HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FLORENCIA SOTO NINO,
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 14 JULY 2021
YEMEN
The Security Council met this morning to adopt a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).
The Council members then held closed consultations on Yemen, in which they received briefings from Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Acting Head of Humanitarian Affairs Ramesh Rajasingham, and Lieutenant General Abhijit Guha, the Head of the Hudaydah Mission
Ms. DiCarlo briefed on the continuing efforts to move forward with the four-point plan devised by the former Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths. As you’ll recall, that plan’s four points involved a nationwide ceasefire, the re-opening of Sana’a airport, the easing of restrictions on the flow of fuel and other commodities through Hudaydah port, and the resumption of face-to-face political negotiations between the Yemeni parties.
The humanitarian situation in Yemen remains dire, including the very real threat of famine this year. We are particularly concerned by the pronounced escalation in conflict in Marib and elsewhere in recent weeks, which threatens millions of people.
The collapse of Yemen’s currency will also make it much harder for Yemenis to afford food and other essentials. That is very bad news for the risk of famine and this means more people are likely to look to humanitarian agencies for support.
The fastest way to help is to increase support for the UN response plan. Yemen’s appeal is currently 44 per cent funded.
And this funding is making a real difference, allowing agencies to scale up programmes and reach more people. But it will start running out again in September, which will force agencies to scale down assistance just as people’s needs are likely to intensify. That would be catastrophic for millions of people who rely on these programs to survive.
AFGHANISTAN
The UN is increasingly concerned with the number of reported serious human rights abuses and violations alleged in communities most affected by the ongoing military offensive across Afghanistan.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today said that the reports of killing, ill-treatment, persecution and discrimination are widespread and disturbing, creating fear and insecurity. The UN Mission emphasized that those who carry out any such acts must be held accountable.
UNAMA urged all parties to announce an Eid ceasefire that can give Afghans a respite from the conflict and that may contribute to sustained and meaningful peace negotiations.
SOUTH SUDAN
The Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in South Sudan, Arafat Jamal, is condemning the latest attack on aid workers and assets in Warrap State.
Fighting broke out last Thursday between youth groups in Marial Lou, in the Tonj North county, and continued into the next day. According to initial reports, more than 5,000 people have been displaced; hundreds of shelters were burnt down; health centers, schools and churches were vandalized.
Tonj North is one of six counties in South Sudan where families face the risk of catastrophic levels of hunger at the height of the lean season.
Since early this year, more than 900 metric tons of food items and nutrition supplements have been looted or destroyed during violent episodes across the country. These supplies would have been sufficient to feed more than 41,000 food-insecure people for up to four months.
Since March, there has been a rise in the number of attacks against aid workers, people serving the community, and assets across South Sudan.
The Humanitarian Coordinator is calling on authorities to make every effort to protect communities, humanitarian personnel and assets across the country adding that those who commit these crimes are punishing the most vulnerable people in their own communities.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has conducted a two-week patrol, following ambushes on travelers along the main roads connecting Western Equatoria to the capital, Juba.
The patrol team included members from the mission’s Human Rights and Civil Affairs Divisions as well as military observers, and was escorted by peacekeepers.
The UN Mission also set up a Temporary Base in Mundri West County to protect civilians and build confidence among local communities who have been affected by repeated attacks in the area.
ETHIOPIA
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today said that the upcoming seasonal rains in hunger-stricken northern Ethiopia offer a tight window of opportunity for farmers to get a crop in the ground and reboot local food production. However, without funding and better access for aid agencies, that opportunity could be missed.
FAO noted that many farmers have been stripped of productive assets like seeds, animals, or tools due to looting, or saw their sources of credit disappear and seed markets also disappear. As a result, local food production has been brought to a virtual standstill.
FAO has urgently appealed for $30 million to reach nearly 1.2 million of the most food insecure people in the northern part of the country. To date, just $6.2 million has been pledged.
MIGRANTS
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that at least 1,146 people have died while attempting to reach Europe by sea between January and June.
Deaths along these migration routes have more than doubled this year compared to the same period last year.
IOM reiterated its call on States to take urgent and proactive steps to reduce loss of life on maritime migration routes to Europe and to uphold their obligations under international law.
They also called for an increase in search-and-rescue efforts, for predictable disembarkation mechanisms and to ensure access to safe and legal migration pathways - all key steps to avoid more migrant deaths at sea.
LIBYA
Libya has recently imposed new preventive measures against the pandemic as the daily rate of infection continues to rise in the country.
Authorities are closing all public and private offices and entities for two weeks.
This past Monday, nearly 2,700 new COVID-19 cases were reported, pushing the daily rate of infection to nearly 40 per cent, and that is the highest since the first case was detected in March last year.
Of the over 670,000 vaccine doses that were delivered to the country, more than 430,000 have been administered so far.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supported health authorities to train 90 vaccine supervisors on cold chain and vaccine management and is carrying out a vaccination campaign with the national emergency team, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is helping authorities implement surveys on mobility restrictions and vulnerabilities and training laboratory workers and health care providers to reduce virus transmission.
COVID-19/HIV
The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) today released a report highlighting evidence that people living with HIV are more vulnerable to COVID-19 virus. It added that widening inequalities are preventing them from accessing COVID-19 vaccines and HIV services.
According to the report, studies from England and South Africa have found that the risk of dying from COVID-19 among people living with HIV was double that of the general population. The report also shows how COVID-19 lockdowns and other restrictions have badly disrupted HIV testing, referrals to care services and HIV treatment initiations.
The Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, said that we have failed to learn the lessons of HIV, when millions were denied life-saving medicines and died because of inequalities in access, and that this is totally unacceptable.
NIGER
The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack by unidentified gunmen that took place on July 11th, in the Tillabéri region. This attack resulted in the killing of at least five civilians and four soldiers.
He expresses his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wishes a swift recovery to the injured.
UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
The Ministerial segment of the ECOSOC High-Level Political Forum continued today with messages from the Ministerial Chairs of the Regional Forums and the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Commissions.
The 2030 Agenda stresses the importance of the regional and sub-regional dimensions in the follow-up and review of implementation.
The session included an interactive discussion with participants, focused on ways in which Regional Commissions are mobilizing action and leveraging regional frameworks.
The morning also included voluntary national review presentations from six second-timers: China, Afghanistan, Denmark, Thailand, Chad, and Norway. And this afternoon will feature presentations from the Bahamas, Tunisia, Dominican Republic, and Sierra Leone.
GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow we will be joined virtually by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Mr. Ramiz Alakbarov, who will update you on the situation in the country.
