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Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
It is with great sadness that the Secretary-General learned of the tragic accident involving a military plane this morning near Algiers, in which more than 250 passengers and crew members lost their lives.
The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the family of the victims and to the people and Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Yesterday, statement was issued in which the Secretary-General condemned the killing of a Rwandan peacekeeper and the wounding of eight others in the Central African Republic.
The incident follows a joint operation launched on 8 April by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Central African forces and police to disarm and arrest heavily armed criminal groups.
The Secretary-General offered his deepest condolences to the family of the bereaved, as well as to the Government of Rwanda, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured. He recalled that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and calls on the Central African Republic authorities to investigate them and swiftly bring those responsible to justice.
The Secretary-General reiterated the determination of MINUSCA to protect civilians and contribute to the stabilization of the Central African Republic.
And today, in a joint statement, the African Union and the United Nations stressed their total unity and their common determination to support the people of the Central African Republic and the peace process in the country.
As you know, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the African Union's Commissioner for peace and security, Smail Chergui, are currently in Bangui.
They called for calm ad warned the population against rumors and manipulations. Authorities are working with MINUSCA to restore public order and guarantee the protection of all civilians, without distinction, they said.
As part of their joint visit, Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Mr. Chergui today met President Touadera, the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister. The UN and AU officials expressed solidarity and full support for the Central African people and the peace process in the country. They conveyed a message of total unity and common resolve of the African Union and the United Nations.
The Security Council heard a briefing by Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
He said over the past three months, trust between the signatories to the Peace Agreement had improved, a few months before both presidential and legislative elections.
However, he stressed that the security situation, particularly in the centre of the country, had deteriorated, with a number of victims, including peacekeepers, on the rise.
Mr. Annadif highlighted the need for MINUSMA soldiers to be adequately equipped to face the challenges of the situation in the country.
And our humanitarian colleagues today told us that needs in the country are increasing as a result of conflict and insecurity spreading from the north to the more populated central regions of the country as well as severe rainfall deficits last year. Some 4.3 million people are now estimated to need food assistance compared to 4.1 million in late 2017. This is the highest level of needs in Mali since the 2011/2012 food insecurity crisis in the Sahel.
Earlier today, close to 4,000 people, more than half of them women and children, left the besieged town of Douma in Syria for Al-Bab city in rural Aleppo Governorate.
An earlier convoy from Douma, carrying 4,395 people, mostly civilians and some fighters, arrived in rural Aleppo Governorate yesterday, where they were directed to the Al-Bil Internally Displaced Persons camp, east of Azaz town.
In Eastern Ghouta, some 150,000 people are estimated to have left the enclave since 9 March. Of the 91,000 people who have arrived at IPD sites in Rural Damascus, about half remained in IDP sites as of 11 April. In addition, more than 58,000 people, the majority of them civilians, were evacuated to northwestern Syria in recent weeks.
We once more underscore that any evacuation of civilians must be safe, voluntary, and in strict accordance with protection standards under international humanitarian and human rights law. It is also imperative that all those displaced are allowed to return voluntarily, in safety and in dignity, to their homes as soon as the situation allows it.
Meanwhile, we are alarmed by reports of increased violence in Idleb. On 10 April, local sources reported that several people were killed and injured by shelling on Jisr Ash-Shugur town. The UN calls on all parties to the conflict, and those with influence over them, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to ensure freedom of movement and to allow for safe, sustained and unhindered access by all humanitarian parties to help to those who in need.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate that the influx of casualties over the past two weeks, totaling 30 killed and nearly 3,000 injured, has stretched their ability to cope with urgent medical treatment needs.
The largest UN medical shipment to have entered Gaza since the beginning of the year has provided hospitals in Gaza with essential lifesaving drugs and other supplies to meet urgent medical needs. It will help respond to the needs of 100,000 children and mothers in Gaza.
Health workers in Gaza are trying to fill gaps of emergency trauma doctors, essential drug items, laboratory materials and medical disposable, blood, spare parts and fuel. Urgent funding is needed to address shortfalls.
So far, $3 million of the $27 million needed for emergency health support in the occupied Palestinian territory has been received.
At the same time, the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) reports it is operating at just one-quarter of its capacity, due to a lack of financial resources. Daily power outages remain at 18-20 hours, severely disrupting the provision of basic services in Gaza, including at hospitals as they struggle to cope with the spike in casualties.
A new report released today by the UN Refugee Agency says that while the number of migrants trying to reach Europe has decreased in recent months, their journey has become increasingly dangerous.
The Desperate Journeys report found that during the first three months of this year there was a 74 per cent drop in the number of people arriving by sea to Italy. However, the death rate increased drastically, with 1 in every 14 migrants dying during the journey, compared to 1 in every 29 during the same period last year.
The report also notes that migrants are looking for alternate routes to reach Europe and this is reflected the spike of migrants arriving to Spain and Greece, with most of them coming from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
In addition to deaths at sea, the report stresses that migrants also endure abuses and extortion at the hands of traffickers, smugglers or armed groups along various routes to Europe and it gives recommendations for States to ensure their safety.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF today issued new ten-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services.
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding underpin the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which both organizations launched in 1991. It encourages new mothers to breastfeed and informs health workers how best to support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is vital to a child’s lifelong health, and reduces costs for health facilities, families, and governments. Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth protects newborn babies from infections and saves lives.
It also improves IQ, school readiness and attendance, and is associated with higher income in adult life. And it reduces the risk of breast cancer in the mother.
Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820,000 children under 5 annually.
