REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Michele Zaccheo, Chief of the Radio and Television Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization.

Travel of the Secretary-General

Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Secretary-General would travel to Paris to attend an Armistice Day ceremony on 11 November to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War. He would also deliver a keynote speech at the first Paris Peace Forum. On 12 November, he would speak at the opening of the Internet Governance Forum at the headquarters of UNESCO. While in Paris, he would also hold bilateral meetings with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel.

Syria

Asked to clarify where the most recent conversations between the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Michael Pompeo, had taken place, Reem Ismail, for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, said that the two men had spoken over the phone.

Yemen

Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the World Food Programme was putting plans in place to reach up to 14 million people a month in Yemen in order to avert mass starvation.

WFP was currently reaching almost 8 million people a month and was well aware of the challenges involved, including access and security. The planned increase in reach would entail a massive logistical and human undertaking, and WFP would require additional emergency, international and national staff, logistics, transport and distribution solutions, security and funding.

Within WFP, staff at all levels were motivated and working seven days a week to respond to what was the worst humanitarian crisis and the worst food security crisis in the world. The plans would require the support of everybody, both inside and outside Yemen.

WFP was calling for access to all its facilities, including the key Red Sea mills which remained cut off by the fighting and the presence of armed elements. Currently 51,000 tons of wheat stocks — enough for WFP to assist 3.7 million people for one month — were not accessible. That amount represented one quarter of WFP’s wheat flour milling capacity in the country. WFP needed immediate, safe and unrestricted access to the facility now and in the future.

WFP was also calling for access to Yemen’s ports. The Red Sea port alone received about 70 percent of imports into the country, which depended on imports for nearly all its commercial food requirements. Intense fighting in and around the port city of Hodeidah had caused major delays in arrivals of humanitarian and commercial cargo. As a result, the price of food in shops had shot up beyond the reach of many people.

Whatever the military situation in or around the city it was crucial that all parties involved left the port functioning and avoided delays or closures of it. Nothing whatsoever could justify cutting access to 70 per cent of the food intended for the entire civilian population.

WFP urged the Yemen Central Bank to implement emergency currency stabilization measures in partnership with international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund to stabilize prices and currency.

WFP urged the authorities to immediately unfreeze public salaries to enable civil servants to buy food and essentials.

Ultimately, the violence must stop to give Yemen a chance to pull back from the brink; unless that happened, Yemen would become a country of living ghosts, its people reduced to sacks of bones. Humanitarians could only do so much in the face of relentless bombing and war tactics that spared no one. The fate of an entire generation of Yemenis was at stake. WFP and all humanitarians needed safe, immediate and unconditional access for food and other vital supplies.

Asked to provide an estimate of the number of children dying of malnutrition in Yemen, Mr. Verhoosel said that updated figures would be included in the upcoming IPC report, which was due to be released during November. The numbers currently being cited dated from the end of 2017. So far, the situation was not categorized as a famine; the data contained in the new report would give a better picture of the reality on the ground.

In response to questions from journalists, he said that the food stocks already inside the country would be sufficient for the next few months. Ultimately, in order to reach more people, more access and more facilities were necessary. At the ports, aid agencies were experiencing delays rather than blockades, but the situation was not impacting on WFP’s ability to feed 8 million people a month.

Christophe Boulierac, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that 1.8 million children in Yemen were acutely malnourished, 400,000 of whom were suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Of those 400,000 children, 40 per cent of them were living in Hodeydah and the neighbouring governorates. In the sole functioning hospital in Hodeydah, there were 58 children in the intensive care unit who were at imminent risk of death. One child had already died there. The hospital had been off-limits to UNICEF staff since 2 November, although supplies were still being sent there.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Boulierac said that he had no details on reports that Houthi fighters were occupying the hospital. Due to the insecure environment, the numbers of people attending the hospital each day had dropped dramatically, according to doctors there.

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

“UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is extremely concerned about the recent intensification of conflict in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah Governorate and its impact on the civilian population as well as on humanitarian aid operations.

Conflict has escalated significantly around Hudaydah City and eastern and southern areas of the Governorate. Fierce clashes, air strikes and shelling have inflicted scores of civilian casualties. In October alone, 94 civilians were killed and 95 injured in the Governorate. There is also damage to civilian infrastructure including health facilities and houses.

As testament to how dire the situation is, 600,000 people in Al Hudaydah Governorate [this figure was later corrected to “some 445,000” by UNHCR] have been forced to flee since June, according to UN data.

While the number of those remaining in Hudaydah City is difficult to gauge, UNHCR is worried that people needing to flee for safety are unable to do so, trapped by military operations which are increasingly confining populations and cutting off exit routes.

The fighting has also resulted in the closure of ‘Kilo 16’, the main road inland towards the capital, Sana’a, choking the lifeline for aid operations and commercial markets for the Governorate and its surrounding regions.

UNHCR is also especially concerned that fighting is blocking access to our humanitarian supplies in Hudaydah. A UNHCR warehouse stocked with emergency shelter and relief items for conflict-affected and displaced Yemenis has been cut off by an active front line, even as the need for these items grows.

UNHCR is urgently appealing to parties to the conflict to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel, and to secure humanitarian relief items stored in Hudaydah.

UNHCR exhorts all parties to the conflict to allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians and ensure the protection of humanitarian infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law.

UNHCR reiterates its appeal for an urgent cessation of hostilities in Yemen. Almost four years of conflict have resulted in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis with 22 million people, or 75 per cent of the country’s entire population, now requiring assistance or protection.”

In response to questions from journalists, Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the time frame for next round of the Yemen peace talks had been expanded to the end of 2018. The location of the talks was as yet unknown.

Cameroonian refugees in Nigeria

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), made the following statement:

“The number of Cameroonian refugees fleeing violence and seeking refuge in Nigeria crossed the 30,000 mark this week. Refugees fleeing the South-West and North-West Regions of Cameroon have been arriving since September 2017. Almost 600 arrived in refugee settlements in the last two weeks.

Four out of every five of those registered so far are women and children, driven out after last year’s protests turned violent. They are being sheltered in Nigeria’s states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue and Taraba, most of them being hosted within local communities.

Most of the latest arrivals come from the Akwaya and Eyumojock sub-divisions in Cameroon. People are telling us they were ordered to leave their houses due to increasing violence in their home areas.

As official border entry points remain closed, UNHCR and its partners are present at the border areas inside Nigeria, around the most used informal access points, to assess the situation and the needs of new arrivals.

UNHCR is facilitating the voluntary relocation of refugees from the border points to the settlements inside Nigeria, which provide better security and shelter as well as access to essential services such as food, health or education.

We are working with the Nigerian Government to help these refugees.

This crisis erupted last year after protests turned violent, amid calls for secession. So far this year, some 400 civilians have been killed in escalating attacks between separatist groups and government forces, according to rights groups.

Currently, more than 9,000 Cameroonian refugees have been moved to new settlements, where they receive food as well as essential items such as mattresses, mosquito nets and other aid items.

These settlements allow better access to critical assistance. Our partners on the ground distribute dignity kits for women and girls. These kits include, among other items, buckets, soap and towels.

Another 21,000 refugees are currently living with host communities, in over 50 localities spread across an area of some 116,000 square kilometres.

Inside Cameroon, access to areas affected in North West and South West is very limited. Humanitarian agencies are discussing with the government the need for improved access to the displaced population. It is estimated that some 436,000 people may be internally displaced. Together with OCHA, which coordinates the UN response in the country, we have started deploying personnel in Buea to help meet the needs of the displaced people.”

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Baloch said that refugees arriving in Nigeria were reporting that they had been ordered to leave their homes by gunmen. Violence between the separatists and Government forces had intensified recently.

Venezuela

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that the figures released by IOM and UNHCR on 8 November citing the number of Venezuelans living outside the country as 3 million represented a cumulative total. Of those 3 million, 2.3 million had left Venezuela since 2015.

Mr. Millman made the following statement:

“The members of the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela, are supporting the governments' response in the region.

Platform members are present in the field across the region providing direct emergency assistance and protection to refugees and migrants from Venezuela through the provision of basic health care, distribution of water and sanitation, blankets, hygiene kits, temporary accommodation, food and humanitarian transport, among others.

The Platform members have also strengthened their presence along key borders to provide information on legal status and documentation, regularization, rights and assistance.

The participants of the Platform are working to provide information on preventing Sexual and Gender Based Violence, trafficking, smuggling and child protection. In addition, one of the initial products of the Platform is the development of a network of Support Spaces to provide a space for refugees and migrants from Venezuela, along with host communities, returnees and persons at risk of statelessness, among others, access up-to-date information and immediate standardized package of services and assistance.

Platform partners are increasingly giving priority to initiatives which facilitate socio-economic and cultural integration of refugees and migrants from Venezuela in their host communities. As an example, labour integration initiatives have been implemented in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. Different arrangements of vocational, employability and entrepreneurship training and orientation. Also, some members are making efforts and preparing to support municipalities on the long-term challenges and opportunities related to the arrival of refugees and migrants.

The participants of the Platform are also working to prevent xenophobia and sensitize on the importance of integration of refugees and migrants from Venezuela. Some examples are the national campaigns recently implemented in Colombia, Peru and Costa Rica.”

Responding to questions from journalists, Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that 365,000 Venezuelans had so far left Venezuela and requested asylum; 6,564 of them had been recognized as refugees. More than 1 million Venezuelans had been granted temporary stay permits in other countries.

Asked about the announcement by the Government of the United States of America that it would no longer allow access to asylum procedures for individuals entering the country in an irregular manner, Mr. Baloch said that UNHCR was currently reviewing the related documentation with a view to formulating a response.

Survey of a migrant caravan in Mexico

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that on 8 November, IOM had released the results of a survey of 1,700 members of a migrant caravan that had departed from San Salvador on 31 October.

Around 80 per cent of respondents had said they joined the caravan seeking better quality of life. Approximately 46 per cent had said they were migrating due to insecurity or violence, while 3 per cent had responded that they were relocating for family reunification reasons. Some participants had cited more than one reason as their motivation for joining the caravan.

Most of those surveyed came from urban areas. More than 80 per cent of individuals in the caravan were adults and around 12 per cent were children and adolescents. Approximately 80 per cent of the participants were male. A total of 8 per cent of those participants leading group of migrants travelling together had identified themselves as members of the LGBTI community. Around 2 per cent of the travel groups included a pregnant woman, while about 5 per cent included a lactating woman.

Only around 12 per cent of respondents had stated that they knew about the mechanisms for requesting asylum, refuge or some other form of protection in their country of destination.

Asked whether the results of the survey supported the claims made by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, that some members of the caravans were terrorists or criminals, Mr. Millman said that he was not aware of any references in the survey regarding criminal record, gang affiliation or terrorist activity. Demonizing and assuming the characteristics of strangers was a powerful temptation among people of all nationalities and cultures and occurred everywhere in the world where migration and border management important was important to Governments. It was preferable to deal with data and facts.

European Union providing support for migrants in the Balkan

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), gave the following statement:

“IOM has received from the European Union EUR 7.2 million in grants to support its work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The funds were provided through an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance special measure. Resultant projects will be implemented by IOM in partnership with the UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF to help further strengthen the country's migration management, asylum, border control and surveillance capacities.

With close to 22,000 migrants having arrived Bosnia and Herzegovina since January, the new funding will allow IOM and partners to assist migrants and authorities and relieve the pressure on local communities.

Access to asylum, protection and social security systems, including healthcare and education for children, will be improved through support to the Border Police, Service for Foreigners' Affairs, the Sector for Asylum, Centres for Social Welfare and relevant Cantonal and Municipal authorities.

Shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure will be put in place or expanded with the funds to provide secure and dignified accommodation, protecting families with children and other vulnerable individuals from the looming Balkan winter.”

Asked to clarify how many of the 22,000 migrants were in fact refugees, Mr. Millman said that many migrants experienced an evolution of their status as their circumstances changed while they were on the move. Large numbers of people began their journey to Europe with the intention of seeking employment there but fell prey to traffickers along the way and sought asylum upon arrival in a European country.

Asked why numbers had increased recently, Mr. Millman said that the reasons were unclear but it was hoped that surveys due to be conducted would provide some insight. People were beginning to arrive from countries such as Bangladesh and Cameroon whose citizens had not previously been seen along the route from Greece.

OCHA announcement

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that at 12.15 p.m. on 13 November in Press Room III, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Zimbabwe, Mr. Bishow Parajuli, would brief the press about the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

The food security situation in the country was deteriorating and there were already pockets of people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency). The situation was expected to worsen during the upcoming lean season.

Zimbabwe was also facing a serious cholera outbreak, which was being brought under control but risk escalating during the rainy season.

OCHA was providing support to the UN team in Zimbabwe with the preparation of a Flash Appeal which would focus primarily on the response to the ongoing drought.

World Antibiotic Awareness Week

Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that World Antibiotic Awareness Week would be observed from 12 to 18 November. The headline for the Week in 2018 would be Change Can’t Wait: Our Time with Antibiotics is Running Out.

On 12 November, WHO would release a new report on antibiotic consumption which contained new data showing the sharp differences between countries.

Asked whether WHO was changing its advice on the use of antibiotics, Mr. Lindmeier said that the Organization recommended that patients followed their doctor’s guidance.

UNDP announcement

Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would host a breakfast event at 9.30 a.m. on 14 November in Press Room I to meet and greet the new Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC), Mirjana Spoljaric Egger.

The event would also provide an opportunity to discuss informally how under her leadership UNDP would be supporting countries across the RBEC region in their efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Ms. Spoljaric Egger had previously served as Head of United Nations and International Organizations Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, where she had been instrumental in shaping Swiss policies vis-à-vis the United Nations and the country’s priorities in support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

Geneva announcements

Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that World Television Day would be marked on 21 November. At 2 p.m. on that date, in Room XX, UNTV and the European Broadcasting Union would hold a public event exploring themes relating to television’s role in serving the public interest.

The event would include a keynote address by the Director General of the European Broadcasting Union, Noel Curran. Three panel discussions would be held on trust, diversity and innovation. Other participants would include the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore, and the Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Alison Smale.

Mr. Zaccheo recalled that a commemoration would be held at 3 p.m. on 9 November in Press Room I for Pierre Simonic.

Mr. Zaccheo said that the Committee on Enforced Disappearances would hold a follow-up dialogue with Mexico on the afternoon of 9 November.

He added that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women would close its 71st session on the morning of 9 November and issue its concluding observations on the eight countries whose reports it had reviewed during the session: Nepal, Republic of Congo, Bahamas, Samoa, Mauritius, Tajikistan, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

He also added that the Committee against Torture would hold its 65th session from 12 November to 7 December at Palais Wilson and would review the reports of Canada, Guatemala, Maldives, Netherlands, Peru and Viet Nam.

Press conference

Tuesday, 13 November at 9.45 a.m., Room III

UNHCR

Briefing on efforts and challenges to address statelessness in today’s world, marking this November the 4th anniversary of the global #IBELONG campaign

Speaker:
Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner (Protection)

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The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog091118