UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Michele Zaccheo, Chief of Radio, TV & Webcast Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Human Rights, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Bangladesh transition - a historic opportunity

Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that the transition in Bangladesh was an historic opportunity to ensure governance would be anchored in human rights, inclusivity, and rule of law, stressing the need for accountability for all those responsible for human rights violations and violence. “The transition ahead presents an historic opportunity to reform and revitalize the country’s institutions, to restore fundamental freedoms and civic space, and to give all in Bangladesh a part in building the future,” the High Commissioner for Human Rights said, as his issued a preliminary report on the protests and unrest in the country in recent weeks. “Accountability for violations and justice for the victims are key for the way forward and will need to be accompanied by a national healing process,” Türk said. “A comprehensive, impartial and transparent investigation into all human rights violations and abuses that have occurred will be a critical first step.” 

Ms. Shamdasani stressed that there were strong indications, warranting further independent investigation, that the security forces had used unnecessary and disproportionate force in their response to the situation. Additional, alleged violations, that also warranted thorough, impartial, and transparent investigations, included extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, and detention, enforced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment, and severe restrictions on exercise of freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. Following the resignation of the Government on 5 August 2024, there were also reports of looting, arson and attacks on members of religious minorities, as well as reprisals against and revenge killings of members of the former ruling party and police. On 15 August, mobs armed with bamboo sticks, iron rods and pipes had reportedly assaulted supporters of the former Prime Minister. Journalists had also been reportedly attacked and threatened preventing them from filming at the scenes. All those responsible for human rights violations, including those who had used or ordered the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force, had to be held to account and victims provided reparations and effective remedies.  

This week, the High Commissioner had spoken to the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus, assuring him that the OHCHR stood in solidary with the people of Bangladesh at this time and were committed to supporting the Interim Government for a successful transition that is inclusive and advances the rights of all the people in Bangladesh.

Full OHCHR report can be found here. 

Ms. Shamdasani, answering a question, said that the OHCHR report was based on media reports, open sources, and other reliable sources from within the country. The report did not speak of definite proofs or evidence, but it was clear that hundreds of people had been killed. The following week, the OHCHR was going to deploy a working level mission to Bangladesh to look into the violence in more depth, engage with actors from across the society, and aim to support the ongoing transition with accountability and inclusiveness. It was important that there be independent investigations regardless of who the perpetrators and the victims were.

Hunger in Sudan

Leni Kinzli, for the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking from Nairobi, said that the WFP welcomed the news that the Adre border crossing from Chad into Sudan would be opened, as there was a race against time to save lives in war-torn Sudan. Across the country, WFP was scaling up assistance to 14 areas either in famine or at risk of famine, largely located in Darfur, Kordofan, Khartoum, and Gezira, with the aim to support up to 8.4 million people by the end of the year. WFP was immediately mobilizing vital food and nutrition supplies to be transported via the Adre corridor over the coming weeks. Trucks had to be moving across this border every single day to get a consistent flow of aid into the region. Right now, two convoys, with nearly 6,000 metric tons of food and nutrition supplies for around half a million people were being loaded, destined for risk of famine areas in the North, Central and West Darfur states as soon as official Government communication and clearances were received.

This development came at a crucial time, as the only other border crossing from Chad into Darfur (via Tine) had become largely impassable due to heavy rains, where around 30 trucks full of WFP assistance had been unable to cross a flooded seasonal river for nearly a month. 

Across Sudan, what little hope the Sudanese were holding onto after 16 months of war was being swept away by heavy rainfall and floods. The rainy season was exacerbating the already devastating food security situation in Sudan. Floods were forcing more people from their homes, increasing humanitarian needs, and cutting off communities from vital assistance. Heavy rains had destroyed key bridges and made it extremely difficult for aid convoys to pass through muddy, flooded roads. Ms. Kinzli stressed that it was the time for all actors, especially parties to the conflict, to come together and act in the interest of the Sudanese people. The ongoing Geneva peace talks offered a vital opportunity for the international community to address widespread operational challenges and access impediments directly with the warring parties obstructing aid delivery. It was critical for that warring parties leave the battlefield and show up at the negotiating table, so that food could get moving to hunger-struck communities across the country in time before it was too late.

Replying to questions from the media, Ms. Kinzli said that the Geneva talks were focused on solving some of the most pressing humanitarian challenges. Sudan was the world’s largest hunger crisis, with 54 percent of the population not being able to eat adequately every day. Some 755,000 people were now in the highest category of food insecurity. WFP had food prepositioned in Chad. Darfur was the size of Spain, she explained, and inside Darfur there were several large areas which were at risk of famine; a number of roads were currently not passable because of the rains.

Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), responding to a question, explained that the WHO was pleased to see the opening of the Adre crossing, which had been advocated for for a long time. Without access, no aid could be provided. Malnutrition could have very grave health consequences, she stressed; this was especially dangerous for children. Access to healthcare was also very constrained because of insecurity; there was shortage of medicine and materials, and health workers were not being paid. People were dying from the lack of access to basic medications. There were reports form numerous states of cholera, dengue, measles, meningitis, and other diseases. Olga Sarrado, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), noted that the UNHCR had not seen an increase of arrivals from Sudan to Chad, which still stood at around 1,300 arrivals per day. People crossing into Chad said that they were fleeing hunger. Those people had been living in the conflict areas for over a year, which had severely restricted their access to livelihoods. UNHCR welcomed the opening of the Adre crossing, and some of its trucks were now moving into Adre. Continued cross-border access and unimpeded movement inside Darfur were needed. 

Mpox

Bronwyn Nichol, Senior officer for public health in emergency at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), gave an example of an ill man in rural Democratic Republic of the Congo, who had visited a traditional healer, who had then correctly identified mpox symptoms and the man had eventually been referred to medical facilities, provided adequate care and recovered. Ms. Nichol emphasized the importance of awareness raising and fighting stigma surrounding mpox. The IFRC was ramping up response efforts over the surge of mpox cases across Africa, which had triggered WHO and Africa CDC to declare the epidemic a public health emergency of international and continental concern over the past three days. With more than 17,000 suspected or confirmed cases and a devastating death toll of 500 deaths in at least 12 countries, the epidemic had surpassed the scale of previous years. The case fatality rate was at 3.2 percent. Volunteers were looking for possible mpox cases and reporting them to local health authorities. Shortages of vaccines and treatment were affecting adequate response, and without them the epidemic would continue to spread. IFRC volunteers came from the communities and understood well local intricacies. Fight against mpox was also about supporting communities to protect themselves. The most vulnerable should not be left alone in their response. Ms. Nichol stressed that this was a continental crisis which required a coordinated global response. The IFRC was at the forefront of the response to the mpox outbreak in Africa, with extensive experience managing previous disease outbreaks, such as Ebola and COVID-19. With a vast network of more than four million volunteers and 14,000 staff across the continent, the IFRC network was providing critical support to governments, including community-based surveillance, risk communication and community engagement, and mental health services. 

More information is available here. 

Responding to questions, Ms. Nichol stated that most vaccine stocks were with wealthier nations, and far away from those who needed them the most. Many people were turned away from treatment because those were not covered by their governments. Rich countries should share their vaccines without delay. Vaccines existed, stressed Ms. Nichol, and access to them ought to be broadened. Stigma associated with mpox should also be properly addressed. The illness spread quickly and did not care for borders, but there was no room for panic. There was no need to close borders, as people would continue to cross borders, whether it was allowed or prohibited. Mpox was spread through close personal contact, she explained.

Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that mpox now was spreading more rapidly than before, and there was a high fatality rate. It was particularly dangerous for those with weak immune systems, and for small children. There was currently no specific treatment, but supportive treatments did help, stressed Ms. Harris. WHO had initiated an emergency listing process so that vaccines could be provided to countries which did not have their own vaccine regulatory frameworks. Manufacturers needed to scale up; vaccination was not the only tool but could be considered the most important available tool. On another question, Ms. Harris explained that there were two mpox vaccines: 0.5. million doses of NVA were currently available, and an additional 2.5 million doses could be produced quickly if there were buyers. There was a considerable stock of the other, LC16 vaccine, which was owned by the Japanese Government, some of which would hopefully be donated. WHO was working with GAVI and UNICEF on organizing vaccine donations. WHO did not recommend closure of borders, said Ms. Harris.

She reiterated that mpox was spread through close personal contact, usually when blisters were visible or when they burst. The key was to know if you had it, trace personal contacts, not be afraid, but do everything possible to stop further spread. Ms. Harris said that the identification of one case in Sweden demonstrated that vigilance and tracing system worked. Sweden had been transparent on the first identified case, and other countries should follow its lead. 

Russia-Ukraine war

Responding to a question, Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), confirmed that the OHCHR had sent a letter to the Russian authorities, seeking access to Belgorod and Kursk, the two regions of the Russian Federation currently affected by the conflict. No response had been received yet. Olga Sarrado, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the UNHCR was concerned about civilian casualties. UNHCR carried out regular visits across Russia to places that temporarily hosted Ukrainian refugees. UNHCR had an office in Moscow but not in Belgorod or Kursk, she explained. 

Settler violence in the West Bank

Replying to a question, Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the killing in the Palestinian village of Jit the previous day was not an isolated attack. This was a direct consequence of Israel’s settlement policy and the prevailing climate of impunity. Since 7 October 2023, at least 609 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank, including over 140 children. This needed to stop, and the key would be accountability for perpetrators. There had been very few investigations, and even those had not concluded with justice for victims and their families. There was clearly a state responsibility in this regard.

Announcements

Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was concluding this morning its review of the report of Belarus.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities would begin on 19 August review of the report of Ghana. 

On 19 August, the World Humanitarian Day would be marked at UN Geneva and around the world. Mr. Zaccheo reminded that on 19 August 2003, a bomb attack on the UN compound in Iraq had killed 22 UN staff, injuring many others. A solemn ceremony would be held at the Palais des Nations, in front of Room XX at 4 pm, which would also be webcast live. At 3 pm, a “stand in solidarity” event would be held on the stairs near the C.21 door of the Palais des Nations. These would be symbolic events to draw global attention and reject the normalization of civilian suffering and the targeting of humanitarian workers. WHD this year would put spotlight on the heavy toll of conflicts on humanitarian workers and reject the normalization of targeting of aid workers and civilian suffering, explained Mr Zaccheo. 

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