HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 23 MAY 2023
SECURITY COUNCIL
The Secretary-General spoke at the high-level Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. He noted at the outset the cost of the nearly six weeks of war in Sudan. In that time, he said, hundreds of civilians have been killed – including members of the United Nations family, while 250,000 people have fled the country.
The Secretary-General added that his recent report on the protection of civilians found that a total of 100 million refugees have been forced from their homes due to conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution.
He said that armed conflict is a key factor driving food insecurity around the world. Last year, more than 117 million people faced acute hunger primarily because of war and insecurity. This is an outrage, the Secretary-General said.
He noted that his newly-appointed Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator is leading a system-wide response to rising food insecurity. Meanwhile, Mr. Guterres added, the Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding to promote Russian food and fertilizer to global markets has helped to stabilize markets, bring down prices and ease the food crisis.
In parallel with today's Council meeting, a series of informal side events known as “Protection of Civilians Week 2023” are taking place this week here in New York, coordinated by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Belgium, Switzerland, and the NGOs CIVIC and the International Rescue Committee. It brings together Member States, UN agencies, the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, and civil society organizations, to discuss the protection of civilians, including by amplifying the voices of people affected by armed conflict.
ECOSOC OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT SEGMENT
At the opening and high-level dialogue between the Secretary-General and UN Member States of the 2023 ECOSOC Operational Activities for Development Segment, the Secretary-General warned that halfway through the timeline of the 2030 Agenda, we are leaving more than half the world behind, poverty and hunger are again growing, the climate crisis is escalating, and conflict and persecution have forced one hundred million people from their homes.
But it is not too late to turn the tide, he said, and we are determined to do just that.
The Secretary-General noted that when we started the reform process, no one foresaw that our country teams would be operating in such challenging conditions.
He pointed out that despite that, four years on, the reforms have succeeded, and that his report on the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review demonstrates that.
The Secretary-General underscored that the Resident Coordinator system is the anchor for all our efforts to support countries in achieving the 2030 Agenda, and yet, in 2022, the Resident Coordinator system suffered from a funding gap of $85 million. He noted that countries are spending more than two trillion dollars a year on military budgets and that it is simply not credible to pledge support for peace, if they are not prepared to invest a tiny fraction of this amount in sustainable development – the greatest conflict prevention tool we have.
SUDAN
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that, following the recent ceasefire agreement, humanitarian organizations are ready to move 168 trucks to reach more than 4 million people across the country. Conditions are not allowing for a full-scale operation.
However, despite the challenges, the UN and partners are expanding humanitarian operations to some locations in Sudan. The World Food Programme (WFP) has now reached 500,000 men, women and children in several states with food and nutrition assistance since distributions resumed on 3 May.
For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is supporting Sudan’s Ministry of Health in maintaining immunization services around the country. As of 16 May, vaccine supplies for nearly 244,000 children were dispatched from the capital Khartoum to seven states.
UNICEF has also delivered nearly 1,500 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food to an orphanage in Khartoum, where more than 300 children are facing severe food shortages.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the UN and partners continue to help the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to respond to the deadly floods and landslides in the country’s East.
Kalehe territory, in the eastern province of South Kivu, was hit particularly hard.
At least 17,000 people have received assistance since May 10. This includes food, health care, shelter and psychosocial support. More than 50,000 liters of clean water were provided to affected communities on a daily basis.
The Humanitarian Coordinator, Bruno Lemarquis, allocated $3 million from the Humanitarian Fund to strengthen the continuing operations.
According to the latest official figures, at least 443 people have died, hundreds have been injured and many more are still missing. More than 3,000 houses were damaged, as well as schools serving more than 9,000 children.
There is still an urgent need for tools to excavate and bury bodies. Other top priorities are shelter and relocation of survivors, food assistance and fixing roads and bridges so we can reach people affected.
MYANMAR
In Myanmar today, the humanitarian community launched a flash appeal, asking for $333 million to help communities devastated by Cyclone Mocha just over a week ago.
The acting Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Myanmar, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, said that we are in a race against time to provide people with shelter and prevent the spread of water-borne diseases.
Mr. Balakrishnan said that if we fail to mobilize enough resources, those impacted by the storm will face a long and miserable monsoon season.
The flash appeal aims to support some 1.6 million people in the high-impact zone across Rakhine, Chin, Magway, Sagaing and Kachin.
INTERNATIONAL DAY
Today is the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.
Obstetric Fistula is a condition that can lead to infections, kidney disease, painful sores, infertility and death. It is treatable and, more importantly, it is preventable.
The United Nations Population Fund leads the global “Campaign to End Fistula”, to transform the lives of vulnerable women and girls.
