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

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the Human Rights Council, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Organization for Migration, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Labour Organization and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Human Rights Council

Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, said that on 20 March the Human Rights Council would continue to discuss the human rights situation in Palestine. It would also hold general debates on the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and on racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia. An interactive dialogue on the Democratic Republic of the Congo was also scheduled. On 21 and 22 March, it would consider country reports and updates on Mali, Libya, Ukraine, the Central African Republic, Burundi, Colombia, Cyprus, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Yemen.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Gomez said that Carles Puigdemont had been at the Palais des Nations on 19 March to attend a side event. NGOs registered with ECOSOC had the right to invite guests to speak on their behalf.

Syria – Update on Afrin and East Ghouta

Andrej Mahecic, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), made the following statement:

“UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, is alarmed by a further deepening of the humanitarian crisis in Syria as fierce fighting in Eastern Ghouta, rural Damascus and Afrin in the country’s northwest causes massive new displacement.

In Eastern Ghouta alone, more than 45,000 Syrians have fled their homes in recent days. UNHCR is responding to urgent humanitarian needs on the ground, but we are today reiterating our call for the protection and safety of and full, unhindered and continuous humanitarian access to both the newly displaced and the hundreds of thousands civilians, still trapped by fierce fighting and in dire need of aid.

UNHCR takes no part in the current evacuation deal or in its implementation. But from the outset of the most recent escalation, our teams have been at the makeshift collective shelters as thousands of families, exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and sick and with few or no belongings were arriving from Eastern Ghouta. More civilians continue to make their way out every day.

The newly displaced are currently accommodated in Dweir, Adra Schools, Adra Electricity department, Herjelleh, Najha, Nashabiya, Khirbet al Ward, where conditions are miserable. According to UNHCR staff, the needs are overwhelming and growing by the hour. There are also serious health risks.

All existing shelters are extremely congested and overcrowded and lack basic sanitation. People queue in lines for hours to use restrooms, and most have no lighting. UNHCR and its partners have been working around the clock to provide life-saving assistance. This is in close coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), UN agencies and other humanitarian actors.

UNHCR’s partners are registering persons lacking documents, particularly unregistered newborn children, with a view to tackle this major protection concern with the Syrian authorities.

UNHCR has so far delivered 180,000 core relief items to meet the urgent needs (mattresses, blankets, high thermal blankets, plastic sheets, winter clothes kits, solar lamps, jerry cans, and kitchen sets). At several collective shelters, people living in the open in schoolyards are desperate and using UNHCR’s blankets as partitions to create some privacy, and to protect themselves and their families from the sun in daytime, and from the cold at night.

The shortage of appropriate shelter is a major concern and we are striving to bridge this gap. More than 2,200 shelters kits had been provided to SARC to make the facilities allocated for collective shelters habitable. Some 800 UNHCR family tents have been dispatched from northeast Syria and will reach Damascus within the next 48 hours. More tents will be brought but in the meantime UNHCR is also dispatching several rubb halls to be used as temporary shelter for people sleeping in the open, particularly at collective shelters.

Full and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians inside and outside Eastern Ghouta, in collective shelters and elsewhere is crucial to ensure the urgent needs of civilians are met.

Equally important is full respect of the civilians’ freedom of movement and choice of place where they feel safe. They must be allowed and guaranteed the right of choice to remain in Eastern Ghouta or seek safety elsewhere. In both cases, it is essential that they are safe and that they have guaranteed access to humanitarian assistance. UNHCR is aware of, but has no access to security screening reportedly taking place as civilians leave Eastern Ghouta.

UNHCR call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and human rights law in the treatment of civilians both in and fleeing Eastern Ghouta.

Meanwhile, another emergency is unfolding in the northwest of Syria where an estimated 104,000 people have been uprooted from their homes in Afrin region by the latest escalation in fighting. The majority, some 75,000, are displaced in Tal Rifaat, while another 29,000 have sought safety in Nubol and Zahraa and surrounding villages in northern rural Aleppo. In addition, some 10,000 people are reportedly stranded at Az-Ziyara, attempting to no avail to cross into areas controlled by the Syrian government.

A UNHCR team was on the ground in Nubol yesterday where they heard stories of their exhausting journey, walking long hours through the mountains. They also witnessed the crowded conditions at the schools and mosques where the newly displaced people from Afrin are sheltered.

In the face of the growing Afrin emergency, UNHCR has scaled up its response, with 100,000 core relief items having been delivered in the last two days. These include matrasses, blankets, high-thermal blankets, plastic sheets, solar lamps, jerry cans, clothes, and other basic aid items. Also, 1,100 shelter kits have been dispatched, and 1,000 tents are expected to reach Tal Rifaat in the coming days.

As in Eastern Ghouta, freedom of movement for newly displaced from Afrin is essential. We urge safe and prompt passage towards Aleppo and other destinations where many of the displaced say they have relatives, friends or properties where they can shelter.”
In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Mahecic said that many agencies on the ground were providing medical assistance. Some people were sleeping in the open as there was not sufficient space available in the shelters.

Marixie Mercado, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), made the following statement:

“It is now 20 days since we were last able to deliver health and nutrition supplies to Afrin district. Since March 6, people in Afrin city have suffered from severe water shortages as the source of water to Afrin city was reportedly damaged by fighting. UNICEF-supported water trucks have stopped delivering much needed safe water to vulnerable areas in the city since March 15 due to the escalation of violence.

UNICEF is responding to the immediate needs of about 20,000 families who have been displaced to villages surrounding Afrin, but there are still an estimated 100,000 people, half of whom are children, in Afrin district – and they too need urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF and partners are ready and able to provide this assistance, including medical items that are said to be in short supply.

We estimate that around 45,000 – 50,000 people have been evacuated from East Ghouta since March 13, about 70 per cent of them women and children. Reports indicate that tens of thousands still wait at exit points to be transported to collective shelters.

From the four exit points in East Ghouta people are taken to 7 collective shelters. More shelters are being allocated by the government on a daily basis as the number of evacuees rises. Many of the collective shelters are beyond capacity and most need repairs as they were not prepared to receive this huge number of people so suddenly.

Some of these locations were designed as collective shelters. Other schools and educational facilities that are also being used as shelters have broken doors and windows, and non-functional water and sanitation facilities. UNICEF has been able to repair some of the toilets and is installing prefab toilets where needed, but water and sanitation continues to be an immense challenge. In one of these shelters, waiting lines for toilets was said to be almost 3 hours.

There is a palpable sense of relief – especially among the children. They arrive hungry and exhausted – but the sound of their laughter fills the yards of the shelters. One girl wondered at the price of biscuits – 50 Syrian pounds (10 US cents), compared to 300 (60 cents) in Hamourieh. A six-year-old boy described breakfast, saying that some days, back in his village of Kafr Batna, they would not eat at all. A 12-year-old boy from Hamourieh is being treated for wounds sustained when a shell hit their home the day before they evacuated. Mohammed, 12 days old, has seen and felt the sun for the very first time. The children said how much they wanted to go back to school, and described how, when schools would open in east Ghouta, they would go to their classes at 5 a.m., before the sun, was out, and return at 8, before the fighting started.

UNICEF is distributing water to people waiting at the exit points of East Ghouta, and providing water trucking and water bottle distribution to almost all the collective shelters currently hosting IDPs. We have multiple mobile health and protection teams providing basic medical assistance, vaccinations and health and nutrition services. We need to provide blankets, clothing and baby kits to families who came with almost nothing or nothing. And as quickly as possible, we need to help children get back into classrooms and catch-up with their learning.

Yesterday, UNICEF supplies delivered through the Syrian Arab Red Crescent also reached the newly accessible East Ghouta towns of Kaft Batna, Saqba and Hamourieh. High-energy biscuits and bottled water were delivered to them alongside food parcels and bread from the ICRC.

While we are working to deliver assistance to children and families who have exited Afrin and East Ghouta, thousands more remain inside Afrin and in besieged locations in East Ghouta. These children are still under attack and in dire need of assistance. We must be able to reach those children as well, and we call on parties to the conflict to allow us to reach them with unconditional, safe and sustained access. Wherever they are, and regardless of whose control they live under, children have the right to humanitarian assistance.

UNICEF had initially planned a response to cover the needs of 50,000 people. We are now preparing to respond to the needs of around 200,000 people from East Ghouta – both evacuees and inside East Ghouta. To respond to these critical needs, we will need an additional USD 20 million.”

In response to questions from journalists, Ms. Mercado said that many children leaving East Ghouta were suffering from diarrhoea, respiratory infections, scabies and lice. UNICEF was screening children and their mothers for malnutrition and providing treatment to those who needed it. It was estimated that half of the 100,000 people who remained in Afrin district were children.

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that United Nations staff had reported that many of the people leaving Afrin and East Ghouta were shocked and traumatized and were suffering from health conditions including hepatitis and skin diseases. The Humanitarian Coordinator had called for all parties to the conflict to ensure that humanitarians had access to those in need and to protect civilians, medical workers, service providers and humanitarian workers. The funding call for USD 3.5 billion had so far received just 6 per cent of that total. More than 13 million people inside Syria required humanitarian assistance.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Laerke said that the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had unparalleled access to the affected areas. More than 100,000 people had left Afrin since 11 March. The United Nations was deeply concerned for their safety — both now and in the future. Since 18 March there had been reports of threats of violence, arbitrary arrests of civilians and looting of civilian property in Afrin city.

In response to further questions, he said that Security Council resolution 2401 was not being implemented. People were escaping the hot combat zones on foot through exit points that were not controlled by the United Nations. Once people arrived at the shelter points they could receive relief assistance. Massive evacuations should always be the option of last resort and should be voluntary, to a place of people’s own choosing and with some guarantee of return when conditions allowed. The United Nations demanded that parties to conflict respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, recalled that the Special Envoy for Syria had reiterated his call for the humanitarian truce to be respected. The Secretary-General had consistently said that a political solution was the only way to resolve the crisis in Syria.

Report on the impact of the state of emergency on human rights in Turkey

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), made the following statement:

“Routine extensions of the state of emergency in Turkey have led to profound human rights violations against hundreds of thousands of people – from arbitrary deprivation of the right to work and to freedom of movement, to torture and other ill-treatment, arbitrary detentions and infringements of the rights to freedom of association and expression, according to a report issued by the UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday.

The report, which covers the period between 1 January and 31 December 2017, warns that the state of emergency has facilitated the deterioration of the human rights situation and the erosion of the rule of law in Turkey, and may “have long-lasting implications on the institutional and socio-economic fabric of Turkey.”

While the UN Human Rights Office recognizes the complex challenges Turkey has faced in addressing the 15 July 2016 attempted coup and a number of terrorist attacks, the report says, “the sheer number, frequency and lack of connection of several [emergency] decrees to any national threat seem to…point to the use of emergency powers to stifle any form of criticism or dissent vis-à-vis the Government.”

“The numbers are just staggering: nearly 160,000 people arrested during an 18-month state of emergency; 152,000 civil servants dismissed, many totally arbitrarily; teachers, judges and lawyers dismissed or prosecuted; journalists arrested, media outlets shut down and websites blocked – clearly the successive states of emergency declared in Turkey have been used to severely and arbitrarily curtail the human rights of a very large number of people,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said.

“One of the most alarming findings of the report,” he added, “is how Turkish authorities reportedly detained some 100 women who were pregnant or had just given birth, mostly on the grounds that they were ‘associates’ of their husbands, who are suspected of being connected to terrorist organizations. Some were detained with their children and others violently separated from them. This is simply outrageous, utterly cruel, and surely cannot have anything whatsoever to do with making the country safer.”

The report cites the April 2017 referendum that extended the President’s executive powers into both the legislature and the judiciary as seriously problematic, resulting in interference with the work of the judiciary and curtailment of parliamentary oversight over the executive branch. Twenty-two emergency decrees were promulgated by the end of 2017 (and two more since then), with many regulating matters unrelated to the state of emergency and used to limit various legitimate activities by civil society actors.

The report contains accounts from several individuals who were dismissed from their jobs for perceived links with Gulenist networks, for using specific messaging applications or through analysis of their social media contacts. “The decrees give large discretion of interpretation to the authorities,” the report states, adding there were serious due process violations. “Many individuals arrested…were not provided with specific evidence against them and were unaware of investigations against them.”

The report also documents the use of torture and ill-treatment in custody, including severe beatings, threats of sexual assault and actual sexual assault, electric shocks and waterboarding by police, gendarmerie, military police and security forces.

The report also states that about 300 journalists have been arrested on the grounds that their publications contained “apologist sentiments regarding terrorism” or other “verbal act offences” or for “membership” in terrorist organisations.

The report stresses that measures restricting rights during a state of emergency must be “limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, meaning they must be proportional and limited to what is necessary, in terms of duration, geographic coverage and material scope.”

The report recommends that Turkey promptly end the state of emergency, restore the normal functioning of its institutions, revise and repeal all legislation that is not compliant with Turkey’s international human rights obligations, including the emergency decrees. It also stresses the need to ensure independent, individualized reviews and compensation for victims of arbitrary detentions and dismissals.

The report also noted continued allegations of human rights violations specific to South-East Turkey, confirming the patterns of violations highlighted in the March 2017 UN Human Rights Office report on the situation in the region. Turkey has consistently failed to conduct credible criminal investigations into the civilian deaths that occurred in the context of the 2015-2016 security operations in the South-East, the report states.

We urge the Government of Turkey to ensure that these allegations of serious human rights violations are investigated and the perpetrators are brought to justice. The High Commissioner calls on the Government to grant my Office full and unfettered access to be able to directly, independently and objectively assess the human rights situation in the South-East of the country.”

In response to questions from journalists, Ms. Shamdasani said that in the preparation of the report, the large number of terrorist attacks that had occurred in Turkey had been taken into account. The report had drawn on a wide range of sources and materials and included only corroborated accounts. The Government of Turkey had responded to the report during the interactive dialogue with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights the previous week. Since the state of emergency had first been declared 18 months earlier, there had been many documented human rights violations. The allegations of torture were not confined to a particular location and appeared to have been used in attempts to extract confessions or force people to denounce others. Several thousand uncensored images of torture of alleged coup suspects had been circulated widely in the Turkish media and on social media, indicating endorsement of the use of torture. The international prohibition on torture was a non-derogative human right, even in a state of emergency.

In response to further questions, she said that there were at least 50 documented cases of women being arrested or detained shortly before or after giving birth. There were also reports that babies had been held in inadequate conditions, which constituted ill-treatment and could amount to torture. In one case, a mother had been separated from her baby and transferred from hospital to a prison 660 km away the day after giving birth prematurely.

Asked about the societal impact of the arrest of so many professionals, Ms. Shamdasani said that, in addition to the direct impact on individuals and their families, the arrests had had a chilling effect on society and sent the message that dissent could have serious personal consequences. The family members and even the social media contacts of those arrested had also been targeted. It appeared that people were being collectively punished for their perceived affiliation with suspected terrorist networks. The Executive had curtailed parliamentary oversight and interfered with the activities of the judiciary.

In response to further questions, she said that according to the Turkish Ministry of Defence, between July 2015 and July 2017 10,657 terrorists had been neutralized. The meaning of the word “neutralized” was unclear. OHCHR did not have direct access to South-East Turkey; however, most internally displaced persons in that area were still living in precarious conditions. It appeared that the authorities had consistently failed to implement recommendations in that part of the country.

Shipwreck in the Mediterranean

Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that on 17 March, a boat had capsized in the Aegean in what had been the first fatal shipwreck in the Eastern Mediterranean in 2018 involving irregular migrants. Three people had been rescued by the Hellenic Coastguard and three others were still missing. Of the 16 bodies that had been retrieved, 8 were from Afghanistan and 6 from Iraq. Nine of the dead were children.

Information had been received on 19 March indicating that the authorities in Algeria had recovered another body, bringing the total so far in 2018 to eight. The Western Mediterranean was seeing an alarming trend, with 188 confirmed deaths by drowning in the first 77 days of 2018 — an average rate of 10 per week compared with 4 per week during 2017. The Libyan Coastguard had intercepted just over 3,000 people in 2018 so far, most of them from Nigeria. Other countries of origin included Comoros, Nepal, Palestine, Yemen and Bangladesh.

Asked to comment on the decision by the Libyan Coastguard to take refugees rescued in international waters to Italy, Mr. Millman said that IOM was in favour of saving human lives.

Anglophone Cameroonians

Aikaterini Kitidi, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), made the following statement:

“The number of Anglophone Cameroonians seeking asylum in Nigeria has doubled since mid-January. Without urgent international support, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warns that their struggle for survival will be increasingly desperate.

Anglophone Cameroonians began fleeing violence in October 2017 and continue to pour into Nigeria’s Cross River, Taraba, Benue and Akwa-Ibom states. In total, over 20,000 refugees have been registered in the area. Women and children account for four-fifths of the population.

A recent assessment by humanitarian groups shows how grim the situation has become. Ninety-five per cent of the asylum seekers have no more than three days of food. Most families are down to one meal per day. The coping strategies people are using are themselves risky, and range from borrowing money to cutting food portions or saving food only for children.

Most asylum seekers say they are having to drink water from streams, ponds and other unsafe sources, because of inadequate or dysfunctional drinking water facilities. Essential relief items, such as clothing, blankets and plastic sheeting, are available to fewer than 25 per cent of them.

Only five in every 100 Cameroonians have proper or independent shelter. The rest have little or no privacy, squatting in rooms hosting on average 10 to 15 people. Protection from the cold is lacking, increasing health concerns due to the imminent start of the rainy season.

Malaria is reportedly already on the increase. Children commonly exhibit rapid breathing and coughing. Many participants at the assessment were suffering from fear and anxiety, poor sleep and flashbacks. In all, about 20 to 30 per cent of the asylum seekers have some kind of vulnerability, such as a physical disability.

Three quarters of the Cameroonian children who recently fled to Nigeria currently cannot access school, because their families cannot afford to pay for books and uniforms. Adults are also becoming more frustrated as they struggle to make ends meet.

A political solution to the situation in Cameroon is urgently needed, so that the Cameroonians can safely and voluntarily return home. Until then, UNHCR and its partners will continue their efforts to provide assistance and support to this population as long as we are able.

Our office has worked on a contingency plan of USD 18 million to help cover their needs. However, so far no funds have been received, leading to immense challenges and gaps in the response.

Earlier this month, the authorities in Nigeria allocated land to UNHCR which should allow for shelters to be established to ensure the safety, security and self-reliance of refugees. UNHCR acknowledges the authorities’ commitment to assist in moving the refugees at least 50 kilometres away from the border, in line with humanitarian principles.

We also remain concerned about reports of further arrests of Cameroonian nationals in Nigeria, including at least one asylum seeker at the beginning of March. UNHCR urges the Nigerian authorities to refrain from the forcible return of individuals who may have fled persecution in their country of origin, and to respect the principle of non-refoulement or no forced returns.”

In response to questions from journalists, Ms. Kitidi said that UNHCR had increased its presence in the area since the start of the crisis. The Agency was working with the authorities to register the refugees and establish baseline data in order to plan the humanitarian response; however, the lack of funds was creating problems. The situation continued to be tense in some areas of Cameroon, with curfews and a military presence still in place. It was important for the Government of Cameroon to engage with all involved. All parties should respect the human rights of all individuals.

World Meteorological Day and release of the statement on the status of the global climate

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that 20 March marked the first day of astronomical spring. A ceremony would be held on 23 March to mark World Meteorological Day, the theme of which was “Weather ready, climate smart”. WMO was releasing its annual report for 2017 on the state of the global climate in 2017, which covered the impact the weather had on human health and food security.

WIPO announcement

Edward Harris, for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), said that at 11 a.m. on 21 March in Press Room I, WIPO would release the annual results for 2017 on international applications for patents, industrial designs and trademarks. The dataset provided a great deal of insight into activities in the private sector, academia and governments.

Update on the ILO Governing Body session (ILO)

Hans von Rohland, for the International Labour Organization (ILO), said that at 10.30 a.m. on 21 March the ILO Governing Body would discuss the issues of freedom of association and the consultation of employers’ and workers’ organizations in social and economic processes in Venezuela and a decision would be taken on whether to establish a Commission of Inquiry in that regard. Only 12 such Commissions had been set up in the past 60 years.

At 11 a.m. on 22 March, discussions would continue regarding cooperation between ILO and the tobacco industry.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. von Rohland said that it would not be easy to reach consensus on the tobacco issue. As two technical cooperation projects to eliminate child labour in the tobacco industry were due to come to an end during 2018, a decision on the continuation of cooperation would need to be taken at the June session of the Governing Body at the latest.

138th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Jean Milligan, for the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), said that the 138th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union would be held from 24 to 28 March. More than 700 Members of Parliament and 65 Speakers of Parliament from around the world would attend.

The topic of the general debate would be parliamentary contributions to the global regimes for migrants and refugees. At 11 a.m. on 28 March there would be a high-level panel debate with the IPU President, the Head of UNHCR, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration. The Director-General of the World Health Organization would deliver a keynote speech on universal healthcare.

At 1.15 p.m. on 28 March, a press conference would be held in Press Room I, attended by both the President and the Secretary-General of IPU.

Geneva events and announcements

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that 20 March was the International Day of Happiness. This year’s themes were ending poverty, reducing inequality and protecting our planet.

20 March was also French Language Day and a programme of events had been planned at the Palais des Nations.

21 March was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year’s theme was promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating racial discrimination.

Press conferences

Press conference by the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva on his priorities for 2018
Friday, 23 March at 10.00 a.m. – Room III
http://bit.ly/2FNmAFZ

Due to technical issues, the webcast for this briefing is not available now. It should be available here later: http://bit.ly/unog200318