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Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
The UN peacekeeping Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) continues to facilitate the escort and to provide security for humanitarian convoys from Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes and Jérémie. Escorts are provided primarily by UN Police in collaboration with the Haitian National Police. Since 5 October, the Mission has operated 33 flights in support of the humanitarian response and the peacekeepers are providing security in the airport of Les Cayes and Jérémie.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that military activities in Mosul remain concentrated in less populated areas, with civilian displacement still limited at this stage. So far 1,900 people have been received in Qayyarah district, south of Mosul, primarily from Al Houd town, and from other areas south of Mosul. Humanitarian partners have conducted assessment missions in Qayyarah to identify urgent needs and access issues and are providing arriving families with assistance. A further 900 people who fled into Syria have been received in al Hol camp in eastern Syria.
Serious concerns remain for the protection of civilians as hostilities intensify closer to and in densely populated and urban areas. Displacement is anticipated to become more significant in the coming five to six days.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that for the first time in almost a month (since 25 September), an inter-agency humanitarian convoy today is on its way to deliver much needed humanitarian assistance to the besieged city of Duma in East Ghouta, Rural Damascus.
The UN/Syrian Arab Red Crescent/International Committee of the Red Cross convoy is delivering food, health, water and sanitation and other emergency supplies for 35,000 people in Duma.
Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson spoke this morning at a General Assembly event to mark the 50th anniversary of the two human rights covenants which completed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to form the International Bill of Human Rights.
Mr. Eliasson said that this marked the beginning of a global constitution of human rights protection and galvanized the consensus view that the protection and realization of human rights is fundamental to building resilient, inclusive and peaceful societies.
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, briefed the Security Council this morning and said that settlement announcements, outbreaks of violence and terror, and the absence of visionary leadership continue to define the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said that the absence of progress has led to growing anger and frustration among Palestinians and profound disillusionment among Israelis. It has strengthened radicals and weakened moderates on both sides.
Though the fighting between Myanmar’s security forces and attackers identified by the Government as belonging to the organization “Aqa mul moujahideen” appears to be continuing in some villages in the outskirts of Maungdaw township of Northern Rakhine, they seem to have reduced in severity and frequency over the last two days.
Meanwhile, we understand that tight restrictions on movements continue in the “operation zone” of Northern Rakhine State, blocking access for the United Nations and other international personnel as well as the movement of local Muslim villagers. Since 9 October, almost all humanitarian activities have been suspended and many international NGOs continue to have national staff members stuck in the affected areas. An atmosphere of fear and tension continues to affect the lives of the local population.
We also note that Bangladesh had sealed the borders with Myanmar to deny perpetrators easy escape and has handed over two suspects to the Myanmar authorities.
The Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, today visited El-Qaa and Hermel in the country’s north-eastern border area. During the visit, Ms. Kaag reiterated her condemnation of the suicide bombings that struck El-Qaa last June and commended the local residents for their measured response to the attacks.
The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, will travel to Morocco, Western Sahara and Tindouf (Algeria) from 21 to 25 October to visit the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is calling for stepped-up efforts to protect civilians in the country. The latest figures released today by UNAMA for the first three-quarters of 2016 show continuing high numbers of civilian casualties from the armed conflict.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that the price of a vaccine that protects children against five deadly diseases has been halved to below $1 a dose. Over the next three years, UNICEF will buy 450 million doses of this vaccine to send to 80 countries.
The World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency food assistance to 8,000 people affected by an upsurge in violence in the north of the Central African Republic. This is in addition to regular food and nutrition support for some 120,000 people. Over the next three months, WFP plans to assist an additional 17,000 people with food or food vouchers.
