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Daily Press Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
The Secretary-General just addressed the High-Level Ministerial Meeting on Libya, and he did so virtually, of course, and he said that the conflict there has been going on for far too long and today we have an opportunity to recommit to its ending.
Over the weekend, the Secretary-General issued a video message for the signing ceremony of the Juba Peace Agreement, which he said signals the dawn of a new era for the people of Sudan.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs today said that they remain deeply concerned about the ongoing hostilities along the line of contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone. They urge an immediate end to the fighting.
From Yemen, the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement says that it is alarmed by the recent escalation of violence in various districts of the Hudaydah governorate. The mission calls on all sides to de-escalate to prevent a spiral of violence that could lead to more human suffering, loss of life and destruction.
Also on Yemen, the UN remains extremely concerned about the SAFER oil tanker off the coast of Hudaydah, which is at risk of spilling more than 1.1 million barrels of oil into the Red Sea. A major spill would create a major humanitarian and environmental catastrophe.
The Syrian Ministry of Health has confirmed 4,366 cases of the virus, including 205 deaths. This is in addition to the 1,839 cases and 69 deaths reported in the northeast and 1,190 cases and 14 deaths in the northwest. While the official number of COVID-19 cases remains relatively low, all factors point to widespread community transmission.
In Kosovo, the UN team there, led by Development Coordinator Ulrika Richardson, is helping to address the multiple challenges posed by the pandemic. We have reached 2 million people through social media and outreach campaigns and have distributed thousands of posters on COVID-19 prevention in multiple languages for refugees.
Back here at the Security Council, Helen La Lime, head of the UN Office in Haiti, said that the country is once again struggling to avert the precipice of instability. In the 12 months since the departure of peacekeeping troops, the UN office has carried out its mandate by seeking to foster a conducive environment to overcome the impasses in the country and set it on a path towards long-term stability and sustainable development.
In Chad, floods have now affected an estimated 388,000 people across the country. The UN and our humanitarian partners have provided initial support – including food and non-food items – to nearly 2,650 households in the capital, N’Djamena. We have also provided food to 12,000 displaced people in the Lake area.
In a statement summarizing the outcome of the Virtual High-Level Ministerial Meeting on the Central African Republic which took place on 1 October, the participants reiterated their firm commitment to supporting the holding of free, peaceful, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections, within the constitutional timelines, as well as to the timely and comprehensive implementation of the Political Agreement.
Over the weekend we issued a statement from Nangarhar in Afghanistan and that took place on the 3rd of October and claimed the lives of at least 13 people. The Secretary-General stressed that those who carry out such crimes must be held accountable. He expressed his deepest sympathies for the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
The WHO said today that, while the demand for mental health services is on the rise due to COVID-19, the pandemic has disrupted or halted these critical services in more than 90 per cent of countries worldwide.
Today is World Teachers’ Day, and the theme is “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.”
Celebrating the central role of teachers in supporting students during COVID-19, this year’s theme highlights the need for better training, professional development and leadership skills to mitigate learning disparities and support inclusive education.
On that same issue, in Yemen, for this World Teachers’ Day, The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNICEF and the Global Partnership for Education called for the resumption of salary payments for around half of the Yemeni teachers and school-based staff who have not received regular payments in salaries since 2016.
Today is also World Habitat Day, highlighting the centrality of housing as a driver for sustainable urban development.
We thank our friends in the Seychelles for their payment of their budget dues in full, bringing us up to 125 Member States which have done so.
For further details please see SOURCE below.
Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General
