HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FLORENCIA SOTO NIÑO,
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 01 FEBRUARY 2023
AFGHANISTAN
This morning, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, briefed Member States on the humanitarian situation in the country – and on his recent visit to the country - as part of an Inter-Agency Standing Committee mission. Mr. Griffiths said that they told the de facto authorities that a December 24th edict barring women from working for national and international NGOs is doing no favours for the people of Afghanistan.
Women are an essential, central component of the humanitarian operation in Afghanistan, he stressed, noting that if the ban is not revoked, more exceptions are needed to allow female aid workers to resume their activities. He noted that we have received exceptions in the health and education sectors which have enabled activities to restart.
Mr. Griffiths also underscored that humanitarian agencies will continue to work and be present in Afghanistan unless there is a blanket opposition to women working. The humanitarian community does not go on strike but seeks ways to work in a principled manner.
This year's Humanitarian Response Plan for Afghanistan is seeking $4.6 billion to help 28 million people in need, with some 6 million people close to famine.
UKRAINE
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say that the fierce fighting in Ukraine continues in the eastern Donetsk region, with civilians being killed and injured on both sides of the front line. Over the last 24 hours, the front-line city of Bakhmut reportedly came under intensive shelling again. Children were among those killed and injured.
Thousands of people who remain in the city experience constant shelling, forcing them to spend hours in shelters, while access to basic services, including health care, is extremely limited. Civilians were also reportedly killed and injured in the areas of the Donetsk region under the temporary military control of the Russian Federation.
And civilians have also been killed, and key civilian infrastructure, including dozens of homes, have been reportedly damaged in the east, north and south of Ukraine over the past 24 hours.
The United Nations continues to support the most affected communities near the front line. Yesterday, a humanitarian inter-agency convoy delivered food, water, medicine, emergency shelter materials, hygiene items, a generator and other supplies for winter to the town of Toretsk, which is some 10 kilometres from the front line in the Donetsk region. The convoy also delivered trauma and emergency surgery kit supplies.
Approximately 15,000 people of the 75,000 residents who lived there before the war started are still in that town and nearby communities. They depend on humanitarian assistance.
The supplies were provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVELS
This afternoon, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will depart to Rome, Italy, at the invitation of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, to participate in the Fraternal Economy of Integral and Sustainable Development workshop. This will be held on 2 and 3 February 2023 in Vatican City.
In addition to taking part in the workshop and upon the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, she will meet with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
And she will also meet with our Rome-based agencies to discuss the forthcoming Food System Stocktake Moment.
SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) today raised serious concerns over the reported buildup of the Agwelek forces in Upper Nile state in the past few days. In a statement, the mission urged these forces, loyal to General Johnson Olony, to refrain from any actions or movements that might pose threats to civilians and affect humanitarian operations in Upper Nile and Northern Jonglei.
UNMISS peacekeepers are increasing their presence in the area, and the Mission is verifying reports of movements and mobilization. The mission underscored that it continues to engage with Government, State officials, and other leaders to prevent any further escalation of tensions, following fierce fighting that began last November.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic – known as MINUSCA this week pursued its electoral awareness campaign in Obo and in Bria to encourage strong participation in the local elections.
The Mission also conducted a security assessment in the Ouham prefecture, ahead of the planned closure of the peacekeeping base in Kouki, which contributed to improving security in the area.
In the last week, the mission carried out 1,927 patrols, including eight jointly with the national defence forces.
The Mission continued to coordinate with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Defence, and the General Directorates of the Gendarmerie and the Police to facilitate the country-wide recruitment drive for internal security forces.
SAHEL
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime issued a new report on the trafficking of medical products in the Sahel, that says that the high prevalence of infectious diseases - including malaria - coupled with challenges to access healthcare, is creating an environment in which the demand for medical products and services is not fully met through formal channels.
According to UNODC, this leaves room for trafficking, provides an incentive for the involvement of organized criminal groups and fuels the ongoing threat to public safety in the region.
For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, as many as 267,000 deaths per year are linked to falsified and substandard antimalarial medicines.
The study also estimates that about 40 per cent of the substandard and falsified medical products reported in the Sahel countries between 2013 and 2021 was discovered in regulated pharmaceutical outlets.
NEW RESIDENT COORDINATORS: LIBERIA AND SENEGAL
The UN Development Coordination Office announced today that Christine N. Umutoni of Rwanda and Aminata Maiga of Côte d’Ivoire are taking up their posts today in Liberia and Senegal, respectively.
They were appointed by the Secretary-General and confirmed by the host governments. Resident Coordinators lead UN teams on the ground to rescue the Sustainable Development Goals and support authorities to tackle development emergencies.
WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY WEEK
Today marks the start of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
This occasion aims to promote a culture of peace and nonviolence. It was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010, it was quickly adopted by the UN General Assembly, and it calls on governments, institutions and civil society to observe it with various programmes and initiatives that would promote the objectives of the Week.
HYBRID BRIEFING
At 1:00 pm, there will be a briefing here by Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, the Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of February.
She will discuss the Council’s programme of work for the month.
HONOUR ROLL
Barbados, Cyprus, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea and Malta made their contributions to the budget. The Honour Roll now totals 25.
