REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of UN Information Service, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Ukraine
Patrick Vial, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), reminded that Ukraine was the ICRC’s eighth largest operation. There were offices in numerous cities across the country and 450 staff on the ground in total, working on both sides of the line of conflict. Over the past few days, the ICRC had expressed its concern over the effects of fighting on civilian population, especially the damage done to several vital installations such as electricity and water lines. The main priority was to restore power and repair damage to water lines. The ICRC was going to provide fuel for generators in Avdiivka, so water stations could continue to work. The ICRC teams were also helping people to survive freezing temperatures, which were reaching -20 degrees. In Avdiivka, the ICRC had been distributing blankets, mattresses, torches, etc. A team was assessing the situation there. In Donetsk, the ICRC was distributing bottled drinking water, as well as basic construction materials, so that people could protect themselves from cold. ICRC was also providing medical supplies to hospitals in the region.
Mr. Vial stressed that disruption of power, gas or water supply was not a recent phenomenon, but rather a recurrent feature of the conflict in Ukraine, not always so well documented. Many parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions had been affected. In Ukrainian freezing winters, those were the questions of life and death, especially for many elderly people who had been unable or unwilling to leave the areas. ICRC was either rehabilitating water and gas pipelines themselves, or playing a neutral intermediary, securing a pause in fighting, so that maintenance teams could do their job. ICRC was also supplying chemicals to help clean the water and make it safe for drinking. It was very important to recall obligations under the international humanitarian law, which stated that civilian populations ought to be spared. The use of explosive weapons with a wide impact area should be avoided in the populated area, stressed Mr. Vial.
Mr. Vial further mentioned that the ICRC had proposed creating safety zones around main points of infrastructure, considered essential for the survival of civilian populations. All sides were once again asked to consider those proposals.
Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the OHCHR was seriously concerned about the situation of civilian population in eastern Ukraine, where there had been an escalation in fighting along the contact line. From 29 January until 3 February, shelling had killed at least seven people and injured a further 41. The increase in hostilities near populated areas, including Avdiivka, Yasynuvata, Makiivka, Donetsk, had endangered civilians, with disruption to essential water, electricity and heating services amid freezing winter temperatures.
Reports suggested that two hospitals, a dental clinic, three schools and a kindergarten had been damaged by shelling in Makiivka and Donetsk, which were controlled by armed groups. Critical civilian infrastructure had been damaged, including near Avdiivka, where power lines had been destroyed, disrupting water, electricity and heating supplies. Gas and electricity supplies were also reported to have been affected in Makiivka and other areas under the control of armed groups, including Irmino and parts of Donetsk.
Government forces and armed groups had to, in all circumstances, respect the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack. They had to take all feasible measures to avoid harm to the civilian population and damage to civilian objects. Particular care had to be taken when conducting attacks against objectives located in populated areas, and the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects should be avoided in densely populated areas as their use in such circumstances could amount to indiscriminate attacks. They should not place soldiers, fighters and other military objectives in populated areas. There should be an immediate pause in hostilities to prevent further loss of life and to enable the repair of essential services.
Ms. Throssell stressed that the obligation to protect the civilian population from the effects of hostilities included the foreseeable environmental consequences and the OHCHR was deeply concerned that continued hostilities could lead to serious environmental disasters.
Among the possible concerns was that the chemical waste of a phenol plant near the village of Novhorodske was caught between the Government and armed group positions. Shelling had also taken place close to two water filter stations, Donetsk and Verkhniokalmiuska, which contained chlorine tanks. The interruption of power supplies in Avdiivka as a result of shelling means sewage could not be pumped and instead wasbeing discharged into the environment.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that OCHA considered the crisis in Ukraine as a protracted humanitarian crisis. The previous day, the Emergency Relief Coordinator had briefed the Security Council, saying that 3.8 million civilians continued to bear the brunt of the protracted conflict. According to the 2017 needs assessment, there were 700,000 more people in need in 2017, compared to 2016. Those farthest from the government-controlled areas were in the largest need. Since 2015, there had been severe bureaucratic restrictions in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas non-controlled by government, where very few agencies were allowed to operate. The UN repeated its appeal to all parties to allow unimpeded access to people in need, wherever they were. OCHA had a humanitarian response plan for Ukraine for 2017, amounting to the total of 214 million USD, one percent of which was funded thus far, said Mr. Laerke. Germany had provided that one percent, specifically 2.4 million USD.
Bettina Luescher, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the WFP would provide food and assistance to more than 7,000 people in need in Aviidka, through its cooperating partner. She specified different parts of food packages that would be distributed to those in need. WFP had enough supplies ready for up to 29,000 people, but the food part for now seemed not to be the worst concern. The WFP could support up to 220,000 food insecure people across Ukraine in 2017, said Ms. Luescher in a response to a question. Out of the total demand for the humanitarian response plan, 30 million USD were needed for the WFP.
Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), added that the IOM had a large team on the ground, providing hygiene kits. More details would be provided later in the afternoon.
Responding to a question on the establishment of safe zones, Mr. Vial said that the goal was to identify which areas should be immune from being targeted by military activities. Five to seven vital installations close to the line of contact had been identified. What was proposed was for all sides to agree that those areas should not be subject to military activity, primarily military shelling. Some withdrawal of military forces close to those sites would be needed. It was feasible with good will , but it required a firm agreement by all sides, and a simultaneous withdrawal from the zones. There were no indications that those facilities were intentionally targeted, he specified.
Ms. Throssell specified that a dam near the chemical plant had been already damaged, leading to an increased environmental risk.
In a response to another question, Ms. Luescher said that more than 7,000 food parcels would be covered in Avdiivka; some 4,000 packages had already been distributed to the most vulnerable, including the elderly. One food parcel was sufficient for one person for a period of one month. The food supplies, she clarified, had been prepositioned in a warehouse in the area of Dnipro.
Mr. Laerke stressed that it was very difficult to work in an environment without basic preconditions for safety and access of humanitarian agencies.
Mr. Vial added that vital installations and populated areas had been hit on both sides. ICRC was present in the non-governmental controlled areas. Movements of staff were quite limited at the moment.
Ms. Vellucci said that on 31 January, the Security Council had reaffirmed the immediate need to apply the Minsk Agreement and return to the ceasefire.
Mosul
Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the UN Refugee Agency and partners were co-ordinating plans to respond to a potential significant new flight of displaced Iraqis escaping the latest phase in the military offensive in western Mosul. As many as 250,000 Iraqis could be displaced from their homes with the anticipated escalation of conflict in densely-populated western Mosul. So far 161,000 people had been displaced from Mosul and surrounding areas since the start of the offensive in October. The majority, some 80 per cent, were in camps and emergency sites, while the remainder were living among host communities or at informal sites. UNHCR currently had seven camps completed and two more under construction. UNHCR was currently able to provide 66,000 persons with shelter as part of the Mosul response, a figure which should almost double in the near-term, once new land was allocated for camps. Since October, nearly 30,000 people from Mosul and surrounding areas had returned to their places of origin. Returnees were keen to resume their lives and told UNHCR that the re-opening of schools and government offices had encouraged their return. However, UNHCR camp and field staff had also reported that several families had in fact come back to the camps, after they had returned to their own neighbourhoods amid fears of safety, lack of services and poor conditions when they did return.
Some newly-accessible neighbourhoods on the east side of Mosul had been affected by shelling from armed groups in western Mosul, resulting in fresh displacement. UNHCR continued to advocate for returns to newly accessible areas to be voluntary, non-discriminatory and safe. Separately, UNHCR was also assisting increasing numbers fleeing Hawiga, 130 km south east of Mosul, due to deteriorating living conditions and the expected intensification of military operations. Inter-agency planning estimates suggested that up to 114,000 individuals could be displaced from Hawiga. So far, 82,128 people had been displaced since August 2016. Until recently, people had been leaving Hawiga in smaller numbers but hundreds were now fleeing eastwards daily towards Salah al-Din and Kirkuk. Those leaving Hawiga faced grave dangers, including ambushes, improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance, especially moving across the Hamreen Mountains. Most travelled at night to evade checkpoints and armed groups, which added to dangers. The humanitarian community continued to call on all parties to respect and uphold the principles of international humanitarian law and to ensure the protection of civilians.
Mr. Saltmarsh said there were further details in the briefing notes on UNHCR’s protection activities, funding situation and distribution of emergency items in Mosul.
Asked how they had come up with the 250,000 figure, Mr. Saltmarsh said it was a figure from the Government that was used by UNHCR and its partners for planning purposes.
In response to other questions, he said the 250,000 figure was on top of the 160,000 who were already displaced. The numbers for Hawiga were separate from the numbers for Mosul. In terms of leaving western Mosul, it was extremely difficult to leave at the moment. A significant population was trapped in western Mosul and UNHCR was extremely worried about their safety. There was no timeframe for the 250,000 leaving Mosul on the expectation of the intensification of the conflict in the area.
Myanmar
Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said they had a particularly harrowing report on Myanmar today, which was available at the back of the room, as well as a press release on the report. OHCHR had been following the situation of the Rohingya in norther Rakhine State for a very long time now. After the repeated failure of the Government of Myanmar to grant OHCHR access to the worst affected areas of norther Rakhine State, the High Commission deployed a team of human rights officers to the Bangladeshi border with Myanmar where an estimated 66,000 of Rohingya had fled since 19 October 2016. Mass gang-rape, killings – including of babies and young children, brutal beatings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations by Myanmar’s security forces in a sealed-off area north of Maungdaw in northern Rakhine State had been detailed in the report by OHCHR. Of the 204 people individually interviewed, the vast majority reported witnessing killings, and almost half reported having a family member who was killed as well as family members who were missing. Of the 101 women interviewed, more than half reported having suffered rape or other forms of sexual violence. Especially revolting were the accounts of children – including an eight-month old, a five-year-old and a six-year-old – who were slaughtered with knives. One mother recounted how her five-year-old daughter was trying to protect her from rape when a man “took out a long knife and killed her by slitting her throat.” In another case, an eight-month-old baby was reportedly killed while his mother was gang-raped by five security officers.
“The devastating cruelty to which these Rohingya children have been subjected is unbearable”, the High Commissioner says. “What kind of hatred could make a man stab a baby crying out for his mother’s milk, and for the mother to witness this murder while she is being gang-raped by the very security forces who should be protecting her – what kind of ‘clearance operation’ is this? What national security goals could possibly be served by this?” High Commissioner Zeid said, calling on the international community to join him in urging the leadership in Myanmar to bring such military operations to an end. The gravity and scale of these allegations which were unprecedented begged the robust reaction of the international community.
All the individuals interviewed by the team had fled Myanmar after the 9 October attacks against three border guard posts, and the report cited consistent testimony indicating that hundreds of Rohingya houses, schools, markets, shops, madrasas and mosques were burned by the army, police and sometimes civilian mobs. Numerous testimonies collected from people from different village tracts confirmed that the army deliberately set fire to houses with families inside, and in other cases pushed people into already burning houses. Testimonies were collected of several cases where the army or Rakhine villagers locked an entire family, including elderly and disabled people, inside a house and set it on fire, killing them all. Several people were also killed while fleeing for safety and those who suffered serious physical injuries had almost no access to emergency medical care. Many of the people interviewed remained visibly traumatized by the human rights violations they survived or witnessed. Many witnesses and victims also described being taunted while they were being beaten, raped or rounded up, such as being told “you are Bangladeshis and you should go back” or “What can your Allah do for you? See what we can do?” The violence follows a long-standing pattern of violations and abuses; systematic and systemic discrimination; and policies of exclusion and marginalization against the Rohingya that have been in place for decades in northern Rakhine State. The High Commission called on the Government of Myanmar to
immediately halt these grave human rights violations against its own people, instead of continuing to deny they have occurred, and accepts the responsibility to ensure that victims have access to justice, reparations and safety. Those who were responsible for these brutal violations must be brought to account. The report concludes that the widespread violations against the Rohingya population indicated the very likely commission of crimes against humanity.
Asked who was in power and behind these acts, the Government of Aung San Suu Kyi or the military, Ms. Shamdasani said that the OHCHR had been following the situation for a very long time, and following the transition, it had issued statements saying it understood the difficult situation in Myanmar and that this was a delicate period of transition. However, reading the report, it was clear that these kinds of violations could not be justified by any kind of delicate political situation. Action needed to be taken to halt these actions immediately and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In response to other questions, including the fact that these violations had an ethnic and religious tone and were in fact a genocide, Ms. Shamdasani said indeed the High Commissioner had been calling on the international community to stand up and take notice of this horrible situation for a very long time but the Government had been denying that violations were taking place. OHCHR had asked for access to go and independently assess the situation. This access was denied and finally OHCHR had deployed a team to the Bangladeshi border to interview people who had fled, in line with very strict human rights methodology. The results had been even more terrible than OHCHR had expected. The High Commissioner was actively engaged with various actors in the international community and was not ruling out any kind of action, including calling on the Security Council to be engaged, to the Human Rights Council to be engaged; there were many mechanisms that could be called upon. What was clear was that something needed to be done. The Government of Myanmar had the primary responsibility, first of all to halt these military operations. On the characterization of what had happened, OHCHR had already said in June that what was happening could very likely amount to crimes against humanity and was repeating it now. Ethnic cleansing was a term that the United Nations Human Rights Office did not use very much; it was not a legal term which had a clear definition in international human rights law. However, the kind of systematic and human rights violations that they were seeing could be described as ethnic cleansing.
Asked if the High Commissioner would be in favour of activating Chapter VII, Ms. Shamdasani said the High Commissioner was in touch with various actors in the international community, and nothing was off the table. She would leave it at that.
In response to another question, Ms. Shamdasani said indeed OHCHR had shared with the Government past and current allegations, however, it would be inappropriate for her to talk about their reaction and the journalist should ask Myanmar. OHCHR remained engaged with Myanmar here in Geneva as well as back in Myanmar.
OHCHR / China
Asked if OHCHR had a follow-up press release to the Government Accountability Project concerning allegations that a senior officer of the Office of the High Commissioner, responsible for the Human Rights Council, provided the names of dissidents to the Chinese delegation ahead of the Human Rights Council, Ms. Shamdasani said OHCHR had sent out a press release yesterday in which they had clearly set out what the rules were and what had occurred. The Chinese delegation had been in touch with OHCHR in 2013 but the names were not shared with them until the session was underway, about two months after they had first requested it, and this was a very public event that they were coming to. They had publicized their presence in a number of press releases with their contact information at the bottom. OHCHR had informed UN Security who took the necessary steps. The Chinese had said this was a terrorist group but UN Security had ascertained that they were not a terrorist group and were allowed to attend the event, and security and the group were alerted in case any reprisals took place.
European Union Summit on Migration
Sarah Crowe, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), relayed Deputy Executive Director Justin Forsyth’s statement to the EU Summit today. “The growing number of children lost at sea underscores the acute danger of the journey from North Africa to Italy, as well as the pressing need for governments on both sides of the Mediterranean to do all they can keep children safe. The decision taken right now at Friday’s summit could literally mean the difference between life and death for thousands of children transiting or stranded in Libya. They need urgent action now.” UNICEF reminds the EU to put the children first when deliberating at the summit on the refugee and migrant crisis. Two nights ago, UNICEF and partner, Intersos, supported the Italian Coastguard in the rescue of 754 people from the waters of the Central Mediterranean, including 148 unaccompanied children, since the weekend the Coastguard had rescued 285 children with UNICEF support.
The last three months were the deadliest for migrants and refugees. 1,191 children had lost their lives on the route between Libya and Italy since November. Tragically the true number of child fatalities may never be known because the majority, up to 92 percent are travelling alone, unaccompanied, and their deaths go unreported and unrecorded. Ms. Crowe insisted that they were children, first and foremost and should be treated as such. For that, UNICEF called on the European Union not to send them children back without a proper plan to protect them and without their best interests being fully determined, because this would only add to their hardship.
Ms. Crowe informed that UNICEF had been involved in six rescue missions this year with the Italian Coastguard this year. She mentioned one young mother who had just arrived yesterday in Calabria told UNICEF that she lost both her children, 3 and 5 years old from hypothermia while waiting to leave Libya.
UNICEF had educators and cultural mediators on board on these occasions to help the young migrants and refugees understand what the next steps were, help answer their queries, provide them with dignity kits, including hygiene items, on board. The large majority of the children rescued on recent missions had arrived from West African countries.
Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization on Migration (IOM), referred to the joined statement with UNHCR which called on European leaders to take a decisive action to address the tragic loss of life on the Central Mediterranean route and the deplorable conditions for migrants and refugees in Libya. To better protect refugees and migrants, there was a need for a strong European Union that was engaged beyond its borders to protect, assist and help find solutions for people in need. That included building capacity to save lives at sea or on land, strengthening the rule of law and fighting against criminal networks.
The main concern was the increasing number of deaths in the Mediterranean. Concern was also high about the fate of migrants crossing into Libya, and there were reports of migrants being shot and left aside so that space would be created for other migrants. Safety of such very vulnerable migrants ought to be paramount.
Concrete measures in support of the Government of Libya were also needed to build capacity to register new arrivals, support the voluntary return of migrants, process asylum claims and offer solutions to refugees. That should include a significant expansion of opportunities for safe pathways such as resettlement and humanitarian admission, among others, to avoid dangerous journeys. Refugee assessment had to be provided for, and those who did not qualify as refugees, but were still vulnerable (such as pregnant women) should not fall through the cracks. Many of them got appallingly exploited on the way.
It was hoped that humane solutions could be found to end the suffering of thousands of migrants and refugees in Libya and across the region, stressed Mr. Doyle.
Asked about realistic expectations of the Summit in Malta, Mr. Doyle said that the IOM wanted to see stepping up of registration at arrivals and much more granular humanitarian work taking place inside Libya. The coast guard should be better managed and more effective in saving lives. Migrants should not fall into hands of exploiting traffickers.
Joe Millman, also for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), added that the IOM was doubling the assistance to voluntary return beneficiaries. There were plenty of activities which could be added to build trust between different entities.
In response to questions on people being sent back and EU-Libya deal, Ms. Crowe stated that investing in proper child protection assistance was the priority. A proper, resettlement scheme for the European Union should be in place. UNICEF was encouraged by a bill going through the Italian Parliament, which would provide protection for all foreign children arriving to Italy. That bill should be seen as a model for all other countries.
Regardless of which parts of Libya were controlled by which entities, the IOM continued to work on alleviating the lives of migrants, said Mr. Doyle in a response to a question. On whether it was already too late to act when migrants arrived to Libya, Mr. Doyle said that there was no question that Libya was not a great place for migrants. Migrants often got encouraged by their relatives or friends via phone or the social media to make the journey. It was outrageous that there was criminal advertising by smugglers on social media, without adequate counter-messaging in place.
In a response to a question, Mr. Doyle said that the IOM was not the one to advocate against migration, but was informing potential migrants of hazards of taking certain journeys, where they could be exploited or lose their lives. A lot of work done by the IOM was focused on creating stability in local communities, including in West Africa, so that they would not need to undertake perilous journeys. There was no point, at the same time, assuming that people were ignorant of various opportunities. IOM stood for the migration which was dignified, legal and safe.
Turkey had been extraordinarily generous towards refugees and migrants, said Mr. Doyle. Having seen their numbers fall significantly, it was the time to see what could be done for West Africa.
Somalia
Mr. Millman informed that the IOM was joining other humanitarian groups to raise the alarm of a risk of famine in Somalia. Over six million people were in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, with some areas expected to experience famine within four months. The circumstances of millions in the countrywide was deteriorating from a point of crisis to full scale emergency in the absence of adequate food, water, liestock and healthcare.
Some 363,000 children under the age of five were acutely malnourished, of which 71,000 were at risk of dying. Hunger was particularly acute among 1.1 million people living in situations of protracted internal displacement. The number of internally displaced persons was projected to increase to three million by June 2017 and IOM’s displacement tracking system was already reporting a rapid increase in the number of households arriving at urban centres, in search of much needed relief.
The humanitarian situation in Somalia had become increasingly fragile towards the end of 2016, especially in northern regions. Drought conditions were deteriorating in Puntland and Somaliland and had now expanded to southern and central regions, including Gedo, Hiraan, Galgaduud and Lower Juba. Severe drought conditions and famine warnings continued to drive Somalia's vulnerabilities. Time was of the essence.
Since the onset of drought in Somalia in mid-2016, IOM, in coordination with humanitarian actors and the governments of Somalia, had been providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to 334,366 people in 19 locations throughout the country.
On whether relief was coming to Somalia soon enough, Mr. Millman said that if there was enough political will to do it, there would be time. There was always more to be done as the situation was very fragile.
Another question was asked about the return of Somali refugees to Somalia when there was a danger of famine in the country. Mr. Millman said that this used to be getting better, but now the situation was deteriorating again.
Asked about possible imminent deportations of Somali refugees from Kenya, Ariane Rumery, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), responded that there had been some returns in the past. They needed to be voluntary, she stressed.
Pakistan
Ms. Rumery said that in 2016 the UN Refugee Agency had seen a surge in the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, which had been hosting large numbers of Afghan refugees for four decades. More than 370,000 registered Afghan refugees had returned home from Pakistan in 2016 – a 12-year high – compared to just over 58,000 the year before. Pakistan continued to host some 1.3 million registered refugees.
UNHCR had completed an analysis of returnee monitoring data to better understand the background and current situation of refugee returnees in Afghanistan. It was based on random sampling after people had been back for three months. According to the data, refugees presented multiple interlinked factors influencing their decision to return. Those included economic hardship, harassment, fear of arrest and deportation in Pakistan – with marked differences between the first and second halves of 2016. In the first six months of 2016, 73 per cent of returning refugees cited economic hardship as a key reason for their return while only 41 per cent mentioned this in November. In the latter half of the year, factors relating to pressure by authorities, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as fear of arrest and deportation figured more prominently in refugee decision-making to return home. For example, only 8 per cent cited fear of arrest and deportation as a factor in the first half of 2016, while 37 per cent mentioned it by November.
Refugees also cited a perceived improvement in the security situation in some parts of Afghanistan, a reduced fear of persecution, the Government’s promises of land and shelter upon arrival, UNHCR’s assistance package and a desire to reunite with their families as factors influencing their decisions.
Ms. Rumery added that the UNHCR had not been promoting refugee returns to Afghanistan given the enduring conflict in different parts of the country and its limited absorption capacity. However, it was the mandate of the agency to help those who decided to return. The monitoring survey showed the cash grant of 400 USD typically lasted two or three months and supported people with their initial reintegration needs back in Afghanistan. The vast majority of refugees spent the cash grant on meeting their immediate humanitarian needs – on food shelter and transport, 15 per cent were able to make investments in businesses or sustainable livelihoods, 11 per cent said they could build a sustainable house.
UNCHR shared concerns that the pace of returns in 2016 far outstripped Afghanistan’s capacity to help people reintegrate after years – in most cases decades – of refuge in Pakistan. Many refugees returned to uncertain futures in Afghanistan. Returning refugees led their lives amidst increasing levels of internal displacement, insecurity and levels of violence not seen since the fall of the Taliban in 2002. UNHCR called on the Government of Afghanistan and the international community to redouble their efforts to create conditions for sustainable returns. USD 15.2 billion had been pledged by donors in Brussels in October 2016 for Afghanistan. Urgent progress was needed to turn these pledges into concrete, government-led programmes that benefit all Afghans, including returning refugees, undocumented returnees, and internally displaced people.
The returns from Iran in 2016 had been comparatively small and numbered a few thousand, said Ms. Rumery in a response to a question. Asked how many provinces were safe for repatriation in the view of the UNHCR, Ms. Rumery said that the Agency did not necessarily pronounce itself on the safety of provinces. She would share a map showing the areas to which people mostly returned.
Madagascar
Ms. Rumery stated that the UNHCR welcomed a new law in Madagascar which gave equal rights to men and women to transfer nationality to their children. In 2014, the UNHCR had launched an ambitious campaign in statelessness. That was certainly a very welcome move, and Madagascar was the first of the 27 countries, which currently had gender discrimination in the national need laws, to move since UNHCR launched the campaign.
Colombia
Ms. Rumery said that there was a new report prepared in association with the Colombian Ombudsman, which showed that, despite the efforts made by national and local institutions to assist the victims of the armed conflict, there were still many gaps remaining. The humanitarian situation in Colombia’s border areas remained deeply challenging. The report also showed the challenges faces by people entering the country through irregular channels, including human trafficking risks, poor reception conditions and limited access to official documentation.
UNHCR also called upon the reinforcement of State Institutions in the border areas so the agency could better guarantee the respect of fundamental rights and the fight against extreme poverty.
Geneva Activities and Announcements
Tarik Jasarevic, for the World Health Organization (WHO), informed that today at 2:00 p.m. in Press Room 1, a press conference would be held on the World Cancer Day.
To mark World Cancer Day (4 February), the WHO was launching new guidance on early cancer diagnosis to improve the chances of survival for people living with cancer by ensuring health services can provide earlier cancer diagnosis and treatment. Speakers would be Dr. Etienne Krug, Director, WHO’s Department for the Management of Non-communicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, and Dr. Andre Ilbawi, WHO cancer focal point.
Mr. Jasarevic informed that he would be in Yemen for the coming two weeks and would be available for media inquiries while there.
Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at UNIS, informed that today at 1:00 p.m. in Press Room 1, the OHCHR would hold a press conference on Myanmar, with the focus on serious, ongoing human rights violations against Rohingya - documented in interviews with those who had fled across the border to Bangladesh. The speakers would include Linnea Arvidsson, Mission Leader, Naveed Ahmed, Human Rights Investigator, and Ilona Alexander, Human Rights Investigator.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child would be closing its 74th session this afternoon at 5 p.m. During the session, the Committee had considered reports of Barbados, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Estonia, Georgia, Malawi, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Serbia.
The Conference on Disarmament would hold its next public plenary meeting on 7 February at 10 a.m.
The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog030217