HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL
JOHN HOLMES ON OUTCOME OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION CONFERENCE

John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator this afternoon briefed the press corps in Geneva on the outcome of the second United Nations Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in his capacity as Chair of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Partnership.

Mr. Holmes said that this second Global Platform, which had concluded this afternoon, had been attended by some 1,800 participants, compared to 1,100 during the first platform in 2007. Many ministers had attended the meeting, with some 150 Governments and 300 organizations been represented. All had shown a commitment towards disaster risk reduction.

The conference had reaffirmed several key points, including the issue of climate change and the disasters that come with it. The conference had also recognized the importance of matching up the climate change and disaster risk reductions agendas. All organizations present had recognized that both issues should be given full attention in the run up to the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, Mr. Holmes said.

Mr. Holmes said that climate change offered the potential for a “triple win”: namely adaptation; disaster risk reduction; and poverty reduction. All participants at the Global Platform had also recognized the importance off the upcoming mid-term review of the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Specific targets had been identified at the meeting, with an overall target to reduce deaths due to disasters by 50 per cent by 2015, as well as to significantly reduce the economic impacts of disasters, including on people’s livelihoods, Mr. Holmes said. Further, disaster risk reduction should be included in all school curricula by 2015, and particularly in disaster-prone areas.

A more specific target was to have, by next year, some clear national and international funding devoted to disaster risk reduction programmes, Mr. Holmes added. That included minimum safety net programmes, further development of early warning systems and building the resilience of communities against all hazards.

Disaster risks were growing, Mr. Holmes noted, not least because of climate change. “These risks could be reduced and one could invest today for a safer tomorrow”, he observed.

The floor was then opened to journalists for a question and answer session.

Impact on Africa

In response to a query about the impact of the Platform’s outcome on the African continent, Mr. Holmes said that it could have a very significant impact, including on the poorest African countries. Many African delegations had been very active during the conference. They said that they had attended the Global Platform because their climate was changing and they wanted to get ideas and best practices from other delegations on how to address arising issues.

Situation of Palestinians in Gaza

Another journalist asked questions on the situation in Gaza, the increased poverty of Palestinian workers and the alleged testing of new kinds of weapons by the Israeli Armed Forces, during the military incursion earlier this year. On those issues, Mr. Holmes said that the general situation in Gaza was extremely worrying. Since the end of the military operations the situation had not much improved. The flow of goods into Gaza was still very low. Food was going in, but nothing was happening with regard to reconstruction material.

Mr. Holmes said that this kind of blockade did not serve any good, except the further radicalization of the population, the increase of unemployment, poverty, lack of dignity and lack of rights.

Concerning the use of different kinds of weapons during the conflict, Mr. Holmes said that heavy weaponry should be used with great caution in very densely populated areas, where the distinction between fighters and civilians was not possible.

Humanitarian Situation in Sudan

Turning to a question on the humanitarian situation in the Sudan, Mr. Holmes said that the situation was extremely worrying from a humanitarian point of view; it was more and more difficult to meet the needs of the population. The drought was very severe, the population was extremely vulnerable and the number of people in need of food aid was still increasing.

Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka

Concerning the situation in Sri Lanka, Mr. Holmes said that the humanitarian community now had access to the refugee camps. They had had difficulties in accessing the camps by vehicles a few weeks ago, but those difficulties had now very much been cleared up. Overcrowding and lack of running water was also gradually being overcome in the camps. However, what was more worrying was the nature of the camps themselves. People were not allowed to move in and out of them freely. A very limited number had been allowed out, mainly the elderly and women. The Government wanted to filter out people that posed a security risk before allowing everyone out and they had promised to act swiftly, but that had not happened yet.

Humanitarian Situation in Swat Valley, Pakistan

Regarding the situation in the Swat Valley in Pakistan, Mr. Holmes said that it was still a huge challenge for the humanitarian community to step up to the needs of the people there, particularly of those that were residing in host communities, outside of the camps. The slow pace of funding coming from the donor community was also worrying. Humanitarian operations would have to be reduced significantly in the coming weeks if this situation did not change and, more importantly, if the military operations were further extended into other areas, displacing even more people. Also, humanitarian agencies had no access to the Swat Valley for the moment, not because they had been banned from it, but because the situation was too dangerous for them.