Noon briefing of 19 August 2016

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

FRIDAY, 19 AUGUST 2016

U.N. TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAITIAN CHOLERA VICTIMS: SECRETARY-GENERAL

• The Secretary-General notes yesterday's decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which upheld the immunity of the Organization from legal proceedings in the case of Georges et al v. United Nations et. al, in accordance with the UN Charter and other international treaties.
• The Secretary-General deeply regrets the terrible suffering the people of Haiti have endured as a result of the cholera epidemic.
• The United Nations has a moral responsibility to the victims of the cholera epidemic and for supporting Haiti in overcoming the epidemic and building sound water, sanitation and health systems.
• Sustained efforts by national authorities and the international community have contributed to a 90 per cent reduction in the number of cases since the peak in 2011. However, eliminating cholera from Haiti will take the full commitment of the Haitian Government and the international community and, crucially, the resources to fulfill our shared duty.
• The Secretary-General is actively working to develop a package that would provide material assistance and support to those Haitians most directly affected by cholera.
• These efforts must include, as a central focus, the victims of the disease and their families. The United Nations also intends to intensify its support to reduce, and ultimately end, the transmission of cholera, improve access to care and treatment and address the longer-term issues of water, sanitation and health systems in Haiti.
• Despite repeated appeals, these efforts have been seriously underfunded, and severe and persistent funding shortfalls remain. The Secretary-General urges Member States to demonstrate their solidarity with the people of Haiti by increasing their contributions to eliminate cholera and provide assistance to those affected.
• For decades, the United Nations has stood by the Haitian people, supporting them in their quest for democracy and the strengthening of their institutions and helping to rebuild the nation after the tragic earthquake of 2010. The Secretary-General and the United Nations as a whole are determined to continue this support, honour the people of Haiti and help them usher in a more peaceful and prosperous future.

130 MILLION PEOPLE DEPEND ON ASSISTANCE TO SURVIVE: U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL

• In the Secretary-General’s message today to mark World Humanitarian Day, he says a record 130 million people are dependent on humanitarian assistance to survive.
• He said although the figure is truly staggering, it tells only a fraction of the story.
• People no different to you and me, he said -- children, women and men -- face impossible choices every day.
• They are parents who must choose between buying food or medicine for their children; families who must risk bombing at home or a perilous escape by sea. 　
• He urged everyone to sign on to the United Nations “World You’d Rather” campaign, which raises awareness, and collects money for humanitarian relief.
• Jan Eliasson, the Deputy Secretary-General, also spoke on the day.
• In ceremonies marking the 13^th Anniversary of the bombing in Iraq that took 22 UN lives, Mr. Eliasson said, that- for UN personnel, “having lost our colleagues not only in Iraq but all over the world before and since then – the most important thing for us to do is to work in an even more determined way, never losing our faith in the role of the UN...”
• Mr. Eliasson will deliver an address on World Humanitarian Day later this afternoon in the General Assembly

U.N. SYRIA ENVOY WELCOMES RUSSIAN SUPPORT FOR A 48-HOUR HUMANITARIAN PAUSE IN ALEPPO

• Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, has received a communication from the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, stating its readiness to support his proposal of a 48-hour humanitarian pause in Aleppo.
• The Special Envoy welcomed the Russian Federation’s statement, and the United Nations humanitarian team is now set to mobilize itself to respond to this challenge, as stated recently by Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien. The plan is to collectively work out the operational details and be ready for delivery as soon as possible.
• The United Nations counts on the Russian Federation to deliver their part, regarding, in particular, the adherence of the Syrian armed forces to the pause, once it comes into effect.
• The United Nations further counts on all those with access to or influence on the armed opposition, in particular the United States, as co-chair of the International Syria Support Group, as well as other relevant Support Group members, to ensure that the armed opposition also respects the 48-hours humanitarian pause.

U.N. DOCUMENTS DA’ESH SYSTEMATIC ABUSE IN IRAQ

• A UN report on Da'esh in Iraq documents systematic and widespread killings, sexual violence and sexual slavery, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, forced conversions and forced displacement.
• The report, compiled by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is based on testimony of the victims themselves, particularly among the Yezidis.
• It documents Da’esh activities since the attack on Sinjar in August 2014,
• Women interviewed by the UN spoke of being sold multiple times and having their young children and babies snatched from them
• It said up to 600 men were reportedly killed in Tel Afar District.

‘SHOCKING’ LEVEL OF SUFFERING FOUND IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA: U.N REFUGEE AGENCY

• The UN Refugee Agency, (UNHCR) reported today military advances by government forces, and the Multi-National Joint Task Force against Boko Haram, in northeast Nigeria have exposed a ‘shocking’ level of suffering among the people there.
• The agency said there are numerous reports of human rights violations, including deaths, sexual violence, disappearances, forced recruitment, forced religious conversions and attacks on civilian sites.
• Some 800,000 additional internally displaced people have been identified as needing help.
• Severe malnutrition on a wide scale is being reported, and the needs are growing with each day. UNHCR is responding by scaling up its operations. The immediate focus is the needs of some 488,000 highly vulnerable people in critical condition concentrated in 10 newly liberated Local Government Areas in Borno State.
• The agency said with the military campaign still in progress, the situation is shifting and remains dangerous and volatile.

UNICEF CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE END TO RECRUITMENT OF CHILDREN IN SOUTH SUDAN

• More than 650 children have been recruited into armed groups in South Sudan since the beginning of this year, the UN Children Fund (UNICEF) said today. Fearful that renewed conflict could put tens of thousands of children at ever greater risk, UNICEF called for an immediate end to recruitment and the unconditional release of all children by armed actors.
• An estimated 16,000 children have been recruited by armed groups and armed forces since the crisis in South Sudan first began in December 2013.
• UNICEF said children continue to be recruited and used by armed groups and forces despite widespread political commitment to end the practice.
• World Food Programme also reports that South Sudan is facing a humanitarian crisis, particularly acute in some northern regions. Close to 5 million people – more than a third of the population – are estimated to be suffering emergency levels of food insecurity. Malnutrition is above emergency levels in seven of ten states, and nearly twice the emergency threshold in two of them. WFP is doing everything possible to provide life-saving food and nutrition support to those most in need.

U.N WELCOMES ETHIOPIAN INVESTIGATION INTO UNREST IN OROMIA

• The UN Human Rights agency (OHCHR) said today they welcome the decision by Ethiopian authorities to launch an independent investigation into allegations of human rights violations since the unrest began in Oromia region in November 2015.
• They urged the Government to ensure that this investigation is indeed independent, transparent, thorough and effective, with a view to establishing whether the use of excessive force occurred and with a view to bringing to justice the perpetrators of any human rights violations.
• They also reiterated their request for access to the affected areas, as the situation on the ground makes it very challenging for independent civil society actors to operate, particularly given the tense situation in parts of the Oromia and Amhara regions.
• A large security presence has reportedly been deployed in these regions, and there are reports of ongoing arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment.

U.N. CALLS FOR PROMPT RETURN TO CIVILIAN RULE IN THAILAND

• The Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights today expressed its concern about the continued, mounting constraints on the democratic space in Thailand, and called for a prompt return to civilian rule.
• Following the military coup in May 2014, severe restrictions on freedoms of expression and opinion and assembly have been in place through the use of criminal and military laws and orders.
• The High Commissioner’s Office urges Thailand to immediately drop all charges against political activists and human rights defenders, and to release those jailed for voicing dissent on the draft charter in the run-up to the Constitutional referendum.
• It also calls on the authorities to suspend the use of military courts and military orders in cases involving civilians. These measures are now urgently needed as Thailand moves towards an election in 2017 aimed at restoring democracy, as proposed in the military government's roadmap.