REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Alessandra Vellucci, Director, United Nations Information Service, chaired the briefing attended by the spokespersons for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Syria

Yara Sharif, for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE), said that the Special Envoy for Syria was alarmed at the failed humanitarian access during the month of January. Out of 21 requests for convoys to access a total of 914,000 people, only one convoy had been delivered for 40,000 people. January had marked the worst month since March 2016 and there was an urgent need to move on with the other convoys as there were areas that hadn’t received any humanitarian aid for more than 100 days. Madaya, Zabadani, Foah and Kefraya were out of food and despite being able to evacuate 13 medical cases since 20 January, there were still critical cases in Madaya and Zabadani that required immediate medical attention. On 5 February, a UN-International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)- Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) interagency convoy had delivered food, nutrition, health and other emergency items for 84,000 people in need in hard to reach Talbise in rural Homs, which had last been reached by an interagency convoy on 19 September 2016. That convoy was the first cross-line land delivery in February and only the second in 2017. The Special Envoy called for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all 4.72 million people in hard-to-reach locations across the country, including the more than 600,000 in besieged locations.

Regarding the situation in Aleppo, Ms. Sharif said that while all of the formerly besieged neighbourhoods of east Aleppo city had now become accessible to humanitarians, reports of unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war continued to hinder access and delivery of assistance to some areas. There was a grave concern that since 14 January an estimated 1.8 million people in Aleppo city and rural eastern Aleppo had been cut off from their main source of water, Hafsa, which was under ISIS control. The UN continued to respond to the water crisis by supplying fuel to operate 100 deep wells and was supporting emergency water trucking, reaching nearly 1 million people in need of water assistance.

While basic humanitarian needs were being met in Aleppo, the destruction was immense. There were no basic services, water and electricity, and people were living in the rubble in cold weather conditions.

On Mr. de Mistura’s visit to the United States, Ms. Sharif said the Special Envoy was appreciative of the opportunity to have conducted a series of successful meetings with the new US administration. His bilateral meeting with the new US Secretary of State Rex Wayne Tillerson had been positive. The Special Envoy had given a brief on the upcoming intra-Syrian negotiations and the context at the moment.

In Washington, the Special Envoy had met senators and representatives from Maryland, Tennessee and Florida. He had also met with Derek Harvey, the Senior Director for Middle East policy at the National Security Council, and a number of acting Assistant Secretaries.

Regarding the Astana Joint Group Meeting, Ms. Sharif said that on 6 February 2017 in Astana, the delegations of Russia, Turkey and Iran and UN representatives had held the first meeting of the joint group that had been established in accordance with the conclusions of the international meeting on Syria held in Astana on 23-24 January 2017.
The participants had discussed the implementation of the cease-fire regime in Syria, and specific measures to facilitate effective mentoring and verification in order to ensure full compliance with the cease-fire, prevent any provocations, and determine all the modalities of the cease-fire. The participants also discussed confidence-building measures to facilitate unhindered humanitarian access. The delegations acknowledged their readiness to continue collaboration towards ensuring full implementation of the cease-fire regime in Syria.

With regards to the Office of the Special Envoy’s involvement in the Astana Joint Group Meeting, a team of experts had attended the trilateral meeting. They were returning to Geneva today to brief the Office of the Special Envoy’s team. The Un experts had provided support to the efforts of the Joint Group to establish an effective cease-fire monitoring mechanism, including the sharing of Un experience and best practices related to the monitoring and verification of cease-fire arrangements in other settings. The Special Envoy had welcomed yesterday’s follow-up meeting of the Joint Group and had expressed the hope that their efforts would strengthen the cease-fire on the ground and thus contribute to the UN-led intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva and the political settlement in line with Security Council resolution 2254.

Asked about Ambassador Ramzy’s recent visit to Moscow and the discussions held there, Ms. Sharif said that she did not have information on that point but would get back to the press later. In response to a question about the experts who had attended the Astana meeting, Ms. Sharif confirmed that they were three staff members from the OSE. Regarding the reasons for the lack of access for humanitarian aid in January, Ms. Sharif said that there were several factors. There were many bureaucratic procedures for the facilitation letters to be approved. Also, some of the routes surrounding the besieged areas were controlled by ISIS, making the land access to those areas very difficult. That was why the OSE was always urging States with influence over the warring parties to exert their influence in order to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and improve access to those areas.

Ms. Sharif also said that the Special Envoy had expressed his comfort regarding his meeting with Mr. Tillerson but had not gone into details. In the US, Mr. de Mistura had done a full briefing on the Syrian talks and the direction the process was heading. The meeting with the US Secretary of State had been included in the Special Envoy’s agenda and had taken place on 2 February.

Regarding a reaction of the Special Envoy to the Amnesty International report about the Sednaya prison, Ms. Sharif said that she would get back to the press on that point. She further said that the atrocities described in the report were unacceptable.

In response to further questions, Ms. Sharif also said that the invitations to the talks in Geneva would go out on 8 February. The Special Envoy was of the view that the effectiveness of the intra-Syrian negotiations to be launched on 20 February could be significantly enhanced through direct negotiations between the Government of Syria and a united opposition delegation. To this end, he had used his briefing to the UN Security Council on 31 January to urge that those with influence on the Government work to ensure that it came with a delegation empowered and ready to engage seriously on the issues in resolution 2254. He continued to hope that intensive discussions underway would yield a Syrian opposition delegation, and that was what he was working towards. Only in the event that it did not would the Special Envoy assume additional responsibilities as entrusted to him by resolution 2254 to finalize efforts in that regard. In response to another question, Ms. Sharif said that as of now there was no confirmed projected ending of the talks.

Asked about taskforce meetings this week, Ms. Sharif said that the humanitarian taskforce and the cease-fire taskforce would continue their meetings this week but that there would be no stakeout. The press would be informed of any changes through UNIS. She also confirmed that Mr. de Mistura was in Geneva. Ms. Sharif also took note of the request of the press to receive a readout from the Special Envoy’s Office after the invitations would be sent.

Asked about the exact number of people who had been besieged in east Aleppo, Ms. Sharif said that she would email it to the press.

Asked about assurance of the UN’s involvement in the current process, Ms. Sharif said that the UN was very involved and would continue to support and facilitate the process, as well as keep the press briefed, if not through Mr. de Mistura than through herself. No stakeouts had taken place lately due to scheduling difficulties as well as Mr. de Mistura’s and his deputies’ travels outside of the country. The OSE would look into the schedule of Mr. de Mistura to organize future stakeouts.

Ms. Vellucci said that now that the dates of the Syria talks have been confirmed, the press would receive all the necessary information shortly. A note would first be sent out regarding accreditation, and a new system called Indico would be used. The journalists with permanent accreditation would not need any reaccreditation and would be able to use their regular badges. Subsequently, more information would be sent out about media opportunities, the opening, media coverage and spokespersons. Ms. Vellucci also took note of requests regarding facilitation of media activities late into the night and said that UNIS was in discussion with security to find the best way to manage that.

Yemen

William Spindler, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that UNHCR’s partner in Yemen, the Danish Refugee Council, had reported that eight Somali refugees had died on 3 February while they had been getting on a smuggler’s boat in the locality of Al Sadaf in Lahij governorate in southern Yemen. The refugees, seven men and a woman, had fallen overboard when the smugglers had abruptly stared the engine, trying to flee an approaching vessel of the Yemeni coast guard. The woman apparently had been hit in the head by the rotor of the ship and had died as a result. The others had apparently drowned. The boat, which had been carrying over 100 Somali refugees, had been intercepted and taken into custody by the Yemeni coast guard. Its final destination had been reportedly the Sudanese coast. This was just the latest of a series of deadly incidents in what was one of the deadliest sea crossings in the world for refugees and migrants.

Today, UNHCR was launching a major campaign to spread awareness about the dangers of crossing the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea from Africa to Yemen, and highlighting the horrendous conditions and rising risks there. More than 117,000 refugees and migrants had arrived in Yemen n 2016. Many had been lured by smugglers to take the perilous boat journey across the high seas in search of protection or better livelihood opportunities. UNHCR was alarmed that so many people were heading to a country where the conflict was worsening, displacement was growing, and arrivals faced a very uncertain future. Yemen had been torn by war since March 2015 and an estimated 7,100 people had been killed, 44,000 injured and more than 2 million displaced. Almost 19 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. Although Yemen was a signatory to the 1951 refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, UNCHR believed that war and insecurity meant conditions there were not conducive for asylum. For this reason, UNHCR was launching an information campaign today, with the help of prominent musicians from Somalia, Ethiopia and Egypt, who had created a song with key messages to make people think very carefully before deciding to cross to Yemen.

In response to questions, Mr. Spindler said that the main direction of the crossings was from the Horn of Africa to Yemen, but there was another, smaller route going from Yemen. With the conflict in Yemen and the difficulties of crossing into Saudi Arabia, some refugees and migrants were crossing back into Africa, into Sudan, then trying to make their way north from there either to Egypt or to Europe. Regarding the nationality of the smugglers, he said that in this case, the smugglers taking people to Sudan were Yemeni nationals. Those involved in taking people to Yemen were of various nationalities, some of them Somalis and some Yemenis. Smugglers responded to demand, when people were desperate and trying to flee their country. New routes were thus constantly opening, both on land and on sea, not just in this region but also in Europe. Mr. Spindler also said that it had taken some time to organize a high-profile campaign supported by several well-known musicians from the Horn of Africa, but it was not the first campaign by UNHCR or by IOM to warn people about the dangers of this route. Five or six years ago there had been a UNHCR campaign in Bosaso, Somalia, which had been the main point of departure. The new campaign would be done mostly through social media and through radio, as UNHCR had done research on how prospective migrants got their information. The countries targeted would be mainly Somalia and Ethiopia.

Mr. Spindler also said that the financing of the campaign was private and came from UNHCR funds. There had been no financing for this from Member States. The situation in Yemen was critical and UNHCR had spoken in previous briefings of the internal displacement disputation. Mr. Spindler was hoping to brief the press more comprehensively at the end of the week or the following week on the situation there.
UNHCR had also warned about the recent clashes in the Mocha region a few days ago and was following the situation in Yemen closely.

In response to a question about the airstrikes in Yemen and their compatibility with international law, Ms. Vellucci said that there had been several reports on those airstrikes but that she would ask her colleagues from OHCHR for a briefing on the topic.

Burundi

Mr. Spindler said that as hundreds of Burundian refugees continue to flow into neighbouring countries every week, UNHCR was calling on host Governments to urgently provide more land to ensure shelter and avert a drastic deterioration in conditions. The number of people fleeing Burundi, where peace talks had stalled, had been rising in the first weeks of the year, adding to the pressure for land in host countries, particularly Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The majority were women, children and individuals with specific needs.

In early February, the number of Burundian refugees arriving since April 2015 stood at 386,493. UNHCR’s 2017 projections indicated numbers would cross half-a-million. Currently Tanzania hosted 222,271, Rwanda had 84,866 and DR Congo 32,650.

Without allocation of new land to extend capacity in existing camps or build new ones, those countries would struggle to provide sufficient shelter and life-saving services in the camp sites. Camp facilities also needed to be upgraded, including construction of more homes, schools, health centres and better drainage systems to lessen the risk of disease.

The challenges and gaps due to the crowded conditions in existing camps included access to basic social services, provision of child protection, tackling sexual and gender-based violence, insufficient classrooms, averting absenteeism, helping people with special needs. The land shortages and rising number of arrivals exacerbated those problems.

UNHCR had been working with the host Governments to address the land issue and was impressed by their commitment, as well as their generosity, but more action was needed to avert a dangerous slide in standards and conditions, including relying on shrinking space to accommodate growing numbers.

At the same time, donor nations should help with stepped up assistance and funding. Last year, UNHCR had received a vital USD 96.1 million in contributions for the Burundi situation, or 53 per cent of the amount requested. There was more information in the press release on the situation in Tanzania, DRC, Rwanda and Uganda.

In response to questions, Mr. Spindler said that people were still leaving Burundi. Regarding UNHCR’s concerns about the deteriorating situation in the countries of asylum, he said that overcrowding would increase the risk of disease outbreaks and it was essential that more land be made available so that people could be hosted in decent conditions.

In response to questions, Leo Dobbs, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNCHR), said that there were still reports of forced disappearances, targeted assassinations and extrajudicial killings of civilians and law enforcement agents, but also sporadic attacks by unidentified armed people. The situation was still grave. Hundreds of people were still leaving every week. UNHCR was keeping on top of the situation in the camps with its partners, but if the problem of space was not resolved, there was a danger that conditions would deteriorate and aid delivery would be affected. UNHCR was working with the Governments to try and resolve the issue and they were being helpful. The problem was that land was needed urgently.

Humanitarian action funding recap for 2016

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), noted a request from the press for a summary of the funding of humanitarian action country by country for 2016.

Mr. Laerke subsequently sent the link to the new Financial Tracking Service update as of 7 February 2017: https://fts.unocha.org/appeals/overview/2016 .

Geneva Events and Announcements

Ms. Vellucci announced a press conference by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on 8 February at 12:15 p.m. in Room II, on the launch of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan 2017. The speakers would be Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and Jamie McGoldrick, Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen.

Ms. Vellucci said that the Conference on Disarmament, was holding a public plenary today, 7 February, starting at 10 a.m.

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog070217