health Emergencies Programme that will increase operational capacity in countries and enable a faster, effective and predictable response to all kinds of health emergencies including outbreaks and humanitarian crises.

WHO: EUROPE MAKES PROGRESS TOWARD ERADICATION OF RUBELLA, MEASLES

• The WHO Regional Office for Europe (Who/Europe) said on 5 April that the continent is closer than ever to eliminating measles and rubella. According to WHO, 32 countries in Europe successfully interrupted the transmission of these highly contagious diseases, which often strike among children and infants.
• WHO said that 21 countries in the European region had entirely eliminated measles and 20 countries - rubella.
• Eliminating measles and rubella is a core goal of the European Vaccine Action Plan for 2015–2020 and an important part of the global efforts to improve health and reduce inequalities - Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 10, respectively.