HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 22 MARCH 2019
CYCLONE IDAI
I have the following statement by the Secretary-General on Cyclone Idai. And again this is in the name of the Secretary-General.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and heart-wrenching images of human suffering we have seen since Cyclone Idai hit Beira, Mozambique on the night of 14 March, and then swept into Malawi and Zimbabwe, resulting in the massive disaster.
I have been encouraged by the efforts of national and international search and rescue teams, who have been working around the clock to save thousands of lives under dangerous and challenging conditions.
These heroes have not only rescued families off roofs, but are also delivering food, water purification tablets and other life-saving humanitarian assistance to survivors after communities have literally been washed away.
The UN and humanitarian partners are scaling up the response with the initial funding from generous donors. The UN has already released US$ 20 million to kick-start the response. However, far greater international support is needed.
With crops destroyed in the breadbasket of Mozambique more people are at risk of food insecurity in all three countries. And homes, schools, hospitals and roads lie in ruin.
What is needed now are funds to support the response in the days, weeks and months to come.
We must all stand in solidarity with the people of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
I would like to make a strong appeal to the international community to step up support.
HUMANITARIAN UPDATE/CYCLONE IDAI
UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore is in Mozambique’s Beira to see the impact of Cyclone Idai on children and families there.
She said that the situation on the ground remains critical, with there being no electricity or running water. Ms. Fore noted that hundreds of thousands of children need immediate help and that the priority right now is to give them shelter, food, water, education and protection.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that more than 1.8 million people need assistance in Mozambique. At least 242 people have died and more than 1,400 others have been injured, according to the Government.
UNICEF is supporting WFP with food distribution and is also providing water purification supplies and is helping to set up spaces to protect children and provide psychosocial support.
MOSQUE
In just a short while from now, the Secretary-General will visit the Islamic Cultural Centre of New York, and he will visit the mosque and intends to speak to the press while he is there.
He will discuss the attack last week on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand and will say that around the world, we have seen ever-rising anti-Muslim hatred, anti-Semitism, hate speech and bigotry.
And he will make a call to reaffirm the sanctity of all places of worship and the safety of all worshippers who visit revered sites in a spirit of compassion and tolerance.
IRAQ
The Secretary-General is saddened by the tragic loss of lives after a passenger ferry capsized yesterday in the Tigris River near the Iraqi city of Mosul. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims, the Government and people of Iraq and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.
This tragedy happened on the Nowruz holiday, when many across Iraq were celebrating the first day of spring. The Secretary-General conveys the solidarity of the United Nations with the Republic of Iraq as well as its readiness to support national assistance efforts as needed.
CHINA
The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn about the loss of life and injuries caused by the explosion at a chemical plant in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province of China. He extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.
The Secretary-General expresses his heartfelt sympathies to the people and Government of China.
WESTERN SAHARA
Horst Köhler, the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, spoke to reporters in Geneva today after the second roundtable meeting on Western Sahara.
He said that this meeting demonstrated that all delegations are aware that many people are placing hope in this process, with the costs of this conflict being far too high.
Mr. Köhler read a joint communique agreed on by all four delegations, which said that they welcomed the new momentum created by the first roundtable meeting in December of last year.
The delegations also said they held in-depth discussions on how to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution to the question of Western Sahara that is realistic, practicable, enduring, based on compromise, just, lasting, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2440 (2018).
There was consensus that the whole Maghreb would greatly benefit from a solution to the question of Western Sahara. Delegations also recognized that the region had a special responsibility to contribute to a solution.
They also welcomed Mr. Köhler’s intention to invite them to meet again in the same format.
SYRIA
The UN Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, concluded his visit to Syria and has been in Lebanon, where he met with President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker Nabih Berri.
Today, the Special Envoy is visiting Syrian refugees in shelters in Mount Lebanon.
PHILIPPINES
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that more measles cases continue to be recorded in the Philippines, with nearly 23,000 cases – including 333 deaths officially reported – so far. This marks a 385 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Over half of the cases involve children under the age of five.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled the overall risk of the current outbreak as high, but there are signs that the outbreak is beginning to slow down, in part due to stepped up vaccination efforts.
UNICEF is helping to procure 6 million additional vaccines and, together with WHO, will deploy personnel to support the national vaccination campaign.
WORLD WATER DAY
Today is World Water Day, and this year’s theme is ‘Leaving no one behind,’ which is the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In his message on the Day, the Secretary-General stressed that water is a human right and that nobody should be denied access to it.
He noted that, today, 2.1 billion people live without safe water due to factors such as economic status, gender, ethnicity, religion and age, and that, by 2030, some 700 million people worldwide could be displaced by intense water scarcity.
As we strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, he said that we must value water resources and ensure their inclusive management if we are to protect and use this vital resource sustainably for the benefit of all people.