REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Alessandra Vellucci, Chief, Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Organization for Migration.

Summary

Geneva Conference on Syria

Ms Vellucci, Chief, Press and External Relations, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, announced that today, at 11 a.m. at the Palais des Nations Joint Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi would hold a bilateral meeting with the delegation of the Syrian Government. At 4 p.m. today Mr. Brahimi would hold a bilateral meeting with the delegation of the Syrian Opposition. Ms. Vellucci said that both meetings would be private.

Later today Mr. Brahimi would hold a press conference, at approximately 5.30/6.00 p.m. in Press Room III at the Palais des Nations. The press conference would be webcast live by the United Nations at webtv.un.org

Responding to questions, Ms. Vellucci confirmed that the arrival of delegates was not authorized to be filmed, and some restrictions were in place around the doorways.

Yvette Morris, Chief of TV and Radio Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, confirmed that for the time being there were no filming opportunities. If that situation changed accredited audio-visual press would be informed by email.

Ms. Vellucci answered a further question, saying there was currently no designated spokesperson for Mr. Brahimi. Instead the United Nations Information Service at Geneva would deal with all media-related questions, requests for interview and so on.

A journalist asked whether he could now report that the Syrian talks had now begun. Ms. Vellucci responded by recalling Mr. Brahimi’s clear statement at his press conference in Montreux [on Wednesday 22 January] that the process of negotiation had not gone as hoped. The United Nations had expected that the composition of the delegations, especially the delegation of the Syrian Opposition, would be communicated well in advance, to allow time to prepare for the talks in Geneva. That had not happened; therefore now there was a need for intense bilateral talks to plan the way forward. For the moment, the talks were bilateral. The media could ask Mr. Brahimi if it was now clearer what form the talks would take in the following days.

Journalists had to understand that the process was being shaped right now and be patient, Ms. Vellucci said, although she understood their frustrations. The journalists had to allow time for the preparations to take place. Mr. Brahimi might be able to say more in this afternoon’s press conference following his bilateral meetings today.

A journalist said he had information from sources that the Syrian Opposition may not attend the talks. Ms. Vellucci responded that the only thing she could say at this point was that a meeting was scheduled for 4 p.m. this afternoon between Mr. Brahimi and the delegation of the Syrian Opposition.

Concerning who would lead the delegations, Ms. Vellucci confirmed that the Governmental Syrian Delegation would be led by H.E. Mr. Walid Muallem at the bilateral meeting this morning. Ms. Vellucci said she could not confirm who would lead the Syrian Opposition Delegation at the meeting later today.

A journalist asked why the two delegations would now be meeting not only in separate rooms, but also at separate times. Ms. Vellucci confirmed that today the two meetings would take place at two different times. There were no meetings taking place in parallel, at the same time today. Ms. Vellucci emphasized that the process was developing, and the media ought to be patient to see what was happening.

A journalist asked if there was any idea about how the process would continue; could another round of negotiations tomorrow, or next week, be expected? Ms. Vellucci said that she could not comment on that.

Syria / Turkey

Christiane Berthiaume, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that IOM was distributing blankets, mattresses and carpets to help people deal with the cold winter and had delivered winter relief items to 3,160 Syrian families totalling over 16,370 people since Christmas in Kirikhan in Turkey's Hatay province.

The winter was very harsh for Syrian refugees, with temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius which was very cold in that part of the world. Houses there were not equipped for the cold; they had no central heating, just little stoves at the most. Furthermore, most refugees were living in abandoned homes, unfinished construction sites, make-shift tents and farm buildings. Those who were able to rent homes could usually only afford houses that were in poor condition.

IOM had also carried out work to repair walls, roofs and floors in more than 25 collective centres that were home to nearly 10,000 people. The special programme had been possible thanks to a contribution from the European Commission.

Iraq

Adrian Edwards for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said during the last week, more than 65,000 people had fled the conflict in the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi in central Iraq’s Anbar province.

Since fighting broke out at the end of last year, more than 140,000 people had been made homeless by fighting according to Iraq’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration. That was the largest displacement Iraq had witnessed since the sectarian violence of 2006 to 2008. That number was on top of the 1.13 million people already internally displaced in Iraq and who were mostly residing in Baghdad, Diyala and Ninewa provinces.

According to reports from people in Anbar, including UNHCR staff, many civilians were unable to leave conflict-affected areas where food and fuel were now in short supply, said Mr. Edwards.

Most of the recently displaced remained outside Fallujah city, accommodated by relatives or staying in schools, mosques and hospitals where resources were running low. Host families were having difficulties sustaining the burden of caring for the displaced. UNHCR and its humanitarian partners, including WFP, UNICEF, IOM, WHO, UNFPA and other agencies had managed to distribute tarpaulins, blankets, sleeping mats, food, and hygiene supplies. Yesterday (Thursday) saw UNHCR delivering 2,400 core relief kits. The Ministry of Displacement and Migration and the Iraqi parliament had also sent aid.

Many of the displaced, nonetheless, were still in desperate need of food, medical care and other aid. As the insecurity had spread, many families who fled several weeks ago had been displaced again, Mr. Edwards said.

The United Nations in Iraq had asked the government to facilitate the opening of a humanitarian corridor to reach displaced and stranded families in Anbar province. In recent weeks several bridges leading into the conflict area and communities hosting displaced people had been destroyed, making access difficult. Currently it was impossible to reach the area from Baghdad and relief agencies were using roads coming from northern Iraq.

Meanwhile, other areas of Iraq – including Baghdad, Erbil, Kerbala, Salah-al-Din and Ninewa – had witnessed the arrival of thousands of displaced persons. People were reportedly without money for food and lacked suitable clothing for the rainy conditions. Children were not in school and sanitary conditions, particularly for women, were inadequate.

Establishing camps for the newly displaced was not UNHCR’s preferred option and may prolong displacement, Mr. Edwards said. But if the Government of Iraq opted to establish sites, UNHCR was ready to provide tents and core relief items as well as provide support to camp management.

In northern Iraq, at the request of the Erbil government, UNHCR had refurbished the Baharka temporary site to host people arriving from Anbar province. Tents, electricity and sanitation facilities had been installed and the facility was ready to accommodate up to 300 families should the government decide to open the site. In Suleymaniya, some sections of Arbat camp, originally built for Syrian refugees, had been made available to accommodate Iraqi internally displaced persons (IDPs). There were some 300 displaced families in Suleymaniya.

Planning was currently under way to field additional mobile teams to strengthen capacity in Anbar and teams could also be dispatched to other provinces hosting internally displaced persons, Mr. Edwards concluded.

Answering questions from journalists Mr. Edwards expressed his concern about the crisis developing in Iraq. Mr. Edwards said the situation was extremely difficult in a region that was under immense pressure from the Syria conflict. It was one of the worst crises in term of numbers of people displaced. Mr. Edwards said he had no information on the opening of a humanitarian corridor in Iraq.

Regarding alternative options to refugee camps, Mr. Edwards said camps were sometimes necessary and while it was not UNHCR’s preferred option they of course supported the Government’s preference. Around 1.13 million people were currently displaced in Iraq, he clarified.

South Sudan / Uganda

Adrian Edwards for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said today UNHCR was starting a mass immunization campaign in northern Uganda to prevent the spread of measles among South Sudanese refugees. The Ugandan Ministry of Health had confirmed an outbreak of measles among the more than 59,000 South Sudanese refugees who had arrived in the country since clashes began in South Sudan in mid-December.

Five cases had been registered so far and three suspected cases had been reported among refugees in the Arua area. Samples had been sent to the Uganda Virus Research Institute.

The immunization campaign would cover all refugee and Ugandan children below 15 years in age in the Arua and Adjumani districts. UNHCR was working on the project with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Ugandan Ministry of Health, Medecins Sans Frontieres-France, and Medical Teams International.

After the mass immunization campaign, all refugee children arriving in the Adjumani, Arua and Kiryandongo areas, would be systematically screened to ensure they were protected, Mr. Edwards said.

UNHCR was still receiving 250 refugees a day at the reception area in Adjumani. Recent arrivals were visibly weaker and coming with much less luggage, suggesting they were coming from more distant areas of South Sudan. UNHCR continued to hear reports from inside South Sudan of people readying to cross into Uganda, depending on the situation.

UNHCR welcomed the signing of the South Sudan ceasefire agreement and hoped it would be implemented to avert further displacement within and outside of the country.

In the meantime, UNHCR continued to provide assistance to the South Sudanese already in exile. In Uganda, it was relocating refugees from the overcrowded transit centres to the nearby settlement of Nyumanzi. Additional sites had been identified, including a former settlement, called Baratuku with little or no infrastructure in place. UNHCR were working to install key facilities including water points, health services and schools.

In Ethiopia, on Thursday, UNHCR relocated the first group of 500 refugees from the border to the newly set up Leitchor camp in the western region of Gambella. Refugees were being placed in communal shelters and provided with hot meals for two days pending the establishment of family shelters. Once in their own shelters, they would be provided with food rations for one month and kitchen sets so that they could prepare their own food.

Meanwhile, inside South Sudan, people were reported to have moved to border areas from where they might cross into Ethiopia if the situation further deteriorated. Some sources indicated as many as 2,000 people may be pre-emptively heading towards Ethiopia from Maban County in the Upper Nile State.

In Sudan the estimated 17,000 refugees were concentrated in the South and Western Kordofan regions as well in the White Nile region. The latter had seen a significant increase in new arrivals since 16 January as a result of intense fighting in and around Malakal in Upper Nile State. Unconfirmed reports also suggested some 1,200 people might have crossed to the Blue Nile area where UNHCR had limited access.

Authorities in the White Nile state had identified two locations – Alagaya in El Jebelein locality and Kilo10 in Al Salam locality – for the establishment of camps. UNHCR and partners were working to urgently develop key infrastructure in the two sites, including water and sanitation facilities as well as health care and schools.

Since mid-December, more than 100,000 South Sudanese had fled to neighbouring Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan.

Inside South Sudan, some 490,000 people were at present internally displaced. In addition, South Sudan was host to 230,000 refugees, most of whom were from Sudan.

Elisabeth Byrs, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that WFP had assisted 178,000 people who had been displaced as a result of the South Sudan crisis. That number had been growing almost daily, despite the intense security and logistical challenges that had severely complicated the response. WFP was constantly ready to move quickly when any available window of opportunity arose to get food assistance in to the areas that were difficult to reach.

WFP and its partners had distributed food in Juba, Bentiu, Bor, Malakal, Leer, Mingkaman, Yirol East and Yirol West, Mabior, and Aweng, Ms. Byrs said. Furthermore, WFP hoped to begin distribution in Nimule, near the Ugandan border, next week.

Regarding the signing of an agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, yesterday, WFP hoped it would bring the fighting to a stop and allow them and other humanitarian agencies to provide urgently-needed relief to the people affected by the conflict. It was important to remember that the humanitarian needs would continue long after the fighting stops, Ms. Byrs continued.

Humanitarian access and looting of food stocks were major concerns. As a result of looting reported at WFP facilities around the country, WFP currently estimated that they had lost more than 3,700 metric tons of food – that was a major loss as it was enough to feed more than 220,000 people for a month. WFP continued to verify reports of looting, and had been working to recover lost stocks where possible. WFP’s warehouses in Malakal had been almost entirely emptied by repeated incidents of looting.

WFP had launched a US$ 57.8 million emergency operation in order to respond to urgent food needs of displaced and conflicted-affected people in South Sudan. Donor contributions were urgently required. More details were in the press release at the back of the room.

Ms. Vellucci, Chief, Press and External Relations, United Nations Information Service at Geneva, said that the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General made a statement last night in which he said the Secretary-General welcomed the agreement on cessation of hostilities. The United Nations Security Council also released a statement last night; both statements were available to the press.

Answering a question, Ms. Vellucci quoted the Security Council statement of last night which stated that “The members of the Security Council noted that as a result of this conflict, there were currently 494,000 internally displaced persons across South Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance, including 73,000 civilians seeking refuge and protection on United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases.”

Regarding the latest figures of internally displaced and refugees, both inside and outside of South Sudan, Adrian Edwards for the United Nations Refugee Agency(UNHCR), said that more than 100,000 people were displaced outside the country There were already about 230,000 refugees inside South Sudan in addition to the internally displaced population. The refugees were mainly from Sudan itself, Mr. Edwards explained. Answering a question, Mr. Edwards said it wasn’t clear if the figures on the Security Council press release included also refugees - he would clarify the data and email the latest numbers out today. Mr. Edwards also answered a question about the approximate 17,000 people who had fled from South Sudan to Sudan, saying UNHCR did not have the same degree of access to those people, and the numbers were still estimates.

A journalist asked about the security situation for food stocks in South Sudan. Ms. Byrs said it was difficult to protect the food stocks in warehouses but they did all that they could. Ms. Byrs noted that people were seeking refuge in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) base in Malakal. Ms. Byrs said she had no details on the perpetrators. WFP urged all parties to protect the neutrality of humanitarian organizations and their supplies.

A journalist asked whether it was unusual to run an immunisation campaign for adults, as normally they were only aimed at children under the age of five. Mr. Edwards recalled the situation in Uganda, which had large numbers of people coming into an area that was designed to cope only with smaller numbers. That had put enormous pressure on people of all kinds – housing, sanitation – and so health risks were a major concern. In that sense it was not entirely surprising to see something like this happens, but at the moment it was only being reported from Uganda.

Glenn Thomas, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said he would check the health situation in the region with his colleagues at WHO and send out any further information he could share with the media later today.

Nigeria

Adrian Edwards for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that recent clashes between the Nigerian Army and insurgent groups in the north-east of the country had led over 4,000 people to seek refuge in Cameroon since mid-January, while an estimated 1,500 people had fled to Niger.

A UNHCR team in Cameroon's Far North Region had spoken with refugees from the area around Banki, a town just across the border in Nigeria's Borno State. The refugees said their villages were bombed, that several people had been killed, and that at least two villages were burned to the ground.

Nigeria's northern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe had been under states of emergency since May 2013. The continuing violence had displaced thousands of people. Of those who had fled to Cameroon, most were in the Logone-et-Chari area of Far North Region. With the new influx, there were now 12,428 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon, according to local Cameroonian authorities. Of that number 2,183 had so far been moved to a UNHCR camp at Minawao, 130 kilometres further inland. Together with partner agencies UNHCR was providing refugees with shelter, health, sanitation, education, food, and other help.

In Niger, the new refugee arrivals have been in the Diffa region of south-east Niger. Refugees say they fled a January 16 mosque attack in the village of Gashagar just across the border. Seven people were reportedly killed during the attack, and seven cars were burned as well as 60 shops. The refugees were being hosted by local communities and most were women and children. UNHCR was sending relief aid.

A Government census released last November showed that some 38,000 people – including 8,000 Nigerians and 30,000 Niger nationals who were living in Nigeria – had been displaced into the Diffa region since May 2013. In early December, the Niger government issued a decree granting temporary refugee status to Nigerians who fled the three states under states of emergency in Nigeria.

UNHCR continued to urge States in the region to keep their borders open for Nigerians who were fleeing their country and may need international protection. UNHCR was also advising against any forced returns. Its recommendations were contained in a Return Advisory issued last October, which sought to ensure that humanitarian and asylum principles were upheld in light of the insecure situation in north-eastern Nigeria.

Answering questions from journalists Mr. Edwards said he was not aware of any forced returns having taken place. A large number of people were crossing the borders which seemed to be being kept open in the region. UNHCR would watch things closely. A journalist asked Mr. Edwards if he had any information on who was perpetrating the violence, and who had burned the mosque. Mr. Edwards said he did not have any information on that.

Central African Republic

Elisabeth Byrs, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that WFP was providing food assistance to displaced people in the capital Bangui and in the towns of Bouar and Bossangoa, despite ongoing violence. Insecurity was deterring many people from returning to their homes and was disrupting humanitarian assistance.

With the interruption of road traffic from Cameroon, 38 trucks carrying 1,600 metric tonnes of WFP food – mostly cereals – had been stranded at the border. That amount of food would be sufficient to feed 155,000 people for one month. The drivers refused to proceed mostly because of the ongoing insecurity along the road to Bangui. WFP was calling for the main roads of the country to be secured to allow access of aid and humanitarian personnel.

On 23 January an African military peace keeping convoy came to help the trucks destined to Bangui, Ms. Byrs said. As a last resort, WFP had started to work on an alternative, an airlift of 3,000 metric tonnes of WFP food currently located in Douala, Cameroon. That last-resort alternative would substantially increase the cost of the emergency operation in Central African Republic.

In the immediate term, WFP had prioritized distributions at the Bangui airport camp which hosted 100,000 people who had fled the violence. Since 7 January, WFP had distributed two-week rations of cereals, pulses and oil to over 40,000 beneficiaries. A further 25,000 displaced people staying in smaller camps across the Capital also received food rations in January.

Regarding the situation in the rest of the country, Ms. Byrs said that the WFP resumed its monthly food distribution to 40,000 beneficiaries in the town of Bossangoa on 24 January. Additionally, between 16 and 17 January, WFP provided food to 1,209 beneficiaries who had returned to Zere village, 27 km from Bossangoa. WFP teams had also carried out assessments of the needs of families in villages around Bossangoa.

Answering a question about how long the lorries had been waiting at the border and why the roads were blocked, Ms. Byrs said that some of the 500 commercial trucks that were stranded at the border, including the 38 trucks that carried WFP food, had been blocked since 6 January. The first reason for the blockage was that there was no custom officer at the border, because of the security situation. The WFP was calling for the main road to be secured.

Meanwhile, as cereal stocks ran low in Bangui, WFP had been exploring the possibility of airlifting food from Douala in Cameroon, which was an expensive operation. Furthermore, clashes at checkpoints along the Beloko-Bangui corridor continued to hamper the movement of trucks. Ms. Byrs said WFP cereal stocks were running low and close to being exhausted, which could lead to further tension in the overcrowded Bangui airport camp where levels of tension were extremely high among people displaced by the violence.

Ms. Byrs was asked a question about looting of food stocks in warehouses in the Central African Republic. She did not have any information but said she would revert with details later. Answering a question about the provision of seeds, Ms. Byrs said she would speak to her colleagues at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) about how they were working together.

Haiti

Christiane Berthiaume, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), made a short announcement about a sustainable relocation programme for 16,000 displaced Haitian families that was being funded by Canada. The Canadian funding would help some 53,000 people to return to their communities of origin or of choice and relocate from camps to safe accommodation. More information was available in the press release distributed by IOM in the room.

Climate Change

Jonathan Lynn, for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said that the IPCC had now finalized its full report Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis which it would publish online on Thursday 30 January 2014. The report looked at the physical science basis behind climate change, dealing with questions such as was the climate changing, how did we know, and what was going to happen next.

A dial-in press conference would be held on Thursday 30 January at 2.30 p.m. with Thomas Stocker, Co-Chairperson of the IPCC Working Group I. Details were in the press release. Mr. Lynn also drew journalists’ attention to an event taking place at Balexert in Geneva on the morning of Thursday 30 January, at which Mr. Stocker would also speak. Media were welcome to attend and speak to Mr. Stocker in person, but should note that his comments would be under embargo until 2.30 p.m. that afternoon.
Geneva activities

Glenn Thomas, for the World Health Organization (WHO), announced a press conference to take place on Tuesday 28 January at 2.30 pm in Room III to launch the Global Atlas of Palliative Care at the End of Life. The atlas was the first document to map the need for, and availability of, palliative care globally as well as identifying the barriers to this important element of patient and family care. Dr. Cecilia Sepulveda, Senior Adviser, Chronic Diseases Prevention and Management, WHO would be speaking, and Dr. Stephen Connor, Senior Fellow, Worldwide Palliative Care Alliance (WPCA) would be speaking via audio link. Mr. Thomas also noted that the World Health Organization Executive Board discussions would continue until Saturday evening. The press were welcome to attend and an agenda was at the back of the room.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would launch their Global Investment Trends and Prospects report at a press conference at noon on Tuesday 28 January 2014 in Press Room 1. James Zhan, UNCTAD Director of the Division on Investment and Enterprise, would speak. The report was embargoed until 5 p.m. GMT on 28 January 2014.

Ms. Vellucci announced that the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group would begin its next session on Monday 27 January. The two-week session would last until 7 February, during which 14 States would have their human rights records examined under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism.

States to be reviewed by the Universal Periodic Review Working Group during the session were, in order of scheduled review: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cambodia, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Cyprus, the Dominican Republic and Viet Nam.

The meeting would take place in Room XX at the Palais des Nations in Geneva and would be open to the media. Rolando Gomez, Spokesperson for the Human Rights Council, would email media updates to journalists following each State review.

Ms. Vellucci announced that the Committee on the Rights of the Child today would continue its examination of the report of Russia. The report of Germany would be presented on Monday and Tuesday 27 and 28 January. The Committee would then meet in private before closing its session on Friday 31 January.

Ms. Vellucci announced that the Conference on Disarmament would hold its next public plenary at 10 a.m. on Tuesday 28 January.

The representatives of the International Labour Organization and of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development also attended the briefing but did not speak.

The webcast for this briefing is available here: webtv.un.org/media.