HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​, 
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2020

WORLD STATISTICS DAY 
Today is World Statistics Day. In his message, the Secretary-General stressed that statistics are fundamental for evidence-based policy making.  Current, timely and reliable data help us to understand the changing world in which we live. 
He added that the coronavirus pandemic has further elevated the importance of data to save lives and recover better.

CENTRAL SAHEL 
The central Sahel region is at a breaking point, that’s what the Secretary-General said in a pre-recorded video message prepared for today’s High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in that region. 
The security situation has deteriorated sharply, and humanitarian needs in the border region between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have reached record levels, he added. COVID-19 is making it all worse.  
The Secretary-General said that the appeal for an immediate global ceasefire is crucial for the people of the central Sahel. The downward spiral needs to be reversed with a renewed push for peace and reconciliation. He also called for more humanitarian assistance, for space to reach people in need and for more investments in development.  
With better funding, we can do much more, he said as he urged Member States for strong support.

CENTRAL SAHEL/ OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, also participated in the meeting and sounded the alarm, saying that nowhere in the world worries him as much as the Sahel in the medium-term. 
The results of the conference: We want to thank over the 20 donors who have pledged over $1.7 billion to scale up life-saving humanitarian aid for millions of people in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. This includes $985 million for this year and $704 million for 2021 and beyond. 
Once released, the funds will help some 10 million people for the remainder of this year and through 2021 with nutrition, food, health services, water and sanitation, shelter, education, protection and support to survivors of gender-based violence. 
The final list of pledges and donors will be available later today on the interweb.

SECURITY COUNCIL/PERSIAN GULF 
The Secretary-General spoke virtually to the Security Council at its meeting this morning on the Persian Gulf.  He reminded members that he has appealed for an immediate global ceasefire to focus on the one true fight:  the battle against the COVID-19 virus, and the Security Council has joined this call.   
Regarding Yemen, he said that fortunately, for now, hostilities have subsided, but this is not enough.  He added that we need an immediate ceasefire and return to the negotiating table to work out a political settlement to end the war.  Nothing else will suffice.   
Looking at the wider Persian Gulf region, the Secretary-General said that it is clear that tensions are running high and confidence is low.  Since May 2019, he added, a number of security incidents have raised tensions to new levels, heightening concerns of a larger conflict.   
The Secretary-General recalled the role of the Helsinki process in dealing with the tensions of the Cold War and he hoped that it would be possible to establish a similar platform for the Persian Gulf, starting with a number of confidence-building measures. These may include, for example, the ways to combat COVID-19, promote economic recovery, ensure unhindered maritime navigation and facilitate religious pilgrimages. 

LEBANON
In Lebanon, we, along with our humanitarian partners are continuing to deliver assistance to those most in need following the explosions over two months ago in Beirut.  
Since the beginning of the response, more than 36,000 people have benefitted from protection services; nearly 83,000 people received in-kind food parcels, covering 72 per cent of their known needs to date, while 12,500 metric tonnes of wheat flour have been distributed, covering approximately 80 per cent of affected stocks. 
More than 27,000 people have received cash assistance since August.  
Rehabilitation of shelters remains one of the main areas of ongoing work for us and our partners. 
Nearly 4,000 households were re-connected to their water supplies, covering two-thirds of the known needs estimated; and more than 3,300 water tanks and 235 pumps were also installed since the beginning of the response.  
The UN-coordinated response planned for the Beirut Port explosions is seeking $355 million targeting 300,000 people in need, but it remains less than 29 per cent funded. Beyond humanitarian assistance, Lebanon will continue to require substantial and long-term assistance to support recovery, reconstruction and economic reform.

KYRGYZ REPUBLIC  
In response to questions, the Spokesman said that the UN continues to monitor developments in the Kyrgyz Republic closely.  
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia, Natalia Gherman, continues her engagements in Bishkek. Today, she met with the Prime Minister and acting President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sadyr Japarov.
In her meetings, she has highlighted the need to ensure that decisions on the way forward are within the country’s constitutional and legislative framework, and are being made in an inclusive and transparent manner.
The UN remains ready to support all efforts towards that end.
Ms. Gherman will continue her meetings with relevant interlocutors in Bishkek throughout the week.

COVID-19/KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
On the COVID front in the Kyrgyz Republic, our colleagues there from the UN country team, led by Resident Coordinator Ozonnia Ojielo, continue to work with authorities to address the impacts of the pandemic.  
The World Health Organization (WHO)  has just delivered 1.5 million medical masks to the Ministry of Health for health workers across the country.  
Due to procurement and distribution challenges resulting from the pandemic, we’ve also been providing supplies for people with diabetes. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) provided 4,000 insulin doses, half a million insulin syringes and 230,000 blood and urine glucose test strips, as well as containers for used syringes. These supplies will be distributed to medical facilities across the country, including in remote areas. We are also procuring another 20,000 doses of insulin to cover the needs of 650 children and adolescents for a full year.

ROHINGYA  
Ahead of a virtual donor conference this week to raise funds to help the Rohingya inside and outside Myanmar, the UN Refugee Agency  (UNHCR) today stressed the need for stronger international support and a redoubling of efforts to find solutions for this stateless and displaced population.  
On Thursday, UNHCR – together with the US, the UK and the European Union – will host the conference, which you can follow online. 
Less than half of the funds requested for the humanitarian response have been received so far.

CHILDREN/EXTREME POVERTY 
An analysis released today by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank Group reveals that an estimated 1 in 6 children lived in extreme poverty before the pandemic, and this is set to worsen significantly. 
The analysis notes that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of children living in households that struggle to survive on an average of $1.90 a day or less per person – the international measure for extreme poverty. South Asia accounts for nearly a fifth of these children. 
UNICEF and the World Bank warn that any progress made in recent years is concerningly slow-paced, unequally distributed, and at risk due to the impact of the pandemic.

UNESCO/ART TRAFFICKING 
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today launched an international awareness campaign, highlighting the devastation of the history and identity of peoples wreaked by the illicit trade in cultural goods, which is estimated to be worth nearly $10 billion each year. 
The Real Price of Art campaign shows that in some cases, the looting of archaeological sites, which fuels this traffic, is highly organized and constitutes a major source of financing for criminal and terrorist organizations. 
The campaign marks the 50th anniversary of UNESCO’s Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property adopted in 1970.

UN75/ VIRTUAL PHOTO EXHIBITION  
Today, the UN launched a virtual photo exhibition called #TheWorldWeWant, in advance of #UNDay, to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.  
The virtual exhibit is a special collection of 75 photos curated from more than 50,000 images from 130 countries. It is a creative response to the UN Secretary-General’s call to hear directly from the peoples of the world about their vision for the future.  
The exhibit features winning images from #TheWorldWeWant campaign, a photo competition hosted by the mobile app Agora in support of UN75.

PRESS BRIEFING TOMORROW 
Tomorrow at 1.30 p.m., there will be a virtual press briefing by Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.