HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHEN DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 18 FEBRUARY 2016

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General condemned the violence that broke out overnight and continued today, 18 February, in the UNMISS Protection of Civilians site in Malakal, in South Sudan, claiming the lives of at least seven internally displaced persons and injuring approximately 40 others so far. 
• The Secretary-General noted with concern the rising inter-communal tensions between the Dinka and Shilluk which precipitated this incident. He warns all parties against stoking ethnic disputes and calls on them to refrain from any actions or statements that could further escalate the situation. 
• The Secretary-General also reminded all concerned, including Government security forces, of the inviolability of the United Nations compounds. He underscores in no uncertain terms that any attack directed against civilians, UN premises and peacekeepers may constitute a war crime. 
• The Secretary-General urged the leaders of South Sudan to implement without delay the peace agreement reached six months ago, so that the people of South Sudan can begin a process of reconciliation and healing.
• The UN Mission (UNMISS) has increased perimeter patrolling while physically securing areas in the vicinity of the Protection of Civilians’ site. It is also engaging with local authorities in Malakal to de-escalate the situation.
• The Mission reminds all concerned, including security forces, of the civilian characteristic of the compound, and the sanctity of UN assets and personnel as well as that of the civilians protected inside the UN compound. Such an attack against civilians and UN premises may constitute a war crime.
• The UN Mission in South Sudan protects more than 47,000 civilians in Malakal – and almost 200,000 civilians at six bases throughout South Sudan.

SECRETARY-GENERAL THANKS HIS PREDECESSOR BOUTROS-GHALI FOR “HIS LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS” TO U.N. AT MEMORIAL

• The Secretary-General today signed the Book of Condolences for former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali. The UN flag in New York as well as in other cities, including Geneva and Vienna, are flying half-mast today.
• Speaking at the General Assembly memorial earlier today, the Secretary-General said that Mr. Boutros-Ghali, who was the first post-Cold-War Secretary-General of the UN, broke barriers as the first African and Arab Secretary-General and consistently gave voice to the poorest and least powerful members of the human family. 
• Thanking Mr. Boutros-Ghali for his lasting contributions to the work of the UN, the Secretary-General said that at a tumultuous time, he helped the organization find its footing in a new global landscape. He called on everyone to build on his legacy.
• I also wanted to flag that UN Archives has informed us that 20 years after the end of former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s term in 1996, his papers are now open to the public.
• There are nearly 500 boxes containing records related to his responsibilities as the head of the organization, including documents ranging from his travels across the globe to personal correspondence to coordination with other UN entities.
• The majority of the records are available for viewing and public research in the UN Archives reading room in New York. For more information, including instructions on how to make an appointment, please visit the search engine online.

SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENDS LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN STATES FOR THEIR SOLIDARITY WITH PEOPLE IN NEED

• The Secretary-General today spoke at the meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), commending the community for its solidarity with helping people in need, including its contributions to Haiti, regional cooperation on humanitarian crises and generosity in offering to host thousands of Syrian refugees.
• He also thanked the community for its efforts to support the peace process in Colombia, including the Special Declaration adopted at their recent summit in Quito, as well as their willingness to send observers to join the Mission that will be responsible for monitoring and verifying the ceasefire.
• Turning to the prevention of the Zika virus, the Secretary-General stressed that although we do not yet have a clear understanding of the virus, regional cooperation on best practices and strategies must clearly be part of the response. He added that the World Health Organization (WHO) stands ready to support their efforts.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES MORE SUPPORT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA AT HIGH-LEVEL MEETING IN PARIS

• The Deputy Secretary-General today delivered a key-note address on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) high-level meeting in Paris.
• The Deputy Secretary-General called on OECD countries to play a key role in building a close partnership with developing countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda.
• The spirit of solidarity is enshrined in the sustainable development goals, he said, adding that “each and every one of us has a responsibility to translate the goals into reality.” 

TURKEY: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS EXPLOSION IN ANKARA

• In a statement we issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General condemned the explosion in Ankara earlier that day, which occurred at rush hour in the heart of the city and claimed the lives of at least 28 people and injured dozens more.
• The Secretary-General hopes the perpetrators of this terrorist attack will be swiftly brought to justice. He sends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims. The United Nations stands in solidarity with the people and the Government of Turkey at this tragic time.

U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY CALLS FOR MORE SUPPORT TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN NEED IN SYRIA

• The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, had a conference call today with the 18 countries who are part of the International Support Group.  He said the members of the Support Group were encouraged that 114 trucks have been able to reach 82,000 people in besieged parts of Syria, including Madaya, Mouadhimiyeh, Kafrayah, Fouah and Zabadani. He said that he was quite pleased that so many people had been provided with aid but added that we need to go beyond that and assist all those who are in need in Syria.
• In Madaya and Zabadani, food, health supplies reached some 40,000 beneficiaries. Food, basic household items and health assistance reached 22,000 people in need in Moadamiyeh and for 20,000 beneficiaries in Foah and Kafraya. Additional convoys to the same towns as well as to other besieged areas are planned in the coming days.
• The humanitarian community continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all the 4.6 million people in hard-to-reach or besieged towns across Syria. Assistance has been delivered to a limited number of locations.

HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR CALLS ON ISRAEL TO HALT DEMOLITIONS IN OCCUPIED WEST BANK

• In a press statement today, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Robert Piper, called on Israel to halt demolitions in the occupied West Bank immediately and to respect international law.
• He said that the number of demolitions for just the first six weeks of 2016 is greatly alarming. More than 400 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes – equivalent to over half the total number of Palestinians displaced in all of 2015.
• Mr. Piper added that Palestinians in the West Bank have the right to adequate housing and the right to receive humanitarian assistance. As the occupying power, Israel is obliged to respect these rights.
• The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, spoke to the press in Gaza and once more expressed his concerns at the detention of Mohammed al-Qeiq. He said that the UN has spoken very clearly against administrative detention everywhere around the world, which he said violates international humanitarian law.

YEMEN: U.N. AND AID PARTNERS LAUNCH APPEAL FOR 2016

• The humanitarian community in Yemen today launched an appeal for $1.8 billion to provide critical and life-saving assistance to 13.6 million people who have been affected by the escalation in conflict across the country.
• The 2016 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan is a coordinated response of over 100 aid organizations to an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
• In total, 21.2 million people – four out of five Yemenis – are in need of humanitarian assistance. Relentless conflict with increased attacks on essential civilian and economic infrastructure has pushed basic social services to a near collapse, the economy has ground to a halt and millions of families have lost their livelihoods.
• In January, the humanitarian community provided regular monthly food rations to approximately 2.6 million people; direct water deliveries to over 234,000 people; and supplied fuel to water pumping stations for more than 3 million people. Health facilities reached over 102,000 people.

U.N. STRONGLY CONDEMNS VIOLENCE IN MALAKAL

**The guest at the noon briefing was the Director of Operations at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, John Ging, who briefed about the impact of El Niño on countries in South America.**