Noon Briefings

The Head of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic told the Security Council that while the security situation remained fragile, improvements had been made and progress was seen in the political process with the Bangui Forum.  On the humanitarian front, 2.7 million people still required assistance.

The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen met with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and senior officials of the General People’s Congress party in ongoing efforts to push for a political solution to the crisis as the death toll rises to 1,912 and food distribution continues in hard-hit areas.

The Secretary-General noted with great concern the continuing deterioration of the security environment in Burundi following elections marked by violence and the violation of human rights.  He strongly condemned the killing of General Adolphe Nshimirimana on 2 August and welcomed President Pierre Nkurunziza’s message to the competent authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Secretary-General condemned today’s murder of a Palestinian child in the West Bank and called for the perpetrators of that terrorist act to be promptly brought to justice.  He expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Ali Dawabsha, who were themselves severely injured in the arson attack.  He urged both sides to take bold steps to return to the path of peace.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has begun distributing food to around 340,000 people in eight of the worst-affected areas of the southern Yemeni port city of Aden.  WFP partners were distributing two-month food rations in districts of Aden that had not been reached since April because of conflict.  The food includes wheat flour, pulses and cooking oil.

In a message to the Special Meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on foreign terrorist fighters today, the Secretary-General said the rise in the number of those fighters demonstrates the growing spread of violent extremism, which demands urgent international attention.

The Secretary-General condemned in the strongest terms the attack perpetrated by Al-Shabaab yesterday on the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu.  He affirmed that this egregious attack will not deter the United Nations and international partners from their steadfast commitment to help the people and Government of Somalia realize a peaceful future for their country.

The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, has condemned an attack on its camp in Aguelhok, which was today targeted by mortar fire.  MINUSMA peacekeepers reinforced the camp and sent out patrols to locate the area from where the shells were fired and ensure the safety of the civilian population.

The Secretary-General took note of the broadly peaceful conduct of polling in the Burundian presidential elections on 21 July and called on all parties to continue to remain calm and immediately resume an inclusive political dialogue to resolve their differences and address the challenges facing the country.  He reminded Burundian authorities of their responsibility to guarantee and protect the safety and security of the civilian population and to ensure an end to further acts of violence as well as accountability for any human rights violations committed.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, briefing the Security Council, said the country has been living through one of the most difficult phases in its modern history.  However, despite the daunting problems, hope and a vision remain for a way out of the crisis, he said.