REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Corinne Momal-Vanian, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for and Representatives of the Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Organization for Migration, the World Food Programme and the International Labour Organization.

Sudan

Rupert Colville of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that OHCHR had received extremely worrying reports of civilian casualties, mass displacement and deteriorating humanitarian conditions regarding the ongoing fighting in Kadugli and neighbouring towns and villages in South Kordofan State between northern and southern security forces, namely the Sudanese armed forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army.

Human rights officers continued to monitor the situation and had been in touch with doctors and a priest in the region who had confirmed a number of civilian injuries and deaths from Um Durein village and Talodi town, as well as house-to-house searches in the West of Kadugli. Roadblocks had been imposed by the fighting forces preventing medical and humanitarian access. A number of civilians had been killed trying to retrieve food from their homes in the area and the Kadugli Catholic Church, where a number of internally displaced persons sought refuge, was attacked.

OHCHR called on all parties to the conflict to immediately stop the indiscriminate shelling, refrain from attacks on civilians and provide safe corridors for the safe passage of civilians, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law. Humanitarian agencies must be allowed access to the affected population to provide urgently needed assistance.

Elisabeth Byrs of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that between 30,000 and 40,000 people, out of an estimated 60,000 inhabitants of Kadugli, were believed to have fled the town. Dilling town and a number of villages in the areas surrounding Kadugle were also reported to be deserted.

Some civilians were arriving at El-Obeid, in North Kordofan, some 250 kilometers North of Kadugli, in vehicles, while others were reportedly moving to the North and into the Nuba Mountains on foot. More people – including many women, children and the elderly, as well as local and international NGO and UN staff – had taken refuge outside the UNMIS compound on the outskirts of Kadugli. The number of displaced people along the main road between the UNIS compound and the airport was now between 6,000 and 10,000 people.

UNMIS had erected six tents with the capacity to accommodate 400 people and had distributed water to the displaced people around the compound. A delegation from Khartoum, led by the Humanitarian Coordinator and notably composed of representatives of UNHCR, WFP and UNICEF, had visited Kadugli yesterday. Only three weeks were left until the peak of the rainy season, when roads would become impassible, said Ms. Byrs, adding that the priorities were delivering food assistance, providing shelter and repairing airstrips.

Jumbe Omari Jumbe of the International Organization for Migration said that IOM – which was leading efforts to track and register internally displaced people – had registered and verified 83,526 of a total 105,977 people who had fled Abyei following the outbreak of violence on 21 May. Most of the internally displaced persons were concentrated in Mayen Abun, Agok, Wunrok and Turalei, all in Warrap State. Fifty-six per cent of the displaced were women, while 21 per cent were children under four years. They were all in need of shelter, food and non-food assistance. Baby food and milk were particularly needed as 10 per cent of the displaced were women with babies.

“The needs are immense and while most of the affected population has been reached, we are on standby for additional displacement and more importantly, growing needs during the rainy season,” said Gerry Waite, Head of IOM Juba office. IOM was leading the distribution of non-food items to internally displaced persons and so far, more than 68,225 persons had been provided with plastic sheeting, blankets and kitchen utensils. IOM was also operating a mobile health clinic alongside its partners to address the healthcare needs of the affected population.

Emilia Casella of the World Food Programme said that WFP planned to begin food distributions tomorrow to up to about 10,000 internally displaced persons located near the UNMIS compound in Kadugli and about 7,000 people in the villages around Kauda. Until now, WFP had been unable to undertake food distributions due to insecurity and a lack of access to the warehouse.

WFP planned to provide a 7-day general distribution ration to all displaced people in Kadugli and Kauda. While WFP had a total caseload of approximately 400,000 people in South Kordofan, the distributions for May/June had already reached 80 per cent of the people. (Ms. Casella later announced that the food distribution in Kauda would possibly not go ahead as tensions were rising there and the WFP may have to relocate its staff.)

In Abyei, the WFP had so far assisted more than 86,000 people and was currently mobilising its logistical capacity to deliver large quantities of food into the area in order to make sure that all internally displaced persons would receive a three-month ration before the rainy season started and the roads became inaccessible. WFP and partners were starting a blanket supplementary feeding programme for all internally displaced children aged from 6 to 24 months to prevent malnutrition in Warrap State. WFP continued to be concerned about disruptions to livelihoods in the Abyei area. If people were unable to plant their crops, the need for assistance would grow and extend for a longer period. Prices for food and fuel and other items had risen dramatically in the area and across Southern Sudan.

Tarik Jasarevic of the World Health Organization said that the Kadugli hospital was not functioning and the medical officer in charge of the hospital was providing services to the displaced population who was currently sheltering near the UNMIS compound. WHO, together with the Sudanese Red Crescent Society, had also started providing services to the displaced population there, including consultations and the provision of medicine.

WHO was shipping an additional 30 basic health kits to South Kordofan, enough to cover the needs of 30,000 people for three months. The health kits were expected to reach South Kordofan in two days. Over the last three weeks essential drugs and medical supplies had also been pre-positioned in seven primary health care centres in anticipation of a possible spill-over of the Abyei conflict into neighbouring Kadugli. These supplies were sufficient to cover the basic health needs of 20,000 people for three months. A team composed of members of the Federal Ministry of Health had left Khartoum yesterday to assess the situation in South Kordofan.

Mr. Jasarevic said that no outbreak had been reported in the four states affected by the Abyei crisis. Health actors continued to support the emergency response and to strengthen the provision of health services through mobile clinics and the management of acute malnutrition services to the displaced population. WHO continued to support the State Ministry of Health with the coordination of all cluster partners’ efforts as well as monitoring communicable disease reports and enhancing surveillance.

The health cluster for North and South Sudan together was 23 per cent funded for 2011, with only US$ 35.4 million out of the requested US$ 158 million received so far.

Syria

Hicham Hassan of the International Committee of the Red Cross said that ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger had launched an urgent request for access to all people affected by the violence in Syria. This included not only people who were unable to leave their houses and regions, but also those who were being detained. Hundreds of people had been injured or killed and thousands had been arrested.


Mr. Hassan said that humanitarian assistance should not be conditional; people in need should be able to access aid immediately. The ICRC had repeatedly attempted to visit areas in the North and South of Damascus, but these brief one-off visits were insufficient.

Kyrgyzstan

Mr. Colville said that it was one year now since the outbreak of inter-ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan which left more than 435 dead, around 2,000 injured and hundreds of thousands displaced. However, despite Government efforts, deficiencies in the administration of justice continued to pose a major impediment to the attainment of justice for victims and the establishment of confidence in the rule of law throughout Kyrgyzstan, particularly in the South, where the violence had taken place last year.

Trials monitored by OHCHR staff in Kyrgyzstan – from city courts to the Supreme Court – continued to reveal concerns about due process, the independence of the judiciary, security for defendants, their lawyers and court officials. Law enforcement investigations into the June events had routinely been accompanied by allegations of extortion, ill-treatment and torture of detainees, Mr. Colville underscored.

Reports of continuing discriminatory practices towards Kyrgyzstan’s various national and ethnic minorities were deeply troublesome, particularly as the country moved into the politically charged atmosphere of a Presidential election campaign. OHCHR was concerned that if discrimination and intolerance were allowed to grow, they might escalate into further communal violence.

Sybella Wilkes of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that tens of thousands of people were still displaced in southern Kyrgyzstan a year after deadly clashes there. UNHCR believed that confidence-building efforts needed strengthening to ensure sustainable returns and genuine reconciliation.

More than 400 people had been killed and 375,000 others had been forced to flee their homes when communal violence hit southern Kyrgyzstan last year. Of those displaced, some 75,000 have fled to neighbouring Uzbekistan while 300,000 were uprooted within Kyrgyzstan. More than 2,000 homes had been destroyed and many more were looted.

Most of those uprooted were able to soon return to their places of origin. However, about 60,000 people were still scattered across Kyrgyzstan and abroad today. Some said that their houses had been damaged, others cited security concerns, or a lack of living space and jobs back home. An additional 20,000 people were living with host families.

Within 100 days of last summer’s events, UNHCR had helped to build emergency transitional shelters for more than 13,400 people whose homes had been destroyed. Last winter, UNHCR also distributed tons of coal, warm clothing and relief items to 21,000 people to help them through six months of cold weather.

People were slowly picking up their lives, but further improvements in security and the economy were needed for life to return to normal. UNHCR heard repeatedly from different individuals that even today there was distrust of the local authorities. There was still a certain degree of suspicion between communities, and the most affected groups were not yet fully ready for reconciliation. UNHCR teams were working in 50 locations across Osh and Jalalabad to monitor the situation and discuss and seek solutions for emerging issues with the communities and authorities.

Haiti

Ms. Byrs said that following torrential rains and mudslides on the night of 6 to 7 June 25 people had died, 8 had been injured and 6 were missing. While the orange alert level had been lifted today, heavy rainfalls would continue and more than 18 significant hurricanes were expected in the region, including 2 very strong ones which may affect Haiti. The humanitarian community was extremely vigilant and had put contingency plans in place for 300,000 people who might potentially be affected.

So far, 32 of a total of 187 camps assessed had been flooded and over 2,000 people had been affected in Cité Soleil, a sprawling slum on the outskirts of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The 2011 Appeal for Haiti, which sought US$ 915 million, was only 24 per cent funded, with 223 million received, and only half of the funds needed for the cholera response had been received.

Mr. Jasarevic said that the latest PAHO/WHO factsheet on cholera in Haiti, released this morning, was at the back of the room and interviews with Haiti or Washington-based experts could be set up.

International Labour Conference

Corinne Perthuis of the International Labour Organization said the International Labour Conference was holding high-level discussions next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss subjects such as the social economy, social justice and the green economy.

Several Prime Ministers, Heads of State and other high-level officials would be attending, including the President of Indonesia, who would deliver an address on Tuesday, 14 June at 10 a.m., the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who would address the Conference on the same day at noon, the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, would address the conference on Wednesday, 15 June at 10.30 a.m., Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey, who would deliver an address on the same day at 3 p.m. and the President of Tanzania, who would speak at 4 p.m.

Human Rights Council

Mr. Sapey said that the Human Rights Council would discuss the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Tuesday. The Council would hear an update on the follow-up to the flotilla by the High Commissioner of Human Rights, to be followed by an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance at noon, as well as a panel on intolerance later in the afternoon.

International Commission of Inquiry on Côte d’Ivoire

Cédric Sapey of the Human Rights Council said that the International Commission of Inquiry on Côte d’Ivoire had published its report yesterday. The report was available on OHCHR’s website and a press release was at the back of the room.

New report on children in hazardous work

Ms. Perthuis said that the ILO had this morning launched a new report on children in hazardous work. The report, launched in the context of the World Day against Child Labour, to be marked on 12 June, was at the back of the room in English and Spanish, but was only available in French in the form of a summary for the time being.

Press Conferences

Ms. Momal-Vanian said the press briefing would be followed by a press conference with Margot Wallström, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, who would share her assessment of the international response to sexual violence in conflict and post-conflict settings at 11.30 a.m. in Room III.

Ms. Bachelet, the Executive Director and Under-Secretary-General for UN Women, would give a press conference on the priorities of UN Women and democratic transitions in the Middle East and North Africa region at 12.15 p.m. in Room III.

Mr. Jasarevic said that a doctor who had participated in the inter-agency mission to Libya from 29 April to 4 May would brief the press on Tuesday.

World Blood Donor Day

Dr. Neelam Dhingra, Coordinator, Blood Transfusion Safety, WHO, said that a press release on World Blood Donor Day had been issued today, highlighting the fact that voluntary unpaid blood donations had increased, thus saving more lives.

World Blood Donor Day, observed every 14 June, was a way to reward blood donors. WHO encouraged and supported countries to observe the day and helped them strengthen their blood programmes so that they could develop systems and structures to provide safe blood to all patients who require blood transfusions.

Sixty-two countries reported that their entire blood supplies came from safe, voluntary and unpaid blood donors, as compared to 39 countries in 2002. In addition, in 70 countries voluntary unpaid blood donations had risen by more than 10 per cent between 2007 and 2008.

Much remained to be done, however. Around 40 countries still collected blood from unsafe donors and received only 20 per cent of their blood from safe, voluntary and unpaid blood donors.

In high-income countries more and more donors were above the age of 40 years. It was important to account for country demographics when developing strategies to encourage communities to give blood.

Other

Ms. Momal-Vanian said that the Committee on the Rights of the Child was examining the report of Costa Rica today. Costa Rica was the last country scheduled for consideration during this session, which would come to an end on Friday, 17 June.

The Conference on Disarmament held no public meeting this week and would reconvene in public on Thursday, 16 June at 10 a.m.