UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration, and the representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Situation in Sudan
Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), speaking from Port Sudan, stated that she was in Sudan for a four-day visit, where the security situation was deteriorating and could be described as catastrophic. This was an underreported conflict in which millions were suffering, and it was possible that it would ignite regional instability. A year and a half had passed since the start of the fighting, which was now also being fueled by external forces. Some 25 million people in Sudan were now requiring assistance. Throughout this year, Sudan had been the world’s worst displacement crisis; this week the IOM would release new figures which would show that as many as 11 million people were now internally displaced. More than half of those displaced were women, and a quarter were children under five. Unfortunately, many of them had been forced to flee repeatedly, and getting their basic needs met was very difficult. People did not have access to shelter, safe drinking water, or medicine; hunger was spreading, and famine conditions were taking hold in North Darfur.
Ms. Pope said that the safety of aid workers and UN staff was often threatened, and bureaucratic impediments were blocking delivery of humanitarian aid. All parties needed to ensure protection of civilians and ensure safe, swift, and unimpeded access to life-saving assistance. Help of the international community was needed now for this most neglected crisis. IOM’s part of the relief plan was only 20 percent funded, she informed. All wars were brutal, but the toll of this war was truly terrifying, stressed Ms. Pope. There were way too many reports of rape, sexual violence, and torture. The potential long-term impact of this crisis was staggering, with a generation that would live in the shadow of this trauma. A peaceful Sudan could take care of itself as it had immense resources. Guns in Sudan had to fall silent, and the humanitarian response had to be scaled up. End the hostilities, protect civilians, allow humanitarian access, and increase international support, plead Ms. Pope from Port Sudan.
On 28 October, the UN Secretary-General had addressed the Security Council on the situation in Sudan, informed Rolando Gómez, for the UN Information Service.
Responding to questions from the media, Ms. Pope explained that most of the IOM’s work in the world, including Sudan, was about supporting displaced people, wherever they were. Before the war, the IOM in Sudan had focused on supporting vulnerable communities and improving their access to livelihood; now, the IOM was helping millions of displaced people, including third-country nationals. IOM was working very closely with its UN partners to provide as much support as possible. Speaking of access, Ms. Pope said that in certain parts of the country, the IOM had been able to provide direct support to people in need. However, the IOM and partners were facing serious obstacles accessing many people who desperately needed help. The situation in the country was quickly evolving, and many people were being displaced numerous times. IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix showed that there were 11 million internally displaced people (200,000 more since the previous month) across the country, and 3.1 million people who had left the country. Of the 11 million IDPs - the largest number in the world - the IOM had managed to reach and support some three million people, because of limited access and limited funding (of the USD 168 million, only 20 percent had been received thus far). The needs of people to have access to food are overwhelming. IOM was concerned that the fighting was continuing and even accelerating, while the international community seemed not to be as focused on Sudan as it was on other crises in the world.
Seif Magango, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk was extremely concerned by the escalating hostilities and violence in Sudan’s Al-Jazirah State, which were further exacerbating the risk of attacks against civilians, ethnically motivated violence, and atrocity crimes. Since the defection of Abu Aqla Keikel, a commander in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on 20 October, attacks by the RSF on villages in Al-Jazirah state had increased, apparently in retaliation for his defection, and targeting members of his ethnic group. On 25 October, at least 124 people had been reportedly killed in an attack by RSF ground forces on Al-Seriha village, with unconfirmed videos showing dozens of bodies lined up for burial.
As a result of the violence, thousands of families had reportedly been displaced from Al-Jazirah state into the neighbouring states of Gedaref and Kassala, adding to the already dire displacement crisis in the country. Ms. Magango said that the OHCHR was also concerned by the increased calls for mobilisation of civilians in Al-Jazirah state, and reports of hate speech circulating on social media. The leaders of both sides had to promptly take all measures to de-escalate the situation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reiterated his call on all parties to strictly respect their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, in particular by ensuring the protection of civilians. All alleged violations had to be investigated and those responsible brought to justice, following fair trials.
Full OHCHR statement is available here.
Answering questions from the journalists, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), informed that out of the USD 2.7 billion needed for Sudan’s 2024 humanitarian response plan, 56 percent was currently funded. UN had received horrendous reports of civilians killed and displaced in Al-Jazirah state, who needed immediate attention, said Mr. Laerke. There were also reports of sexual and gender-based violence.
Israel’s Parliament vote on UNRWA
Answering questions from the media on the vote of Israel’s Parliament (Knesset), Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that the needs of the Palestinian people could not be met without United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). While others were already helping and stood ready to do more, UNRWA played the central role, said Ms. Pope. Many of the tasks performed by UNRWA were not conducted by other agencies, including the IOM, which had different roles to play. There was no way for the IOM to step in and perform UNRWA’s role, emphasized Ms. Pope.
Rolando Gómez, for the UN Information Service, informed that the Secretary-General had issued a statement on the Knesset’s adoption of two laws concerning UNRWA, which, if implemented, would likely prevent UNRWA from continuing its essential work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. There was no alternative to UNRWA. The implementation of the laws could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which was unacceptable. The Secretary-General called on Israel to act consistently with its obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and its other obligations under international law, including under international humanitarian law and those concerning privileges and immunities of the United Nations. National legislation could not alter those obligations. Full Secretary-General’s statement can be found here.
Jens Laerke, for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that numerous UN agencies said that UNRWA was crucial and irreplaceable. He explained that the Knesset’s decision had led to an outpour of protest by numerous UN agencies and national leaders from around the world. UNRWA’s mandate came from a General Assembly’s resolution, reminded Mr. Laerke. For decades, UNRWA had been the backbone of what the UN had been providing for the Palestinian refugees, and there was no alternative to it. If implemented, the decision to banish UNRWA would add to the collective punishment of the people of Gaza.
James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), stressed that if UNRWA was unable to operate, we would likely see a collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, and UNICEF too would be unable to operate. Suspension of UNRWA would mean that a new way was found to kill children in Gaza. Conservative reports spoke of 14,000 boys and girls having been killed in Gaza over the past year. Mr. Elder spoke of all children who might have miraculously survived bombings of their homes and were left with serious injuries were now not being allowed to be medically evacuated. If you took away healthcare workers and other humanitarians providing lifesaving supplies, there would be an inevitable increase in children’s deaths.
Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that 3,000 out of 13,000 UNRWA staff were health workers, who had provided over six million medical consultations in 2023. They were also doing immunizations of children, screening for disease surveillance and malnutrition. These tasks could not be matched by any other agency, including the WHO. Only seven out of the 28 requested medical missions to the north of Gaza had taken place this month.
Jeremy Laurence, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the Knesset’s decision was deeply troubling. The delivery of food, shelter, healthcare, and education would grind to a halt. Civilians had already paid the highest price of the conflict over the past year, and this decision would only make the situation far worse for them.
Healthy diets
Francesco Branca, Director, Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the World Health Organization (WHO), speaking from Rome, said that food insecurity still affected over 750 million people in the world, while as many as three billion people could not afford healthy diets, leading to eight million deaths per year. It was also the second largest cause of disability globally. WHO and FAO had put together a guidance on healthy diets, which were needed to promote health and prevent both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Healthy diets were needed over the course of life, from the very beginning, and they could be achieved in all parts of the world, where sufficient food was available. Healthy diet should be adequate in nutrition, providing all essential nutrients in right amount; they should include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Sodium consumption had to be limited to maximum five grams per day, while the consumption of refined sugars, trans fats, and red and processed meats should also be limited. Food should be consumed from different food groups, as well as different foods within various food groups.
Nancy Aburto, Deputy Director of the Food and Nutrition Division at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that good nutrition was dependent on many factors but eating healthy diets was essential. Achieving good nutrition, based on adequate, balanced, moderate, and diverse diets consisting of safe food and beverage, had the power to drive at least 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. For example, explained Ms. Aburto, achieving good nutrition based on diets that include adequate amounts of iron could support addressing anaemia in women and therefore allow more than 500 million women suffering anaemia today to have a better opportunity at experiencing improved quality of life so they can reach their potential and personal fulfillment, driving SDG5. Achieving good nutrition based on diets that include balanced energy across protein, fat, and carbohydrate enabled child development so they could reach their full health and productive potential adding billions to national incomes and pulling millions out of poverty, driving SDG1. Achieving good nutrition based on diets that were diverse could support reducing maternal and child malnutrition could save more than two Million lives of children under five every year, allowing children and families to live with good health and well-being, driving SDG3.
Ms. Aburto stressed that achieving good nutrition based on diets that were moderate in foods and nutrients of public health concern could reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases responsible for most of the premature mortality globally allowing millions more people to be free of disease and reach their full potential as productive members in society. Healthy, productive people drove action needed to reach targets across all the SDGs. Therefore, enabling healthy diets for all was the core not only to a food systems agenda but to Agenda 2030, concluded Ms. Aburto.
More information from the WHO and the FAO on healthy diets is available here.
Answering questions from the media, Dr. Branca, for the WHO, said that labelling might impair humanitarian food distribution, but the WHO was still looking into this subject. Ms. Aburto, for the FAO, said that access to healthy diets was a shared responsibility between governments, food producers and distributors, and individual consumers.
Other Issues
On questions related to the Sahel, Amy Pope, Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the crisis in the region was compounded with a number of factors, including climate, extremism, and conflict. IOM was working closely with the communities in the Sahel and helping with a range of actions, but it was very underfunded.
Regarding the situation in the US, Ms. Pope said that the IOM hoped to continue working with the US Government, regardless of who was in charge. It was hoped that the us Government’s support to the IOM would continue. IOM hoped to help enable people move through safe, regular channels. Too often, governments focused just on the border, said Ms. Pope, while approach to migration ought to address root causes of migration and be truly multifaceted. It was a complex issue which needed a cross-sectorial, cross-country approach and focusing just on what was happening at the border was too narrow of a view.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that today at 12 noon, Trade and Development Report 2024: Rethinking Development in the Age of Discontent would be launched in a hybrid press conference. The report, under embargo until 2:30 pm today, would be presented by Rebeca Grynspan, UN Trade and Development Secretary General, and Anastasia Nesvetailova, Head of Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies at UNCTAD.
He informed that the Human Rights Committee would conclude this afternoon the review of the report of Ecuador.
The Committee Against Torture was beginning this morning its review of the report of Kuwait.
On 1 November, reminded Mr. Gómez, the United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East would take place in room XXVI from 10:30 am. The seminar would discuss two themes: “Freedom of the Press and Safety of Journalists in a Time of War” and “Behind the Headlines of Gaza: Media Challenges and Perspectives.” More information is available here.
Mr. Gómez highlighted the Secretary-General's message for World Cities Day, observed on 31 October, emphasizing this year’s theme, Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalyzing Local Action for Urban Sustainability. The message is available here.
Finally, Mr. Gómez informed that the Secretary-General was in Cali, Colombia, where he would attend the 16th United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity. His remarks would be shared with the media later today.
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