POINT DE PRESSE DU SERVICE DE L'INFORMATION (en anglais)

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief, Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by spokespersons for the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Food Programme, the World Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization.

Concern for civilians in Yemen and calls for continued restraint

Shabia Mantoo, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), read the following statement:

“UNHCR, the UN refugee Agency, echoes the calls, made by the Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen and the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator this week, for parties to the conflict to show continued restraint in Yemen and for the implementation of a cessation of hostilities.

UNHCR remains particularly concerned for civilians in Yemen and continues to urge all parties to do their utmost to protect civilians, including those displaced and fleeing for safety. UNHCR is very saddened by reports of the deaths of nine civilians in Al Garrahi district in Al Hudaydah governorate earlier this week, who were trying to flee for safety.

The conflict in Yemen has taken a disproportionate toll on the civilian population and we continue to urge all parties to the conflict to ensure adherence to the obligations enshrined under international humanitarian law. UNHCR also continues to appeal for the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need and the protection of humanitarian infrastructure.

With almost four years of war resulting in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, UNHCR reiterates that only a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Yemen can halt further suffering.”

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that Mark Lowcock, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator would later that day be briefing the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the risk of famine. David Beasely, Executive Director of World Food Programme, who had just returned from a three-day visit to Yemen, would also be briefing the Security Council that day.

In response to questions posed by journalists, Ms. Mantoo said that the situation throughout Yemen was tense and UNHCR remained concerned for the well-being of civilians. Any lull or reduction in intensity in the fighting was to be welcomed but UNHCR was unable to comment on the nature of the military operations being conducted by the parties to the conflict.

Also responding to journalists’ questions, Mr. LeBlanc said that recent reports had pointed a quieting of hostilities, which was encouraging news. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, was continuing his efforts to bring the parties to the conflict back to the negotiating table. Mr. Griffiths had been encouraged by the constructive engagement he had witnessed and had expressed confidence that the belligerents were ready to work towards a political solution. Further details about his efforts – possibly including dates of future consultations – would be forthcoming later that day when he too was due to address the Security Council.

Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria

In response to a question about the replacement for Staffan de Mistura as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Mr. LeBlanc said that every effort was being made to ensure that there would be no break in continuity between the current incumbent and his successor. Mr. de Mistura would be briefing the Security Council on Monday 19 November.

Rohingya refugee repatriation and the situation in Myanmar

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), read the following statement:

“This week we have seen widespread reports that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh may be forcibly repatriated to Myanmar, reports that UNICEF views with the utmost concern, with particular concern at how such a move would affect children.

“Yesterday our colleagues working in Unchiprang camp in Cox’s Bazar – one of the camps targeted for repatriation – witnessed a large demonstration by Rohingya refugees against the plans for repatriation. The camp authorities reinforced the message that, while they are ready to repatriate refugees on a voluntary basis, no Rohingya refugees will be forced to return to Myanmar if they do not wish to do so.

“We welcome this move by the Bangladesh government. UNICEF wholly supports the approach of UNHCR in relation to this question. UNHCR has recommended that any repatriation must be voluntary, sustainable, conducted in safety and with dignity. We would take grave exception towards any moves to repatriate children that does not conform to these criteria. Children should not be separated from their parents or guardians. Children should not be exposed to any levels of stress or discomfort during repatriation, nor should any child that is ill be repatriated.

“Unofficial polls conducted by our UNICEF colleagues in the camps have all reached the same conclusion. The overwhelming majority of refugees are unwilling to be repatriated unless their safety can be guaranteed. The consensus is that while conditions in the camps are tough, they remain preferable to the perceived risks of returning to Myanmar. For many, the trauma they witnessed during their exodus from Myanmar at the end of 2017 is still fresh in their minds.

“It is easy to understand their concern. Rohingya children and families who remain in Rakhine State continue to face particular hardship and are in need of humanitarian assistance due to ongoing restrictions on their freedom of movement and limited access to essential services such as health and education.

“Just a few days ago, on 13 November, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that it continues to receive reports of ongoing violations of the rights of Rohingya remaining in northern Rakhine, which include allegations of killings, disappearances and arbitrary arrests, as well as widespread restrictions on the rights to freedom of movement, health and education.

“Many organizations that worked in northern Rakhine State prior to August 2017 have been unable to resume activities to the extent desired or previously held, due to restrictions by the Government of Myanmar. UNICEF along with the humanitarian community in Myanmar, continues to call for unhindered access, including simplified access procedures, to enable the timely and predictable delivery of life-saving aid, protection assistance and build confidence among communities.

“So whilst the situation in Myanmar remains incredibly worrying, we also have concerns for Rohingya refugee children in Bangladesh. Education remains high on our list of concerns – particularly for teenagers in the camp. Their plight was outlined by UNICEF in a Child Alert released in August this year. We aim to continue our work providing a network of Learning Centres (LCs) and Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs). There are now more than 1,100 learning centres run by UNICEF and its partners in the camps reaching 124,000 children with education.

“UNICEF calls on the international community to continue working with the governments and civil society of Bangladesh and Myanmar in support of Rohingya children and families, towards longer term solutions to this crisis, based on respect for and protection of the human rights of all Rohingya people.”

Answering questions raised by journalists, Mr. Boulierac said that UNICEF had trained nearly 4,000 teachers who were currently working in the agency’s 1,110 learning centres. The goal was to build more than 2,500 centres by 2019, which would serve 260,000 children and adolescents. Current estimates indicated that there were around half a million children under the age of 18 living in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh. Of them, 300,000 were aged between 3 and 14 but education services provided by UNICEF and partners currently reached only around 182,000 of them.

In Myanmar the situation was quite different. UNICEF was running school construction and rehabilitation projects and providing essential learning supplies to children in northern Rakhine State. In addition, over 6,300 children were accessing mental and psychosocial support services in safe spaces run by UNICEF. According to current United Nation estimates, there might be between 550,000 and 600,000 Rohingya living in Myanmar. Education remained absolutely critical if there was to be no lost generation of children, either in the camps in Bangladesh or in Myanmar itself.

Responding to further questions, Mr. Boulierac said that he was not aware of any Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh who currently wished to return to Myanmar. Conditions in the country were clearly not favourable for the return of refugees, and particularly not of children. For his part, Andrej Mahecic, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the return of refugees was a process, not an event, and it would take time. The decision of refugees to return or not to their homes had an impact on their own and their families’ safety and was one of the most difficult and significant decisions they would probably ever make. UNHCR believed that repatriation had to be undertaken on the basis of free and informed choice, and that principle was reflected in all relevant international instruments including the recent bilateral agreement between Bangladesh and Myanmar. In the view of UNHCR, the current conditions in Myanmar were not conducive to the safe, dignified and voluntary return of Rohingya refugees.

Afghanistan drought

Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), read the following statement:

“On 27 and 28 November, a ministerial conference on Afghanistan will take place in Geneva to demonstrate the solidarity between the international community, the Government of Afghanistan and the Afghan people in development and reform efforts to achieve peace, prosperity, and security.

The World Food Programme welcomes the upcoming conference, as addressing food insecurity in Afghanistan plays a major role in these efforts and remains a serious challenge amidst a severe drought.

A growing number of people in Afghanistan are in urgent need of food assistance due to the drought affecting large parts of the country. During this particularly difficult period the Afghan Government, UN agencies and partners need additional support.

The drought affects 20 provinces in the north, south and west of the country. To understand its impact, the Government of Afghanistan has conducted a survey the results of which will be released later this month. Preliminary findings indicate that 3.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in 20 of the most drought-affected provinces.

In response, WFP will significantly expand its ‘full scale drought response’ to 2.5 million people in the 20 affected provinces, for at least six months. Out of the total 3.5 million affected people, WFP will provide emergency food assistance to 2.5 million and the remaining one million people will be assisted by the Government and other partners.

WFP has already reached 1.4 million people. By the end of November, it plans to reach 1.7 million and, from December to March, it plans to reach all 2.5 million people targeted.

WFP’s drought response will help hungry people to remain in their homes, engage in the next growing season, and prevent further displacement to urban areas during the harsh winter.”

Climate change

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that WMO would be issuing its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin on 22 November and its El Niño Update on 27 November. In addition, the Secretary-General of WMO would be holding a press conference on Thursday 29 November to present the agency’s provisional statement on the state of the climate in 2018, including details of extreme weather and the impacts of climate change. Such a conference was traditionally held in advance of the annual climate change negotiations, which would be taking place in Poland from 3 December.

MeteoSwiss had just published a report on climate change scenarios for Switzerland over the coming century. It envisaged Switzerland becoming drier and hotter with less snow and more frequent heavy precipitation events. According to the report, the hottest days in summer would be between 2°C and 5.5°C warmer than was currently the case. Winters would become more snow-scarce and significantly warmer than current ones with a possible temperature rise of 2°C to 3.5°C. The zero-degree line would climb from its current 850 metres to 1,500 metres above sea level in winter.

In coming weeks, a cold wave was forecast to advance from Eastern to Western and South-Eastern Europe. At the same time, the drought situation with below-normal precipitation in parts of Western, Central and South-Eastern Europe (including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic) would probably continue for at least two more weeks.

Above normal precipitation was expected to continue for at least the coming fortnight in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East including Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Jordan. The Middle East had been affected by unusually high levels of precipitation since late October.

Attack against a hospital in Eastern Libya

Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), read the following statement:

“On Thursday 15 November 2018, an armed group attacked a specialized urological hospital in Benghazi. They beat three female nurses and two security guards and stole valuable hospital equipment.

This incident led to the suspension of all operations at the hospital. This is the only specialized urological hospital in the east and south-east of Libya and its closure puts the lives of large numbers of people at risk.

Attacks on health facilities and medical staff across Libya have been increasing. Health workers operate in difficult situations and face intimidation, harassment and assassination attempts while saving the lives of thousands whose access to health-care services is limited.

WHO reminds all parties that attacks on health workers, facilities and patients constitutes a violation of international humanitarian law, and it calls on all parties to respect the sanctity of health care.”

Killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi

Responding to a question posed by a journalist, Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that he was unaware of whether the Secretary-General of the United Nations or any United Nations agencies had received material from the Turkish authorities regarding the killing of Jamal Khashoggi.

Announcements

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review was due to conclude its thirty-first session that afternoon. During the session, it had examined the human rights records of 14 States.

Mr. LeBlanc said the Committee on Enforced Disappearances would close its fifteenth session that afternoon and issue its concluding observations on the three countries reviewed during this session: Japan, Portugal and Mexico.

Mr. LeBlanc said the Committee against Torture would that morning begin its consideration of the report of Guatemala. On Monday afternoon it would hear the answers of the delegation to the questions raised. During the course of its session it would be considering reports from six States parties: Peru, Viet Nam, Guatemala, the Netherlands, Canada and Maldives.

Mr. LeBlanc said the second conference of parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury would be taking place in Geneva from 18 to 23 November. Key findings from the forthcoming Global Mercury Assessment were due to be released on Tuesday 20 November. The findings would shed light on human-caused mercury emissions in the previous five years.

Mr. LeBlanc reminded journalists that 19 November marked World Toilet Day. The event would be marked by a rally in Place des Nations where a giant inflatable toilet would be placed next to the broken chair from 11 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. The purpose was to raise awareness about the sanitation crisis. Speakers, including the Permanent Representative of the Singapore Mission, would focus on the urgency of changing the lives of the 4.5 billion people who did not have access to safely managed sanitation.

Mr. LeBlanc also pointed out that 21 November marked World Television Day, which would be marked by an event at the Palais des Nations organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). The theme of the Day was: “At the service of the peoples of the world: a perspective on the role of television in advancing the public interest”. The event, which would be attended by high-ranking officials from UNOG and EBU as well as by media personalities, would also include three separate workshops on the themes of trust, diversity and innovation in the realm of television.

Press conferences

Tuesday, 20 November at 9.30 a.m., Room III
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
Launch of the Landmine Monitor 2018 Report
Speakers:
• Renata Dawn, Director, UNIDIR
• Amelie Chayer, Government Liaison and Policy Manager, International Campaign to Ban Landmines
• Mark Hiznay, Editor of the mine ban policy section, Associate Director Arms Division, Human Rights Watch
• Loren Persi, Editor of the casualties and victim assistance section, International Campaign to Ban Landmines
• Marion Lodoo, Editor of the support for mine action section, International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Wednesday, 21 November at 11 a.m., Press Room I
OCHA
Update on the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic (CAR)
Speaker:
• Najat Rochdi, Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR

Thursday, 22 November at 10 a.m., Room III
World Meteorological Organization
Release of WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin with details on annual average concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
Speakers:
• Prof Pavel Kabat, WMO Chief Scientist and Research Director
• Dr Oksana Tarasova, Chief, Atmospheric Environment Research Division