HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 04 MAY 2020
SECRETARY-GENERAL/PRESS FREEDOM
Today, the Secretary-General took part in the online High-Level Dialogue on Press Freedom and Tackling Disinformation in the COVID-19 pandemic Context. That was hosted by UNESCO.
He said that the media has come under increasing pressure in recent years, with many journalists currently facing threats, harassment and violent attacks.
“When journalists are attacked, societies as a whole pay a price,” he said, adding that no democracy can function without press freedom.
The Secretary-General also said that with the current pandemic we have seen a dangerous outbreak of misinformation, from harmful health advice as well as hate speech to wild conspiracy theories. He stressed that the antidote is a fact-based news and analysis.
Now, more than ever, he said, we need the media to document what is happening; to differentiate between fact and fiction; and hold leaders accountable.
COVID-19/GLOBAL RESPONSE
The Secretary-General also spoke today at an online pledging event for the Coronavirus Global Response.
He thanked the European Commission and its partners for hosting the conference, calling it exactly the kind of leadership the world needs today.
The Secretary-General underlined how comprehensive, coordinated public health measures are critical to slow transmission and save lives, but he cautioned that even countries that have taken such steps remain in jeopardy.
He noted that the virus is likely to strike many countries that are least able to cope. In an interconnected world, he stressed that none of us is safe until all of us are safe.
The Secretary-General also underscored that new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines must be treated as global public goods available and affordable for all.
For a world free of COVID-19, it will require the most massive public health effort in history. He added that with today’s pledging event mobilizing resources for this vital endeavour.
The Secretary-General also welcomed the generous contributions announced today towards the initial goal of 7.5 billion Euros, but said that, to reach everyone, everywhere, we will likely need five times this amount.
LEBANON
In New York, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jan Kubis, today briefed the Security Council in closed consultations about the situation in that country. The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, also briefed Council members on the work of the UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL.
COVID-19/EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
UNICEF said today that more than 127 million children in Eastern and Southern Africa – who are supposed to return to school this week – remain at home due to the threat of the virus.
In this region, one in five households have Internet access and 84 per cent of the rural population has no electricity.
UNICEF and its partners are working around the clock to support learning through radio, SMS and printed materials.
However, even with alternative learning measures rolled out by governments, as well as by UNICEF and its partners, tens of millions of children will not be reached. These children are often the most marginalized and vulnerable. They largely rely on schools for their education, health, safety and nutrition.
UNICEF stressed that governments, businesses and parents must come together to ensure inclusive and realistic ways that reach all children.
COVID-19/AIR SERVICE
The World Food Programme (WFP) is facilitating logistics for the pandemic response by providing air service for the World Health Organization and the global humanitarian community.
Today, WFP announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will dedicate a fleet of three aircraft until the end of the year. This should enable the movement of life-saving cargo and personnel where they are needed most.
It will help transport millions of medical items and thousands of tons of humanitarian cargo to vulnerable communities and frontline workers in more than 100 countries in the months to come.
The fleet of three aircraft will operate on rotation between the UAE and key locations across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
As part of the global humanitarian appeal, WFP has been mandated to provide common humanitarian services, for which it is appealing for an initial US$350 million.
COVID-19/SOMALIA
In Somalia, the UN and our partners are supporting Government’s response to the virus. The Humanitarian Coordinator provisionally allocated funds from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund to the International Organization for Migration to purchase ventilators. Funds were also allocated for UN Development Programme (UNDP) to procure generators for the main COVID-19 treatment centre in Mogadishu.
Besides that, UN agencies allocated $2.6 million for responses related to the virus in the country. As part of that, we are supplying hygiene kits and personal protective equipment to medical staff who are providing health care services to 30,000 refugees and asylum-seekers.
We are also reaching tens of thousands of people with critical hygiene items, trucked safe water and awareness-raising materials.
We and our partners continue to respond to conflict and natural-disaster emergencies across Somalia, such as floods and desert locusts. In March alone, 623,000 people were reached with life-saving assistance.
COVID-19/GHANA
In Ghana, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i., Sylvia Lopez-Ekra, and the UN country team have re-programmed existing resources to support the government’s response to the pandemic and its health, humanitarian and social economic impacts.
The World Health Organization (WHO) donated laboratory supplies and testing equipment. It also deployed a technical expert from its Africa Regional Office to support with coordination and assistance to the health ministry and emergency operation centre.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP) is working with the Government of Ghana to measure the impacts of the virus on the economy and prepare a plan, with the UN team, to boost livelihoods.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) helped establish a 24/7 hotline to respond to gender-based violence and the World Food Programme (WFP) is supporting the government in monitoring food prices.
For its part, UNICEF is working with partners to open testing laboratories at the sub-national level, while working with the Government to advance payments for 322,000 households.
COVID-19/CAMEROON
In Cameroon, where there are more than 2,000 confirmed cases, the Resident Coordinator, Allegra Baiocchi, and the UN team have been supporting the Government, even before the first case showed up in Cameroon.
On immediate health needs, 14 UN entities have developed a prevention and response plan to support national initiatives, with a funding gap of US$15.5 million.
The UN helped recruit health workers; provided vehicles for contact tracing; assisted in sourcing tests and procured medical supplies and personal protective equipment.
UNDP, the World Bank and the Global Fund, are helping to purchase medical equipment, including ventilators.
UN Women is working with religious leaders, women and youth organizations, while UNICEF and local authorities are installing hand washing stations and providing face masks to vulnerable groups.
COVID-19/BURKINA FASO, MALI & WESTERN NIGER
In Central Sahel, our humanitarian colleagues are telling us there is an unprecedented deterioration in the situation in the border areas between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, also known as the three-border area.
In addition to insecurity, the current COVID-19 pandemic is also spreading rapidly through the region, which has some of the most fragile health systems in the world.
More than three million people are now severely food insecure and the number of displaced has continued to rise. There are now 1.2 million people internally displaced – four times more than a year ago, as well as 107,000 refugees.
The rise in armed violence is not only forcing people to flee their homes, but as schools and health care centres have been targeted, vulnerable communities have been deprived of critical services.
The virus transmission risks are also heightened in densely populated areas, such as displacement sites that do not have adequate access to shelter, clean water, hygiene and basic sanitation.
This year, 7.5 million people in the affected regions need urgent assistance. We, along with our humanitarian partners, remain on the ground to deliver life-saving assistance, but urgent resources are needed. As of late April, only 12 per cent of the $988 million required for the humanitarian response had been received.
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $42 million to the Central Sahel countries since the beginning of the year, mainly to provide food and nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation, shelter, protection and health.
In Burkina Faso, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) tells us that they have condemned violence against Malian refugees that left at least 32 people injured. The incident took place over the weekend at the Mentao refugee camp, which hosts some 6,500 refugees close to Burkina Faso’s border with Mali.
All those injured are currently receiving treatment in a health centre. UNHCR has called for an urgent investigation into the incident.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Lastly, on a positive money note: we are most grateful to Beijing for its payment, in full, to the UN regular budget. This brings us to 88 fully paid-up members as of today.
