HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER 2023
SECRETARY-GENERAL IN KENYA
In Nairobi this morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Africa climate Summit. He said that an injustice burns at the heart of the climate crisis and its flame is scorching hopes and possibilities in Africa. He underscored that the continent accounts for less than four per cent of global emissions and yet it suffers some of the worst effects of rising global temperatures.
The Secretary-General made a strong appeal for large emitters, namely the G20 countries that are meeting in New Delhi this week, to commit to reaching net-zero emissions as close as possible to 2040. “Assume your responsibilities,” he told them.
The Secretary-General also said that we must all work together for Africa to become a renewable energy superpower. “Africa can be at the heart of a renewable future,” he said.
And he also had a press encounter at the Summit in which he reiterated his call to reform the outdated, unfair and dysfunctional global financial system. And he is now on his way to the ASEAN-UN Summit in Indonesia.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/GENERAL ASSEMBLY
This morning, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke on behalf of the Secretary-General at the closing of the General Assembly’s 77th session.
She commended the stewardship of its president, Csaba Kőrösi, adding that the 77th session of the General Assembly has kept diplomacy, dialogue and debate alive, and worked towards real solutions for people and planet alike.
She will also address the opening of the 78th session, at 3:00 p.m. this afternoon.
SYRIA
The Secretary-General is concerned about the escalation in hostilities in northeast Syria, which reportedly killed and injured dozens of civilians and caused damage to critical civilian infrastructure.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns all violence in Syria and urges all parties to respect their obligations under international law. He recalls that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected under international humanitarian law. The Secretary-General urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint to prevent further regional escalation.
Further on that, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns about an escalation in hostilities in Deir-ez-Zor Governorate. Humanitarian workers and partners report that since 27 August, at least 54 civilians have been killed, including four children.
Critical public infrastructure has also been damaged, including two hospitals and three water treatment facilities. Partners on the ground have called on all parties to facilitate free and unimpeded movement and take measures to prevent attacks on health facilities and other civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, an uptick in hostilities across Idlib and northern Aleppo governorates has killed four civilians, including two children, and injured dozens of others. At least 500 families have been displaced. The UN and its partners are closely monitoring the situation and continuing to deliver assistance as needed.
MALI
Yesterday, El-Ghassim Wane, the head of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), visited Tessalit and Aguelhok in the Kidal region. This was part of the drawdown and withdrawal process of the peacekeeping mission in the country.
Over the next weeks, uniformed personnel will begin to leave the Mission’s bases in these two locations, which will be closed as part of the second phase of the drawdown plan.
While in Tessalit and Aguelhok, Mr. Wane conveyed his gratitude to the peacekeepers. He paid tribute to their contributions, including to a large number from the Chadian contingent.
Mr. Wane also met with local stakeholders, including municipal authorities and civil society, and acknowledged their collaboration, which enabled the Mission to implement its mandate in the Kidal region.
As Mr. Wane reminded the Security Council last week, the second phase of MINUSMA’s drawdown will be challenging, with the Mission’s convoys scheduled to travel long distances in a difficult and insecure terrain.
CENTRAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND ALLOCATION
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, has released $125 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to boost underfunded humanitarian operations in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East.
This year’s global humanitarian funding requirements have surpassed $55 billion, but it is less than 30 per cent funded.
Today’s allocation will help scale up humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and Yemen ($20 million each), Burkina Faso ($9 million), Mali ($8 million), Myanmar ($9 million), Haiti ($8 million), Venezuela ($8 million), the Central African Republic ($6.5 million), Mozambique ($6.5 million), Cameroon ($6 million), the Occupied Palestinian Territories ($6 million), and Malawi ($4 million).
The allocation will also support refugee operations in Bangladesh ($8 million) and Uganda ($6 million).
With this additional funding, CERF has allocated a record $270 million so far this year through its Underfunded Emergencies window. This is the largest annual amount ever apportioned, to the highest number of countries, a reflection of skyrocketing humanitarian needs.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that civilians were injured and civilian infrastructure, including agricultural assets, were damaged in attacks on port facilities and grain infrastructure along the Danube River in Odesa Region on 3 and 4 September.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, condemned the repeated attacks on the Danube's ports and grain facilities which have far-reaching humanitarian consequences for Ukrainian farmers, but also for people worldwide already grappling with rising food costs.
OCHA noted that since the Russian Federation’s decision not to extend the Black Sea Initiative, the Danube’s ports and grain facilities are one of the main alternatives to ensure that Ukrainian food reaches the global market. This is vital to prevent higher prices and increased hunger.
SUDAN
In recent days, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) facilitated convoys to both North and South Darfur. This is the first time that OCHA has negotiated cross-line access to these areas.
OCHA said that more than 20 trucks arrived in El Fasher, North Darfur’s capital, on Saturday. They were carrying hundreds of tons of seeds from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), as well as health supplies and medicines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
And last week, three UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) trucks carrying 50 metric tons of nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies reached several localities in South Darfur: Gerida, Buram, Dimso, Karkada and Marmosa.
Since 22 May, OCHA has facilitated the delivery of more than 2,400 trucks of humanitarian assistance – that’s more than 110,000 tons of aid – to different locations across Sudan.
And our colleagues from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) tell us that internal displacement from the conflict in Sudan has now topped 4 million people. IOM notes that in just the last week, more than 274,000 people have been displaced inside the country.
Meanwhile, according to UNHCR, more than 992,000 people have fled across Sudan’s borders. This brings the total displaced by the fighting to more than 5 million people.
LIBERIA
The UN team in Liberia, led by Christine Umutoni, is boosting its response to national efforts to address food insecurity. This follows a recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showing that over half a million people are currently facing acute food insecurity in the country, with 21,500 people facing emergency food insecurity levels between June and August this year.
The UN has been training almost 2,700 smallholder farmers in sustainable agricultural practices over the last six months, providing seed funding, assets, and equipment such as water pumps or improved rice and vegetable seeds.
For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with the Liberian Ministry of Education, is also reaching over 42,000 schoolchildren with meals prepared with locally-produced food.
AFGHANISTAN
The World Food Programme (WFP) today said that it is being forced to drop another 2 million hungry people from food assistance in Afghanistan in September. This brings to 10 million the number of people cut off from its support this year in the country.
Due to a massive funding shortfall, going forward, WFP will only be able to provide emergency assistance to 3 million people per month.
In March, WFP had to reduce rations from 75 to 50 percent for communities experiencing emergency levels of hunger. In April and May, it was forced to cut off 8 million people from food assistance.
For the coming six months, WFP needs $1 billion to reach a planned 21 million people with lifesaving food and nutrition assistance as well as livelihood support.
WESTERN SAHARA
The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, has arrived on Monday in Laayoune for a visit of Western Sahara.
Thereafter, he is looking forward to conducting visits in the region and meetings, engaging all concerned ahead of the issuance of the report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council in October.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CHARITY
Today is the International Day of Charity, which was established with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, non-governmental organizations, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities.
The date of 5 September was chosen in order to commemorate the anniversary of the passing away of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS/TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the noon briefing guest will be Mohamed Ag Ayoya, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
He will brief on the humanitarian situation, response and challenges in the Central African Republic.
***The guests at the Noon Briefing were Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations and Advocacy, in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Gabriella Waaijman, Humanitarian Director for Save the Children Global. They briefed reporters on their latest mission with the humanitarian Emergency Directors’ Group (EDG) to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
