HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 30 NOVEMBER 2020
ETHIOPIA
The Secretary-General spoke on Friday with Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the former President of Liberia. She informed him of the contacts she’s held between the Envoys of President Cyril Ramaphosa in his capacity of President of the African Union, namely Joaquim Chissano, the former President of Mozambique, and Kgalema Motlanthe, the former President of South Africa, of those discussions they’ve had with the Ethiopian authorities, particularly with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed.
The Secretary-General expressed his grave concern over the consequences of the Ethiopian conflict to the civilian population and over the spread of hate speech and reports of ethnic profiling.
The Secretary-General expressed the UN’s full support for the African Union initiative led by President Ramaphosa.
Yesterday, the Secretary-General received a phone call from Prime Minister Abiy of Ethiopia, to update him on the situation in the country.
The Secretary-General once again underscored the need for the full respect for human rights, as well as for humanitarian access for the UN and our humanitarian partners.
The Secretary-General also said that Ethiopia needed a true reconciliation in Ethiopia without discrimination and in a country where every community should feel respected and be part of Ethiopia.
ETHIOPIA/HUMANITARIAN
On the humanitarian front, UN humanitarian colleagues and partners are deeply concerned about the plight of civilians in the Tigray Region, especially in the capital of Mekelle, following the latest developments reported in the city.
Even before the recent fighting began, civilians in Mekelle, which is home to nearly half a million people, had endured weeks of fuel, cash and basic commodities’ shortages. Civilian infrastructure had also been damaged.
U.N. humanitarian colleagues have received reports of critical shortages of medical supplies in Mekelle and across Tigray to treat people injured during the clashes.
Aid workers report that people have been forced to rely on untreated water to survive following the damage and destruction of water infrastructure.
Humanitarian colleagues are also warning that it is critical that essential supplies and services be restored immediately in Mekelle and across the Tigray region. The U.N., along with its partners are working with all parties to this end.
The UN and its humanitarian partners also acknowledge that the Federal Government’s stated commitment to ensure that humanitarian assistance is made available to impacted people, and calls for full, unconditional and immediate humanitarian access to reach people in need in Mekelle and across the Tigray Region.
SUDAN
The U.N. is reporting now that nearly 45,500 people – most of them children –have fled to Sudan from Tigray and other places of Ethiopia.
In Sudan, aid workers are reporting complex logistical and operational challenges. They are scaling up the response and the first UNHCR airlift with emergency assistance arrived in Khartoum over the weekend.
UNHCR has warned that the urgent need for additional refugee settlement sites, as the Um Rakuba camp in Gedaref State has reached its current maximum capacity of 10,000 people.
NIGERIA
The Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the horrific attack on rice farm workers in Koshobe village, near the Borno State capital of Maiduguri. This was done by suspected militants on November 28th. Scores of people were reportedly killed and many others injured or abducted, including women.
The Secretary-General reaffirms the commitment of the UN to support the Government of Nigeria in its fight against terrorism and violent extremism and in its response to pressing humanitarian needs in the northeast of the country.
For his part, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, also expressed his outrage and horror at the attack.
Mr. Kallon will join the Governor of Borno State soon on a visit to express his condolences and support to the families of the victims of Saturday’s attack.
SG\ CONFERENCE OF STATES PARTIES TO THE CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Speaking this morning at the opening of the [conference of] States parties to the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, the Secretary-General said that realizing their rights is crucial to fulfilling the core promise of the 2030 Agenda, leaving no one behind.
For the most part, he said, the UN system is still beginning to consider disability inclusion in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
The UN system-wide Disability Inclusion Strategy, launched last year, aims to address this issue and to bring about lasting and transformative change in the Organization’s work on disability inclusion. One year on, Mr. Guterres said, the Strategy has triggered action across the System.
Through the implementation of the disability inclusion strategy, the UN system is working to lead by example, but as we move forward, Mr. Guterres said we must take a whole-of-society approach.
We must also ensure that the vision and aspirations of persons with disabilities are included and accounted for in a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 world.
MALI
The UN Mission in Mali confirms that camps shared by UN peacekeepers and the French Force Barkhane, located in Menaka and Kidal, came under indirect mortar attack this morning. This followed an earlier attack on the Barkhane Forces in Gao.
There are no reports of casualties.
The Head of the UN mission, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, strongly condemned the attacks against the international forces. The UN remains in solidarity with key partners and will spare no efforts to carry out the Mission’s mandate to bring peace to Mali.
MONUSCO AND UNMISS MISSION UPDATES
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Peacekeeping Mission has launched a new radio station, in partnership with UNICEF, called “Okapi Enfant.”
The new radio station will help inform children about their rights, as well as risks associated with epidemics. The creation of the new station follows the launch in April of the programme “Okapi School”, on Radio Okapi, that aimed to bring education to children in their homes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) deployed a Nepalese Quick Reaction Force Team to Cueibet, in the country’s Lakes region, to support local police in their efforts to protect civilians from a potential conflict between armed groups, following the killing of a young man.
The UN peacekeepers, who had been located at a temporary operating base, intercepted the groups and quickly set up a checkpoint between them. They remained in the area until the situation was stable.
As part of its mandated activities, the UN Mission has established temporary bases in conflict hotspots in South Sudan, where integrated military and civilian teams work to deter violence, support reconciliation efforts, and help communities reach agreement to peacefully co-exist. The work is done to provide protection quickly and where it is needed the most.
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION/MALARIA
The World Health Organization today called on countries and global health partners to step up the fight against malaria. WHO stressed that a better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding are needed to change the global trajectory of the disease and reach targets agreed internationally.
According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, in 2019, the global tally of malaria cases was 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last 4 years. The disease claimed some 409 000 lives in 2019, compared to 411 000 in 2018.
As in past years, the African Region shouldered more than 90% of the overall disease burden.
The organization also noted that gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining global efforts to curb the disease, and that the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to set back the fight even further.
LAUNCH OF THE GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN OVERVIEW 2021
Tomorrow, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will present the Global Humanitarian Overview 2021.
This is the annual overview of trends as well as the current state of worldwide humanitarian needs, projections and inter-agency response plans.
This includes an overview of the funding necessary to implement them in 2021.
The launch will take place in Geneva, in a virtual event that will be livestreamed on UN web tv from 9 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. (European time). Subsequent events will take place in Berlin, Brussels, London and Washington, D.C.
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ALL VICTIMS OF CHEMICAL WARFARE
Today is the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare. In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General noted that more than one hundred years after the first large-scale use of chemical weapons in battle, they continue to inflict terror, suffering and death.
He stressed that the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, under any circumstances, is intolerable and a serious violation of international law. And he emphasized that it is imperative that those who use, or have used chemical weapons are identified and held accountable. For him, that is the only way to meet our moral responsibility to the victims of warfare.
GUESTS TODAY
Today, the Spokesman was joined by 3 special guests: Sheila E, the world-renowned percussionist and singer; Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the UN Population Fund, and Mark Johnson, the founder of Playing for Change. They briefed reporters on the upcoming “Peace Through Music: A Global Event for Social Justice”.
GUESTS TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the Spokesman will be joined by Ninan Varughese, the acting Director of the UNAIDS Office, who will brief reporters on the World Aids Report.
And, at 1 p.m., there will be a hybrid press briefing by Ambassador Jerry Matjila, the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN, who will Preside over the Security Council for the month of December.
