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

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief, Press and External Relations of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the World Food Programme, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization of Migration, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, and the World Meteorological Organization.

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Secretary-General had appointed Tatiana Valovaya of the Russian Federation as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. She will succeed Michael Møller of Denmark, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service to the Organization.

Mr. LeBlanc added that Mr. Møller welcomes the appointment of his successor and wishes her every success in meeting the challenges ahead. Mr. Møller looks forward to working with Ms. Valovaya to ensure a seamless transition and warmly congratulates her on becoming the first woman Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Yemen

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency, read the following statement:

Almost 4,300 Somali refugees have now returned home from Yemen, since the roll-out in 2017 of an Assisted Spontaneous Return (ASR) programme, facilitated by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency in cooperation with humanitarian partners and authorities in Yemen and Somalia.

In the latest departure, a boat carrying 125 Somali refugees departed Aden on Wednesday afternoon. The vessel arrived at the Port of Berbera in Somalia yesterday morning, bringing home men, women and children in time for the Islamic holiday of “Eid” next week, which is observed at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Those who returned home this week include Somalis who had been born in Yemen to refugee parents, and others who were born in Somalia and who fled to Yemen hoping to escape conflict and insecurity.

With Yemen being the world’s largest humanitarian crisis and civilians facing life-threatening conditions, the situation for refugees and asylum seekers and migrants has deteriorated significantly.

Somali refugees comprise 90 per cent of Yemen’s refugee and asylum seeker population, or some 250,000 people. Refugee movements from Somalia to Yemen have been taking place since the 1980s. They continued following the outbreak of civil war in Somalia, with many fleeing generalized violence and individualized fear of persecution in addition to the consequences of drought and a lack of livelihood opportunities.

As a long-standing refugee host nation and the only country in the Arabian Peninsula signatory to the Refugee Convention and its Additional Protocol, Yemen currently hosts the world’s third largest Somali refugee population.

But with the conflict becoming prolonged, UNHCR, Yemeni national authorities and humanitarian partners face significant challenges in ensuring safety, humanitarian assistance and access to essential lifesaving services for refugees and asylum seekers in the country.

Just this month, Somali refugees were amongst those injured when strikes hit Yemen’s capital, Sana’a. In addition to the dangers posed by conflict many refugees now face increased hardship, lack access to basic services and struggle to cover basic needs and sustain themselves given the limited work and economic opportunities.

As a result, an increasing number of refugees have been approaching UNHCR for help in returning home, citing safety and security concerns and limited access to services. Thirty-three organized departures have now taken place from Yemen to Somalia since the commencement of the ASR programme in 2017.

Those returning home are assisted by UNHCR and partners, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They are helped with documentation, transportation and financial support in Yemen to facilitate the journey, as well as return and reintegration assistance.

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that on Wednesday 29 May, IOM and UNHCR jointly assisted 125 Somalis in Yemen to depart via sea from Aden Sea Port in Yemen to Berbera Port in Somalia. This organization helped 47 women, 13 girls, 39 men, and 26 boys to return home. This joint effort was the latest of several joint assisted spontaneous return operations undertaken by both organizations this year; 893 Somalis had been assisted thus far in 2019. IOM had provided medical assistance to this population and continually worked in close collaboration with its partner UNHCR to ensure that Somalis who wished to leave the conflict zone could do so in safety and dignity. Upon arrival in Somalia, IOM and HCR staff were present to meet them off the boat. There was still a very large number of Somalis who wanted to return, he added.

A total of 2,315 had originally registered to depart. IOM had requested two flights daily to carry approximately 250 passengers in total. But only one flight was approved on 28 May, one flight on 29 May, and one flight on 30 May. There were two flights expected tomorrow, on 1 June. He said that 125 migrants departed Tuesday 28 May; 120 Ethiopians flew to Addis Abeba on 30 May; and 103 were expected to arrive today. IOM hoped to move the remaining 1,967 if there were additional slots.

Mr. Millman recalled that IOM’s Director for Operations and Emergencies, Mohammed Abdiker, said: “Lives have been lost due to disease brought on by the appalling detention conditions and one young man, shot while detained, will likely never walk again. The flight delays are putting thousands of migrants’ lives at further risk. We are urging the leaders of the Coalition and the Government of Yemen to urgently approve these flights, ensuring that all who need to go home do so with safety and dignity.”

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

Two very difficult zones have been reached in Yemen.

On 30 May, WFP in-kind food distributions to 896 households living next to the frontlines of Nihm district in Sana’a governorate were concluded. This is the first time WFP and a cooperating partner, Islamic Relief, reached people living inside the militarized zone of Nihm. A one-off distribution of two months’ rations was conducted in two food distribution points. This is an important achievement for WFP as the district has been a frontline conflict area, which is very difficult to access, for a prolonged period. Through Islamic Relief, WFP has been assisting populations in a single food distribution point under Ansar Allah control. However, reports by NGOs working in Nihm indicated some populations where hostilities are more intense had no access to the food distribution point. Since February 2019, WFP together with Islamic Relief has been working to open up access to these vulnerable populations by establishing two food distribution points and coordinating closely with the National Authority for Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Response UNDSS and OCHA.

Earlier this week WFP was able to access the besieged area of Dhuraimi City in Hudaydah governorate, which has seen intense bouts of conflict and insecurity for a prolonged period. WFP provided two-month general food assistance rations, water, hygiene kits and dignity kits from UNICEF and UNFPA. This is the first humanitarian assistance to reach civilians in the city for a year. The city is on a frontline of Hodeidah governorate. Both parties to the conflict helped WFP gain access.

The treatment of wheat in 11 silos at the Red Sea Mills has been completed, with each silo containing an estimated 3,500 - 4,000 Metric tonnes of WFP wheat. The full quantity will be established as soon as the team on the ground at the Red Sea Mills finalizes its cleaning. The team has also hired 40 local workers from the Hudaydah area, and WFP is looking to bring additional equipment into the facility. Milling should start within the next 20–25 days, with daily milling capacity estimated to be around 500 metric tonnes a day. Originally containing around 51,000 metric tonnes of WFP wheat, enough to feed 3.7 million people for one month, the total quantity of wheat that will be fit for human consumption is still not determined at this stage. WFP appreciates the cooperation from all parties on the ground that has made this progress possible.

Responding to questions, Mr. Verhoosel said that about 896 households living on the frontline or near the frontline had been reached. More than 5,000 people had been reached through this distribution.

He recalled that, in December 2018, WFP was reaching 8 to 10 million per month. Since the beginning of the year, it has been reaching 10 million people per month. It was still aiming to reach 12 million people per month, but had not met that target due to distribution issues. WFP would continue to work with both sides to the conflict to improve the security situation as well as the access. The examples outlined today show that such cooperation with both sides sometimes yields positive results. Intense negotiations and discussions were continuing with the parties.

Pointing out that some areas in Somalia were still in conflict, a journalist asked where refugees coming back from Yemen went and if UNHCR provided them assistance or money to ensure their reintegration in their community. Mr. Baloch replied that since the launch of the Assisted Spontaneous Return Programme, UNHCR and its partners had assisted more than 4,300 Somali refugees in Yemen. In Yemen, refugees were being provided with documentation, transportation and financial to facilitate their journey. When they reached the port of Berbera, other partners, including the Somali authorities, provided refugees with reintegration assistance. Most of Somali refugees registered in Yemen originated from the Banadir, Lower Shabelle, Bay, Middle Shabelle and Woqooyi Galbeed regions in Somalia. Many of the refugee returnees that were not able to return to their place of origin went to Mogadishu, the capital, to start a new life. The decision to return was the refugees’, he stressed, adding that there were about 19,000 Somalian refugees who had returned home from countries like Kenya and Ethiopia since 2014.

Responding to additional questions, Mr. Baloch explained that refugees received an integration package when they arrived in Somalia. Somalia being their country, they could go back wherever they felt safe. The first priority, however, was to return to their place of origin if they could. UNHCR and other humanitarian partners received the refugees; they were on site, in multiple locations in Somalia.

Let us not forget that Somalia is a challenging place as well, he remarked. The fact that there are 1 million Somali refugees in neighbouring countries indicated that conflict and drought continued to displace Somalis, internally and as refugees. If they wanted to return to their place of origin, they could make that choice.

A journalist asked for details on the situation of Somali refugees in Yemen. Mr. Baloch said that Yemen was hosting 260,000 refugees. A majority of them—approximately 250,000 people—were Somali. Most resided in the Aden, Sana’a and Lahij Governorates. The latter was where Somalia’s only refugee camp, the Kharaz refugee camp, was located. Given that the conflict was ongoing in Yemen and refugees were being targeted, life was becoming tough. As the situation in Yemen was worsening, many of these refugees were coming forward to return home.

Syria

Jennifer Fenton, for the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, read the following statement:

On Wednesday, Special Envoy Geir O. Pedersen briefed the UN Security Council in New York on the latest developments regarding the political process and the implementation of resolution 2254.

Mr. Pedersen’s strongest message to the Council was: the protection of civilians is paramount. There are terrorists in Idlib that the Council has proscribed, but attacks against civilians and civilian targets in Idlib are extremely worrying. Attacks out of Idlib by HTS into government-controlled areas are also distressing.

The endless bloodshed, the depths of horrendous human suffering, the deaths, the injuries, the displacements need to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Russia and Turkey have assured the international community that they are working to contain and end the violence and combat terrorism in a cooperative way. That is absolutely key for the civilians in Idlib and if the political process is to move forward.

All Council members agree that a political process is the only way forward. Mr. Pedersen stresses that he needs to get the Constitutional Committee up and running as soon as possible. He is hopeful that he will soon see that and he continues to work to that end. The envoy has been engaging with Syrian parties in a sustained dialogue, and widely in the region and internationally.

Further, he noted, Russian-American cooperation is critical. Mr. Pedersen has had constructive meetings with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and the US Special Envoy James Jeffrey.

Russian-American dialogue with each other and the United Nations is extremely important. Mr. Pedersen stressed that there must be steps and measures to build trust and confidence. Action with respect to detainees, abductees and the missing must be a priority. The release and return of persons are an essential part of building confidence amongst the parties.

Knowing where your loved ones—the child, the mother, the sole breadwinner of the family—are is of immense humanitarian importance.

Responding to questions on the Constitutional Committee and the Special Envoy’s general approach, Ms. Fenton stated that Mr. Pedersen feels close to moving forward with the Constitutional Committee. The exact timeframe was not available at the moment, but he does feel that it is close, and that it is necessary to move to policial process forward. Mr. Pedersen believes this is the only way to end the violence and he has the full support of Security Council members, she added.

Responding to questions about Russian-American dialogue and the situation in Idlib, Ms. Fenton said that Mr. Pedersen has been travelling extensively, diligently and tirelessly, meeting with all interested parties and that he will continue to do so. He has also stressed that action and progress, not just dialogue, are needed. Speaking specifically to Mr. Pedersen’s mandate, she underlined that he has consistently said that there must be a de-escalation of violence. To move forward, underlying dynamics to the conflict need to change. There is no excuse for violating international humanitarian law. If the escalation continues, the consequence is clear: the civilian death toll will continue to grow. Too many people have already lost their loved ones. Women and children have died, and people continue to flee.

A journalist asked for details on the Russian-American cooperation. Ms. Fenton said that Mr. Pedersen had met with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and the United States Special Envoy recently in New York. There are meetings happening in a variety of places, at all levels. Cooperation between the United States, Russia and the United Nations was important.

WMO Announcements

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the World Meteorological Congress would take place 3–14 June in Geneva at the CICG. The Congress took place every four years and brought together the heads of the meteorological and hydrological services of the WMO’s 193 Member States.

Climate change per se was not a separate item on the agenda, but everything the organization does, including the restructuring that it wants to carry out, was very much geared up to meet increasing challenges. Climate change was one of them, and urbanization was another priority the WMO needed to tackle. The demands on meteorological and hydrological services had never been higher with the growing incidence of extreme weather. In an era of artificial intelligence and satellite technology, a number of countries did not have basic rain gauges, she said, stressing the need to close the capacity gap. Only 27% of WMO Members had developed/advanced hydro-meteorological services, whilst 26% only delivered basic or inadequate services, according to the most recent WMO survey. The opening session would be livecast and journalists would be able to access the building with their United Nations accreditation, she added.

A pledging conference for the reconstruction of Mozambique—notably the city of Beira which was destroyed by a cyclone—was taking place today and tomorrow. A WMO fact-finding team concluded that investments of US$ 27 million were needed to rehabilitate the meteorological and hydrological sector. Although it might seem like a lot, it was in fact a drop in the ocean and tiny with regards to the advantages provided by functional meteorological and hydrological services. Countries such as Mozambique would have to increase their resilience in the future and do more on climate-change adaptation. Mozambique was normally hit every two years by a tropical cyclone but this year was unprecedented: back-to-back, two major cyclones had hit areas where they usually didn’t make landfall.

The climate science was still evolving on the matter, but most scientists seemed to say that while there might not be an overall increase in the number of cyclones, we were going to see an increase in the most intense ones. Research also indicated that there was a shift in the tracks of the cyclones, which might hit areas where they had not hit before. Mozambique was a case in point in that regard.

Tomorrow marked the start of the North Atlantic hurricane season. According to research results published earlier this week, there was a risk of more rapidly intensifying east coast hurricanes due to climate change.

Ms. Nullis added that the Conference would start on Monday at 10 a.m. with an address by WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, amongst others.

Regarding the pledging conference, she clarified that WMO was not organizing it. The Mozambique Government was driving the organization.

Geneva Announcements

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Secretary-General’s High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation would submit their report on a safer and more inclusive digital future on Monday 10 June. The High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation had been convened by the UN Secretary-General in July 2018 to advance a dialogue on strengthening international cooperation in the digital age. The Panel was considered the most diverse a UN Secretary-General had ever convened. It was comprised of 20 individuals from government, private industry, civil society, academia and the technical community, representing a range of disciplines, geographies and ages. He recalled that the panel was co-chaired by Melinda Gates, Co-Chair of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group. It included Vinton Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist of Google; Jean Tirole, Chairman of the Toulouse School of Economics and the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse; and Doris Leuthard, Former head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications of Switzerland.

The Secretary-General would take part in a live webcast conversation at UNHQ with the two panel co-chairs, Melinda Gates and Jack Ma at 10:30 a.m. on Monday 10 June.

Given that the June 10 was a holiday in Geneva, efforts were being made to organize an embargoed briefing with Amandeep Gill, who is the Executive Director of the Panel on Digital Cooperation.

Mr. LeBlanc also said the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People would convene the International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem “Preserving the cultural and religious character of Jerusalem” on 27–28 June 2019 at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The two-day conference would review recent developments regarding the City and discuss ways to preserve its cultural and religious character. It would also provide a valuable platform for representatives of different communities to discuss ways forward, on the basis of relevant international agreements and UN resolutions.