Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General deeply regrets the decision of Bahrain’s Court of Cassation on 7 January to uphold the harsh sentences, including life imprisonment, against 20 Bahraini political activists, and he reiterates his firm belief that the only way to promote peace, stability, justice and prosperity in Bahrain is through a national dialogue.

On Syria, the Secretary-General said that what the Syrian people desperately need at this time are real solutions to the crisis that is tearing their nation apart, and he was disappointed that the speech by President Bashar al-Assad on 6 January does not contribute to a solution that could end the terrible suffering of the Syrian people.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said today that it had received credible reports that rebel groups and pro-government militias are increasingly recruiting and involving children in the armed conflict in the Central African Republic. It called for an immediate halt to such recruitment and urges all parties to protect children against the harmful impact of the conflict.

Ambassador Masood Khan of Pakistan, who is presiding over the Security Council in January, will be briefing on the programme of work adopted for this month. And then Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa and Zaheer Laher, South Africa’s Security Council Political Coordinator, will brief on the conclusion of their country’s second term on the Council.

Two police officers of the United Nations-African Union mission in Darfur were freed today after 136 days in captivity. Hasan Al-Mazawdeh and Qasim Al-Sarhan, who are nationals of Jordan, were medically checked and both appear to be unharmed and in good health. They were taken hostage by unidentified assailants while on patrol in the town of Kabkabiya, approximately 140 kilometres west of El Fasher, in North Darfur, on 20 August of last year.

The African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur has reported that civilians are fleeing from areas of North Darfur after alleged air strikes by Sudanese Armed Forces and attacks by armed groups. The Mission, waiting for verification of those attacks, urges all parties involved to keep civilians out of harm's way.

The UN Mission in South Sudan says that the situation in Wau remains tense. Several thousand civilians fleeing violence were provided safety in and around the UN base on Wednesday. A significant number, mainly women, children and the elderly, remain in the UN base. The Mission is redeploying additional peacekeepers to Wau to assist in the protection of civilians.

The World Health Organization and UNICEF have condemned the multiple attacks that have killed six health workers over the past 24 hours in Pakistan. In a joint statement, the agencies said such attacks deprive Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations — especially children — of basic life-saving health interventions.

A statement we issued last night expressed the Secretary-General’s alarm at the continued dramatic escalation of violence in Syria. He firmly condemns this escalation, in particular the shelling of population centres and attacks against civilians. He calls on all sides to cease all forms of violence and reiterates his call on the international community to promote an inclusive political process leading to a peaceful political transition.

Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, launched the 2013 humanitarian appeal in Rome on behalf of the United Nations and international relief organizations, and called for $8.5 billion to help an estimated 51 million people who will need urgent assistance next year.