HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 2 OCTOBER 2023
ARMENIA / AZERBAIJAN
A UN team, led by Vladanka Andreeva, the Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Azerbaijan, visited the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan yesterday. It was a day trip but they got to see quite a bit. The mission aimed to assess the situation on the ground and identify the humanitarian needs of both the people remaining and those who are on the move.
The team included Ramesh Rajasingham, who, as you know is the Director of the Coordination Division of the Department for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It also included representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF the UNHCR and the World Health Organization.
The mission visited the city of Khankendi, where the team met with people and community representatives, and was able to see first-hand, for themselves, the situation regarding health and education.
In parts of the city visited by the team, they saw no damage to civilian public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and housing, or cultural and religious infrastructure. However, no shops seemed to be open. The mission also saw that the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan was preparing for the resumption of health services and some basic utilities in the city.
The team also heard from representatives of communities that between 50 and 1,000 ethnic Armenians remain currently in Karabakh.
Our colleagues were struck by the sudden manner in which the local population fled their homes and the suffering that the experience must have caused them. They did not come across any reports – either from the local population or from others - of violence against civilians following the latest ceasefire.
No destruction of agricultural infrastructure or dead animals were seen by the members of the UN team.
The team stresses the need to rebuild trust and confidence, adding this will require time and effort from all sides.
They also drove down the Lachin road up to the border crossing with Azerbaijan - a journey, which has been taken by more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians in the last few days – and the team did not come across any civilian vehicles.
While driving through Aghdam, which is part of the territories regained in 2020, members of the UN team did observe destruction, as well as the reconstruction efforts that are being made by the Government of Azerbaijan.
The UN team plans to continue to regularly visit the region.
Meanwhile, we are also responding to the needs of new arrivals at reception centres in Armenia.
Over the weekend, trucks with supplies from the UN Refugee Agency [UNHCR] have arrived in Armenia.
Our colleagues are telling us that the cargo contains warm blankets, mattresses, folding beds, hygiene items and other assistance for the refugees that have been taken in by host communities. An additional 15 trucks from UNHCR is expected in the coming days, bringing more items like blankets, beds and kitchen sets for about 7,000 refugees in total.
For its part, the World Food Programme has provided more than 5,000 meals in registration centre areas in the past few days, as well as lunch boxes for about 600 refugees in Kapan and Parakar registration centres.
In response to a government request, the World Food Programme distributed 4,000 family food parcels to the Syunik authorities to address the food requirements of the impacted people. An additional 3,500 parcels to assist 14,000 people are being procured to support the next phase of the response, in coordination with the government.
Also today, the UN Children’s Fund said they have delivered the first batch of life-saving medical supplies to Armenia's National Center for the Provision of Medicines and Medical Supplies. This includes crucial items like bandages, syringes, and various medications, including antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), for its part, is delivering essential hygiene items to refugee women and girls in a number of regions in Armenia.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health, UNFPA has distributed enough reproductive health kits to meet the needs of 150,000 people in the regions of Syunik, Tavush and Gegharkunik.
The agency has also trained 35 local partners on how to respond to gender-based violence - and it plans to set up safe spaces for survivors to access medical and mental health services.
LIBYA
Abdoulaye Bathily, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya and Head of our political mission there, said today that he is concerned about the emergence of unilateral and competing initiatives from various Libyan actors and institutions, regarding the reconstruction of Derna and other flood-affected areas.
He said that these unilateral efforts are counterproductive, deepen existing divisions in the country, impede reconstruction efforts, and are at odds with the outpouring of solidarity, support and national unity shown by Libyan people from all over the country in response to the current crisis.
The UN Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, calls on all relevant Libyan national and local authorities and Libya’s international partners to facilitate agreement on a unified and coordinated Libyan national mechanism to direct the recovery and reconstruction efforts.
Mr. Bathily urges leaders in Libya to rise above divisions and come together to agree on a unified response for the reconstruction, for the good of all people in Libya.
YEMEN
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, was in Qatar, and he finished up his visit today. There, he discussed with officials the importance of further consolidating regional and international support to UN mediation efforts in Yemen, as well as the progress to support the parties to commit and implement a nationwide ceasefire.
In Qatar, Mr. Grundberg also participated in the launch of a think tank entitled “the Global Institute for Strategic Research”. He deliberated with experts over viable entry points for collective action to address peacebuilding and reconstruction challenges in Yemen.
BURKINA FASO
In Burkina Faso, UNICEF highlights the fact that with the new school year starting, more than 6,000 schools remain closed because of violence and insecurity in parts of the country. That is 1 in 4 schools in Burkina Faso now closed – and it impacts about one million children.
In addition to this, at least 230 schools also currently serve as temporary shelters for more than 52,000 displaced people.
Despite the difficulties, UNICEF says that more than 3.8 million girls and boys are going to school today, including in regions impacted by conflict. Our colleagues are working with the Ministry of Education and have helped over 760,000 children through formal education, accelerated schooling strategies, vocational training and education by radio.
As a reminder, about 5.5 million men, women and children need humanitarian assistance in Burkina Faso, and within that 5.5 million, there are 3.2 million children.
UNICEF’s requirements for the country, which is over $226 million, is only 13 per cent funded. And the overall humanitarian assistance request for Burkina Faso is only 32 per cent funded, according to OCHA.
GUATEMALA
In response to questions about the situation in Guatemala, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General is alarmed by the recent actions of the Public Prosecutor's office in Guatemala that threaten confidence in the democratic process. He calls on all actors to uphold the rule of law and the democratically expressed will, ensuring that the freely elected authorities take office on 14 January 2024.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Day of Non-Violence, which is also the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
In his message, the Secretary-General says that on this Day we commemorate the values that Gandhi championed: mutual respect and understanding, justice, and the power of peaceful action.
Today is also World Habitat Day. On this Day, the Secretary-General calls on everyone to pledge to build inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable human settlements for everyone, everywhere.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT
The Development Coordination Office (DCO) announced a new Resident Coordinator for the United Nations system in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) has now been confirmed.
The Secretary-General has appointed Bakhodir Burkhanov of Uzbekistan as the new Resident Coordinator. And his appointment has now been confirmed by the Host Government.
Mr. Burkhanov has over 25 years of experience in the UN system, most recently at the Development Coordination Office. He will support the Government and all people in Lao PDR to turn the commitments made at the recent SDG Summit into action on the ground to leave no one behind.
His full biography is available on the DCO website.
PRESS BRIEFING
The President of the Security Council for the month of October, the Permanent Representative of Brazil, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese briefed reporters on the programme of work.
BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the Country Director in South Sudan for the World Food Programme, Mary-Ellen McGroarty will brief reporters virtually from Juba on the humanitarian situation there.
At 1:30 p.m., we expect a briefing by Reem Alsalem, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences. She will brief reporters following the presentation of her report to the Third Committee of the General Assembly.
