HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ, 
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES 
THURSDAY, 18 AUGUST 2022 

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVEL
The Secretary-General is in Lviv, where he has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  The two were later joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for a trilateral meeting.
In his remarks to the press afterwards the Secretary-General reiterated that the United Nations will go on working in full solidarity with the Ukrainian people to mobilize all of our capacities and resources – alongside our national partners – to continue to provide humanitarian support to people in need, wherever it is required.  
He also underscored that the positive momentum on the food front reflects a victory for diplomacy and for multilateralism. Getting food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia in larger quantities is crucial to further calm commodity markets and lower prices, Mr. Guterres said. “It is essential to provide relief to the most vulnerable people and countries,” he added.  
The Secretary-General said he had discussed the investigation of the tragic incident in a detention facility in Olenivka on 29 July.  In relation to that, he announced that he intends to appoint General Carlos dos Santos Cruz of Brazil to lead a fact-finding mission. In order for the mission to work, he told the press, it needs to have the necessary assurances to guarantee secure access to the site and any other relevant locations. To put it simply, the Secretary-General said, a fact-finding mission must be free to find the facts. 
The Secretary-General arrived in Lviv yesterday evening, and, earlier today, he briefly visited the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv. In speaking to reporters afterwards, the Secretary-General noted the links between the United Nations and the university, adding that today, the contributions of civil society and of academia are increasingly essential in the development of modern democracies.

UKRAINE 
The UN, along with its humanitarian partners, yesterday delivered 60 tonnes of critical supplies in Zaporizka oblast to help meet the most immediate needs of nearly 6,000 people who remain in the Orikhiv settlement, only 6 kilometres from the front line. 
The nine-truck humanitarian convoy brought food, water, hygiene kits, health supplies, shelter kits and relief items to help people stay warm in the cold season ahead. 
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that this is the first convoy to reach this severely affected area since the war began.  
Across Ukraine, aid workers have provided life-saving assistance to nearly 12 million people affected by the war since February. However, assistance remains limited in areas beyond the control of the Ukrainian Government.

AFGHANISTAN 
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today said that it deplores yesterday’s attack on a Kabul Mosque, the latest in a disturbing series of bombings which have killed and injured more than 250 people in recent weeks, the highest monthly number of civilian casualties over the last year.  The UN Mission noted that scores of civilians were killed and injured in Wednesday’s attack. UNAMA extended its deepest sympathies to the families of the killed and a speedy recovery to the injured.  
With security deteriorating, the UN calls on the de facto Taliban authorities to take concrete steps to prevent all forms of terrorism in Afghanistan. UNAMA stressed that vulnerable communities should be provided additional support and perpetrators brought to justice.

ARMENIA 
The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the loss of life and injuries caused by the explosion in a warehouse in the Armenian capital Yerevan on Sunday, 14 August. He extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Armenia. He wishes the injured a speedy recovery. 
The United Nations stands by the people of Armenia during this period of mourning.

SYRIA 
In Syria, the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator there, Imran Riza, yesterday concluded a four-day mission to the northeastern Al Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa Governorates. 
Mr. Riza warned in a statement today that north-east Syria is facing a severe water crisis - from drinking water to water for irrigation, food production, and power generation – impacting people’s health and livelihoods. He said that the UN, working with all parties concerned, is committed to addressthis crisis.  
Mr. Riza also visited several camps for internally displaced persons and called for sustained access to services to help affected families in and out of camps break the cycles of poverty and crisis so they can live their lives in dignity. 
He expressed concern about the increasing levels of violence in Al Hol camp. This year alone, at least 26 people, including three this week, have been murdered in the camp. 20 of those murdered were women.

HAITI 
In Haiti, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that one year after the devastating earthquake that struck the southwestern part of the country, more than 250,000 children do not have access to adequate schools.  
Reconstruction has been delayed by insecurity and lack of funds and may take years to complete. Despite a challenging environment and limited funding, UNICEF has rebuilt or rehabilitated 234 classrooms. The agency has also provided school kits to 74,000 students. Additionally, almost 100 high performance tents were installed in damaged schools.  
UNICEF has also repaired 22 drinking water systems reaching 440,000 people.  It also provided 23,000 hygiene kits to 121,000 people.   
At the end of last year, UNICEF requested $97 million through the 2022 Humanitarian Appeal for Children to reach 950,000 people, including 520,000 children in Haiti. To date, UNICEF has only received 30 per cent of the funding needed. The agency is asking for $64.6 million in urgent funding to continue helping the most vulnerable.

COMOROS 
In Comoros, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator François Batalingaya, says there has been progress on COVID-19 vaccinations. Now, over 70 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 have been fully vaccinated, following a month-long national campaign, led by health authorities with the support of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  
In addition, the UN joint efforts helped the authorities vaccinate nearly half of the entire population. As a result, Comoros is now among the top ten African countries with a high percentage of fully vaccinated people. This success is also attributed to a gender-based community engagement co-led by WHO and UNICEF to involve training nearly 200 women and 140 young journalists in vaccination promotion for youth and early screening.

MADAGASCAR 
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today warned that three consecutive years of severe drought in the Grand Sud of Madagascar have led to the country’s worst food crisis in the last 20 years, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of already poor populations.  Despite humanitarian interventions, FAO said that the outcome of the main agricultural season in 2021 was low due to reduced cultivated areas linked to limited access to agricultural inputs and the delayed onset of rains.  
FAO notes that the situation was worsened by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has now paid its regular budget dues. DRC’s payment takes us to 117 fully paid-up Member States.