HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 9 OCTOBER 2020
 

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE/WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME  
The Secretary-General is delighted by the decision of the Nobel Committee to award this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to the UN World Food Programme. He warmly congratulates David Beasley, WFP’s Executive Director, and the entire staff of the World Food Programme.  
The Agency is the world’s first responder on the frontlines of food insecurity, the Secretary-General said, adding that he has seen our WFP colleagues in the most remote and dangerous locations, serving the most vulnerable of this world with enormous courage, dedication and competence. 
In a world of plenty, it is unconscionable that hundreds of millions go to bed each night hungry.  Millions more are now on the precipice of famine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Guterres said.   
We know that achieving zero hunger is an imperative for peace. A hungry world is not a peaceful world, he concluded. 
Also, this morning, in a tweet, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, warmly saluted David Beasley and our WFP colleagues. She said the Nobel peace prize recognizes their tireless efforts to ensure children and families have access to life-saving sustenance.   

SECRETARY-GENERAL/AFRICA
This morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the second High-Level event on “Mobilizing with Africa” as part of the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. 
The Secretary-General said that since the beginning of the crisis, African countries and the African Union have shown commendable leadership and unity in response to the pandemic. He stressed that the international community must continue to show commitment to Africa’s health and well-being. 
The Secretary-General said the pandemic has resulted in acute liquidity constraints for African countries that without bold measures could spiral into a solvency crisis. He called on development partners to broaden the eligibility of the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative so that it includes all highly indebted and vulnerable countries that have been adversely affected by the emergency and also urged developed countries to support the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility, and to support efforts to prioritize green growth and environmental conservation. 
He also reiterated the UN’s solidarity with the people and governments of Africa at this pivotal moment for the continent. 
 
SECURITY COUNCIL/CYPRUS 
This afternoon, the Security Council will hold closed consultations on Cyprus. The Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, is expected to brief Council members. 
  
MALI
We welcome the liberation of the four hostages in Mali yesterday.  We wish them well as they reunite with their respective families. 
 
NAGORNO-KARABAKH 
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, today expressed alarm at the suffering of civilians as hostilities continue to widen along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. She called for an urgent ceasefire due to the impact on civilians.  
Since the latest violence started on 27 September, artillery strikes have reportedly hit several cities, towns and villages. Information from different sources, which the UN Human Rights Office has not been able to independently verify, suggests that as of 8 October some 53 civilians had been killed, including children.  
Many buildings, including houses, schools, and other civilian facilities are reported to have been destroyed.  
Ms. Bachelet highlighted deeply troubling reports that cluster munitions had been used in the conflict area.  She voiced concern at how the outbreak of renewed hostilities is posing a direct health threat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 
For its part, the International Organization for Migration warned that the fighting is likely to result in significant displacement. IOM said that it is closely following the developments in the region and that it stands ready to assist those in need via its missions to Armenia and Azerbaijan. 
 
SUDAN FLOODS 
Turning to Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the devastating rains that have left more than 875,000 people in need of aid and claimed more than 150 lives since July have started to subside. 
However, our colleagues warn that the full extent of the unprecedented flooding will only become evident in the months ahead. 
More than 10 million people risk contracting water-borne diseases following extensive damage to hundreds of water sources and the collapse of several thousand latrines. 
Malaria and other vector-borne diseases are expected to rise, and Sudan’s already fragile food security situation will likely worsen due to the destruction of thousands of hectares of crops just before the harvest. 
As you know, Sudan is already facing dire humanitarian needs compounded by a deteriorating economic situation. 
Humanitarian organizations have reached over 400,000 people to date, but low funding is hampering aid workers’ capacity. Overall, the humanitarian appeal in Sudan has received less than half of the $1.6 billion requested. 
 
COVID-19/MALAWI 
An update on what our colleagues around the world are doing to address COVID-19, today from Malawi: 
The UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Maria Jose Torres Macho, is supporting efforts to save lives, protect livelihoods and leave no one behind in the recovery process.  
The team has mobilized more than $70 million in funding. We have also opened a COVID-19 Treatment Centre, set up 16 mobile medical isolation units, trained more than 9,000 health workers to boost treatment capacity and reached more than 80 per cent of the population to take steps to prevent the spread of the virus.  
Through its Staff Solidarity Fund, the UN team also contributed protective equipment to frontline workers. The team is also supporting the design of a national socio-economic recovery plan and is providing seeds to 300,000 families ahead of the upcoming lean season, while supporting the school re-opening process by providing food for 600,000 children. 
 
COVID-19/LEBANON
Turning to UN efforts related to COVID-19: 
As part of ongoing efforts by the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to support the fight against the virus, UNIFIL contingents donated a wide range of medical supplies to local communities in southern Lebanon. In Marjayoun, peacekeepers provided first-aid kits, antiviral drugs and other medicines to a public hospital. In Tyre, peacekeepers donated medicines and other medical supplies to the Red Cross/Red Crescent. 
 
COVID-19/MIGRANTS 
The International Organization for Migration today called for effective global cooperation to help the at least 2.75 migrants who are stranded around the world due to COVID-19 restrictions, including border closures and nationwide lockdowns. 
IOM’s Director General, António Vitorino, said that, where governments have taken action, tens of thousands of migrants have been able to return home in a manner that takes into consideration the significant health challenges the pandemic poses.  
 
WORLD POST DAY  
Today is World Post Day. In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General offered his sincere thanks to the world’s postal workers who have continued to deliver during days of trial and challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that these workers have risked much, and they have delivered more than mail. 
The Secretary-General noted that postal workers have launched innovative community services, tending to older people and those who are socially isolated.  They have delivered life-saving medicines and equipment and helped ensure that food parcels and funds reach those in need.   
The Secretary-General highlighted that their dedication, innovation and creativity has undoubtedly helped save lives. 
 
CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS CONVENION
Tomorrow will mark the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (CCW) – better known as the CCW. 
To mark this milestone, the Secretary-General says in a message that the CCW has proven to be an effective and dynamic instrument.  
Since its adoption, the Convention has strengthened the regulation of landmines and its scope of application has been expanded to cover non-international armed conflicts.  
The Secretary-General says that the CCW is an essential humanitarian arms control instrument to protect civilians from the harm caused by conventional weapons.  
He urges the High Contracting Parties to the CCW to work together to keep up the momentum and pave the way for the Convention to remain a strong, agile instrument for the pursuit of disarmament that saves lives.  
 
MENTAL HEALTH  
Tomorrow is Mental Health Day, and in a message to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General warns that every 40 seconds, someone dies from suicide.  And depression is now recognized as a leading cause of illness and disability among children and adolescents. 
He adds that we are now seeing the consequences of the pandemic on people’s mental well-being, and this is just the beginning.  Yet in low- and middle-income countries, more than 75 per cent of people with mental health conditions receive no treatment at all.  He says that we can no longer ignore the need for a massive scale-up in investment in mental health.  
 
BURKINA FASO 
Turning to Burkina Faso, our humanitarian colleagues say that humanitarian needs are increasing, following a rise in intercommunal tensions inter-woven with security-related protection concerns. 
From January to the end of September, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance has increased by 30 per cent, from 2.2 million to 2.9 million. 
Food insecurity is also rising at alarming levels. Nationwide, 3.4 million people are facing critical food shortages - twice as many as at the same time last year. Access to education and healthcare is also limited. More than 350,000 children were deprived of their right to education and 200 health centres were barely functioning before COVID-19 hit. 
Despite the high level of needs, humanitarian organizations are saving lives and have reached 1.8 million people since the beginning of the year. The Humanitarian Response Plan is only 38 per cent funded.