From by The United Nations
SECRETARY-GENERAL/UKRAINE STATEMENT
Media www.rajawalisiber.com – In a statement, the Secretary-General said:
“I am pleased that more than 100 civilians have successfully been evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, in an operation successfully coordinated by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
I hope the continued coordination with Kyiv and Moscow will lead to more humanitarian pauses that will allow civilians safe passage away from the fighting and aid to reach people where the needs are greatest.”
SECRETARY-GENERAL/WEST AFRICA
On the Secretary-General’s travels in West Africa, he is now in Nigeria, where he is currently carrying out a field visit in the country’s northeast.
This morning, in Niger, he travelled to Ouallam, a town located in the so-called tri-border area that is hosting men, women and children displaced by insecurity, as well as refugees from neighbouring countries.
Speaking to the press, the Secretary-General stressed that the international community must support Niger, which is a democratic country that has a clear vision of its future. But Niger’s army, he noted, is not sufficiently equipped against terrorist groups.
The Secretary-General emphasized that Niger’s army needs investment and that the country needs to be the wall that terrorists are unable to cross, given the recent coups in the region.
Yesterday, in a stakeout with President Mohamed Bazoum, Mr. Guterres called for an urgent and coordinated international mobilization to address, not only the security situation, but also the root causes of the Sahel crisis – poverty, exclusion, impunity, food insecurity, climate change – that are aggravating intercommunal tensions and fueling violent extremism.
Later in the day, former President Mahamadou Issoufou agreed to chair a joint strategic assessment of security and development challenges in the Sahel region. This assessment, undertaken on behalf of the UN, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and the G5 Sahel, will present proposals on how to strengthen the overall international response to the crisis in the Sahel.
SOUTH SUDAN
From South Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the recent surge in fighting between armed groups in Leer County, in Unity State, has led to dozens of people being killed or injured, multiple women and girls being raped and abducted; and has left homes burned and looted.
The clashes occurred as aid workers were preparing for the upcoming rainy season and potential flooding.
Some 40,000 people have been forcibly displaced from their homes, and they need food, shelter, medicines and water, among other assistance.
Aid agencies are providing healthcare and nutrition treatment through mobile clinics, as well as protection services, including from gender-based violence. They are also providing legal advice and counselling to the displaced people.
Some 6.8 million people in South Sudan need assistance and protection this year, but the $1.7 billion Humanitarian Response Plan is just 8 per cent funded.
HAITI
Turning to Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that clashes have resumed today between gangs in the capital, Port-au-Prince, forcing hundreds of people to flee their homes. Clashes took place in the neighbourhoods of the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, Cité Soleil, Bas Delmas and Martissant.
According to our humanitarian colleagues, violence in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets has displaced more than 1,200 people. At least 26 civilians have been killed and 22 injured, although these figures are probably higher. Dozens of houses have been burned. Schools, medical centres and markets had to close, and a hospital in Marin was looted.
Displaced people need access to clean water, food, sanitation kits, children’s kits, kitchen kits, mattresses, blankets and clothing. The UN is ready to provide hot meals and additional assistance in coordination with national authorities.
With the support of the UN and humanitarian partners, the Mayor’s Office of Tabarre and the Civil Protection Agency have started to distribute hot meals and food, as well as essential items, while working on a plan to relocate families housed in spontaneous sites.
FORESTS
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today released its World Forests Report, which details ways in which forests can help us recover from the impact of the pandemic, the climate crisis and biodiversity loss as well as conflicts. However, it stresses that for this we need to step up action and investments to halt deforestation, restore degraded land and sustainably manage forests.
Acting on these three areas would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, increase agricultural productivity and help us meet future demand for natural resources.
The report notes that financing for the forest pathways needs to increase threefold by 2030 and fourfold by 2050 for the world to meet its environment targets.
OCEANS
I want to flag that media accreditation for the Ocean Conference opens today. The conference will take place in Lisbon, Portugal from 27 June to 1 July. The deadline is 12 June.
WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
Today is World Press Freedom Day. This year’s theme is “Journalism under digital siege,” and it spotlights the multiple ways in which journalism is endangered by surveillance and digitally mediated attacks on journalists, and the consequences of all of this on public trust in digital communications.
In his message, the Secretary-General pointed to the risks that digital technology poses as many journalists are being censored or harassed and abused online. He also stressed that many social media platforms are based, not on increasing access to accurate reporting, but on increasing engagement – which often means provoking outrage and spreading lies.
“The methods and tools change, but the goal of discrediting the media and covering up the truth remains the same as ever,” he said, and called on governments, media organizations and technology companies everywhere to support efforts to protect journalists around the world.
MYANMAR
Also on World Press Freedom Day, our UNESCO colleagues in Myanmar say they remain committed to working with the people to protect and defend their press freedom, as well as to promote the safety and protection of journalists and media workers.
Since the military takeover last February, at least 154 journalists have been arrested, while at least 55 journalists remain under detention. Three journalists have been killed.
The number of journalists sentenced to imprisonment in Myanmar is increasing, with 33 journalists having been formally sentenced by local courts.
Since last February, the licenses of 10 media outlets have been revoked, while 18 independent media outlets have suspended operations and five media outlets have been charged with various criminal offenses.
HYBRID BRIEFING TODAY
At 12:45 p.m., the United States Representative and President of the Security Council for the month of May, Ambassador Linda Thomas‑Greenfield, will be in this room to brief you on the Council’s programme of work for the month of May.
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS TOMORROW
Tomorrow’s virtual guests will be the World Food Programme’s Chief Economist, Arif Husain, and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Director of Emergencies, Rein Paulsen. They will discuss the launch of the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
We thank our friends in Cambodia and Mauritius for their full payments to the regular budget. These two deposits take us to 96 fully paid-up Member States. ***
The guest at today’s Noon Briefing was Ms. Osnat Lubrani, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. She spoke virtually from Zaporizhzhia on the humanitarian situation there.