HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 11 AUGUST 2023
 

FSO SAFER 
The Secretary-General welcomes the news that the ship-to-ship transfer of oil from the FSO Safer to the Yemen replacement vessel has been safely concluded today, avoiding what could have been a monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.   
The Secretary-General reaffirms the UN’s commitment to successfully complete this project, including through the delivery of a specialized buoy to which the replacement vessel will be safely and securely tethered. He expresses his gratitude to the Yemeni authorities whose support has been critical to its success. Additional funding will be needed to finish the project and remove any remaining environmental threat to the Red Sea. 
The Secretary-General thanks the many countries, corporate and philanthropic donors as well as ordinary citizens who contributed funding for the project.  
The Secretary-General urges donors to contribute funds at this crucial time to conclude this operation.  
 
YEMEN 
The Secretary-General was delighted to learn of the release of Akm Sufiul Anam, Mazen Bawazir, Bakeel Al-Mahdi, Mohammed Al-Mulaiki and Khaled Mokhtar Sheikh, the five personnel of the UN’s Department of Safety and Security who had been kidnapped in Yemen on 11 February 2022. Finally, their ordeal and the anxiety of their families and friends have come to an end.  
The Secretary-General reiterates that kidnapping is an inhumane and unjustifiable crime and calls for the perpetrators to be held accountable.   
He also expresses his solidarity with other people still held against their will in Yemen. 
The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, said that he saw that the four Yemeni colleagues were in good health when he flew with them to Aden from Mukalla today. He thanked the Government of Yemen and all others that helped to secure their release. 
 
ECUADOR 
The Secretary-General strongly condemned the assassination of presidential candidate of Ecuador, Fernando Villavicencio. Attacks of this nature represent a grave threat to democracy, and those responsible must be brought to justice.   
The United Nations stands ready to continue to support the Ecuadorian authorities with a view to addressing the violence in keeping with international human rights norms and standards. 
 
UKRAINE 
In Ukraine, the UN is very concerned about the pattern of attacks in populated areas that result in civilian harm. 
In the Kherson region, an aid distribution point of the NGO ADRA was hit this morning. None of the staff was injured, but the strike damaged their vehicles and forced them to suspend lifesaving support to people in the area. 
In Zaporizhzhia, an attack damaged a hotel yesterday where a civilian was reportedly killed and others injured. It is a hotel frequently used by UN staff and by other humanitarian organizations. 
The UN recalls that indiscriminate attacks are strictly prohibited and constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure. 
Needs in Ukraine are once again increasing and will soon outpace our capacity to respond if more funding is not received. This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan, which calls for US$ 3.9 billion, is only 30 per cent funded. 

SUDAN 
This morning, trucks carrying some 460 tons of supplies from the World Food Programme reached Jabal Awlia in greater Khartoum, Sudan, one of the areas hardest hit by the fighting.  
The convoy was facilitated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which engaged with the parties to the conflict to ensure that the trucks could safely reach their destination.  
Since late May, WFP has assisted more than 150,000 people in the greater Khartoum area.  
The agency continues to scale up assistance to people who are fleeing Sudan's capital to neighbouring states such as Aj Jazirah, Northern and River Nile. And to recall, last week WFP delivered food assistance in West Darfur State for around 15,400 people. 
Once again, the UN appeals to all parties to provide safe and unconditional humanitarian access to all parts of Sudan, including other hard-to-reach areas such as South Kordofan, and to all parts of Darfur, in particular North Darfur.

NIGER 
Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, today said that he is extremely concerned about the rapidly deteriorating conditions in which President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger, his wife and his son have been arbitrarily detained.  
He said that he has received credible reports that the conditions of detention could amount to inhuman and degrading treatment, in violation of international human rights law. And he added that those responsible for the detention of the President must ensure the full respect and protection of his human rights and of all others being held. 
 
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, reports that on 9 August, peacekeepers intervened during an attack by CODECO elements on Jissa village, close to Djugu, in Ituri province. The assailants, who earlier burned homes and made civilians flee, fled upon the arrival of the peacekeepers.  
Peacekeepers deployed again to the area on Thursday morning and continued to patrol, in response to alerts from the community of sightings of the same group.  
This is the second attack in the area this past week. On Monday, CODECO raided another village in Largu, Djugu territory, and peacekeepers rapidly responded and saved lives, in addition to protecting some 1,000 civilians, who had fled to a nearby UN base for safety. 
  
INTERNATIONAL DAYS 
Today is World Steelpan Day. The steelpan is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. It correlates to cultural, social and economic development. 
Tomorrow is International Youth Day with the theme “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”. In his message, the Secretary-General says that humanity depends on the boundless energy, ideas and contributions of youth everywhere. He calls to support and stand with young people in shaping a just and sustainable world, for the people and our planet. 
 
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION 
Seychelles is the 128th Member State to pay its dues to the UN’s regular budget.

NOON BRIEFING GUESTS 
Noon briefing guests today are Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and David Gressly, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen. They will brief journalists about the removal of oil from FSO Safer.