HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2022

 

AU-UN ANNUAL CONFERENCE  
The Secretary-General was in Addis Ababa today for the 6th African Union–UN annual conference.  During the conference, co-chaired by the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, they discussed progress in the implementation of cooperation frameworks between the two organizations.   
In remarks to the press at the conclusion of the conference, the Secretary-General reiterated the importance of the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union. But, he added, we need to supercharge development, and place Africa’s future at the heart of the solutions our world needs.
The Secretary-General called for new partnerships for prosperity and development on the continent. He also called for more support to address the climate crisis.
Turning to the issue of peace, the Secretary-General said that from the Sahel to the Great Lakes and Ethiopia, deep-rooted conflicts continue to challenge us. The UN, he said, will continue working with the AU to deliver the peace, prosperity and climate justice that the people of Africa deserve.  
Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, and Mr. Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The Secretary-General also met the Federal President of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde, as well as UN colleagues on the ground.   
He is now on his way back to New York.

ETHIOPIA 
As the Secretary-General said today in Addis Ababa, despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, we have dramatic humanitarian needs in areas impacted by the conflict in northern Ethiopia. This includes more than 13 million people who are food insecure, including more than 5 million in the Tigray region. 
As access is gradually improving, the UN, along with its partners, are urgently working to provide as much support as possible to people in need, wherever they are. Aid deliveries by road, including some fuel, are continuing to reach Tigray. To date, the UN and its partners have sent some 550 trucks with food and other aid into Tigray, in addition to assistance the Government has provided.
UN humanitarian flights from Addis into Tigray are continuing this week. In addition to carrying humanitarian staff and some goods, a flight brought some much-needed medical supplies to Shire today and it is important that such deliveries can continue.  
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stresses that it will be critical to sustain and further scale-up assistance in Afar, Amhara, and Tigray to meet the high level of the needs. But other parts of the country are also facing immense needs as well.  
This includes, in particular, areas affected by the drought in southern and eastern parts of the country, where nearly 12 million people are facing food insecurity, and recent nutrition campaigns have found alarming levels of malnutrition among children. 
According to the Global Humanitarian Overview for 2023, which was issued today, the UN and its partners are appealing for $3.5 billion to help more than 26 million people in Ethiopia in the coming year.

SYRIA 
On Syria, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that yesterday, a UN inter-agency cross-line convoy of 16 trucks carrying 482 metric tonnes of food, along with other humanitarian supplies, crossed from Aleppo to Sarmada in north-west Syria. Supplies included medicines, nutrition items, water, sanitation and hygiene items, reproductive health kits, and education materials.  
This is the ninth cross-line convoy in line with the UN inter-agency operational plan developed after the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2585. 
Humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate in the north-west due to the ongoing hostilities and a deepening economic crisis. There are 4.1 million people that rely on aid to meet their most basic needs, and 80 percent of them are women and children.
While an important complement, the cross-line operation is unable at this time to substitute for the size or scope of the massive United Nations cross-border operation, which reaches 2.7 million Syrians each month with vital aid, including food and vaccines.

HUMANITARIAN APPEAL 
Today, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and its partners launched a record $51.5 billion humanitarian appeal for 2023. This is a 25 per cent increase compared to last year’s appeal.  
The appeal comes as 339 million people around the world need assistance in 69 countries. The number of people that we intend to reach is a nearly 24 per cent increase, compared to the same time last year.
Among the causes for this increase is the pressure on public health systems due to COVID-19, mpox and outbreaks of Ebola and cholera. Climate change is also driving up risks and vulnerability.  
The response plan in the Global Humanitarian Overview detail how aid agencies working together around specific types of aid – including shelter, food, maternal health, child nutrition and protection – can save and support the lives of a combined 230 million people worldwide. 
While donors have provided a generous $24 billion in funding as of mid-November, needs are rising faster than ever and the financial support and the funding gap has never been greater, and it is currently at 53 per cent.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic (MONUSCO) today said that it has received reports of human rights abuses reportedly committed during clashes between the M23 and Mai-Mai militias on Tuesday.  The clashes occurred in Kishishe village in North Kivu and included a high number of civilian casualties.  
The UN abhors these acts and call upon all competent authorities to investigate them without delay and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The UN Joint Human Rights Office has been seized of the matter and stands ready to contribute to these efforts. 
The UN reiterates the call of the Secretary-General for all Congolese and foreign armed groups to immediately lay down weapons and enter the respective demobilization, disarmament, and reintegration/repatriation processes.

MALAWI 
Malawi today kicked off an oral cholera vaccination campaign targeting 2.9 million people. The cholera outbreak in Malawi has affected all the 29 districts of the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has facilitated the procurement of 2.9 million vaccines for the Government, funded by the Global Alliance of Vaccines (Gavi). This is the second cholera vaccination campaign in the country, with the first campaign conducted in June in the Southern Region that reached over one and half million people.  
Beyond vaccination, WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners are supporting the Government to provide clinical care at dedicated treatment centres.

VENEZUELA REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS 
Today, the regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela which is co-led by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), is launching a $1.72 billion regional plan to support refugees and migrants from Venezuela throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The funds are aimed at responding to humanitarian needs, complementing the efforts of host Governments while also promoting socio-economic integration.  
Eduardo Stein, the Joint Special Representative of UNHCR and IOM for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants said that many refugees and migrants from Venezuela have seen their lives come to a standstill and millions are struggling to feed their families or find opportunities to rebuild their lives. However, they are eager to contribute to their host communities with their knowledge, skills and creativity.

WORLD AIDS DAY 
Today is World AIDS Day. In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General notes that the world has promised to end AIDS by 2030 and we are off track. 
The Secretary-General stresses that to end AIDS we must end the inequalities that are blocking progress. On this World AIDS Day, he says, we are calling out in one voice - equalize! 
The Secretary-General notes that the “Equalize” slogan is a call to action, a call to adopt the proven practical actions that will help end AIDS, and he emphasizes that the inequalities that perpetuate the AIDS pandemic can and must be overcome.

RESIDENT COORDINATORS 
The UN Development Coordination Office today said that Nelson Muffuh of Cameroon and Hopolang Phororo of Lesotho start their roles in leading UN teams, respectively, in South Africa and in Namibia. Meanwhile, Nathalie Fustier of France and Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander of Nigeria are taking up their posts in Morocco and Timor-Leste, respectively.  
The four new Resident Coordinators start today, Thursday 1 December. They were all appointed by the Secretary-General and were confirmed by their respective host governments.  
Resident Coordinators are leading our UN teams’ work on the ground to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals, supporting authorities to tackle development emergencies.

NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW 
Tomorrow, the noon briefing guest will be Máximo Torero, the Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). He will join virtually to brief on the FAO’s latest Food Price Index.