HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2021
MIDDLE EAST
Tor Wennesland, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council a short while ago, and said that he was deeply troubled by the continued loss of life and serious injuries in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
He added that he is deeply concerned by the continued settler-related violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. And the Special Coordinator said the launching of indiscriminate rockets and incendiary devices towards Israeli population centres violates international law and must stop.
He told Council members that Gaza requires political solutions that will see a focus on working towards advancing intra-Palestinian unity, lifting the debilitating closures in Gaza, and, ultimately, returning to a peace process that will end the occupation and create a viable two-State solution.
SYRIA/IRAQ RETURNEES
The Secretary-General spoke in a video message this morning at the virtual launch of the Global Framework on UN Support on Syria/Iraq Third Country National Returnees. He drew attention to the plight of tens of thousands of returnees – including people living in crowded camps or denied basic services.
This situation cannot go on, he said. The framework being launched today provides integrated technical and financial support to address the urgent human rights and humanitarian needs of returnees from Iraq and Syria, he added.
He urged donors to support this vital and timely effort by contributing generously to the Framework’s Multi-Partner-Trust-Fund.
AFGHANISTAN
The World Health Organization today warned of a deteriorating health situation in the country. Access to healthcare is decreasing. There are more cases of measles and diarrhoea, and less response to the pandemic. The resurgence of polio also poses a major risk.
According to WHO, only 17 per cent of the over 2,300 health facilities previously supported by the World Bank are fully functional. Two-thirds of these health facilities have run out of essential medicines. WHO is working with donors to sustain these health facilities to prevent a surge in deaths.
Also, today, several humanitarian partners working in Afghanistan reiterated their commitment to continue working together to support Afghanistan’s health system.
Yesterday the World Food Programme and UNICEF said they will scale up their work in the country, with up to 100 new mobile health and nutrition teams.
For its part, the UN Population Fund said that midwives throughout Afghanistan are continuing to operate, bringing critical life-saving care to women and girls in need. UNFPA’s midwifery helpline has been providing uninterrupted remote support to midwives facing complicated deliveries, dangerous pregnancies and other critical concerns.
The Flash Appeal seeks $606 million to help 11 million people in the remaining months of this year. The Appeal is only 22 per cent funded, which according to OCHA’s calculation is $135 million.
The UN is asking donors to fast-track funding to prevent avoidable deaths, prevent displacement and reduce suffering. We are also asking our donors to ensure that funding is flexible enough to adapt to the fast-changing conditions on the ground.
ETHIOPIA
On Ethiopia, the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, says that, after 11 months of conflict and 3 months of de-facto blockade, the humanitarian crisis in Tigray is spiraling out of control.
He said that 5.2 million people still require food aid, with 400,000 people living in famine-like conditions.
Our humanitarian colleagues say that child malnutrition is at the same level as at the onset of the 2011 Somalia famine.
Mr. Griffiths warned it is likely to get far worse before it gets better, pointing to desert locusts, a potential poor harvest, humanitarian aid not getting through, and conflict spreading into the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.
Humanitarians say that the delivery of aid, including fuel, into Tigray is still a challenge.
In the past week, 79 trucks carrying aid arrived in Tigray via the Semera-Abala-Mekelle corridor.
This brings the total number of humanitarian trucks that have entered Tigray since July 12th to 606. As has been said many times, 100 trucks should enter Tigray every day.
Trucks carrying fuel and medical supplies still cannot enter into Tigray. Trucks are waiting in Semera, in Afar, to travel to Mekelle.
Mr. Griffiths said that he continues to engage with Ethiopian Government authorities to advocate for the easing of these blockade-like conditions and to allow for sustained and regular access to aid convoys.
Commercial supplies have been blocked since the end of June, causing severe shortages of essential commodities and a sharp rise in prices. For example, the price of cooking oil has increased by 400 per cent, salt by 300 per cent, and rice by 100 per cent.
Humanitarian partners are continuing to respond to urgent needs in the area but are facing the depletion of stocks and resources.
NANSEN AWARD
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, today announced that this year’s recipient of the Nansen Refugee Award will go to the Jeel Albena Association for Humanitarian Development, a Yemeni humanitarian organization that has provided a lifeline to tens of thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Yemen.
The founder, Ameen Jubran, has himself been displaced by fighting and nearly killed.
The organization employs more than 160 people and is supported by an additional 230 volunteers, many of whom have been displaced themselves. It is based in Hudaydah, in the Red Sea port city, it has provided jobs and around 18,000 emergency shelters for people who are internally displaced and living in informal sites in Hudaydah and Hajjah.
There were also five regional winners.
COVID-19/SAMOA
Samoa remains free of the COVID-19 virus mainly due to the rapid response of the authorities, who closed borders, which controlled the virus coming into and spreading in the country.
The UN team, led by the Resident Coordinator Simona Marinescu, and its partners also have been providing assistance, including for the country’s vaccination programme. Samoa was one of the first countries to receive vaccines from COVAX.
The UN team on the ground has also trained frontline workers in cold chain management systems, risk communications, community engagement, border screening, isolation and prevention measures.
This week, the UN and Samoan authorities organized a two-day mass vaccination campaign. More than 94 per cent of the people have received their first shot and nearly 50 per cent are fully vaccinated.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
In the Central African Republic, UN peacekeepers are continuing to support the country’s response to the pandemic. Currently, there is a vaccination campaign targeting men and women in the country’s prisons. Over 500 prisoners have now received at least a first dose of the vaccine.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF AWARENESS ON FOOD LOSS AND WASTE REDUCTION
Today is the International Day of Awareness on Food Loss and Waste Reduction. In a tweet, the Secretary-General noted that 14% of the food produced globally each year is lost and 17% is wasted. He added that this has disastrous impacts on our planet. As you know this was very much discussed at the Food summit recently, the Food Systems Summit.
The Secretary-General stressed that we must do better, and added that we all have an important role to play in reducing food loss and food waste.
GUEST TODAY
The guest today was Rebeca Grynspan, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, otherwise known as UNCTAD. She will be here to brief you on the forthcoming UNCTAD15 conference that will take place in Barbados and that the Secretary-General will attend.
GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the guest at the noon briefing will be the Acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN system in Myanmar, Andrew Kirkwood.
