REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for and representatives of the UN Refugee Agency, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations, the World Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Human Rights

Ms. Heuzé said the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was continuing its work at the Palais des Nations. On Thursday, 30 October, the Committee would be reviewing the report of Bahrain. It would take up the reports of El Salvador and Madagascar on Friday, 31 October, and the reports of Myanmar and Portugal on Monday, 3 November. The Committee would conclude its work on Friday, 7 November.

The Human Rights Committee would be concluding its work on Friday, 31 October at the Palais Wilson after having reviewed the reports of Denmark, Monaco, Japan, Nicaragua and Spain. The Committee’s observations and recommendations on the situation in these countries would be released on Friday, and a roundup press release would be issued as usual.

Ms. Heuzé said the Committee against Torture and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights would be meeting from 3 to 21 November at the Palais Wilson. Background press releases would be issued on Thursday, 30 October.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ms. Heuzé said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was extremely concerned by the further deterioration in the security situation in North Kivu, and in particular developments in Rumangabo and in Goma and their impact on civilians. He condemned the deliberate attacks on peacekeepers of the UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) by forces of the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP). He denounced the continued hostilities between CNDP forces and those of the defence forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in violation of the ceasefire. The Secretary-General urged the Government and provincial authorities to make every effort to restore calm among the affected populations and to work in close cooperation with MONUC. He reaffirmed that MONUC would take all necessary measures within its mandate to protect civilians and United Nations personnel and property. He said recent developments demonstrated without doubt the need for all parties to implement the Actes d'engagement and to disengage. The Secretary-General called on all parties to immediately cease hostilities and pursue in good faith efforts to resolve peacefully the issues that had thus far hindered progress in the Nairobi and Goma processes. The Secretary-General’s statement was available in the press room.

The Secretary-General joined MONUC in condemning the deliberate attack near Kalenga by the CNDP on UN blue helmets, Ms. Heuzé said. The rebels fired five rockets on two tanks that were part of a convoy attempting to ensure the safety of civilians in the Goma-Rutshuru area. A statement by MONUC said many IDPs were now arriving in Goma, the provincial capital, to escape the violence. MONUC was using its helicopters to help civilians and to protect the urban centres of North Kivu,” the statement stressed. In Goma, hundreds of demonstrators yesterday hurled projectiles against UN installations and vehicles, destroying some equipment belonging to the UN. Congolese national police and UN blue helmets worked together to prevent the protesters from entering MONUC facilities, and during the clashes a demonstrator was killed.

Ms. Heuzé said the situation was very volatile and journalists could call her later in the day for further updates.

Ron Redmond of the UN Refugee Agency said UNHCR staff in Goma were struggling to prepare for the arrival of an estimated 30,000 displaced people forced to flee camps and villages to the north of the city amid fighting between rebel and government forces. Amid tight security, a UNHCR team was on its way this morning to Kibati camp, about 10 kilometres north of Goma, to prepare for the possible 30,000 new arrivals. Two sites for internally displaced people at Kibati already held some 15,000 internally displaced persons. The tens of thousands of people believed fleeing southwards included some 20,000 previously displaced people from Kibumba camp, 30 kilometres north of Goma, and an estimated 10,000 from surrounding villages. Many more could be on the way from areas further north that had been affected by the fighting in recent days. In Goma itself, UNHCR staff described the situation in the town as tense following demonstrations by frightened local residents yesterday which reportedly left five people dead.

Mr. Redmond said fighting in North Kivu intensified at the end of 2006. by January 2008, it had bought the total of internally displaced people in the region to more than 800,000 people. There were 16 UNHCR-assisted sites in North Kivu sheltering some 100,000 people. Tens of thousands of civilians have found shelter in more than 40 makeshift sites across the province. Aid agencies estimate the total number of internally displaced persons in the province as close to 1 million.

Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme, in response to a question, said WFP was having, as were other humanitarian organizations, difficulty reaching people who were outside of the main centres in Goma. Access to a number of areas was either cut off or it was necessary to have an escort to reach there. WFP had been able to provide a 14 day ration to some people in some areas, distributing food to some 10,000 persons in camps. WFP depended on local transporters, who were not keen to travel on some of these roads and areas and therefore it was extremely difficult to gain access. WFP remained concerned about the situation.

GAVI-Funded Immunisation Programmes

Jeffrey Rowland of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) said from 2000 to 2008, GAVI had disbursed more than $ 2 billion to countries to purchase and administer vaccines and to improve their health systems. An embargoed press release was available which showed that new data by WHO indicated that between 2000 and 2008, GAVI funded immunisation programmes in developing countries would prevent approximately 3.4 million future deaths. This was an increase of 600,000 over the 2007 figures and increase of more than 1.2 million since 2006. The deaths averted were measured by the number of vaccines administered against three major disease killers Hib vaccine (Haemophilus influenzae type B), Hepatitis B and pertussis or whooping cough. These new figures represented the positive impact that GAVI was making towards reaching Millennium Development Goal four which aimed to reduce child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. The GAVI Board was meeting in Geneva on 28 and 29 October. Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, who was on the Board of GAVI, would be presiding the Board meeting. At this meeting, GAVI members would decide what more GAVI could do to support poor countries in their drive to reach the Millennium Development Goals. A press release was available with more details. A press release would also be issued at the end of the Board meeting.

Thomas Cherian, Coordinator for the Expanded Programme of Immunization at WHO, responding to a question, said the 70 countries that were supported though GAVI funds represented the 70 poorest countries in the world. These were the countries that had a gross national income per capita of less than $ 1,000. These countries also carried the highest burden of disease and had the highest child mortality rates. Hepatitis B was a major cause of hepatic cancer and cirrhosis and a cause of death in many of these countries, which had high rates of Hepatitis B chronic infection. Most of these infections were acquired in childhood, though death may occur later on in life. So immunization of infants with this vaccine prevented future deaths from these two conditions.

Cholera Epidemic in Guinea Bissau

Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization said WHO and UNICEF were seeking
$ 1.6 million to respond to Guinea Bissau’s cholera epidemic. To date, there were 12,200 people affected since the epidemic started, with an estimated 140 new cases daily. WHO and UNICEF were requesting the $ 1.6 million to support the national cholera epidemic response. The objective was to stop the epidemic through appropriate public health actors, intensive information, health education and social mobilization activities. All of Guinea Bissau’s regions had been affected by the epidemic. Despite efforts from the UN system and other partners, the epidemic was still not controlled for various reasons, including the absence of a water and sanitation infrastructure. WHO estimated that the current epidemic might last for at least another three months with a peak by November. There were more details in her notes.

Veronique Taveau of the UN Children’s Fund said the cholera epidemic was continuing in Guinea Bissau. According to UNICEF, 213 persons had died so far in the epidemic.

Floods in Yemen

Ron Redmond of the UN Refugee Agency said UNHCR was deeply concerned by the plight of more than 10,000 Yemeni citizens displaced by severe flooding following torrential rain. So far some 180 lives had been lost. UNHCR already had an operation in Yemen working with refugees and asylum seekers and was lending a hand to the joint UN effort. UNHCR and its partners in the region had dispatched teams to Mukalla to provide emergency assistance and had already sent 11 trucks to the affected area. UNHCR did not usually deal with natural disasters, but Yemen had been a generous host to tens of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees and so it believed it was the least UNHCR could do to help.

Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organization said WHO along with other UN partners was responding to the situation following the floods in east Yemen. WHO had sent medicines and other supplies to treat 50,000 persons for a range of conditions, including diarrhoeal diseases and malaria. Medicines to treat 10,000 people for three months had already been sent by helicopter into the Hadramout governorate and WHO was also arranging the delivery of additional emergency medicines and health equipment that could treat 20,000 people for three months. There were more details in her briefing notes.

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said OCHA was considering sending an UNDAC team to Yemen for an assessment mission. According to first estimates, 1,700 houses and 84 public buildings had been destroyed or damaged, and infrastructure was seriously damaged, including power lines, roads, water supplies and phone lines. UN agencies had sent on Monday an urgent inter-agency mission to the affected areas. More details were available in the notes.

Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme said WFP was providing immediate food assistance to 20,000 people displaced by the flooding in southern Yemen. WFP was delivering high energy biscuits and dates to those without access to food or cooking facilities. WFP was also offering logistical support to other humanitarian organizations as it already had a pretty wide logistical chain in place in Yemen which assisted 1 million persons.

Cuba

Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme said available was a news release on WFP assistance to hurricane-affected communities in Cuba. WFP was gearing up to assist 1.78 million Cubans affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike. This was in addition to immediate aid which WFP gave in early September right after hurricane Gustav struck. Over the next six months, WFP would provide food rations comprised of rice, beans, vegetable oil and canned fish to communities that had been affected by the hurricanes. WFP would also supply temporary food storage warehouses and liquid gas stoves to people who had lost cooking facilities in the storms. There were more details in the press release.

Veronique Taveau of the United Nations Children’s Fund said UNICEF continued to provide its support to Medicines sans Frontiers and Medicines du Monde to treat 500 children under the age of five who were suffering from severe malnutrition in Gonaives in Haiti. Thousands of persons, including many children, remained living without shelter and needed help. Almost 1 million persons were affected by the hurricane in Haiti, and 2.3 million needed food aid and these figures could rise if the agricultural sector was not restored. The situation in Gonaives remained badly affected after four successive cyclones hit it. Stagnant water as well as sanitation and hygiene remained a problem. The UN agencies had launched a joint appeal for $ 108 million but only 25 per cent of the total had been raised.

Floods in Honduras and Guatemala

Elizabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said some 270,500 persons were now known to have been affected by the floods in Honduras. A flash appeal for Honduras was being prepared to support the Government’s efforts. In Guatemala, the number of those affected had now increased to 45,500 persons. The Government of Guatemala had now declared a state of emergency in the country, and the floods in Guatemala were increasingly affecting the situation in Belize. There were more details available in her notes.

Dorothy Krimitsas of the International Committee of the Red Cross said ICRC now had new footage from Iraq showing the deterioration of the water and sanitation system in the country and the impact this had had on health. Today millions of Iraqis were at risk from contaminated water. Around 40 per cent of Iraqis did not have direct access to piped drinking water. This was causing an increase in the number of Iraqis affected by water-borne diseases, including cholera. A news release would be issued tomorrow morning to accompany this television footage.

Ms. Krimitsas reminded journalists that Mr. Felipe Donoso, ICRC’s outgoing Head of Delegation, would speak to journalists at 2:30 p.m. today in press room 1 about the humanitarian situation in the south of the Philippines.