HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 27 JULY 2022
SECRETARY-GENERAL/DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned yesterday’s fatal attack on peacekeepers serving in the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Butembo, in the province of North Kivu. Two Indian police personnel and one Moroccan military personnel were killed, and one Egyptian police officer was injured during a violent demonstration at the Mission’s base.
The Secretary-General expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen peacekeepers, as well as to the Governments and the people of India and Morocco. He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured peacekeeper.
The Secretary-General also strongly condemned violence targeting multiple UN bases across North Kivu since Monday, in which individuals and groups forcibly entered bases and engaged in looting and destruction of UN property, while also looting and setting fire to residences of United Nations personnel.
The Secretary-General regreted the loss of life of demonstrators in this context and affirms MONUSCO’s commitment to work with the Congolese authorities to investigate these incidents.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations will continue to support the Congolese Government and people in their efforts to bring about peace and stability in the east of the country.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that that it is concerned about a recent string of attacks on civilians – this time in the province of Ituri, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the Boga health zone, 30 civilians were killed during 10 attacks that have taken place there since the beginning of the month. More than 80 people were abducted, including about 40 children. At least 20,000 people were displaced and more than 700 houses were also burnt down. OCHA has also received concerning reports about the recruitment of minors to join armed groups.
UN agencies and international NGOs have the capacity to deliver assistance, including food, medicine and other supplies, but the violence is constraining humanitarian access. Protection has been identified as the most pressing need for impacted people. As of today, 2 million people are displaced across the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
JOINT COORDINATION CENTRE/BLACK SEA GRAIN INITIATIVE
The Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was officially inaugurated today in Istanbul, with representatives of Ukraine, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and the United Nations. The JCC will facilitate the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to establish a humanitarian maritime corridor to allow ships to export grain and related foodstuffs from Ukraine.
Welcoming the launch of the JCC, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, noted that the swift opening of the Joint Coordination Centre was made possible with the invaluable support from Türkiye in providing the parties with a physical platform to help operationalize the Black Sea Grain Initiative and with the commitment by the Russian Federation and Ukraine in nominating and sending quickly their senior representatives to work together, directly and in partnership in implementing the agreement.
Present at the ceremony was the UN interim representative to the JCC, Frederick J. Kenney Jr, who is leading the UN’s efforts on the ground in facilitating the parties’ efforts to operationalize the agreement.
The JCC will enable the safe transportation, by merchant ships, of commercial foodstuffs and fertilizer from three key Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea: Odesa, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny. The Centre will monitor the movement of commercial vessels to ensure compliance with the Initiative, focus on export of bulk commercial grain and related food commodities only, as well as ensure the on-site control and monitoring of cargo from Ukrainian ports and report on shipments facilitated through the Initiative.
MALI
The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is continuing to meet key stakeholders in Mali to discuss the renewal of the peacekeeping mission’s mandate as well as a strategic review, requested by the Security Council. So far, he has held discussions with Prime-Minister Choguel Maïga and a number of other ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister, Abdoulaye Diop.
Speaking to media after the meetings, Mr. Lacroix stressed the importance of the UN and national authorities working together. He noted that the review of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) will help define how the peacekeeping mission can better support efforts to achieve the common objective of a smooth political transition.
THE PHILIPPINES
In the Philippines, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the mountainous province of Abra in northern Luzon today, triggering landslides and the collapse of several structures. Assessment teams have been deployed in the affected areas together with local disaster response teams who are conducting search, rescue and clearing operations.
The UN is liaising with national authorities and humanitarian partners to determine the impact of the earthquake. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will deliver 3,000 tarpaulins and will send an assessment mission to the affected areas tomorrow.
PAKISTAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that Pakistan has received 60 per cent of total normal monsoon rainfall in just three weeks since the start of the monsoon season. Heavy rains have resulted in flash floods and landslides across Pakistan, including in urban areas.
As of 25 July, the floods have resulted in 312 deaths and some 300 people have been injured since 1 July. More than 10,000 families have been affected, 60 per cent of them in Balochistan. More than 8,200 houses have been partially or fully damaged.
In Balochistan, at least 150,000 people require humanitarian assistance, 30,000 people have been severely affected, and 400 families have been displaced, according to initial assessments.
Authorities and our humanitarian partners are distributing relief items such as tents, food packets, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, kitchen sets and jerry cans to the affected people.
SECURITY COUNCIL/IRAQ
Yesterday afternoon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, briefed the Security Council on the situation in that country. Mentioning the artillery shelling in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, she said that the horrific attack on a well-known and clearly identifiable tourist site demonstrates a shocking disregard for civilian life and for the universally accepted standards of international humanitarian and human rights law which seek to protect civilians.
Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert stressed that it is of the greatest importance that all attacks on Iraqi territory cease.
SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today condemned the attack which happened last Friday in Mayom County in Unity State, which resulted in the death of several people including the Mayom County Commissioner.
The Mission appealed to all armed groups to put down their weapons and participate in peace efforts, adding that this is the only way to break the cycles of violence and revenge killings, and pave the way for durable and sustainable peace.
JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS/REPORT
This afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in Montreal, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) will release its Global AIDS Update for this year ahead of the opening of the International AIDS Conference. The report contains new data showing that the AIDS response is under threat. It shows how progress on HIV prevention has faltered, how global shocks have exacerbated risks ahead, and how resources for HIV are depleting.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the noon briefing guest will be Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
***The guest at the noon briefing was Khassim Diagne, the Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He spoke to reporters on the latest developments in the country.
