HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM
1 SEPTEMBER 2017
 
MYANMAR: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED BY SECURITY FORCES’ REPORTED EXCESSES, URGES RESTRAINT TO AVOID HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE IN RAKHINE

• In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he is deeply concerned by the reports of excesses during the security operations conducted by Myanmar's security forces in Rakhine State and urges restraint and calm to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.
• The Secretary-General underlines the responsibility of the Government of Myanmar to provide security and assistance to all those in need and to enable the United Nations and its partners to extend the humanitarian support they are ready to provide.
• The current situation underlines the urgency of seeking holistic approaches to addressing the complex root causes of violence. The Secretary-General urges the Government of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine.
• The Secretary-General appreciates the efforts of the Bangladesh authorities and communities to meet the dire needs of recent arrivals. He encourages the Government to ensure refugees are able to avail themselves of the support the United Nations and partners are mobilised to provide.

• In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he is saddened by the loss of life and the devastation caused by widespread floods and landslides due to torrential monsoon rains in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
• The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the Governments and the people of Bangladesh, India and Nepal and salutes the respective Governments’ leadership in responding to the needs of those affected.
• The United Nations remains ready to support the relief efforts.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that people are continuing to flee Myanmar’s Rakhine State following clashes between the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Myanmar security forces.
• Due to the security situation and access constraints, it is not possible to verify the number of people displaced.
• The Rakhine State Secretary, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office in Rakhine and the World Food Programme (WFP) have jointly finalized a plan that could allow for the delivery of food to camps in Sittwe, Myebon and Pauktaw.
• OCHA reports that 10,000 Rohingya have reportedly fled into Bangladesh overnight, bringing the total number who have done so since 25 August to approximately 38,000.
• The situation on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border continues to deteriorate, with thousands more stranded at the border trying to enter Bangladesh to seek refuge.
• Aid workers are providing high-energy biscuits, as well as shelter and other supplies to settlements and camps.

• UNICEF and its partners are scaling up their efforts to help those affected by flooding in northern and central Bangladesh, as well as to provide support with the recent influx of Rohingya children and their families in the Cox’s Bazaar district.
• UNICEF stressed that, during any emergency, children bear the biggest brunt and are at high risk of violence, abuse, chronic illness, and spread of contagious diseases.
• The agency is supporting the Government to help the 1.5 million people affected by floods by providing water purification tablets, hygiene kits, jerry cans and bleaching powder, and is also working to ensure that schooling resume when the water level recedes.
• In Cox’s Bazaar, UNICEF has built eight child-friendly spaces for Rohingya children to provide them psychosocial and recreational support. It has started screening children for malnutrition and is vaccinating children against measles and rubella.

• According to casualty figures recorded by the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), 125 Iraq civilians were killed and a further 188 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in August.
• Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate, with 180 civilian casualties, followed by Ninewa and Salahadin.
• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, condemned the targeting of civilians by the Da’esh terrorists.

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, has congratulated the people and Government of the country on the liberation of Telafar from Da’esh.
• He said that, coming weeks after the liberation of Mosul, this great victory in Telafar represents another major defeat for Da’esh and terrorism and one more nail in the coffin of the terrorist group.
• Mr. Kubiš commended the Iraqi security forces for the extraordinary efforts they have made to save and protect lives of civilians, urging that security and services be swiftly restored.
• In parallel, national and social reconciliation form the tools to achieve sustainable peace for the future generations.  Mr. Kubiš said the United Nations will continue to support Iraq in its drive to liberate remaining territory under Daesh control and in a political process to achieve reconciliation.
• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that civilians continue to flee Telafar.
• More than 800 people, mainly women and children, were recorded as having been newly displaced yesterday.
• All families which have fled Telafar are receiving shelter and emergency aid at mustering points on their way out of Telafar.
• Aid workers are also preparing for the humanitarian impact of anticipated military operations on the Da’esh-held town of Hawija, which is expected to impact some 65,000 civilians.

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today urged the international community to take robust action to prevent more tragedies like the death of three-year-old Syrian toddler Alan Kurdi, whose body was found on a Turkish beach two years ago.
• UNHCR said that although the number of migrant arrivals in Europe has drastically decreased since Alan’s death, people continue to attempt the journey and many have lost their lives in the process.
• Since 2 September 2015, at least 8,500 refugees and migrants have died or gone missing trying to cross the Mediterranean alone. Many others have died in the desert.
• The agency stressed that political leaders need to work together to develop safer alternatives, to better inform those considering making the journey of the dangers they face, and to tackle the root causes of these movements.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) welcomed the news that food and fuel imports via Red Sea ports increased significantly in July, as Yemen imports some 90 per cent of staple food and nearly all of its fuel.
• It stresses that, despite import improvements, Yemen is still facing the world’s largest food insecurity crisis. In July, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that 54.3 per cent of families had poor or borderline food consumption levels. An estimated 17 million people across the country are food insecure.
• As Yemen faces potential famine and an unprecedented cholera outbreak, all ports must remain open, including for essential imports of commercial goods like food and fuel.

• The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today said it is gravely concerned by the killing of at least 28 civilians and injury of 16 others – all women and children – during air strikes in the Herat and Logar provinces this week.
• According to the Mission, air strikes reportedly targeting anti-Government elements in the Shindand district of Herat province on 28 August killed at least 15 civilians and injured four others after munitions hit at least two civilian homes.On 30 August, airstrikes conducted in the Pul-e-Alam district of Logar province killed at least 13 civilians and injured 12 others.
• The Mission said it will continue its work to establish the facts around the harm caused to civilians from these attacks, including looking into allegations that anti-Government elements deliberately used civilians or civilian locations as a shield.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has urged the international community to stay the course and sustain famine prevention efforts in Somalia, noting that the threat of famine persists in the country and levels of acute food insecurity remain high.
• According to the latest assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the number of people who need humanitarian assistance has decreased from 6.7 million in January to 6.2 million in August. However, over the same period, there has been an increase in the number of people in the emergency-phase.
• Malnutrition has reached emergency levels in a number of locations in southern and central Somalia, primarily among displaced populations. Some 388,000 acutely malnourished children under the age of five, need critical nutrition support, including life-saving treatment for more than 87,000 severely malnourished children.
• OCHA said that widespread lack of water and malnutrition, coupled with a weak health system, has led to an increase of disease outbreaks, especially acute watery diarrhoea/cholera and measles. More than 77,000 cases of cholera and acute water diarrhea and 1,100 deaths have been reported this year.
• The 2017 Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan requires $1.5 billion to reach 5.5 million people with assistance. Donors have provided more than $900 million, including $706 million towards the Humanitarian Appeal.

• An expert team from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today said there is no clear evidence that climate change is making the occurrence of hurricanes in the Houston region, such as Hurricane Harvey, more or less likely.
• However, the group said that some aspects the Harvey event may have linkages to climate change. For example, the rainfall rates associated with Harvey were likely made more intense by man-made climate change. This is a consequence of the tropical atmosphere holding more water vapor due to climate warming.
• Moreover, ongoing sea-level rise, attributable in part to anthropogenic climate change, also exacerbates storm surge for land-falling hurricanes such as Harvey.
• In addition, the agency noted it is likely that the frequency of category 4 hurricanes like Harvey will increase over the 21st century.

• The Secretary-General has  wished Eid Mubarak to all Muslims and highlighted the day’s message of solidarity and compassion with the poor and most vulnerable in societies.
• In Afghanistan, the head of the UN Mission in that country, Tadamichi Yamamoto, wished all Afghans a peaceful and joyous celebration, and added that Eid-ul-Adha is a time of peace, which Afghans richly deserve. He also reiterated the UN’s commitments to help Afghanistan achieve stability, prosperity and peace.
• In Somalia, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in that country, Michael Keating, extended his heartfelt greetings to the Somali people, adding that he hoped this spirit of compassion and harmony can contribute to peace and stability across Somalia.
• For his part, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi said his thoughts for this day are with the millions of people who are forcibly displaced, and with the host communities who have shown extraordinary generosity.