HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 13 JUNE 2022
MICHELLE BACHELET
In a statement released today, the Secretary-General said that he was deeply grateful to Michelle Bachelet for her relentless service to the United Nations as High Commissioner for Human Rights. From her earliest days in Chile with enormous personal sacrifice, she has been on the frontlines of the human rights struggle all her life.
In all she has done, Michelle Bachelet lives and breathes human rights. She has moved the needle in an extremely challenging political context – and she has made a profound difference for people around the globe.
The Secretary-General said that she continues to have his full support. Mr. Guterres will always value her wisdom, strong voice and success in ensuring that human rights underpin the actions of the United Nations.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, in the Security Council, the head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), El-Ghassim Wane, reiterated to Council members the Mission’s commitment to continue its efforts to support a consensual way out of the current crisis in Mali.
While the challenges in Mali are numerous and complex, he said, they are far from insurmountable. The Malian people have a deep aspiration for reform, transparent governance, and accountability. These aspirations and the forces driving them, including civil society, have shown great resilience and deserve the full support of the international community, Mr. Wane added.
He concluded his remarks by echoing the Secretary-General’s acknowledgement of the need for the Mission’s continued presence in Mali, as well as his recommendation to extend the mandate for another year.
MYANMAR
Noeleen Heyzer, the Special Envoy for Myanmar, today briefed the General Assembly by video conference. She said that the political crisis unleashed on 1 February 2021 has opened new frontlines that had long been at peace.
Today, she warned, 14.4 million people, or one-quarter of the entire population of Myanmar, urgently require humanitarian assistance. This crisis has resulted in collapsing state institutions, significantly disrupting critical social and economic infrastructures such as health, education, banking and finance, food security and employment, while increasing the criminality and illicit activities.
Ms. Heyzer said that the number of people living in poverty has doubled in the last five years to encompass half of the population of Myanmar.
Armed conflict has now become the norm, she said, and distrust among stakeholders has only deepened. But on a more positive note, she said that although the situation remains fragile, there has been a gradual improvement of intercommunal relationships and economic and social integration of Rohingya in Rakhine State.
YEMEN
The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, today announced the launch of a social media campaign to raise the necessary funds to start the emergency operation to transfer the oil from the FSO Safer to a safe temporary vessel.
Following Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a $10 million pledge on 12 June and the United States’ announcement that it is working towards a $10 million contribution, the UN now has three-quarters of the $80 million required to start the emergency operation.
The Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, visited Sana’a last week to discuss, among other issues, the UN proposal for the phased re-opening of key roads in Taiz and other governorates. Mr. Grundberg is expecting an imminent response from Sana’a on the proposal.
The UN proposal takes into consideration various concerns expressed by both sides during discussions that
started in Amman last month. As all elements of the truce, the opening of roads is a measure to alleviate the suffering of Yemenis, as well as bring some sense of normalization and facilitate freedom of movement for Yemeni civilians. Mr. Grundberg remains committed to working with the parties to implement all elements of the truce to continue delivering its tangible benefits to Yemeni women, men and children, as well as engaging on next steps to consolidate the opportunity provided by the truce to put Yemen on a pathway to peace.
UKRAINE
From Ukraine, the UN and its humanitarian partners are extremely alarmed over reports of intense fighting in Sivierodonetsk and surrounding areas, which is severely impacting the men, women and children who remain in the areas.
According to the UN partners, the shelling and clashes have led to civilian casualties, with damage to dozens of homes and critical infrastructure – including water and power systems. Thousands of people are still in Sivierodonetsk, including hundreds who are sheltering in the bunkers of the Azot plant, as the UN was informed by its partners on the ground. People there have no access to piped water or electricity, and many told our humanitarian colleagues that they have nowhere to go.
In addition, some 30,000 people are believed to be in neighbouring Lysychansk and surrounding villages, which are also enduring constant shelling, bombardments and clashes.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that the situation is also of great concern in non-Government-controlled areas of Donetsk oblast, where daily shelling and bombardments have led to civilian casualties. Areas very close to UN facilities have been affected by the fighting.
This morning, for example, a market and an apartment building were hit in Donetsk when a shell landed in a populated area in the centre of the city, 50 metres from the UN compound. Insecurity and bureaucratic obstacles have prevented us from providing life-saving assistance in those regions.
The last time the UN sent a convoy with supplies to Sivierodonetsk was on April 5th, carrying supplies for more than 17,000 people. In Donetsk we, along with our partners, have engaged on several occasions with the parties to facilitate our access and make sure we could send much-needed relief items, but we have not succeeded.
The UN again stresses that all parties to the conflict must respect international humanitarian law and protect civilians. It is imperative that all violations against civilians cease immediately, and that people caught up in areas of heavy fighting are allowed to leave safely and in the direction of their choosing.
Parties to the conflict must also allow and facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief so we can make sure people impacted by nearly three months of war can receive the support they so desperately need.
SYRIA
In Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that, yesterday, a UN inter-agency cross-line convoy crossed from Aleppo to Sarmada, in the country’s north-west. Fourteen trucks carried food, medicines and other supplies for 43,000 people.
This is the fifth cross-line convoy that was allowed in line with the UN inter-agency operational plan and alsowith Security Council Resolution 2585.
Humanitarian conditions are deteriorating in the north-west due to continued fighting and a deepening economic crisis. More than four million people in the area rely on aid to meet their most basic needs, and 80 per cent of those people are women and children.
While the cross-line operations are critical, they cannot at this point in time replace the massive UN cross-border operations, which reach 2.4 million Syrians every month with vital aid, including food and vaccines.
ETHIOPIA
From northern Ethiopia, the UN, along with its partners, are continuing to provide humanitarian aid across Tigray, Afar, and Amhara. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that food distribution is ongoing, with more than 900,000 people having been reached since June 1st.
Between April, when aid delivery by road convoys resumed, and last week, more than 65,000 tonnes of food aid were delivered to Tigray. But more assistance is needed to meet all the needs of the people.
Currently, just over one third of people targeted have received food aid in the current round of distributions which began in October. Fuel supplies also continue to be limited and are impacting our ability to get food to people in need. While food is the largest share of aid going into Tigray, other supplies – such as water and sanitation, shelter and nutrition – have also been getting into Tigray, both through air and road.
Humanitarian needs also are extremely high in the Afar and Amhara regions. In Amhara, more than 10 million people have received food assistance since late December, and more than 992,000 people since late February in Afar.
OCHA said that some areas near the border between Amhara and Tigray remain hard to reach for aid workers. Earlier this month, partners were able to carry out an assessment of needs in this area for the first time since December.
The UN continues to call for unfettered access for aid workers to reach all men, women and children in need across northern Ethiopia.
KENYA
In Kenya, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the devastating drought affecting the Horn of Africa has caused severe food insecurity and malnutrition in many parts of the country. There are now 4.1 million people in Kenya facing Crisis- or Emergency-level food insecurity, up from 3.5 million just a few months ago. Malnutrition is also increasing at an alarming rate. At least 942,000 children under the age of 5 and some 134,000 pregnant or lactating women urgently need treatment.
This brings the total number of people severely food insecure across Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya – the three Horn of Africa countries hardest-hit by the drought – to at least 18.4 million people who are food insecure.
Without additional resources the UN and its partners will be forced to make impossible choices.
As the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Adam Abdelmoula, said last week, we face a real and imminent threat of large-scale loss of life.
OCHA is calling for just $180.7 million to respond to the highest priority needs, and we urge donors to contribute as quickly as possible.
DJIBOUTI
In Djibouti, the UN team, led by the Resident Coordinator Jose Barahona, continues to support authorities in responding to the ongoing food and water crisis in the country, with 13 per cent of the population in severe acute food insecurity, a number projected to increase to 16 per cent by December. The UN team allocated $2 million from the Emergency Humanitarian funds and launched the ongoing response focusing on supporting the most vulnerable people in rural communities. On the health front, we vaccinated more than 150,000 children under the age of five as part of a national polio vaccination campaign, reaching 95 per cent coverage throughout the country in the past three months.
LIBYA
The UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) over the weekend expressed its concern at the Friday night clashes between armed groups in Tripoli - which endangered the lives of civilians - and the mobilization of armed groups and heavy weapons in areas surrounding Tripoli.
The Mission said that the clashes happened during an extremely sensitive period, which includes the talks that began yesterday in Cairo that are aimed at establishing a constitutional framework to enable the holding of national elections at the soonest possible time.
UNSMIL calls on Libya’s political and security actors to exercise maximum restraint, demonstrate responsible leadership and address all disputes, both at the local and national levels, through dialogue.
Opening the talks in Cairo yesterday, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Stepanie Williams said that this final round comes at a critical juncture, at a time
when the Libyan people are exhausted. She told the Libyan representatives that they have a real opportunity, indeed a solemn responsibility, to give them hope, to provide a pathway towards elections within a firm constitutional framework.
'POPULATION AWARD
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) today announced in a virtual ceremony the winners of its Population Award. The award to an individual this year will go to Emma Theofelus, a 25-year-old parliamentarian from Namibia, for her work advocating for women’s empowerment and adolescent sexual and reproductive health. She is the youngest ever recipient of this award. We congratulate her.
And the institution award was given to the National Population and Family Planning Board from the Republic of Indonesia, a non-ministerial government agency that formulates national policies, implements family planning initiatives and mentors experts in the field of population dynamics.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In a note to correspondents issued over the weekend, the UN expressed its concern at the deteriorating security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s eastern region. The UN reiterated its call on all armed groups to immediately cease all forms of violence.
In the note, the UN welcomed and expressed its support for ongoing national and regional political efforts to accompany the disarmament of armed groups, and also welcomed the nomination by the African Union of Angola’s President, João Lourenço, to defuse tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s and Rwanda.
Finally, the UN expressed its concern about reports of increased hate speech in the country against some particular communities, including in the context of the
M23’s resurgence.
As part of the UN efforts to combat hate speech, a few days ago, the Mission’s radio station, Radio Okapi, hosted a dialogue with the director of our Joint Human Rights Office, Abdoul Aziz Thioye, and Patrick Muyaya,
the Congolese Minister of Communication and Media and government spokesperson. During this dialogue, they launched an appeal against hate speech.
Separately, in Goma, the peacekeeping mission organized a meeting with leaders of the Hunde, Hutu, Nande, Nyanga, Tembo and Tutsi communities to discuss social cohesion and peaceful coexistence.
The leaders signed a joint communiqué committing to promote peaceful coexistence between communities and calling on political and civil society actors to refrain from inciting hate speech and violence.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is back in New York after visiting Kyrgyzstan on 10-11 June as part of her trip to Central Asia. She met last Friday with President Sadyr Zhaparov and the Chair of Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Zhaparov. She delivered opening remarks at the signature ceremony for the new Cooperation Framework 2023-2027.
Ms. Mohammed and President Zhaparov discussed many of the global issues and the context of recovery from the pandemic. They spoke about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the UN’s support to the country in developing an inclusive economy that puts people at the centre and recognizes the rights of women to lead and be part of growth. They also discussed the importance of stronger regional dialogue and Kyrgyzstan’s role in ensuring peace and stability in the region.
On Saturday, Ms. Mohammed traveled to Kyrgyzstan’s mountainous region of Naryn to have an aerial view of climate change-impacted glaciers that feed vital cross-border rivers in Central Asia, especially in the populous Ferghana valley. The Deputy Secretary-General also discussed with local youth leaders their ongoing collective efforts in achieving the SDGs in the country by 2030.
SYRIA/ STRIKES ON DAMASCUS AIRPORT
The Secretary-General is concerned about the reported strikes on Damascus International Airport on 10 June, which resulted in damage to runways and airport closure.
The Secretary-General reminds all concerned that directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
He is troubled by what appears to be an escalation of violent actions and hostile rhetoric across the region in recent weeks and cautions that the risk of miscalculation could lead to broader conflict in an already volatile region. He calls on all concerned to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation.
The Secretary-General further reiterates the UN readiness to assist Member States in resolving their differences through dialogue and stands ready to exert his good offices in that regard.
LEBANON
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said today that on Saturday, UNIFIL peacekeepers on a routine patrol in the vicinity of the village of Arab El Louaize in south Lebanon were stopped by a group of men in civilian clothes. The civilians threatened the UN peacekeepers and attempted to remove their weapons.
Under UN Security Council Resolution 1701, UNIFIL has full freedom of movement and the right to patrol within its area of operations.
Attacks, threats and acts of intimidation against our peacekeepers serving the cause of peace are a serious concern.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC/HUMANITARIAN
On the Central African Republic, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that nearly hunger and malnutrition are on the rise, with nearly half of the country’s population – or 2.2 million people – living in food insecurity. Insecurity, poor harvests and rising food prices have led to some 638,000 people at emergency levels of food insecurity. To help respond to this crisis, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund has released $15 million. These funds will go towards helping the most food insecure people.
INTERNATIONAL ALBINISM AWARENESS DAY
Today is International Albinism Awareness Day, and this year’s theme is "United in making our voice heard". The aim is to encourage and celebrate unity among groups of persons with albinism and amplify their voices and visibility in all areas of life.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
The guest at tomorrow's noon briefing will be Afshan Khan, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. She will provide an update on how children are being affected by the war in Ukraine. Ms. Khan has just returned from a mission to Ukraine during the week of 5 June.
HYBRID BRIEFING TOMORROW
And also tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., there will be a hybrid briefing here on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Speakers will include Ambassador Jukka Salovaara, President of the COSP15 and the Permanent Representative of Finland, along with José Viera, the International Disability Alliance Advocacy Director.
