REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE
UN Geneva Press Briefing
“Today the government of South Sudan together with WFP, FAO and UNICEF have released the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) report update to outline the food security situation in the country. The report update indicates that nearly 7 million South Sudanese – 61 percent of the population- will face acute levels of food insecurity or worse by the end of July.
The IPC report provides a framework for classification of the severity of food emergencies, on a five-phase scale, phase 1 classifying minimal stress on food security and phase 5 classifying catastrophe. An estimated 21,000 people will likely face a catastrophic lack of food access, or IPC Phase 5 – the highest level –, while about 1.82 million will face an emergency, and another 5.12 million people a crisis situation. Compared to last January’s forecast for the period of May – July 2019, an additional 81,000 people are likely to face a highly stressed and critical lack of food.
The food insecurity situation is driven by household food shortages that are typical of a lean season, but have been impacted by delayed rainfall, the persistent macro-economic crisis, population displacements, and of course conflict. The effective implementation of the peace agreement in South Sudan and political stability are necessary to allow urgent and scaled-up humanitarian assistance to protect livelihoods and boost agricultural production across the country and save lives.
At the moment WFP is assisting 2.77 million people in South Sudan, with plans to scale up to 5.1 million by December 2019 in response to the routine seasonal increase in needs. This is something we do every year at around the same time of year. The response will include a variety of support including life-saving food and cash distributions in areas with working markets, food in return for work on the construction, food for school meals, and special products for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition among children, and pregnant or nursing women.
For the first time in many years, WFP has prepositioned 173,000 metric tons of food in more than 60 areas before the onset of the rainy season. This is 66,000 metric tons more than the same time in 2018. That will help to save lives but will also reduce delivery costs. UNICEF and partners will further scale up services during the lean season to reach more children affected by severe acute malnutrition, and FAO is providing new varieties of seed suited to local conditions as well as training in techniques that will reduce losses from drought and flooding.”
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Verhoosel said that the majority of those acutely affected lived in areas that were difficult to access; that was usually the case. WFP therefore continued to call for unrestricted, secure access to all areas. The improved access to 60 areas had made it possible to preposition larger quantities of food than usual. Although the conditions of the 21,000 people categorized as IPC Phase 5 were famine-like, the situation could not be termed a “famine”, as it did not fulfil all the criteria required, mainly, in this case, the number of people affected.
The Sudan
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, recalling the comments made by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on 13 June 2019 on cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States, said that the Sudan was one of several States in the region in a difficult situation. The United Nations was working with regional partners, especially the African Union, in supporting the transition process in the Sudan with the objective of enabling the Sudanese parties to reach agreement on an inclusive, civilian-led transitional authority. The situation was being monitored very closely.
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that, from 3 to 11 June 2019, a total of 61 deaths had been reported by the Sudanese Ministry of Health, although such figures had not been verified by WHO. A total of 859 wounded or injured persons had been verified by WHO in 12 main private and public hospitals. Underreporting was probable, as people with minor injuries could be receiving treatment in smaller private hospitals and doctors. Main injuries included gunshots; rape had also been reported. According to information received by WHO, there had been seven incidents of attacks on health-care facilities, and five health workers had been injured. Of the attacks, five had been confirmed and two were under verification by WHO. WHO was advocating at all levels for the safety of health facilities and staff and patients. WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, had already provided trauma and surgical supplies for more than 1,500 beneficiaries to several main hospitals in Khartoum. More supplies were being procured by WHO locally and from WHO logistics hubs in Dubai and the Netherlands for Khartoum and other states of the Sudan. WHO was working closely with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and civil society organizations to address the clinical and psychosocial needs of survivors of gender-based violence. Across the country, WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, had distributed trauma kits at key hospitals, including Blue Nile, East Darfur and Red Sea. WHO worked closely with health partners in the Sudan such as Médecins sans frontières (MSF) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that while much attention was focused on events in Khartoum, there was an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Together with partners, OCHA had begun providing support to victims of flooding in Tawilla, North Darfur. The homes of nearly 2,500 people had been completely destroyed; nearly 900 latrines had also been affected by the floods, posing an immediate health risk. Humanitarian operations were facing challenges owing in part to the disruption of Internet services and unreliable phone networks. As a result, cash was difficult to access and services could not be paid for locally. The whole of the Sudan and the humanitarian operations there suffered from lack of funding. Of the USD 1.2 billion required by the Humanitarian Response Plan for the Sudan in 2019, only some 22 per cent had been provided so far.
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Lindmeier, for WHO, said that, to his knowledge, despite the attacks against health-care facilities, facilities continued to operate.
Asked a question about conflict in Darfur, Mr. Laerke, for OCHA, said that there had been several incidents of violence. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), upon investigation of an incident of tribal fighting on 11 June, had confirmed that 17 people had been killed and 15 others injured, and more than 100 houses burned down. In addition, in Central Darfur, banks were closed owing to the ongoing civil disobedience campaign.
Emergency Committee on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had reconvened an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 on Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Committee would meet from 12 noon on 14 June 2019 to ascertain whether the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern. It would be the third meeting of the Committee on the outbreak (the first and second having taken place, respectively, on 17 October 2018 and on 12 April 2019). A press conference was scheduled for 6.30 p.m. on 14 June; although it was to be a virtual press briefing, journalists could attend it in person at WHO.
By way of background, on 11 June 2019, the Ugandan Ministry of Health had confirmed a case of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda. That patient – a five-year-old boy from DRC – had since died, as had his grandmother, on 12 June. On 13 June, a third confirmed case – the first child’s three-year-old brother, along with some family members, had been repatriated voluntarily from Uganda to DRC to receive treatment. In total, five suspected cases had been moved to DRC. There were 27 contacts under surveillance in Uganda; other cases might be discovered, as the situation was ongoing.
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Lindmeier said that Uganda had long experience in handling Ebola virus disease and had been preparing extensively to respond to potential cases. Its health authorities had rapidly shared information about the suspected Ebola cases. Preparedness and early action were very important to contain an epidemic. In Uganda, 4,700 people – mainly health workers, had already been vaccinated. The process of contact tracing and vaccination of contacts was starting on 14 June.
Responding to further questions, Mr. Lindmeier said that the suspected cases of Ebola had been moved from Uganda to DRC not only because they were originally from DRC, but also because better treatment was available there. The family in question had attended the funeral of the five-year-old boy’s grandfather, who had died from Ebola, and had been identified as suspected cases just after crossing the border into Uganda, at which point they had sought out care. Contact tracing was one of the biggest challenges in any outbreak, and was crucial for the purposes of monitoring and vaccinating those who might be infected.
Responding to a request for statistics, Mr. Lindmeier said that, as of 13 June, the overall figures regarding the Ebola outbreak were: 2,108 cases, of which 2,014 had been confirmed; those cases included 1,411 deaths, 585 survivors and the patients who were still under care. The Ebola vaccine, which was over 90 per cent effective, had been administered to over 132,000 people in DRC, 4,700 in Uganda, 2,500 in South Sudan, and 1,400 in Rwanda.
Asked about whether precautionary measures were being taken in neighbouring countries, Mr. Lindmeier said that all the countries in the region were kept informed of the ongoing situation in DRC. A possible outcome of the Emergency Committee meeting would be the issuance of strong recommendations for countries, including those on the border with DRC, to manage the outbreak. WHO was working with countries on the ground to prepare as necessary for possible outbreaks.
World Meteorological Congress
Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that the World Meteorological Congress, the supreme decision-making body at WMO, was ending on 14 June 2019. Topics discussed included a new strategic plan, the budget and the election of office holders. The Congress had approved a package of reforms to restructure the way in which WMO functioned and to embrace a more comprehensive earth-system approach. While WMO was often referred to as the weather agency of the United Nations, its work went well beyond that. In addition to continuing its coverage of climate-related subjects, WMO would seek to focus on water resource management, the oceans and other environmental challenges. The Congress had adopted a number of resolutions, including on greater engagement with the private sector, which played an increasingly important role. The Congress had also approved a five-year master plan on health with WHO. In a resolution passed on 13 June, the Congress had voiced concern over the challenges posed by new technologies, such as 5G, regarding important radio frequencies for weather observation. Also on 13 June, the Congress had elected a new president and re-elected its Secretary-General.
Asked a question about advocacy activities, Ms. Nullis said that WMO action was driven by its 196 member States. It was not the role of the secretariat to criticize individual member States for their actions; WMO focused on action rather than advocacy. There was clearly a climate crisis and much of the discussion during the Congress’ meetings had been aimed at strengthening action on climate change and helping countries to adapt to climate change.
Geneva announcements
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Conference on Disarmament would hold its next public meeting on Tuesday, 18 June (time to be confirmed) to discuss the revised draft programme of work of the 2019 session submitted by its President, Ambassador Jorge Valero of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Press conferences
Monday, 17 June at 10.30 a.m. (under embargo) in Press Room 1
UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 19 June 2019 at 5:00 a.m. GMT
UNHCR
UNHCR’s Annual Global Trends Report on Forced Displacement (under strict embargo)
Speakers:
· Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog140619
Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Meteorological Organization.
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, speaking on behalf of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said that the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, would give a keynote speech at the International Labour Conference on 14 June 2019, at 3.30 p.m., in conference room XX, at the opening of a thematic forum entitled “Securing sustainable transitions over the life course”. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, would also give a keynote address. The forum was open to the media.
Research findings on the links between conflict and hunger
Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), made the following statement:
“Conflict and climate variability are the main drivers of rising hunger. Of the more than 800 million people facing hunger, 60% are in conflict-affected countries; removing China and India, this proportion jumps to 90%. The links between conflict and hunger are complex.
The worst food crises last year were, in order, of severity Yemen, the DRC, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and northern Nigeria. These eight countries and regions – nearly all affected by conflict or insecurity – account for two thirds of the total number of people facing acute food insecurity.
Even in conflict-affected areas with limited access such as South Sudan and Yemen, when we can do our job safely and have consistent access to people in need, we can prevent the worst forms of hunger. We only see famine now when our staff are not able to reach food-insecure people due to insecurity or where our access is blocked.
More than 113 million people across 53 countries experienced acute hunger requiring urgent food, nutrition and livelihoods assistance in 2018. Conflict and insecurity are the primary drivers of hunger in 21 out of these 53 countries, causing some 74 million people to be acutely hungry. Half of these conflict-affected countries are in Africa and account for 33 million of the world’s acutely hungry people.
WFP works tirelessly to keep people alive in war-torn countries - Yemen, Syria, South Sudan and many others. But unless world leaders relentlessly pursue an end to all conflict and commit sufficient political will and funding to humanitarian efforts, what we build by day will be destroyed by night. Without peace and stability, we cannot hope to end hunger.”
Mr. Verhoosel drew attention to a report entitled The World Food Programme’s Contribution to Improving the Prospects for Peace, which had just been published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. It was available online.
South Sudan
Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), made the following statement:
“Today the government of South Sudan together with WFP, FAO and UNICEF have released the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) report update to outline the food security situation in the country. The report update indicates that nearly 7 million South Sudanese – 61 percent of the population- will face acute levels of food insecurity or worse by the end of July.
The IPC report provides a framework for classification of the severity of food emergencies, on a five-phase scale, phase 1 classifying minimal stress on food security and phase 5 classifying catastrophe. An estimated 21,000 people will likely face a catastrophic lack of food access, or IPC Phase 5 – the highest level –, while about 1.82 million will face an emergency, and another 5.12 million people a crisis situation. Compared to last January’s forecast for the period of May – July 2019, an additional 81,000 people are likely to face a highly stressed and critical lack of food.
The food insecurity situation is driven by household food shortages that are typical of a lean season, but have been impacted by delayed rainfall, the persistent macro-economic crisis, population displacements, and of course conflict. The effective implementation of the peace agreement in South Sudan and political stability are necessary to allow urgent and scaled-up humanitarian assistance to protect livelihoods and boost agricultural production across the country and save lives.
At the moment WFP is assisting 2.77 million people in South Sudan, with plans to scale up to 5.1 million by December 2019 in response to the routine seasonal increase in needs. This is something we do every year at around the same time of year. The response will include a variety of support including life-saving food and cash distributions in areas with working markets, food in return for work on the construction, food for school meals, and special products for the prevention and treatment of malnutrition among children, and pregnant or nursing women.
For the first time in many years, WFP has prepositioned 173,000 metric tons of food in more than 60 areas before the onset of the rainy season. This is 66,000 metric tons more than the same time in 2018. That will help to save lives but will also reduce delivery costs. UNICEF and partners will further scale up services during the lean season to reach more children affected by severe acute malnutrition, and FAO is providing new varieties of seed suited to local conditions as well as training in techniques that will reduce losses from drought and flooding.”
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Verhoosel said that the majority of those acutely affected lived in areas that were difficult to access; that was usually the case. WFP therefore continued to call for unrestricted, secure access to all areas. The improved access to 60 areas had made it possible to preposition larger quantities of food than usual. Although the conditions of the 21,000 people categorized as IPC Phase 5 were famine-like, the situation could not be termed a “famine”, as it did not fulfil all the criteria required, mainly, in this case, the number of people affected.
The Sudan
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, recalling the comments made by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on 13 June 2019 on cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States, said that the Sudan was one of several States in the region in a difficult situation. The United Nations was working with regional partners, especially the African Union, in supporting the transition process in the Sudan with the objective of enabling the Sudanese parties to reach agreement on an inclusive, civilian-led transitional authority. The situation was being monitored very closely.
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that, from 3 to 11 June 2019, a total of 61 deaths had been reported by the Sudanese Ministry of Health, although such figures had not been verified by WHO. A total of 859 wounded or injured persons had been verified by WHO in 12 main private and public hospitals. Underreporting was probable, as people with minor injuries could be receiving treatment in smaller private hospitals and doctors. Main injuries included gunshots; rape had also been reported. According to information received by WHO, there had been seven incidents of attacks on health-care facilities, and five health workers had been injured. Of the attacks, five had been confirmed and two were under verification by WHO. WHO was advocating at all levels for the safety of health facilities and staff and patients. WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, had already provided trauma and surgical supplies for more than 1,500 beneficiaries to several main hospitals in Khartoum. More supplies were being procured by WHO locally and from WHO logistics hubs in Dubai and the Netherlands for Khartoum and other states of the Sudan. WHO was working closely with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and civil society organizations to address the clinical and psychosocial needs of survivors of gender-based violence. Across the country, WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, had distributed trauma kits at key hospitals, including Blue Nile, East Darfur and Red Sea. WHO worked closely with health partners in the Sudan such as Médecins sans frontières (MSF) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that while much attention was focused on events in Khartoum, there was an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Together with partners, OCHA had begun providing support to victims of flooding in Tawilla, North Darfur. The homes of nearly 2,500 people had been completely destroyed; nearly 900 latrines had also been affected by the floods, posing an immediate health risk. Humanitarian operations were facing challenges owing in part to the disruption of Internet services and unreliable phone networks. As a result, cash was difficult to access and services could not be paid for locally. The whole of the Sudan and the humanitarian operations there suffered from lack of funding. Of the USD 1.2 billion required by the Humanitarian Response Plan for the Sudan in 2019, only some 22 per cent had been provided so far.
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Lindmeier, for WHO, said that, to his knowledge, despite the attacks against health-care facilities, facilities continued to operate.
Asked a question about conflict in Darfur, Mr. Laerke, for OCHA, said that there had been several incidents of violence. The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), upon investigation of an incident of tribal fighting on 11 June, had confirmed that 17 people had been killed and 15 others injured, and more than 100 houses burned down. In addition, in Central Darfur, banks were closed owing to the ongoing civil disobedience campaign.
Emergency Committee on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had reconvened an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005 on Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Committee would meet from 12 noon on 14 June 2019 to ascertain whether the outbreak constituted a public health emergency of international concern. It would be the third meeting of the Committee on the outbreak (the first and second having taken place, respectively, on 17 October 2018 and on 12 April 2019). A press conference was scheduled for 6.30 p.m. on 14 June; although it was to be a virtual press briefing, journalists could attend it in person at WHO.
By way of background, on 11 June 2019, the Ugandan Ministry of Health had confirmed a case of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda. That patient – a five-year-old boy from DRC – had since died, as had his grandmother, on 12 June. On 13 June, a third confirmed case – the first child’s three-year-old brother, along with some family members, had been repatriated voluntarily from Uganda to DRC to receive treatment. In total, five suspected cases had been moved to DRC. There were 27 contacts under surveillance in Uganda; other cases might be discovered, as the situation was ongoing.
Responding to questions from the press, Mr. Lindmeier said that Uganda had long experience in handling Ebola virus disease and had been preparing extensively to respond to potential cases. Its health authorities had rapidly shared information about the suspected Ebola cases. Preparedness and early action were very important to contain an epidemic. In Uganda, 4,700 people – mainly health workers, had already been vaccinated. The process of contact tracing and vaccination of contacts was starting on 14 June.
Responding to further questions, Mr. Lindmeier said that the suspected cases of Ebola had been moved from Uganda to DRC not only because they were originally from DRC, but also because better treatment was available there. The family in question had attended the funeral of the five-year-old boy’s grandfather, who had died from Ebola, and had been identified as suspected cases just after crossing the border into Uganda, at which point they had sought out care. Contact tracing was one of the biggest challenges in any outbreak, and was crucial for the purposes of monitoring and vaccinating those who might be infected.
Responding to a request for statistics, Mr. Lindmeier said that, as of 13 June, the overall figures regarding the Ebola outbreak were: 2,108 cases, of which 2,014 had been confirmed; those cases included 1,411 deaths, 585 survivors and the patients who were still under care. The Ebola vaccine, which was over 90 per cent effective, had been administered to over 132,000 people in DRC, 4,700 in Uganda, 2,500 in South Sudan, and 1,400 in Rwanda.
Asked about whether precautionary measures were being taken in neighbouring countries, Mr. Lindmeier said that all the countries in the region were kept informed of the ongoing situation in DRC. A possible outcome of the Emergency Committee meeting would be the issuance of strong recommendations for countries, including those on the border with DRC, to manage the outbreak. WHO was working with countries on the ground to prepare as necessary for possible outbreaks.
World Meteorological Congress
Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that the World Meteorological Congress, the supreme decision-making body at WMO, was ending on 14 June 2019. Topics discussed included a new strategic plan, the budget and the election of office holders. The Congress had approved a package of reforms to restructure the way in which WMO functioned and to embrace a more comprehensive earth-system approach. While WMO was often referred to as the weather agency of the United Nations, its work went well beyond that. In addition to continuing its coverage of climate-related subjects, WMO would seek to focus on water resource management, the oceans and other environmental challenges. The Congress had adopted a number of resolutions, including on greater engagement with the private sector, which played an increasingly important role. The Congress had also approved a five-year master plan on health with WHO. In a resolution passed on 13 June, the Congress had voiced concern over the challenges posed by new technologies, such as 5G, regarding important radio frequencies for weather observation. Also on 13 June, the Congress had elected a new president and re-elected its Secretary-General.
Asked a question about advocacy activities, Ms. Nullis said that WMO action was driven by its 196 member States. It was not the role of the secretariat to criticize individual member States for their actions; WMO focused on action rather than advocacy. There was clearly a climate crisis and much of the discussion during the Congress’ meetings had been aimed at strengthening action on climate change and helping countries to adapt to climate change.
Geneva announcements
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Conference on Disarmament would hold its next public meeting on Tuesday, 18 June (time to be confirmed) to discuss the revised draft programme of work of the 2019 session submitted by its President, Ambassador Jorge Valero of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
Press conferences
Monday, 17 June at 10.30 a.m. (under embargo) in Press Room 1
UNDER STRICT EMBARGO UNTIL 19 June 2019 at 5:00 a.m. GMT
UNHCR
UNHCR’s Annual Global Trends Report on Forced Displacement (under strict embargo)
Speakers:
· Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees
* * *
The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog140619