UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

27 August 2024

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the World Meteorological Organization, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Rising sea levels

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Secretary-General was in the Pacific, where he had just issued a “global SOS” from Tonga in the Pacific, urging governments to step up climate action to “Save Our Seas” as two new reports revealed how rising sea levels were threatening the vulnerable region and beyond. Secretary-General’s full remarks from a press conference in Tonga were available here.

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that the WMO Secretary-General had also sent a red alert regarding the impact of the climate change on sea level rise. WMO had released its State of the Climate in the Southwest Pacific update, which detailed how sea level rise in the region was above the global average. Sea surface temperatures had risen three times faster than the global average since 1980. During that time marine heatwaves had approximately doubled in frequency since 1980 and were more intense and lasting longer. At the same time, the WMO welcomed the Weather Ready Pacific Programme as part of the international Early Warnings for All initiative, which facilitated proactive measures such as evacuation plans, resource allocation and infrastructure reinforcement.

On 2 September, informed Ms. Nullis, the WMO would launch its State of the Climate in Africa report, its final regional update for this year. WMO would also release its annual report on air quality and climate on 7 September; an embargoed press briefing could be organized on 6 September.

Impact of mpox on refugees in Africa

Dr. Allen Maina, Public Health Chief at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), stated that in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the regions hardest hit by mpox, at least 42 suspected cases had been identified amongst the refugee population. Confirmed and suspected cases had also been recorded among the refugee populations in the Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. For those fleeing violence, implementing mpox prevention measures was an immense challenge. Insecurity had left many areas cut off from humanitarian assistance; many families were living in crowded places, and there was no possibility to isolate when symptoms of the disease were detected. Water and sanitation in those places were often inadequate, and food rations were frequently very meager. UNHCR and partners had scaled up health system preparedness and screening measures. Full inclusion of refugees was crucial, from monitoring and preparedness to medical care, it was all necessary to ensure that nobody was left behind. Health activities were among those hardest hit by inadequate funding. Sustained funding was needed to ensure that the necessary activities were in place to prevent further spread of mpox.

More details are available here.

Responding to questions from the media, Dr. Maina explained that a mixed transmission dynamics was detected, but with the limited access to laboratories, sequencing was a problem, and the exact strains of the virus could not be established that swiftly. Some samples had been sent for sequencing, and the results were being awaited. Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), explained that both clade 1a and clade 1b strains were circulating in the DRC at the same time. Overall, more than 18,000 cases had been reported from the DRC, but most of them had not yet been lab-confirmed. In eastern DRC, a lot of outbreaks were due to the clade 1b, specified Ms. Harris. Studies were underway to understand the properties of the new strains. Difficult living conditions led to weaker immune systems and made the populations more vulnerable to mpox. Dr. Maina said that one of the main challenges in the eastern DRC was the lack of adequate shelter, thus prevention efforts were very difficult. Very close physical contact created preconditions for the spread of mpox, including among children, stressed Dr. Harris. Weak immunological systems among vulnerable children might be a factor contributing to mpox spreading in this particular group. The virus also spreads through sexual contact, she said. Currently, an advisory was in place for medical workers directly dealing with infected persons to wear masks. Wearing of masks was currently not recommended for the general public, but further research was needed, she stressed. More details form the WHO on mpox are available here.

Dr. Harris, responding to further questions, said that vaccines were an important tool, but the overall effort had to be broader than that. Vaccine procurement was ongoing, as part of the larger strategic response. There was some evidence from the global mpox outbreak that some vaccines could be used in children. Dr. Maina said that the dynamic nature of the ongoing conflict further complicated efforts to reach people in need, as well as access of displaced people to health facilities.

Rohingya refugee crisis

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that, six years since the forced mass displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the Secretary-General called on all stakeholders to redouble efforts to find comprehensive, inclusive, and durable solutions that could adequately address the root causes of systemic discrimination and violence in Myanmar and to respond to growing protection crisis and humanitarian needs while strengthening refugee protection efforts in the region for those fleeing persecution and violence. The United Nations was committed to working with all stakeholders, including regional actors, to help resolve the crisis and seek accountability and justice for victims towards a sustainable peace in Rakhine State and all of Myanmar. 

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), stated that, as the world marked the seventh anniversary of the large-scale forced displacement of Rohingya refugees, UNHCR was again calling for sustained commitment from international partners to support and protect nearly one million Rohingya hosted by Bangladesh, and to help secure solutions to end their plight. He reminded that, on 25 August 2017, some 700,000 Rohingya men, women and children had been forced to flee Myanmar and seek protection in Bangladesh. The generous support from Bangladesh and the international community had been critical in meeting the refugees’ most basic needs and providing protection, but new security concerns and funding uncertainties now undermined all but the most critical and life-saving assistance.

In Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the escalated conflict had only worsened conditions for the Rohingya; internal displacement was at an all-time high, with more than 3.3 million people displaced within the country. Among them, at least 128,800 were in northern Rakhine in Buthidaung, Rathedaung, and Maungdaw Townships. The fighting could be heard by Bangladeshi communities living close to the border. Dignified, voluntary and sustainable return to Myanmar remained the primary solution to this crisis and UNHCR called on the international community to demonstrate the political will to make this possible. UNHCR welcomed the renewed commitment to the refugees, made by Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladesh’s Interim Government, on 18 August. Mr. Baloch informed that, in 2024, humanitarian agencies had appealed for USD 852 million to assist some 1.35 million people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshis in surrounding communities, but this appeal remained inadequately funded. Speaking of the exposure of Bangladesh to flooding, Mr. Baloch stressed that more systematic and sustained global support was needed for countries like Bangladesh which were exposed to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters that are becoming more frequent due to climate change.

Full statement is available here.

Answering questions, Mr. Baloch said that it was hard to ascertain numbers of Rohingya who had crossed from Myanmar to Bangladesh this year. UNHCR called on the Bangladeshi authorities to prevent refoulement of refugees to Myanmar. The total number of people who had left Myanmar, most of whom were Rohingya, stood at about 1.3 million.

Communities flooded following dam collapse in Sudan’s Red Sea State

Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), informed that on 25 August, the Arba’at Dam some 38 km northwest of Port Sudan in Sudan’s Red Sea State, had suffered extensive damage due to heavy rains, collapsed, and flooded downstream communities. Local authorities had confirmed 30 deaths, but the number of casualties could be much higher. Seventy villages around the dam had reportedly been affected of which 20 had been destroyed. Some 50,000 people living on the western side of the dam have had their homes destroyed or damaged, and people urgently needed water, food, and shelter assistance, according to the authorities.

An inter-agency team lead by OCHA was departing Port Sudan today and heading towards the affected area. This team, in coordination with partners and the authorities, would support assessments to further determine the extent of the damage, people’s most urgent humanitarian needs, and help coordinate the response. The damage to the Arba’at Dam was expected to have wider consequences as it is a primary source of freshwater for Port Sudan and will impact water supplies there.

Responding to questions, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that a World Food Programme (WFP) convoy with 205 metric tons of food assistance for 17,000 people, had passed from Chad into Sudan through the Adre crossing. This was a second WFP convoy to come this way in recent days. Distributions in Darfur would commence as the trucks reached their destination. On another question, Mr. Laerke said that it was not known how many people in the area affected by the dam burst were unaffected for. The area was under the control of the Government of Sudan, so it was not expected that the conflict would affect this area in the immediate future.

Situation in Gaza

Replying to a question on Deir er-Balah, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the IDF had issued 16 new evacuation orders over recent days, and the total number of evacuation orders in August stood at 60. The relocations had taken place at a very short notice and in dangerous conditions, effectively upending an entire lifesaving humanitarian hub that had been set up in Deir er-Balah after the earlier evacuation from Rafah. The Rafah crossing remained closed, he reminded, while the Eretz crossing was open, and the Kerem Shalom crossing was technically open, but it was too dangerous for humanitarian agencies to go there to collect the aid.

Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that access, safety, and security were absolutely critical for the planned polio vaccination campaign. WHO aimed to reach every child under the age of ten in the Gaza Strip. Vaccines had arrived, trainings were underway, but a full agreement on the start of the campaign and security guarantees had not been reached yet. WHO aimed to reach 640,000 children; 1.6 million doses of polio vaccines had been released from the global stockpile for this purpose. More than 95 percent coverage was needed in order for the vaccination campaign to be successful.

New repressive law in Afghanistan

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, had stated that the “morality law” recently promulgated by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan further restricted human rights and freedoms, particularly of women. This was unconscionable. If maintained, the law could only impede Afghanistan’s return to the international fold.

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the newly-adopted law on “Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice” by the de facto authorities in Afghanistan cemented policies that completely erased women’s presence in public – silencing their voices, and depriving them of their individual autonomy, effectively attempting to render them into faceless, voiceless shadows. This was utterly intolerable, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for this egregious law to be immediately repealed.

The long list of repressive provisions that this law imposed on women reinforced a number of existing restrictions that violated their fundamental human rights, including their freedom of movement, their freedom of expression, and their right to live free from discrimination. The law included the requirement to wear clothes that completely covered their bodies from head to toe, including their faces; a ban for transport providers on transporting women unless they were accompanied by a male relative; and the prohibition on women’s voices being heard in public. Other restrictions in the law, which were vaguely defined, affected other human rights, such as the right to freely practice one’s religion. The law also granted State agents broad, discretionary powers to detain people, impose punishments on them, or refer matters to courts.

More details can be found here.

Replying to questions, Ms. Shamdasani said that the OHCHR had a presence in Afghanistan and was doing what it could to influence the de facto authorities. Women had to be given a seat at the table to implement solutions. Pressure had to continue on the authorities to listen, but the UN needed to be cautious so that its response would not make the situation worse.

Update on the situation in China

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), provided an update two years since the publication of the OHCHR’s assessment on human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. She informed that the High Commissioner and the Office had had detailed exchanges with the Government of China on a range of critical issues, such as counter-terrorism laws and policies, criminal justice, other policies of concern that impact on the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and the Tibet Autonomous Region, equality and non-discrimination, as well as national security and human rights concerns in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In June this year, a UN Human Rights team had visited China and engaged in dialogue with the authorities, specifically on counter-terrorism policies and the criminal justice system. In particular, on Xinjiang, the OHCHR understood that many problematic laws and policies remained in place. The Office had called again on the authorities to undertake a full review, from the human rights perspective, of the legal framework governing national security and counter-terrorism and to strengthen the protection of minorities against discrimination. Allegations of human rights violations, including torture, needed to be fully investigated.

The High Commissioner was committed to sustained engagement with the Government of China and to advocating on behalf of victims, always guided by the goal of helping improve human rights protections for the people on the ground.

Full statement is here.

Replying to questions, Ms. Shamdasani stressed the importance of continuing engagement with the Chinese authorities. During the visit to Beijing in June, at the invitation of the authorities, the OHCHR delegation had met with various central and regional authorities. Further visits were on the table, and the OHCHR encouraged Chinese authorities to consider allowing Special Procedures’ visits to the country. One of the key recommendations from the High Commissioner’s report from August 2022 was to investigate allegations of human rights violations, including torture, in Xinjiang. Those recommendations still stood. Ms. Shamdasani stressed the importance of the OHCHR’s continuous engagement with the Chinese authorities.

Update on Russia

Responding to a question on Russia, Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the OHCHR had not yet received a formal response to its request to access the areas of Russia affected by the war with Ukraine.

Arrest of the CEO of “Telegram”

On another question, Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the right of freedom of expression applied online as it did offline, but there were permissible restrictions in the interest of public order. On social media platforms, there were obligations for businesses and States, but efforts had to be made to avoid overreach by either business or States. It was too early for the OHCHR to weigh in on the arrest of Telegram’s chief Pavel Durov.

Announcements

Babar Baloch, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), informed that the largest refugee Paralympic team yet, including eight athletes and two guide runners, would participate in the Paris Paralympic games, which were to open on 28 August. The team represented 18 million displaced people with disabilities. Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that UN Geneva Director-General would represent the UN Secretary-General at the Paralympic Games opening.

Speaking on behalf of the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE), Alessandra Vellucci informed that on 28 September, the Special Envoy would brief the Security Council at 4 pm Geneva time. His remarks would be subsequently distributed.

She also informed that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was concluding this morning its review of the report of Mauritius and would begin this afternoon the review of the report of Ukraine.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child, which had opened its 97^th session the previous day, would begin this afternoon consideration of the report of Bahrain.