REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
Corinne Momal-Vanian, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Haiti
Ms. Momal-Vanian said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday asked the Security Council to raise the number of UN police officers in the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) by 1,500, or 67 per cent over current levels. He also recommended that the Council boost the number of troops by 2,000, a nearly 30 per cent increase, for six months. At present MINUSTAH had 9,000 uniformed personnel on the ground and 2,000 civilian personnel, including 3,000 peacekeepers and police in Port-au-Prince, where they helped with maintaining order, distributing water and food and assisting the humanitarian relief effort in general. The Security Council was expected to adopt the draft resolution today. For now, there would be no change in the mandate of MINUSTAH. UN peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy said the additional military personnel were needed to escort humanitarian convoys, which were increasing daily; to secure humanitarian corridors that were being set up between Port-au-Prince and the Dominican Republic, as well as between Port-au-Prince and the northern ports of Haiti; and to constitute a reserve force “in case the situation unravels and security deteriorates.”
The Secretary-General asked for all in the UN system to observe a minute of silence to remember their fallen comrades in Haiti. In Geneva, it would be marked in front of the memorial at the Ariana Park at 4:53 p.m. Geneva time, symbolizing the time when the earthquake struck.
Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said to start with good news in this difficult situation, over 90 persons had been rescued by international Urban Search and Rescue Teams in Haiti. At the peak, the total number of teams on the ground reached 52, with 1,820 rescue workers and 175 dogs. As of 18 January, there were 48 international rescue teams on the ground and live rescues were still being made. Haitians had also been able to save scores of their fellow Haitians. The earthquake was an enormous catastrophe which required an enormous response. Everyone was working together to help the aid reach the affected Haitians. The working conditions remained very difficult, the capital was badly damaged, and they were now increasingly reaching out to affected areas outside of Port-au-Prince. It was feared that 60 per cent of Jacmel had been destroyed. Immediate priorities for the wider humanitarian response continued to be medical assistance, corpse management, shelter, water and food and sanitation. Engineers were needed to reconstruct the roads and bridges in Port-du-Prince and heavy equipment was needed to remove the huge piles of rubble. As for the logistics, and in response to criticism about the coordination of the relief effort, it was evident that aid could not arrive in a few hours in response to an enormous catastrophe like this. It should also be noted that as the capital was the main affected area, many government officials were killed and a lot of the services which the UN and other humanitarian actors depended on were no longer available. The UN and humanitarian community had all suffered losses in this catastrophe. Relief operations continued and were increasing.
In response to a question, Ms. Byrs said the humanitarian coordination at the airport was being carried out by the United Nations, and the logistics at the airport were controlled by the United States forces. The United Nations was cooperating and collaborating with the American forces, who came in with their logistics and expertise which, among other things, had allowed the airport control tower to work again.
Ms. Momal-Vanian said the United States forces were also working on repairing the Port-au-Prince port which was very important.
In response to another question, Ms. Byrs said the situation in Port-au-Prince was tense but calm. There were some lootings, but the UN was now providing escort for humanitarian distributions and convoys and the situation was under control.
Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme said the situation they were working in was in a constant state of flux. Every day, the situation was changing. Some areas were become reachable, but in other areas, aftershocks had affected places where relief operations were ongoing. As the day started in Haiti, she wanted to underline that figures she would give now would change.
Progress was being made, and they were moving forward on urgent humanitarian assistance for the people affected by the earthquake. As of last night, 270,000 had received emergency food assistance. Yesterday, they had aimed to reach about 95,000 persons. However, yesterday they reached only 60,000 persons. The aim today was also to try to reach 95,000 or 100,000 persons. This illustrated the difficulties and the situation of flex. Yesterday, aftershocks further damaged WFP warehouses, making it very difficult to load some of the food that was there. Nevertheless, progress was very much being made. They were now looking at having 10 million ready to eat rations going out over the course of the coming week, and they were coordinating very well with the government and with local mayors and authorities. The local mayors and authorities were now up and running in many locations around the country, and were able to work with the humanitarian workers and help coordinate distribution. Affected people were now gathering in more than 280 sites in and around Port-au-Prince where they were identified as being in need of food assistance. WFP was now looking at mobile distributions and distributions at four fixed sites. They had also made progress with telecommunications coordination. Phone texting and email communications for the humanitarian actors had been re-established. Communication equipment had also been presented to the Government to assist them in the coordination role. They had also set up a system of landing slots which had been set up through the logistics cluster, in coordination with the United States authorities who were handling the airport, so now movement of humanitarian goods had a priority. They were also addressing the issue of lack of fuel. They had received as of last night the first 10,000 gallons of fuel, which was brought in from the Dominican Republic by truck. This fuel was for use by the humanitarian community and would be distributed to the humanitarian actors. In addition, the UN humanitarian air service had already begun humanitarian flights for staff to be ferried back and forth from the Dominican Republic. Plans were continuing for additional assistance which would be coming in during the next few days.
Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund said UNICEF dealt with issues relating to water, sanitation and the protection of children, their food and their education. UNICEF had helped distribute water to 80,000 persons and was continuing to provide hospitals with 120,000 litres of water a day. Points of distribution of water had been increased. Fuel availability was now crucial to be able to deliver food to the points of distribution. Children were UNICEF’s main priority and their protection was crucial. They had all seen the pictures of children on the streets of Haiti and there had already been reports of violence against some children. UNICEF was planning to reinforce its protection staff. UNICEF was working with the International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children and the Government to identify children on their own. Concerning children who had been separated from their families or who had been orphaned, UNICEF believed the priority should be reuniting these children with members of their families, so that they could remain in the country where they were born. UNICEF was continuing to register children on their own. Many people from around the world were offering to adopt affected Haitian children, but the priority for UNICEF was to identify and register children on their own, feed them and provide them with water, then to reunify them with their larger families. Adoption was very last option for UNICEF. UNICEF was bringing in tents to help open up welcome points for children which would contain recreation kits and staff qualified in providing psychological help.
Paul Garwood of the World Health Organization said more than 20 health partners were now working together in support of the Ministry of Health in Haiti to respond to the enormous emergency health needs that existed today. There was a continued need to provide trauma treatment and to open more operating theatres around the affected areas. There were also great fears on the mental health and anguish that people may be suffering from and WHO was focusing on that too. WHO was grateful for the supports countries around the world and non-governmental organizations had provided. Medicines that could treat 120,000 persons for the next month were arriving today for emergency conditions and trauma. In the next two days, there would be extra equipment aimed at providing water to health facilities throughout the affected areas. The Ministry of Health had created a National Health Commission to help coordinate local and international health action that was taking place on the ground. A major concern remained the lack of surgical pieces and the lack of follow-up to patients. At least 13 hospitals were now working in and around Port-au-Prince, including fixed hospitals and field hospitals.
Jean-Philippe Chauzy of the International Organization for Migration said a consignment of 1,185 family-size tents purchased by IOM was expected later today in Port-au-Prince. The IOM would also be taking delivery in the next 48 hours of a donation from the United Kingdom of 350 "shelter boxes" for distribution. Each box contains a 10-person tent, survival equipment including blankets, water purifiers, mosquito nets, tools such as axes and shovels, a stove, kitchen equipment and materials for children. The box itself can be used for water storage or a child's cot. IOM would also take delivery of 2,130 UNHCR light weight tents and 18,500 plastic sheets that were scheduled to arrive early next week from its logistical hub in Dubai. However, IOM's stocks of pre-positioned non-food items were decreasing rapidly as were its fuel supplies. IOM was also supporting the Haitian government's priority for a rapid return to economic activities through the establishment of food and cash-for-work programmes, and through efforts to remove rubble from affected areas. The removal of debris would not only provide employment and income for beneficiaries but would also help the future return and reintegration of displaced people and reconstruction efforts as well as help ease growing frustrations at the lack of sufficient assistance among earthquake survivors. There were more details in the briefing notes.
Melissa Fleming of the United Nations Refugee Agency said UNHCR was not operational in Haiti. However, UNHCR reiterated its strong commitment to back up and support the broader humanitarian effort to address the massive and urgent needs in Haiti. UNHCR had expertise in the area of protection and a small team would arrive in the Dominican Republic imminently to serve the needs of the most vulnerable. UNHCR had planes and equipment braced to go when the green light was issued.
Gaelle Sevenier of the World Meteorological Organization said the Miami Office of the United States National Weather Service had created a weather support page to provide weather conditions and forecasts for Haiti and the surrounding Caribbean in the wake of the recent earthquake. The US Army was provisionally preparing the METAR and TAF messages for humanitarian flights. There were more details in the note to the media.
Matthew Cochrane of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the Federation now had nine emergency response units which had arrived, out of 16. They included a 70-bed rapid deployment hospital that had been set up in the grounds of the University Hospital in Port-au-Prince. The Federation was producing more than 200,000 litres of water a day and was distributing it at six points around the city. They were also beginning to get clear information on some of the remarkable work of the Haitian Red Cross in the aftermath of the earthquake. The Haitian Red Cross were amongst the first responders working, setting up first aid points across the city. There had also been a huge response from Latin American national Red Cross Societies.
Marcel Izard of the International Committee of the Red Cross said ICRC now had 28 delegates on the ground and two forensic experts to help the local authorities to handle the many bodies. ICRC was sending one cargo airplane which should leave from Geneva tonight with 36 tonnes of relief material and medical and water and sanitation material. Another cargo airplane from Panama was carrying 55 tonnes of urgently needed essential household items.
Statement by the Secretary-General on Guinea
Ms. Momal-Vanian said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the recent progress towards the restoration of constitutional order in Guinea. He spoke yesterday with President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso and commended him and all those who facilitated the signing late last week of the Ouagadougou agreement, which provides for the establishment of a government of national unity, led by a Consensus Prime Minister, and the holding of elections within six months.
The Secretary-General welcomed the decision by the Guinean Head of State, Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, to support the transitional programme initiated by the Interim Head of State, General Sekouba Konaté, and the commitment by himself, the members of the National Council for Democracy and Development and the Government, not to stand in the forthcoming elections. It was important that these commitments were now faithfully carried out to ensure a democratic process and the establishment of a government that fully reflected the will of the Guinean people. In addition, the Secretary-General reminded the Government of Guinea of the need to expeditiously implement the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry. The Secretary-General called on Guinea's regional and international partners to provide the necessary support to help the country through the transition and urged all Guinean political stakeholders to work together to resolve the current crisis. The United Nations stood ready to do its part, including by assisting with elections and through the continued efforts of the Secretary-General's Special Representative for West Africa, Said Djinnit, who was working closely with regional partners to help resolve the crisis. The statement of the Secretary-General was available in the press room.
Geneva Activities
Ms. Momal-Vanian said the Conference on Disarmament opened the first part of its 2010 session yesterday, and the first public plenary started at 10 a.m. this morning. The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Sergei Ordzhonikidze, who was also the Secretary-General of the Conference, addressed the plenary. A video message by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was also heard. The statements of the Director-General and the Secretary-General would be issued as separate press releases, and there would also be a press release on the meeting of the Conference when it concluded.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women opened its forty-fifth session yesterday, Ms. Momal-Vanian said. Yesterday and today, the Committee was hearing from non-governmental organizations in informal meetings on the country reports which it would consider during the session. This week, the Committee would be taking up the reports of Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Malawi. Next week, the Committee would consider the reports of the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Egypt and Botswana. The report of Panama would be considered during the third and last week of the Committee’s session, which would conclude its work on 5 February.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child was continuing its session. Today, the Committee was taking up the reports of Tajikistan, Ecuador and Israel. The Committee would also be considering the reports of El Salvador, Norway and Liechtenstein during its session, which would conclude on 30 January.
Other
Catherine Sibut-Pinote of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development said there was a change in the time of two of the three briefings which would be held this week. Today, the briefing on the 2009 figures for foreign investment would be held at 2 p.m. in Room III. On 20 January, the press conference on the launch of the World Economic Situation and Prospects report, which was published by UN DESA and which UNCTAD had contributed to, would be held at 2:30 p.m. On 21 January, the time of the press conference on commerce and biodiversity remained unchanged, at 2:30 p.m.
Jean Rodriguez of the Economic Commission for Europe said a press release was available at the back of the room on a new UNECE/FAO publication, “The Importance of China’s Forest products Markets to the UNECE Region”. China had moved from being a modest player in the world’s forest products markets, to becoming one of the leading exporters of manufactured forest products and a major trading partner of both Europe and North America. China had the fifth largest forest area in the world. However, despite intensive public programmes fostering the planting of new forests since 2001, the demand for raw material now far exceeded the capacity of China’s own forests to supply wood for its industry. China has thus become the world’s third largest importer of forest products with 9% of the world’s imports. Some 60% of its imports came from UNECE Member States, with marked differences across sub-regions. The study and the press release were embargoed until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 20 January.
Mr. Rodriguez reminded journalists that he had sent them the detailed programme of the UNECE Working Party on Gas, which was meeting today and tomorrow in Salle VII.
Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization said the WHO Executive Board opened its meeting yesterday at WHO Headquarters. Today, the Board was dealing with the appointment of the Regional Director for Africa and the Regional Director for Europe. It would also continue to discuss technical and health matters, including public health, innovation and intellectual property: global strategy and plan of action. At 2.30 p.m., the Executive Board would discuss the health consequences of the earthquake in Haiti at the request of the delegates. The Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations Office at Geneva would address the Board, and then a discussion would be held. The meeting was open to journalists.
Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said that ILO would be publishing the Global Employment Trends report, which among other things would be evaluating the impact of the financial crisis on employment and the response and measures taken by governments in response to the crisis to counteract the impact of the crisis, improve work conditions and reduce the number of unemployed around the world. The report was embargoed until midnight Geneva time on 26 January. Embargoed copies would be available as of Friday, 21 January. The report was only available in English, but the press releases would be available in three languages.
Melissa Fleming of the United Nations Refugee Agency said the number of Somali casualties and displaced civilians continued to grow as fighting in central areas of Somalia raged on. Since the
beginning of the year, fighting and general insecurity had displaced an estimated 63,000 people in Somalia. Fighting continued in the capital Mogadishu where, according to local sources, the latest street battles between government forces and Al-Shabaab and Hisb-ul-Islam militia on 13 January resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people including children. Over the past two weeks alone, some 14,000 people were displaced from and within the Somali capital. New fighting between Alu Sunna Wal Jamma and Hisb-ul-Islam erupted in central Somalia’s Belet Weyne, on 9 January, reportedly killing at least 30 and injuring another 50 civilians. Thousands of people had been forced to flee from their homes to save their lives and to date an estimated 11,900 have temporarily settled around Belet Weyne in appalling conditions. Meanwhile, in the central region of Galgaduud, the reported number of people displaced following renewed clashes between Alu Sunna Wal Jamma and Al-Shabaab early this year had also risen. UNHCR estimated that some 28,800 people were now displaced in villages surrounding the town of Dhuusamarreeb. They were in urgent need of shelter, water and health care. According to sketchy reports, so far 150 people had been killed and another 80 injured in the fighting in this part of Somalia. As the conflict for control of the territory continued, insecurity made it extremely difficult for aid workers to access the area and deliver much needed assistance. Somalia continued to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with some 1.5 million internally displaced and over 560,000 people living as refugees in neighbouring countries.