Press briefing on tsunami disaster on monday, 3 january

 

Opening the third in a series of weekend briefings today at Headquarters on the United Nations’ response to the tsunami disaster, Jan Egeland said that 2004 had ended with a natural disaster at its very worst and 2005 had started with humanity at its very best, hoping the latter would characterize the international response to misery in 2005.

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon and a Happy New Year to you all.

**Guest at Noon

PRESS BRIEFING ON TSUNAMI DISASTER

 

“We are making extraordinary progress in reaching the majority of the people affected in the majority of the areas”, Jan Egeland told correspondents today during a briefing at Headquarters on the United Nations’ response to the tsunami disaster.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

 

Briefing correspondents on the Security Council’s schedule for January, César Mayoral of Argentina, whose delegation holds the presidency for the month at the start of Argentina’s two-year elected term, said his country’s
Foreign Affairs Minister, Rafael Antonio Bielsa, had opened consultations this morning by asking members to observe a minute of silence for the families of the tsunami victims. 

PRESS BRIEFING ON TSUNAMI DISASTER

 

Instead of “D-Day”, today was “T-Day” plus 10, Jan Egeland said upon opening his briefing to correspondents at United Nations Headquarters, announcing that the pledges now totalled between $3 billion and $4 billion, and progress in the relief effort was being made by the hour.

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Tsunami Update – Egeland

Starting the briefing for us today is Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, here to give us our daily update on the tsunami assistance.

PRESS BRIEFING ON TSUNAMI DISASTER

 

Providing his daily update today on disaster relief to the millions affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami on what he called “T-Day plus 12”, Jan Egeland said that, with the exception of Sumatra-Aceh, relief workers would soon reach nearly all of those in desperate need of blankets, tents, food, water and sanitation, but they would not have healed the mental scars. 

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

Following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Guests at Noon

Press BRIEFING ON Democratic Republic of Congo REPORT

 

With the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Nations Organization Mission there entering a critical phase, the only viable solution was to stay the course, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country said at a Headquarters press briefing today.