REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, chaired the briefing which provided information about the Secretary-General's European tour, new statements by the Secretary-General, on the situation in South Asia following the earthquake, the aftermath of Hurricane Stan, the Director-General's activities and other issues. Spokespersons for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Food Programme, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Office, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Development Programme participated in the briefing.

Secretary-General's European Tour

Mrs. Ponomareva-Piquier said Secretary-General Kofi Annan was today leaving Geneva for Portugal on an official visit during which he would meet with the President and other Government officials. On Friday, the Secretary-General would travel to Salamanca in Spain to participate in the Ibero-American Summit.

New Statements by the Secretary-General

Mrs. Ponomareva-Piquier said the Secretary-General had yesterday said he was pleased that the Liberian presidential and parliamentary elections were to take place as scheduled on 11 October. The issues emanating from the Supreme Court rulings had been resolved through consultations conducted by the ECOWAS Mediator, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State of Nigeria. The Secretary-General thanked the candidates who had agreed to withdraw their claims for their demonstration of flexibility. He also thanked General Abubakar, who, together with the UN, had worked tirelessly towards ensuring that the elections would take place in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the electoral timetable. UNMIL was providing technical and logistical support to the elections, as well as security, along with Liberia's security agencies. The Secretary-General called on all Liberians to participate in large numbers and in a peaceful manner in this historic election.

In a statement attributable to the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, the Secretary-General was deeply concerned about the upsurge in violence in Darfur. In particular, he strongly condemned the killing of three peacekeepers and two contractors affiliated with the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), as well as the abduction of other AMIS personnel over the weekend. The apparent targeting of the AU Mission was completely unacceptable. The Secretary-General expressed his condolences to the families of the bereaved, the African Union and the respective governments. The Secretary-General called on the Government of Sudan and the rebel movements to assist in bringing those responsible to account without delay. The Secretary-General reminded the Government that it had the ultimate responsibility for the protection of peacekeepers and humanitarian workers. The Secretary-General called on the Government and the rebel movements to take immediate steps to stabilize the situation in Darfur, and at the same time engage seriously in the talks in Abuja with a view to reaching an early political settlement.

Developments Concerning the South Asia Earthquake

Mrs. Ponomareva-Piquier said the Secretary General, in a statement attributable to his Spokesman, said yesterday he was greatly encouraged to see the rapid and large response by the international community to the devastating earthquake that had struck the people of Pakistan as well as in Afghanistan and India. The Secretary General encouraged all international actors to work together to achieve full coordination of all international efforts in support of the national rescue efforts.

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it was estimated that 4 million persons had been affected by the earthquake, including 1 million persons who had been seriously affected. Between 80 and 90 percent of buildings in the worst-affected areas of Muzaffarabad and Mansehra in Pakistan had been damaged or totally demolished. Some 2 million persons were believed to be without shelter. There was a severe shortage of medical supplies. These figures remained estimates. As for the casualty figures, the Government of Pakistan estimated that it stood at 23,000, but the United Nations did not have an independent figure yet. Roads to the worst-affected areas had been damaged and food and other aid had to be airlifted by helicopters. The United States had sent eight helicopters to the region, and other countries were also offering either helicopters or money to rent them. The priority needs were shelter, including winterized tents and thick blankets and heating equipment, food items, medicines, cargo helicopters and financial assistance.

Ms. Byrs said a flash appeal for South Asia would be launched this afternoon at 2 p.m. Geneva time by Yvette Stevens, Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator and Director of OCHA in Geneva.

Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization said WHO had issued a press release yesterday about its efforts to help with the aftermath of the South Asia earthquake. Many hospitals had been totally demolished or seriously affected following the earthquake. Many health workers had either died or had disappeared. This made the effort to deal with the injured very difficult. WHO estimated that clean drinking water and sanitation would soon become major issues in the affected areas. This could trigger diarrhoeal illnesses like cholera or dysentery. Measles might also become a problem. There would be a virtual press conference at 1:30 p.m. today.
WHO had sent medical materials to cover the needs of 210,000 persons for one month. Also, equipment to cover the needs of 1,000 surgical operations had been sent.

Ron Redmond of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees said UNHCR had begun the distribution of tonnes of urgently needed relief supplies for earthquake victims in Pakistan, sending family tents, hospital tents, plastic sheeting, mattresses, kitchen sets and other items from its warehouse in Peshawar. UNHCR was initially distributing supplies for 100,000 persons using existing stocks from its warehouses. There were reports that Afghan refugees were among the dead in the North West Frontier Province where there were nearly 887,000 Afghan refugees in camps. Today, a UNHCR doctor and field assistant left on mission to assess damage and needs in the camps. More teams would follow once road conditions improved. The High Commissioner had asked UNHCR's emergency and logistics staff to look into the possibility of providing other supplies from its global relief stockpiles further afield. All of these supplies would have to be replenished quickly. This meant that additional funds would be needed from donors.

Damien Personnaz of the United Nations Children's Fund said UNICEF was worried about the children among the 3 to 4 million persons affected by the earthquake, as it was estimated that at least half the population in that region was made up of children under the age of six years. This meant that children were without doubt the main victims of this tragedy. Access to the affected areas was a logistical nightmare. The affected areas were difficult to reach during the best of times, but now the monsoon rains and the damage from the earthquake were blocking access. One of the main duties of the Pakistani army now was to open the roads to allow aid to go in by truck, and not only be helicopter. In Muzaffarabad and Balacot, between 10 and 15 schools had been totally demolished. Today, a UNICEF convoy was arriving in Mansehra carrying aid brought from UNICEF warehouses in Karachi.

Simon Pluess of the World Food Programme said more than 90 tons of high-energy biscuits were today being flown to Peshawar. Another airplane carrying medical supplies and generators was also on its way. These biscuits were essential in the first days of such a crisis because many people had lost their food stocks and their cooking utensils under their collapsed buildings. This air load of biscuits was enough for 240,000 victims during the first five days. Other deliveries would follow. It was a challenge to bring the biscuits and other aid to this remote region. Many areas had been cut off. A large number of airplanes, helicopters, and at a later stage trucks were needed to bring aid to the victims. WFP would have the lead role in providing a coordinated logistical response to this crisis. WFP had mobilized $ 500,000 from its emergency response fund which would allow it to act now. It was planning to provide ready to eat food for 1 million persons for one month. If the Government demanded more aid, it was willing to do more.

Sian Bowen of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the Federation had launched its appeal on Sunday for 10.8 million Swiss francs ($ 8.4 million) to help with the immediate relief response for 30,000 families. The Federation predicted that this would be its biggest response since the Asia tsunami and it feared that at least 40,000 persons were dead, which would mean the death rate was worse than the Bam earthquake. The Pakistan Red Crescent was helping to bring people out of collapsed buildings and to get them to medical care. It was also distributing tents, medicines, blankets, food, kitchen sets in the affected areas. The Indian Red Cross had also responded and was trying to get close to remote villages to distribute blankets, tents and kitchen sets. Many hundreds of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers were helping in the effort. The Federation was sending two coordination teams to Islamabad to help coordinate the arriving aid. A field hospital would also be sent in.

Vincent Lusser of the International Committee of the Red Cross said this was the third time this year that ICRC had had to intervene in a natural catastrophe. ICRC teams were already in Muzaffarabad where at least 1,500 bodies had been exhumed but had not yet been buried. People were also trying to leave the area which had no services and others were impatient with the lack of food aid. The Pakistani army was flying out the wounded to hospitals in Islamabad and other cities. ICRC had moved aid from its warehouses in Afghanistan to the affected areas. A website to establish family links would also be set up.

Brigitte Leoni of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction said the Himalayas had long been considered as a risk zone vis-à-vis earthquakes. ISDR wanted to stress the importance of building safe hospitals and schools in disaster-prone areas. For example, Nepal, which was in a risk zone, was working to strengthen school buildings.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration said IOM was appealing for an initial $ 20 million for a six-month emergency relief operation in earthquake-hit Pakistan, focusing on surface transport, shelter and medical evacuations. Funds for the appeal would provide transport and logistical help in a coordinated relief operation, badly hampered by severe damage to infrastructure. More than 2,000 winterized tents and 4,000 blankets had been ordered by IOM and an emergency operations team had been deployed to Pakistan.

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said the ILO was working with the UN family in South Asia, especially in preparing for the rehabilitation efforts and creating job opportunities.

Director-General's Activities

Mrs. Ponomareva-Piquier said the Director-General of UNOG, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, was this morning participating in the "S-DEV Geneva 05: Innovating Cities Across the World" forum which was being held at Palexpo from 11 to 13 October. His opening statement to the forum was available in the press room.

Hurricane Stan

Damien Personnaz of the United Nations Children's Fund said UNICEF was rushing emergency relief supplies to communities in Central America and Mexico devastated by Hurricane Stan last week, estimating that well over a third of the victims were children. The torrential rains, flooding and mudslides caused by the storm had left hundreds and possibly thousands of people dead and close to half a million persons homeless from southern Mexico to El Salvador.

Simon Pluess of the World Food Programme said the overall extent of the disaster caused by Hurricane Stan combined with the earthquake off the coast of El Salvador as well as continuing volcano activities was still unclear. Communications had been seriously affected with many roads and bridges damaged or collapsed and the phone lines down. Heavy rains were also causing extensive flooding. WFP had so far brought 275 tons of food to some 65,000 flood and volcano victims and to 500 shelters and affected communities. In Guatemala, there were more than 97,800 people affected by continuing rain, and many communities remained isolated because of landslides. The death toll was likely to rise significantly - there were now 508 persons confirmed dead. WFP had been requested by the Government to provide food aid as its own stocks were almost depleted. So far, WFP had provided 1,300 tons of food for the 255 shelters.

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said available at the back of the room was the text for the UN's flash appeal for $ 22 million for Guatemala where heavy rainfall produced by Hurricane Stan had led to severe flooding and mudslides which had severely affected more than three-quarters of the municipalities in the country's 15 most-affected departments.

Human Rights

José Luis Díaz, Spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy, would be in Geneva on 17 and 18 October and wondered if journalists were interested in meeting with him. Mr. Despouy had just visited Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. While in Kyrgyzstan, he had been to Osh, where there were still four persons being held in connection with the events in Andijan, in neighbouring Uzbekistan. The Rapporteur had met with those persons and journalists could ask him about that as well as about the situation of the judiciary in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Asked if the Special Rapporteur was involved in trying to observe the ongoing trial concerning the events in Andijan, Mr. Díaz said that, as far as he knew, the Special Rapporteur had not indicated that he wanted to observe the trial but he could speak on that issue himself. The High Commissioner, on the other hand, had requested to be able to send an observer to the trial and to have full access to the detainees, to the places of detention and to the proceedings. There had been no response from the Uzbek authorities, and the Office was concerned over this lack of response.

Other

Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization reminded journalists there would be a press conference at 2 p.m. today on polio in Salle III. There would also be a briefing on patient safety at 10.20 a.m. on Wednesday, 12 October at WHO headquarters.

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said a note to correspondents had been sent out about upcoming wide-ranging talks in a tripartite meeting to be held from 24 to 26 October on the future of the textile and clothing producing and consuming countries in the wake of last year's phasing out of the Multifibre Agreement (MFA).

Jean-Paul Sajhau of the International Labour Organization said this tripartite meeting on promoting fair globalization in textiles and clothing in a post-MFA environment was being held to analyze the impact of phasing out the MFA and to consider integrated strategies to better deal with the situation.

Jean Fabre of the United Nations Development Programme asked if there was an interest in a briefing with UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis who would be in Geneva on 17 and 18 October. It was agreed that a briefing would be set up.

Ron Redmond of the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees said the High Commissioner had sent a team of senior UNHCR headquarters staff to Morocco, following missions by other teams to the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta as well as the Canary Islands. Also, Mr. Guterres had written to the Chairman of the Geneva Migration Group, asking him to convene as soon as possible a meeting of the group to discuss this extremely complex situation which involved primarily economic migrants but also included people in need of international protection. UNHCR recognized the legitimate right of governments to take measures to manage illegal migration, but it strongly urged authorities to respect international protection principles, particularly against refoulement.

Jemini Pandya of the International Organization for Migration said the Moroccan Government had requested IOM's assistance in the voluntary repatriation of irregular migrants, currently at Oujda near the Algerian border, to Senegal and Mali. IOM was prepared to give its assistance in the form of medical care and transport if necessary. An IOM operational team was in Oujda to assess the situation of the irregular migrants there.