HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESAY, 25 AUGUST 2020
TOURISM
The Secretary-General’s Policy Brief looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism was published today.
In a video message, the Secretary-General called tourism one of the world’s most important economic sectors, employing one in every ten people.
He called tourism itself one of the wonders of the world, which is why it is so painful to see how tourism has been devastated by the pandemic.
The Secretary-General said that in the first five months of this year, international tourist arrivals decreased by more than half and some $320 billion in exports from tourism were lost. Overall, 120 million direct jobs in tourism are at risk, and the crisis is an emergency for developing nations.
Mr. Guterres stressed that it is important that we rebuild the tourism sector in a way that is safe, equitable and climate friendly.
MIDDLE EAST
The Security Council held an open video teleconference on the situation in the Middle East. Briefing was Nickolay Mladenov, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. In his remarks he reiterated how the Secretary-General has welcomed the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, saying he hopes it will create an opportunity for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to re-engage.
Mr. Mladenov noted that the deal has the potential to change dynamics across the region, creating new opportunities for cooperation at a time when the Middle East and the world face grave dangers from COVID-19 as well as radicalization. He added that it will create new economic opportunities and opportunities for peace. He also voiced concern over the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and in Israel. The UN and partners have continued to support Palestinians in responding to the pandemic, including by addressing critical gaps in medical supplies and equipment.
UNRWA
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said that it is extremely concerned about the closure of the lone power plant in Gaza since last Tuesday, 18th of August and with the impact it will have on healthcare and other sectors.
LEBANON
In response to a question on Lebanon yesterday, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the UN and partners are continuing to deliver emergency assistance to those most in need following the Beirut blast. More than 180,000 people are being reached with critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance, including health, food assistance, and protection assistance.
UNICEF has been able to deliver 18 shipments of critical humanitarian supplies, totaling 67 tons, through two airlifts and commercial cargo routes, to support children and families impacted by the Beirut explosions. The shipments included vital personal protective equipment, medical, health hygiene and nutrition supplies.
For its part, the World Food Programme said that it brought in 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour into the country to stabilize the price of bread across Lebanon. WFP has also begun constructing mobile storage units at Beirut Port, which can be used by our partners as storage space for bagged food items and non-food items.
WFP is also working to provide food parcels to families that have impacted by the blast. Each food parcel contains around 60 kilograms of food items - enough for a family of five for one month.
UNFPA, the UN Population Fund is running mobile medical units that provide medical care and reproductive health services to women impacted by the explosions.
YEMEN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said heavy rains and flooding since March continue to impact the country, with some 300,000 people believed to have lost their homes and livelihoods. The rains are also impacting people who have had to flee conflict. Nearly 150 people have died from the flooding, which has also damaged homes, roads, electrical towers, and telecommunication services, among other infrastructures. The UN and partners are assessing the situation and mobilizing emergency assistance, including food and other items. However, UN partners are running low on emergency shelter and other non-food items in several districts. Aid agencies are struggling with severe funding gaps for many core programmes, which is contributing to these challenges.
To date, the UN Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan is only 24 per cent funded. The UN urges donors to pay all outstanding pledges, and those who have already given to increase, and those have not given yet to give.
AFGHANISTAN
Fighting in Kunduz province has led to the displacement of approximately 52,500 people. This began on 16 August, when a non-state armed group staged multiple attacks on Afghan National Security Forces outposts, which in turn responded with ground offensives and airstrikes. As of today, fighting has reduced in intensity but remains in concentrated areas, however, the security situation remains tense across Kunduz. The UN and partners have deployed joint assessment teams in Kunduz. An additional surge of staff from other parts of the country is ongoing to boost assessment and response capacity. The UN and partners will start providing humanitarian assistance including shelter, food and health based on assessed needs.
SYRIA
The UN remains concerned about the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases across the country, where capacity to test and to respond remains limited.
To date, the Syrian Ministry of Health has confirmed 2,293 cases, that’s including 92 deaths.
As part of its support, the UN Syria Humanitarian Fund has begun the disbursement of $23 million for 32 approved projects in the health, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as protection, food and logistics sectors.
The World Food Programme has also expanded its activities to include food distribution at quarantine centres and UNICEF has included soap in its general food assistance packages. The World Health Organization is leading the UN preparedness and mitigation measures across Syria, including in the northwest and in the northeast.
UN PEACEKEEPING
The UN Mission in South Sudan has provided antibacterial soaps and handwashing buckets to communities in Eastern Equatoria, making it easier for people to follow recommended hygiene guidelines. The Mission also donated an ambulance to the COVID-19 task force in Kodok in Upper Nile State to help local workers move around easier.
In Lebanon, the UN Interim Force has provided personal protective equipment and other supplies to host communities in the country’s southeast. The Mission will donate further supplies to other municipalities in southern Lebanon in the coming days.
In Mali, the UN Mission there continues to deliver on its mandate as it also works to address the pandemic. As part of its Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme, the Mission helped to inaugurate a community centre for young people in the city of Askia, in Gao, to help fight violent extremism and youth radicalization. This new centre will host meetings and training for young people as part of the implementation of the National Policy for the Prevention and Fight against Violent Extremism in Mali.
MOLDOVA
The UN team, led by the Resident Coordinator, Simon Springett, is working with authorities to tackle the health, social and economic impacts of the pandemic.
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery plan seeks to recover better to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. While nearly all companies in Moldova are either small or medium-sized, employing 60 per cent of the population, a recent report by the UN Development Programme found that only one in three companies have the resources to cushion the impact of the pandemic. UNDP and its partners are offering training to help businesses survive and adapt to the new challenges.
The International Organization for Migration and UNDP surveyed the Moldovan diaspora, finding that 150,000 Moldovan migrants are expected to return to their home country this year. This could lead to an eight per cent jump in unemployment by the end of 2020.
UN Women has found that, during the pandemic, women in urban areas have registered more cases of domestic violence compared to those in rural areas.
DIGITAL FINANCING
Tomorrow at 10 a.m. the report entitled “People’s Money: Harnessing Digitalization to Finance a Sustainable Future” will be launched. The report was put together by the Secretary-General’s Task Force on Digital Financing and highlights how billions of people around the world are responding to the pandemic using digital tools to work, spend and socialize. It argues that there is an historic opportunity to harness digitalization in placing citizens, the ultimate owners of the world’s financial resources, in control of finance to ensure that it meets their needs, today and in the future. The report also identifies key opportunities going forward to use digital finance as a critical building block for sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Secretary-General will be speaking at the launch and it will be livestreamed.
