Noon briefing of 14 August 2017

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 14 AUGUST 2017

SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST TERRORIST ATTACK IN BURKINA FASO

• In a statement, the Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack perpetrated on 13 August in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
• The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the Government and people of Burkina Faso and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
• The Secretary-General stresses that there can be no justification for such acts of indiscriminate violence. He reiterates the support of the United Nations to Burkina Faso in its fight against violent extremism and terrorism. He also reaffirms the Organization’s commitment to the countries of the G5 Sahel as they scale up efforts to tackle multiple security challenges in order to promote peace and development in the sub-region.

• The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said today that its camps in Douentza, in the Mopti region, were attacked by non-identified gunmen this morning. One Malian soldier and one UN peacekeeper were killed in the attack. Another peacekeeper was slightly injured.
• The UN Mission condemned this attack. We join our colleagues in offering our condolences to the families of the victims and to their governments.

• In a statement, the Secretary-General congratulated the people of Kenya for their peaceful participation in the presidential elections.
• The Secretary-General took note of the results of the presidential election in Kenya, and of the announcement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta as President-elect. He calls on those political leaders disputing the elections results to address election-related disputes through the relevant constitutionally mandated institutions.
• The Secretary-General calls on the political leaders to send clear messages to their supporters urging them to refrain from violence. The Secretary-General also stresses the importance of dialogue to defuse tensions.
• The United Nations, in close collaboration with the African Union and other multilateral and bilateral partners, is fully engaged with Kenya’s political leadership and relevant stakeholders to facilitate the successful conclusion of the electoral process.

• The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, wrapped up a visit to Tehran yesterday, where he met with Foreign Minister Javad Zarif and the Deputy for Arab and African Affairs, Hussein Jaber.
• In his meetings, the Envoy discussed in length the Hodeidah proposal, as an opening to the comprehensive agreement and the need to avoid the further worsening of the humanitarian situation.
• He said that Iran’s support to the UN’s efforts remains strong, adding that there is a common understanding that only a political solution can bring an end to the war and the Hodeidah proposal could be the opening towards a comprehensive political agreement.
• The Envoy is currently in the United Arab Emirates, where he met with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
• The Special Envoy thanked the country for its cooperation and for efforts to help reach a political agreement.
• He will also be meeting with Yemeni and regional politicians in order to rebuild trust between the parties and work on confidence-building measures, including the reopening of Sana'a International Airport and the payment of salaries, that will help improve the humanitarian situation and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that the total number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen has reached the half million mark, with nearly 2,000 people having died since the outbreak began earlier this year.
• Although the spread of cholera has slowed significantly, the disease is still spreading quickly in some areas, with some 5,000 people being infected every day.
• WHO says that Yemen's cholera epidemic, the largest in the world, has spread rapidly due to deteriorating hygiene and sanitation conditions and disruptions to the water supply across the country.
• In addition, a collapsing health system is struggling to cope. There is a severe shortage of medicine and supplies, while 30,000 critical health workers have not been paid salaries in nearly a year.
• WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that Yemen’s health workers are operating in impossible conditions. He added that thousands of people are sick, but there are not enough hospitals, not enough medicines, and not enough clean water.
• WHO and its partners are working around the clock to set up cholera treatment clinics, rehabilitate health facilities, deliver medical supplies, and support the national health response effort.
• Dr. Tedros stressed that, to save lives in Yemen today, we must support the health system, urging Yemeni authorities – and all those who can play a role – to find a political solution to this conflict that has already caused so much suffering. The people of Yemen cannot bear it much longer, he said. They need peace to rebuild their lives and their country.

• UN agencies are deeply concerned about the security and protection of the nearly 50,000 people – mainly women and children – who remain stranded at Syria’s southern border with Jordan in an area known as the berm. Air strikes have been reported in the area in the last few days, and the area is reported to be increasingly unsafe. Some people are reportedly attempting to leave the area, risking further danger and deprivation in an inhospitable desert location.
• The situation for those who remain is worsened by the scarcity of services available in the area, especially food and healthcare. Some families in one part of the berm, Hadalat, where an estimated 4,000 people are living, are reportedly living solely on flour and water.
• The UN is ready to continue supporting the Jordanian authorities, despite limited resources, for the protection of the affected Syrians who have been forced to leave their homes. UN agencies in Jordan are ready to immediately provide protection and additional life-saving assistance as needed. The UN calls on all parties to the conflict to take the necessary steps to prevent further harm to the frightened and highly vulnerable individuals stranded at the border.

• In Somalia, the Government and the UN held an event in Mogadishu to celebrate that the country has been polio free for three years.
• In 2013, Somalia was at the epicentre of a polio outbreak in the Horn of Africa which paralyzed 200 children. Since then, the country worked with the UN to ramp up its vaccination programme to stop the spread of the disease. At the event, the World Health Organization applauded Somalia’s efforts to ward off the highly infectious virus while urging continued caution and vigilance.
• The three-year polio-free milestone comes amidst the worst outbreak of measles the country has seen in years, as well as an outbreak of acute watery diarrhoea/cholera, which began in January. WHO said that polio systems and networks are being used to tackle these outbreaks and reach as many children as possible.

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that 7.7 million people face acute hunger in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) -- a 30 percent increase over the past year. This means that more than one in ten people living in rural areas suffer from acute hunger. Hunger is on the rise due to escalating and prolonged conflict and displacement in central and eastern DRC, mainly in the Kasaï and Tanganyika regions.
• In conflict-ridden areas, over 1.5 million people are facing “emergency” levels of food insecurity, which means people are forced to sell everything they have and skip or reduce their meals. FAO and WFP are calling for an urgent increase in the provision of food to combat malnutrition as well as seeds and tools so that farmers can plant again and regain their livelihoods.
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that cholera cases continue to spread in Tanganyika, with 76 cases reported between 31 July and 6 August. The number of cases is also on the rise in South Kivu since the last week of June, with 14 cases and 1 death reported in Bukavu between 17 and 23 July.