Noon briefing of 13 August 2019

This morning, the Security Council was briefed on “the 70th Anniversary of the Geneva Conventions – upholding humanity in modern conflict” by the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, Miguel de Serpa Soares.
Adopted on 12 August 1949, the Conventions established protections for vulnerable groups in armed conflict - the wounded and sick, prisoners of war, and civilians, including civilians living under occupation.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of protection of civilians as an item on the Council’s agenda and the adoption of resolution 1265 (1999), the Council’s first resolution on the protection of civilians, which expressed the Council’s deep concern at the erosion of respect for international humanitarian law during armed conflict.

YEMEN
In response to questions on the humanitarian response in Aden:
Since the escalation of violence in Aden on 7 August, the United Nations has remained focused on staying and delivering essential life-saving programmes there and in neighbouring governorates.
Thirty-four humanitarian organizations currently operate in Aden, reaching an average of 1.9 million people with food aid and over 1.6 million with access to safe water each month.
The UN currently has more than 300 national and international staff working in Aden. As in UN non-family duty stations around the world, international staff regularly rotate out for short breaks. A number of staff departed by boat on Sunday, 11 August. Many had planned to spend the Eid holiday with their families but could not travel on time due to closure of the airport.
More UN international staff are scheduled to arrive in Aden in the coming days, and rotation cycles will continue. Humanitarian programmes are not affected by this process.
Aden port, which is one of the main gateways for commercial and humanitarian goods to Yemen, remains operational. The airport has also re-opened, and roads in Aden are mostly open.
Humanitarian agencies are responding to the impact of the recent violence in Aden. Agencies are visiting health centres to assess needs, as well as visiting neighbourhoods to identify risks of unexploded ordnance. Agencies also have 2,000 rapid response kits on standby; these kits provide basic food and hygiene supplies in emergencies. Regular humanitarian programmes are also continuing.
The UN calls on all parties to maintain the ceasefire prevailing in Aden and to engage in dialogue to resolve differences.

LIBYA
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the car bomb attack that took place in Benghazi, Libya. Three United Nations staff members were killed in the bombing and two others were injured.
The Secretary-General extended his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and wished a swift recovery to all the injured. He called on the Libyan authorities to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of this attack.

MYANMAR/BANGLADESH MONSOONS
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that, in Myanmar, monsoon rains have displaced nearly 100,000 people, including more than 34,000 in Mon State alone.
A landslide in Paung township in Mon State last Friday resulted in the deaths of at least 65 people.
The Myanmar Government is leading the response, with support from local communities, the Myanmar Red Cross, civil society organisations, and humanitarian partners.
UN agencies are providing initial support in critical areas such as water, health and emergency food, and remain prepared to provide further assistance if and as needed.
In Bangladesh, 28 districts across the country remain affected by heavy monsoon rains, with significant damage to transport infrastructure. More than 260,000 people currently displaced, including 57,400 school-age children.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations are working to support government response efforts.

CHINA
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that, on 10 August, Tropical Cyclone Lekima made landfall in the Chinese city of Wenling in Zhejiang Province and made a second landfall the following day on the coast of Qingdao in Shandong Province in the country’s east. Fatalities and damage were reported in eight provinces and in the city of Shanghai, with Zhejiang and Shandong being the most affected provinces.
As of 12 August, there have been 45 deaths and 21 people are missing. Nearly 9 million people have been affected, with 1.7 million people having been relocated.
The Government of China mobilized search-and-rescue efforts and continues to prepare for potential post-typhoon emergencies such as flash floods and landslide. The UN stands ready to support should there be such a request.

UNHCR
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today urged Europe to allow 507 people rescued on the Central Mediterranean to disembark immediately.
UNHCR said they need humanitarian assistance, and some have already expressed an intention to seek international protection.
Many are reportedly survivors of appalling abuses in Libya and are from refugee-producing countries. 151 people remain on board the Open Arms boat while 356 people more have been rescued in recent days by the Ocean Viking. A port of safety should be immediately provided, and responsibility shared amongst States for hosting them after they have disembarked, the agency said.

MALI
Th UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that there was a sharp rise in grave violations against children in 2019 in Mali, particularly in killing and maiming.
Preliminary data recorded by the United Nations shows that more than 150 children were killed in conflict-related violence in the first half of 2019, compared with 77 in all of 2018.
Seventy-five were injured in violent attacks, compared with 24 during the same period last year. The injuries include gunshot wounds, burns and fractures.
According to UNICEF, the recruitment and use of children in armed groups has doubled, with 99 cases in 2019 against 47 over the same period in 2018.
UNICEF says that these numbers show the impact of longstanding insecurity in the north of the country and the dramatic deterioration in the center, as well as border areas with Niger and Burkina Faso.
More information is available online.

MEASLES
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that measles outbreaks continue to spread rapidly around the world, with millions of people at risk globally.
In the first six months of 2019, the number of reported measles cases are the highest since 2016. The outbreaks have strained healthcare systems and lead to serious illness, disability and deaths.
There have been three times as many cases reported so far this year compared to the same time last year.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Ukraine have reported the highest numbers of cases this year. However, cases in Madagascar have decreased dramatically following nationwide emergency vaccine campaigns.
Major outbreaks are ongoing in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and Thailand. The United States has reported its highest measles case count in 25 years.
WHO says the largest outbreaks are in countries with low measles vaccination coverage, currently or in the past, which has left large numbers of people vulnerable to the disease.
At the same time, protracted outbreaks are occurring even in countries with high national vaccination rates resulting from inequities in vaccine coverage, and gaps and disparities between communities, geographic areas, and among age-groups. When enough people who are not immune are exposed to measles, it can very quickly spread.
WHO is urging everyone to ensure their measles vaccinations are up to date, with two doses needed to protect against the disease, and to check their vaccination status prior to travel.

EBOLA
The World Health Organization today said that Ebola patients would now receive one of two new medications, namely REGN-EB3 and mAb114.
In a review of a trial involving 681 Ebola patients between 21 November 2018 and 9 August 2019, an independent data safety monitoring board had found that the two new medications saw greater survival rates. WHO said this was “excellent news that would move experts closer to finding an effective treatment for Ebola.”
However, WHO emphasized that the only way to stop the epidemic was through good surveillance, effective infection prevention and control, enhanced community engagement and excellent vaccination coverage. In other words, the human factor was crucial. The agency added that there have been 2,831 cases so far, including 1,891 deaths, 826 survivors and 100 patients under care. In addition, some 191,000 people have been vaccinated.

CONTRIBUTIONS
Today, Nepal paid its regular budget dues. So far, 110 Member States have paid in full for 2019.