HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 24 APRIL 2023
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS
John Wilmoth, the Director of the Population Division at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), and Sarah Hertog, Senior Population Affairs Officer, will brief on India overtaking China as the world’s most populous country.
SUDAN
The Secretary-General spoke in the Security Council about the violence in Sudan which, he said, risks a catastrophic conflagration within Sudan that could engulf the whole region and beyond.
He strongly condemned the indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, including healthcare facilities. He calls on the parties to stop combat operations in densely populated areas and to allow unhindered humanitarian aid operations. Civilians must be able to access food, water and other essential supplies, and evacuate from combat zones.
The Secretary-General is in constant contact with the parties to the conflict and has called on them to de-escalate tensions and to return to the negotiating table. The United Nations will continue our efforts with our partners to secure a permanent halt to the fighting as soon as possible.
In a statement issued earlier in the day, the Secretary-General welcomed the safe temporary relocation of hundreds of UN staff members and dependents and associated personnel from Khartoum and other locations in Sudan. He affirmed the continued dedication of the United Nations to stand with and work for the Sudanese people, in full support of their wishes for a peaceful, secure future and a return to the democratic transition. The United Nations will carry out its work with its personnel, both inside and outside Sudan.
SUDAN HUMANITARIAN
About 700 UN, international NGOs (INGOs) and embassy staff and their dependents have reached Port Sudan by road. Dozens of UN internationally-recruited and international NGO staff have already been evacuated from El Geneina and Zalingei to Chad while other operations are ongoing or planned.
A small number of internationally recruited personnel, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Volker Perthes, will remain in Sudan and will continue to work towards a resolution to the current crisis and returning to the UN mandated tasks.
The UN is also taking necessary measures to protect Sudanese staff members and their families and is exploring every possible avenue to support them.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Sudan, Volker Perthes, said that the presence on the ground has been adjusted in light of the security situation, “but there is no plan or thinking of the UN leaving Sudan.”
On the humanitarian front, the United Nations is deeply concerned about the impact of the fighting. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say there are acute shortages of food, water, medicines and fuel, and limited access to communications and electricity.
The price of essential items – as well as transport – are skyrocketing.
There have been additional reports of looting of humanitarian supplies and warehouses. The UN and partners continue to call on the parties to respect humanitarian personnel and assets.
The fighting has displaced civilians in the capital Khartoum, as well as Northern, Blue Nile, North Kordofan, North Darfur, West Darfur and South Darfur states.
In areas where intense fighting has hampered the humanitarian operations, the United Nations is reducing its footprint.
A humanitarian leadership team will remain in Sudan to oversee operations. The UN is establishing a hub in Port Sudan, where a core team of UN staff will lead humanitarian operations in the country.
The UN and partners continue to deliver whenever and wherever feasible. In recent days, the World Health Organization and partners distributed fuel to one of the main hospitals in Khartoum. WHO stands ready to deploy additional emergency medical supplies, such as blood bags, trauma and emergency health kits.
Humanitarian needs in Sudan were already at record levels before this fighting erupted – with some 15.8 million people – about a third of the population – requiring humanitarian assistance.
SECURITY COUNCIL/MULTILATERALISM
The Secretary-General delivered remarks on multilateralism. He noted that multilateral cooperation is the beating heart of the UN; its raison d’être and guiding vision.
The Secretary-General warned that tensions between major powers are at an historic high, and so are the risks of conflict, through misadventure or miscalculation.
He stressed that effective multilateral responses are urgently needed to prevent and resolve conflicts, manage economic uncertainty, rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, and address challenges to the global norms against the use and possession of nuclear weapons.
As difficult as the past year has been, the Secretary-General said, he is heartened that Member States have made progress in several crucial areas. He noted that the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the export of Russian food and fertilizers are compelling examples of the significance of multilateral cooperation facilitated by the United Nations.
The Secretary-General underscored that they clearly demonstrate that such cooperation is essential to creating greater security and prosperity for all, and he urges their continued implementation.
HAITI
The security and humanitarian situation in many areas of Cité Soleil in Haiti has reached alarming levels.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 14 and 19 April, clashes between rival gangs led to the death of nearly 70 people, including 18 women and at least 2 children. Another 40 people were injured.
OCHA say that many schools and health centres in the area are now closed. The clashes have also restricted access to essential goods and services.
In addition to this, torrential rains in the last few weeks have worsened sanitary and living conditions in the neighborhood. In one area of Cité Soleil called Brooklyn, garbage carried by the rain is now blocking road access, including for water trucks.
In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson, reiterated the importance of ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as the protection and respect of health, education, humanitarian and critical personnel and infrastructure, including for water supply.
BOTSWANA
Following a recent polio outbreak in Botswana, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Zia Choudhury, supported authorities to roll out two urgent immunization campaigns targeting children under the age of seven: one at the end of February and one at the end of March. Nearly 30 districts were targeted with house-to-house visits and immunization efforts in health centres.
During the first round of the campaign, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported the vaccination of over 360,000 children, with nearly the same number reached during the second round of the national campaign.
UNICEF also helped purchase over 22,000 doses of a novel Oral Polio Vaccine and is deploying several consultants to boost national immunization efforts.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.
This day is a reminder that multilateralism is based on founding principles such as consultation, inclusion and solidarity.
And World Immunization Week starts today, it is celebrated in the last week of April, and it aims to highlight the collective action needed to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
The United Kingdom and Nepal made full payment to the UN’s regular budget, bringing the total number to 95 fully paid-up Member States.
