Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Sustainable Development Goals
The Secretary-General today has announced the appointment of a group of eminent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates to help promote action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by world leaders at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015. The Advocates will build on their unique standing and leadership to promote the Sustainable Development Goals as part of an ambitious and transformative global development agenda. They are to support the Secretary-General in his efforts to generate momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
The SDG Advocates will promote the universal character of the SDGs, including their commitment to leave no one behind; to promote the engagement of new stakeholders in the implementation and financing of the SDGs; to encourage partnerships with governments, civil society and the private sector to share knowledge and resources; and to raise awareness for the integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Co-Chairs of the Advocates are John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana, and Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway. A full list of the Advocates is available in our office and should be available online shortly.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General is in Geneva today for a short visit. He visited the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and World Health Organization (WHO) and met their respective heads. The Secretary-General also presided over the swearing-in ceremony of his newly appointed Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Robert Glasser. In the evening, the Secretary-General is to attend a working dinner with the Heads of UN agencies based in Geneva, hosted by the Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva, Michael Møller. Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will travel to Davos, Switzerland, to attend the annual World Economic Forum.
**Security Council
The Security Council is holding an open meeting today on the protection of civilians, and the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke at the start of the meeting to call for stepped-up measures, including greater accountability, to protect people from sieges, attacks on humanitarian workers and hospitals, and other such violations of international law.
He said that hospitals must be sanctuaries in wartime, but added that recently we have seen a surge in attacks on hospitals and health centres. In Afghanistan, an airstrike destroyed a surgical ward, with devastating consequences. In Yemen, hospitals have been attacked and children, who have not been killed by bullets and bombs, are dying from the lack of medicine and health care.
The Deputy Secretary-General pointed to the horrible reality in Madaya, in Syria, where thousands of people have been denied food and medical treatment for months, leading to starvation and death. He said that a siege that denies people access to the basic necessities of life is one of the gravest violations of international law and an affront to our shared humanity, which the Secretary-General, in the clearest of terms, has condemned these past days. His remarks are available in our office, and as you are aware, he also spoke to reporters at the stakeout just a few minutes ago.
**Syria
The United Nations, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Syria have continued to carry out humanitarian deliveries following an agreement concerning the Syrian towns of Foua and Kafraya in Idleb, and Zabadani and Madaya in Rif Damascus.
Yesterday, a joint team carried out coordinated humanitarian tasks with four teams simultaneously to Foua, Kafraya, Zabadani and Madaya. The joint team had to postpone the mission to Foua and Kafraya upon receipt of reports from armed opposition groups that more time was needed to finalize security arrangements in areas under their control. The team will continue efforts to reach the two towns of Foua and Kafraya in order to assess conditions of people and better respond to their humanitarian needs.
Yesterday, after considerable delays for several hours, fuel was delivered to Madaya by the joint team and to Foua and Kafraya by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Idleb branch. Meanwhile, food and medical supplies were delivered to Zabadani.
**Iraq
A UN report released today details the severe and extensive impact on civilians of the ongoing conflict in Iraq, with more than 18,800 civilians killed and another 36,000 wounded between 1 January 2014 and 31 October 2015. Another 3.2 million people have become internally displaced since January 2014, including more than a million children of school age. The report was compiled by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), based largely on testimony obtained directly from victims, survivors and witnesses.
The report details numerous examples of killings by Da’esh in gruesome public spectacles, including by shooting, beheading, bulldozing, burning alive and throwing off the top of buildings. There are also reports of the murder of child soldiers who fled fighting on the frontlines in Anbar. And Da’esh continues to subject women and children to sexual violence, particularly in the form of sexual slavery. The report also documented alleged violations and abuses of international human rights and international humanitarian law by the Iraqi Security Forces and associated forces, including militia and tribal forces, popular mobilization units, and Peshmerga.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, reiterated his call to all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians from the effects of violence. He urges the Government to use all means to ensure law and order, necessary for the voluntary return of displaced people to their place of origin. The report and other press material are available online.
**Horn of Africa
The UN refugee agency said today that despite the conflict in Yemen, more than 92,000 people arrived by boat in the country in 2015 — one of the highest annual totals in the past decade. With 95 deaths reported, last year was the second deadliest to date, while earlier this month, 36 people died crossing the Horn of Africa. UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] today issued another warning on the dangers of the journey.
The agency and its partners have been working with the international community and Somali authorities to improve political, security and socioeconomic conditions in the country, as well as actively pursuing durable solutions for refugees, returnees and people who are internally displaced. These efforts aim to provide an alternative to Somalis to undertaking perilous sea journeys to Yemen. And you can read more about this on the UN refugee agency’s website.
**Somalia
A United Nations-backed $885 million plan to reach 3.5 million people in Somalia with life-saving aid this year was launched in the capital, Mogadishu, today. This new plan comes as nearly 5 million people are estimated to need urgent assistance. More than 1 million people remain internally displaced, while some 300,000 children under the age of five are acutely malnourished, with 56,000 of them facing death if not treated.
Peter de Clercq, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, said that the plan aims to bring down the levels of critical vulnerabilities and reduce the risk of people sliding further into crisis by providing life-saving assistance, building resilience and strengthening protection for vulnerable groups. As we just pointed out, refugees and returnees fleeing the Yemen crisis also continue to arrive in Somalia, with almost 30,000 people having arrived so far and more expected in 2016. As you know, there has also been traffic the other way. You can read more about this online.
**Niger
The UN refugee agency says it is struggling to help an estimated 100,000 people displaced in recent weeks in south-east Niger’s Diffa region by attacks launched by Boko Haram. The newly displaced have sought shelter alongside Niger’s National Route No. 1, which links the capital, Niamey, to the east of the country. Many of the newly displaced have sought shelter at Koublé, which normally has a population of just 300. A provisional registration by the local government there put the number of displaced who have arrived there since November 2015 at more than 10,000 people.
The UN refugee agency says that it is facing acute shortages of shelter and non-food items for the displaced. The agency is redirecting available resources to meet the urgent shelter and other assistance [needs] and calls on donors for extra support to help this vulnerable population. Providing assistance and shelter is all the more difficult because people are living in spontaneous sites rather than in a camp environment, where security is tighter and access to water, health care and sanitation facilities is easier.
**South Sudan
On South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that aid agencies launched today a humanitarian appeal for 2016 calling for $1.3 billion to provide vital assistance to 5.1 million people in the country. More than 2.3 million people in South Sudan — one in every five people — have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began. This includes nearly 1.7 million internally displaced people and about 640,000 refugees in neighbouring countries.
Our humanitarian colleagues add that some 3.9 million people in South Sudan — one in every three people — were severely food insecure, as of September 2015. And an estimated 230,000 children under the age of five are severely malnourished. In 2015, more than 4.4 million people across South Sudan, including in some of the most remote locations, were reached with humanitarian assistance. There is a press release on this appeal available online.
**Guatemala
From Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights welcomed today the news that 11 former military officers in Guatemala were to be tried on crimes of enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war in the 1980s. The decision taken by a judge yesterday is an important step forward in establishing truth and ensuring justice in Guatemala for crimes committed during the 36-year conflict, the Human Rights Office said. For the first time in investigations into past abuses, a complete chain of command involved in enforced disappearances and crimes against humanity has been identified, from alleged perpetrators to the instigators of the crimes. That's it for me. Are there any questions? Yes?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask… I wanted to ask about Deir ez‑Zor in Syria. I heard just now at the stakeout, the Deputy Secretary‑General talked about other Madayas, but most of the UN statements have all been about the four towns. What's this… there are reports of abductions, of killings of civilians, by ISIS. What's the UN's state of knowledge on Deir ez‑Zor?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, we're aware of the media reports. The ongoing offensive inside the besieged city of Deir ez‑Zor is putting thousands of people in the line of fire. Following the 17 January attacks by ISIL [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant], or Da’esh, the UN has received credible reports of the execution and abduction or detention of civilians, including of people believed to have been smuggling food into the besieged city. Meanwhile, the freedom of movement for the 200,000 people living in the besieged western side of Deir ez‑Zor City is severely restricted, and the only access to the city has been by air. However, due to the proximity of the airport to the front line, only helicopters have been able to land in Deir ez‑Zor since September 2015. And you've heard what we said yesterday about our efforts to get access, and those efforts continue.
Question: And on just abductions and executions, do you have any confirmation of this?
Deputy Spokesman: You heard just what I said, right?
Question: I heard what you said. Do you have a number? That's what I'm saying. People have said up to 400…
Deputy Spokesman: We have received credible reports of executions and abductions and detentions. Of course, we do not have direct access to many parts of Deir ez‑Zor, and so, we would not have any hard numbers to give at this point. Yes?
Question: Thanks. We're hearing some complaints this week from European capitals that countries in northern Africa and the Maghreb are not accepting back asylum seekers whose applications have failed in Europe. We hear a lot from this… your podium about the need for countries to let in asylum seekers but very little about sort of the reciprocity there. So, what does the UN have to say to these countries of origin and the role they need to play?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, there certainly is a role for countries of origin to play. But, at the same time, whatever our efforts are, whether it has to do with the processing by the countries in transit, the end‑point countries or the countries of origin, at every step along the way, we're encouraging governments to do what they can to ensure that the dignity of the people who have been displaced, the people who are on the move, is respected. So, if people's applications have failed, depending upon whether they have the right to appeal or whether they are looking to find a different country to move to, we want to make sure that however they're handled is handled in such a way that their dignity is respected.
Question: Can I ask a follow‑up? One of the things we're hearing, I believe the Algerian Government is saying, is these people who have left don't have paperwork that would be sufficient to return. I've seen the steps the UN takes to help people out who are in transit who lack paperwork. Is there anything the UN can do on the back end to be able to ensure sufficient paperwork for returns when needed?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the UN system, including the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, have tried to help with returning people to their home countries, and they do help with the logistics of that, with the paperwork and other arrangements for that. At the same time, one of the key principles is that those who are returning back must be willing to return to those countries, and it must be safe for them to return. So, before that happens, we need to make sure that those conditions are in place. Yes, Linda, then Edie.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I wanted to just ask you a question about an International Rescue Committee report that came out yesterday. Do… basically saying that young, unmarried men, Syrian men, are not being… do not have access or good access to humanitarian aid and that they really are in bad shape. It said that only 1 in 10 was granted access last month. So, my question is this. What is UN policy towards providing aid to all people… all refugees? The report said… indicated that only… that the focus is on families, and thus, those who do not have children are sort of left in the cold. The other finding was… is that these young men are in very bad… as I said, in bad condition and that the majority of the Syrian refugees that went to Europe are these young men.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, certainly, we are concerned about all refugees, including those who are young men. Our efforts at aiding those in need focus on those who are the most vulnerable. Oftentimes, what that means is that we focus aid on the very elderly or the very young. Sometimes also that means focusing on the particular needs for women. At the same time, that doesn't mean that young, unmarried men, like the ones you've mentioned, are left out. If they're in a vulnerable condition, certainly, they will be provided with aid, and we try to make sure that all of those who are most in need get it.
Question: And what about, in general, UN policy? I know what you've just said. But, the report did mention that only 1 in 10 receives the aid and that there is this general assumption among humanitarian agencies that these young men don't need it, but they do. So, I… and I guess if you can correlate the policy towards them in this sense that, in reality, most of the people heading to Syria… I mean from Syria, were these young, unmarried men.
Deputy Spokesman: The basic policy is, as I've said, to help all those in need without distinction. Part of the thing is that the numbers of those in need, of vulnerable populations fleeing Syria, have been huge, which has forced us to prioritize. And normally, in a crisis where lots and lots of people are on the move, what that means is that the most vulnerable populations, like I said, the very elderly, the very young and women, that we'll make sure that their needs are tended to first and foremost. But, we are trying to make sure that, to the extent possible, the needs of the entire population is taken care of. The big problem has been, of course, both the duration of the crisis and the scale of the crisis means that the amount of people who need to be helped has outstripped our ability to get funding and supplies for all of them. Yes?
Question: Farhan, two questions. First, on Burundi, the Security Council is heading there later this week. Is Mr. [Jamal] Benomar going to be in the… in Bujumbura at that time?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't believe he's travelling with them. He has been in touch with the members of the Security Council and has discussed with them the trip and what needs to be achieved there. [He later added that Mr. Benomar would be in Burundi at the same time as the Council visit.]
Question: And do you have any comment on what he believes should be achieved there?
Deputy Spokesman: I think Mr. Benomar's points he's made to the press many times in recent weeks. Although there have been very alarming signs of the situation on the ground in Burundi, he believes that there continues to be a window of opportunity and a window of hope to avert a larger crisis, but for that to happen, what is really needed is an impartial mediation that can help the parties to a real dialogue in which they can resolve their differences. But, there needs to be willingness among the parties to meet with each other and to negotiate with each other. And there has to be a strengthened mediation effort to bring them together.
Question: And my second question is, is there any update on the ongoing negotiations on trying to get a list of opposition groups to be invited to the Syria talks? You said yesterday that the Secretary‑General was asking everybody to redouble their efforts.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, and we continue to be at that state today. I don't really have anything new to say compared to yesterday. Yes, Pam?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. The UNAMI report with OHCHR today, released, talks about the staggering number of civilian casualties and calls on the UN Security Council and international community to increase support that despite pro‑Government gains that ISIS is maiming and killing more civilians. First is, is there… is there any intent to increase support? And number two is, how much is there a spillover from Syria? It doesn't address the Syria question, but there are some diplomats who feel that it may endanger the peace process. Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: That what may endanger the peace process?
Correspondent: The increase in civilian casualties, the movement of ISIS to Iraq from Syria.
Deputy Spokesman: As the Secretary‑General has repeatedly made clear, the spillover from any of the conflicts in the region affects the other conflicts in the region. So, we have been worried about all the various problems associated with the… with Da’esh and its advances but also with the fighting in Iraq, the war in Syria, and the fighting in Yemen. So, all of those crises do need to be solved. But, all of them need to be resolved in such a way, in particular, that groups, including the extremist groups like Da’esh, do not seize and control more territory than they currently have. But, yes, regarding the need for support, it's described in the report. There needs to be a full‑scale effort among all parties to combat Da’esh, and you see in the report the many, many atrocities that are linked to that group. But, at the same time, all of the actions taken by the Iraqi Government and its allies need to be taken in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask a follow‑up on Burundi and then something about what the DSG [Deputy Secretary-General] said at the stakeout. I mean, on… there is this inter‑ or intra‑Burundian dialogue that the Government announced, and it's supposed to actually meet today. And many of the groups have said it's not credible and they're not going. I wanted to know, is there any UN, whether it's by Mr. Benomar or others, involvement in that process? Do they think the process is credible or not credible?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't believe that Mr. Benomar is directly involved in the process. We'll try to monitor and see what is happening in it, but ultimately, any credible process needs to be inclusive of all the various groups that are involved in this, and that is a key point. There needs to be a willingness by all parties to engage in dialogue, but they must be able to deal with the full range of groups that are involved in this particular set of disputes.
Question: Okay. Thanks. And I just… obviously, you heard him since you were running the stakeout that… that the DSG said that this report… that the… Mr. [Edmond] Mulet as Chief of Staff's, I guess, report on response or Plan of Action based on the report on the Central African Republic rape allegations will be done by the end of month… the month. Is that going to be… the report was public. Is what the Secretariat intends to do to address the systemic failures that it raised going to be public? Will we know when it comes out, and will we know what it says?
Deputy Spokesman: We'll make known to the press whatever information we get on this, but yes, we do intend to make public all of our various follow‑up actions as we get them. All right. Have a good afternoon.