HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 14 MARCH 2018
 

• This morning, the Secretary-General received a new report on the current global water crisis from the High-Level Panel on water, which consists of 11 Heads of State and a Special Advisor.
• Currently, more than a third of the world’s population is affected by water scarcity. The report, “Making Every Drop Count: An Agenda for Water Action” calls for a fundamental shift in the way the world manages water so that the Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved.
• “Water is an element at the core of who we are as human beings,” the Secretary-General said. “Sixty per cent of our body is made up of water, so it is not an exaggeration to say that water scarcity is a matter of life and death.” He added that the report is a wake-up call to all of us to find and implement solutions to the global water crisis.

 

• This morning, the Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur, Jeremiah N. Mamabolo, briefed the Security Council on the situation in Darfur. He reported that the mission has started phase two of its reconfiguration, including the redeployment of uniformed and civilian personnel to strengthen the Jebel Marra Task Force's operations. The reconfiguration also entails a further reduction in the number of military, police and civilian staff.
• Mr. Mamabolo warned that the stalemate in the Darfur peace process persists. He called upon Council members to exhort the parties to the Darfur conflict to sign cessation of hostilities agreements and resume negotiations. He said that would be the only way the people of Darfur, and the international community, could have any realistic hope for the achievement of durable peace in Darfur.
• Mr. Mamabolo added that a significant amount of resources is required for post-conflict reconstruction and development of Darfur and he appealed on Council members to play their part. As the Mission engages in a stabilization phase, he said that we are duty bound to do it in a manner that consolidates, not compromises, the gains that our presence has achieved over the years.

 

• The UN Mission in Libya yesterday said they are concerned by the ongoing violence in the city of Sabha. They call on all parties to refrain from acts that endanger civilian lives and contribute further to the destruction of Libya’s infrastructure.
• The mission warns that the build-up of armed forces in the South risks further escalation and calls on all parties to work towards a ceasefire agreement, advance dialogue and reconciliation efforts, and refrain from rhetoric that may inflame the situation.
• The mission also recognizes and commends the national and local leaders who are taking steps to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict and stands ready to support these efforts.

 

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that escalating fighting continues to be reported in parts of eastern Ghouta, causing extensive civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
• As mentioned in yesterday’s briefing, an estimated 147 civilians (including eight medical cases) were evacuated on 13 March, as observed by a United Nations team at the Al-Wafideen crossing to Dweir collective shelter in Rural Damascus. Other evacuations not observed by the United Nations are also reported to have taken place, including 126 people from Misraba on 11 March and 35 people today.
• Following the evacuation yesterday, a United Nations interagency mission visited the collective shelter that received evacuees. Families were assisted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent with non-food items, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food. The shelter has a staffed medical point, water and electricity.
• The delivery of humanitarian assistance, including medical and health supplies, for people in need in Duma and throughout eastern Ghouta remains urgently needed.

 

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Minister of Social Development of the State of Palestine today launched the 2018 Humanitarian Response Plan for the occupied Palestinian territory to support the humanitarian needs of 1.9 million Palestinians.
• The plan appeals for $539.7 million to address urgent humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. If funding is secured, humanitarian actors will be able to enhance the protection of Palestinians, improve vulnerable people’s access to basic services, and support their ability cope with and overcome crises.
• Around 75 per cent of the requested funds targets Palestinians in Gaza.

 

• The Secretary-General has appointed ten members of the fifth Advisory Group of his Peacebuilding Fund, or PBF for short.
• The PBF is the Organization’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk or affected by violent conflict. From 2006 to 2017, the PBF has allocated $772 million to forty-one recipient countries.
• The appointees hail from Germany, Guatemala, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Somalia, Sweden, Tanzania and the United Kingdom.
• The Secretary-General also thanks the members of the fourth Advisory for their advice and support which has considerably strengthened the impact of the Fund globally.  
• There is a Note with much more detail in my office.

 

• The Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is in Haiti today for consultations with the Haitian authorities.  
• He will reinforce the Secretary-General’s message of solidarity with the Haitian people and support to the Government, based on mutual respect and trust.

 

• At the end of a two-day mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, and the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag, called on the international community to urgently address the crisis facing the country.
• More than 13 million people need humanitarian assistance and 4.5 million have been forced to flee their homes due to fighting.
• More than 4.6 million Congolese children are acutely malnourished, including 2.2 million cases of severe acute malnutrition.
• Epidemics are spreading, including the worst outbreak of cholera in 15 years.
• On 13 April in Geneva, the European Commission, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates will co-host the first-ever humanitarian donor conference for the DRC.
• Humanitarian partners require nearly US$1.7 billion this year to address humanitarian needs in the country.

 

• UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner will visit Zimbabwe from 15–18 March. This is the first visit by a UN official since the end of Robert Mugabe’s Presidency and the transfer of power in November 2017.
• During his visit, Mr. Steiner will meet with President Emmerson Mnangagwa and other senior officials to discuss how the UN can support the upcoming elections and actions it can take to assist in Zimbabwe’s economic recovery.
• He will also meet with a number of Independent Commissions, including the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission, and the Gender Commission. 

 

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a mobile application to enable farmers, agricultural workers and other partners at the frontline of the fight against Fall Armyworm in Africa to identify, report the level of infestation, and map the spread of this destructive insect. 
• The Fall Armyworm Monitoring and Early Warning System (FAMEWS) mobiel app provides valuable insights on how the insect changes over time and space to improve knowledge of its behaviour in Africa and guide best response.
• Initially implemented in Madagascar and Zambia, the app is now being rolled out across all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa affected by the invasive pest.
• Once farmers and workers check their crops for infestations and upload the required data, the app calculates infestation levels so that farmers can take immediate actions to manage the situation.
• Fall Armyworm has already infected millions of hectares of maize in Africa - a staple crop across the continent - threatening the food security of more than 300 million people.
• By early 2018, only 10 out of the 54 African states and territories (mostly in the north of the continent) have not reported infestations.

 

• The Secretary-General responded to the death of Stephen Hawking with a tweet this morning in which he has said that Stephen Hawking was a cosmic force and an inspiration.  
• The Secretary-General says that he taught us the mysteries of outer space and the potential of our inner selves. The United Nations has lost a friend and the world a strong advocate of science for the common good.

 

• Today, Fiji has paid its regular budget dues in full. This takes the Honour Roll to 67.