UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

6 September 2024

UNHCR Rushes to Support Bangladesh’s Flood Affected Population

William Spindler for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the worst floods in 34 years had devastated large parts of Bangladesh. The monsoon rains started on 20 August and since then, more than five million people had been affected in 11 out of 64 districts of the country, roughly 20 per cent of the country’s territory.

There were some reports that the water was now receding, but there was large scale devastation. In the Rohingya refugee camps, from 20 to 27 August, eight incidents of flash floods displaced 465 households and 94 incidents of windstorms affected the refugees. There were over 73,000 people affected and almost 18,000 people displaced in the last two months.

UNHCR was rushing humanitarian relief items from its refugee stockpiles in the country to help people affected by the recent flash floods in the country. It was providing core relief items and other humanitarian support to help address the most immediate needs of the local communities in the region, including shelter and health.

UNHCR had transported medicine and medical supplies to health clinics in the worst affected districts of Feni and Comilla through its local partner, while working closely with the Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner’s office. Supplies included 350,000 water purification tablets, 20,000 jerry cans, 15,000 hygiene kits, and 10,000 emergency shelters, among other items to help local authorities fight the spread of waterborne diseases and ensure the availability of clean drinking water.

The continuous heavy rains of the monsoon season had also resulted in flash floods and landslides in Rohingya refugee camps. UNHCR and partners were working around the clock to support affected Rohingya refugees.

Read the full briefing note here.

In response to questions, Mr. Spindler said UNHCR was in contact with the new authorities in Bangladesh to discuss solutions for the Rohingya and ways of helping refugees. High Commissioner Filippo Grandi had recently contacted Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus, to discuss solutions for the Rohingyas and how to help refugees have better futures. He invited Professor Yunus to an event in the UN General Assembly. There would be continued discussions with the Government in Bangladesh.

Include Refugees and IDPs in West and Central African Flood Response - UNHCR

William Spindler for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said floods in West and Central Africa had devastated communities, destroyed homes and infrastructure and heightened protection risks for the most vulnerable, severely affecting forcibly displaced populations who were already living in precarious conditions. Many were now sheltering in overcrowded and makeshift locations with limited access to essential services. Considering the effects of climate change, worsening food insecurity, and the increased risk of waterborne diseases, it was vital to ensure that the needs of refugees and internally displaced people were not overlooked.

In Nigeria, severe floods had swept through 29 of 36 states, affecting over 600,000 people. At least 200 people have died and over 225,000 have been displaced, including many who had already been uprooted by conflict and climate change. The destruction of over 115,000 hectares of farmland could worsen the food insecurity situation at a time when 32 million people in the country were already facing acute hunger. UNHCR and its partners were distributing 10,000 tarpaulin sheets to the most severely impacted displaced people in some of the hardest-hit states. Unfortunately, funding shortages were making it difficult to assist additional communities in need.

All 23 provinces of Chad had been impacted by flooding since July. More than 964,000 people were affected by the floods as of 25 August. Refugee communities in eastern Chad were particularly vulnerable, with more than 40,000 refugees affected. So far, 145 people had died, over 251,000 hectares of land had been submerged, more than 70,000 houses had been destroyed, and 29,000 heads of livestock had perished.

In Cameroon, between 11 and 21 August, torrential rains destroyed more than 8,600 homes, flooded thousands of hectares of farmland and crops, and caused the loss of thousands of animals. Almost 19,000 households, some 159,000 people, were affected, including almost 50,000 refugees. Local authorities and humanitarian partners were putting in place emergency response plans but faced access difficulties and the growing risk of epidemics.

In Niger, severe flooding triggered by heavy rains had caused widespread destruction, particularly in regions that were home to significant numbers of displaced people. Since the onset of the rains in July, over 217 people had died, and more than 700,000 had been affected. Access to areas where refugees were settled had been compromised, prompting the army to evaluate alternative routes for relief efforts. UNHCR had mobilised resources to support those affected and was distributing 3,000 essential relief kits.

Across the region, displaced families, including refugees and internally displaced persons, were facing a catastrophic situation due to the compounding effects of conflict, climate change, and now devastating floods. They needed emergency shelter, food, water and medical care immediately.

UNHCR's funding appeal for Western and Central Africa amounted to 1.11 billion United States dollars. It aimed to help over 13 million forcibly displaced people, including 2.5 million refugees and asylum seekers and 8.2 million internally displaced people. So far, the appeal had only received 11 per cent funding.

Read the full briefing note here.

More than Half a Million People in Yemen Affected by Floods

Matt Huber, Acting Chief of Mission in Yemen, International Organization for Migration (IOM), said that the situation in Yemen was devastating. In recent months, Yemen had been ravaged by relentless floods and violent windstorms, leaving behind a trail of unspeakable destruction. Homes had been reduced to splinters and thousands of families had been displaced, struggling for survival in already dire conditions.

IOM teams were on the ground, working day and night to deliver critical relief to those hardest hit. But the sheer magnitude of this disaster was overwhelming. People were saying that they had never seen rain and winds like they had seen over these past two months in their entire lives. Hundreds of thousands of people were without basic needs like shelter, clean water and access to health care.

In places like Ma’rib, entire communities had seen their shelters torn apart by hurricane-like winds and families were forced to endure unimaginable loss. One example of this was Abdullah, a displaced father from Marib being supported by IOM who tragically lost his daughter, who violently hit her head when a windstorm swept her away. Abdullah’s heartbreaking story was a sobering reminder of how deeply this crisis was impacting so many lives.

Yemen was facing one crisis after another, and its people had suffered enough. The humanitarian response was struggling with the critical funding gap, compounded by overall growing donor fatigue. Despite significant needs, IOM was grappling to secure sufficient resources to sustain recovery operations, which had been substantial already in the areas of shelter, cash, health, water and sanitation. As major emergencies unfolded worldwide, Yemen risked being deprioritised, leaving millions at greater risk.

This was why IOM had launched an urgent appeal for 13.3 million USD to scale up lifesaving interventions in support of the flood response. The support of the international community was crucial to alleviate suffering and help provide relief to those who had lost everything in these recent weather events.

The situation in Ma’rib and Al Hodeidah especially was at a tipping point. It was time to act now. The international community needed to consider the desperation and despair of tens of thousands of Yemenis affected by this severe weather. IOM expected that this weather would continue throughout the month of September, so the worst could be yet to come.

To read the full appeal, please visit this page.

Watch a video produced by IOM on the crisis here.

In response to questions, Mr. Huber said that IOM was able to keep track of extreme weather events and their impact on displacement through its displacement tracking matrix. There had been a steady flood of displacements after recent weather events. Internally displaced persons affected by extreme weather were continuing to come into the camp in Ma’rib, the biggest internally displaced person camp in Yemen. This information could be found in IOM’s monthly displacement tracking matrix publications.

Monthly Update on Global Food Commodity Prices

Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Markets and Trade Division, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), said the FAO Food Price Index (FFPI), the barometer of global prices, was released this morning. The index declined marginally in August. Compared to historical levels, the FFPI averaged 1.1 per cent lower than its corresponding value one year ago. The increase in the FFPI in May was led by lower prices for sugar, meat and cereals offsetting increases in quotations for dairy and vegetable oils.

The FAO Cereal Price Index dipped 0.5 per cent from July due to declining global wheat export prices amid competitively priced Black Sea supplies and higher-than-expected production in Argentina and the United States of America. This was not surprising, as we were nearing the completion of the wheat harvest in the northern hemisphere. World maize prices firmed slightly, reflecting the impact of heatwaves on yields in parts of Europe and North America, while the FAO All-Rice Price Index increased by 0.6 per cent in August.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index increased by 0.8 per cent from July to reach a 20-month high, as international palm oil prices more than offset declining quotations for soy, sunflower and rapeseed oils. The FAO Dairy Price Index also rose. International butter quotations reached an all-time high, underpinned by some uncertainty over the adequacy of milk supplies in Western Europe. The FAO Meat Price Index declined by 0.7 per cent, with poultry, pig and ovine meat prices declining amid lacklustre import demand, even as world bovine meat prices increased slightly.

Finally, the FAO Sugar Price Index declined by 4.7 per cent to reach its lowest level since October 2022, a move underpinned by improving production outlook for the upcoming sugarcane harvest season in India and Thailand, as well as lower international crude oil prices.

Overall, FFPI remained 24.7 per cent below its March 2022 peak. FAO also issued its monthly Cereal Supply and Demand Brief, trimming its forecast for global cereal production in 2024, now pegging it at 2,851 million tonnes, almost on par with that of 2023. The revision was mostly due to reduced harvest expectations for coarse grains, including maize, due largely to hot and dry weather conditions in the European Union, Mexico and Ukraine.

Ms. Tothova said the publication schedule for the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) Market Monitor now coincided with the other monthly market releases. AMIS was a G20 initiative launched in 2011 to enhance food market transparency and policy response for food security. Regular entries summarised developments regarding world markets, policy developments, fertilizer outlook and vegetable oils.

Announcements

David Hirsch for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said next week on Thursday, 12 September, ITU would launch its fifth Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 (GCI24), which would assess the global cyber security situation around the world. The Index assessed the cybersecurity commitments of individual countries around the world, as well as overall global progress against cyberattacks. GCI24 would identify areas for improvement and encourage countries to act on strengthening cybersecurity. Journalists could obtain a press release on the launch and report material by contacting pressinfo@itu.int. The embargo would extend until Thursday, 12 September at 3: 00 pm.

Next week, ITU would issue a release to announce the upcoming World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA-24), which would be held in New Delhi from 15 to 24 October. WTSA was one of ITU's statutory conferences, serving as the governing conference for the organization's standardisation work.

In response to questions, Mr. Hirsch said the Space Sustainability Forum 2024 would also be taking place next week on 10 and 11 September in Geneva, with persons with expertise in space sustainability in attendance.

In the Giga project, ITU and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) were working to connect schools to the internet across the globe, Mr. Hirsch said in response to another question. The project was mapping gaps in connectivity, raising awareness of the gaps, and working with governments and partners to address them. Giga did not make recommendations to governments regarding internet providers. Connecting schools to the internet was an imperative.

Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a statement in Beijing yesterday, 5 September, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, in which he noted that many had no access to effective debt relief, scarce resources, and clearly insufficient concessional funding. This situation was unsustainable -- and a recipe for social unrest, he said.

While in Beijing, Mr. Guterres met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and discussed several issues, including the upcoming Summit of the Future, taking place in New York later this month. The Secretary-General expressed his readiness to strengthen cooperation with China in all pillars of the United Nations’ work.

The Security Council yesterday released a statement condemning in the strongest terms a heinous terrorist attack that occurred earlier this week in Kabul. Also, on Tuesday, 3 September, the Secretary-General appointed Georgette Gagnon of Canada as Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

On Monday, 9 September at 2 p.m., the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) would hold a hybrid press briefing to launch its Cluster Munitions Monitor 2024 report.

On Tuesday, 10 September at 9:30 a.m., UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would hold a hybrid press briefing to launch its "Developments in the Economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory" report. Rebeca Grynspan, UN Trade and Development Secretary General would be speaking at the briefing. The embargo on the report would lift on 10 September at 10:30 a.m.

On Thursday, 12 September at 10:30 a.m. the International Labour Organization (ILO) would hold a hybrid press briefing to launch its “World Social Protection Report 2024-26: Universal social protection for climate action and a just transition”, which was embargoed until 12 September at 11:30 a.m.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities closed yesterday afternoon its 31st session and issued its concluding observations on the nine countries reviewed during this session: Burkina Faso, Benin, Netherlands, Ghana, Belarus, Belgium, Denmark, Mauritius and Ukraine.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child would conclude next Friday, 13 September, at 5 p.m., its 97th session and issue its concluding observations on the six countries reviewed during this session: Bahrain, Turkmenistan, Mexico, Argentina, Israel and Armenia.

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights would open next Monday at 10 a.m. its 76th session, during which it would successively review the reports of Iceland, Poland, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Cyprus and Malawi.

The date of the next public plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament (still under the presidency of Daniel Meron of Israel) would be announced at a later stage. The Conference would close its annual session next Friday, 13 September.

The Human Rights Council would commence its 57^th session on Monday, 9 September. The session would last for four weeks until 11 October. Council President Omar Zniber held a briefing on the upcoming session on Wednesday, 4 September.

Tomorrow, 7 September was the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. In his statement for the day, Secretary-General António Guterres said 99 per cent of humanity breathes polluted air – leading to an estimated eight million premature deaths – including more than 700,000 children under five. Investing in clean air saves lives, combats climate change, strengthens economies, builds fairer societies, and advances the Sustainable Development Goals, he noted.

Monday, 9 September was the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. Mr. Gómez said recent floods were dramatically hindering the right to education. This was highlighted by the Secretary-General in his statement for the day. He said recent years had seen a dramatic increase in attacks on students, teachers, educational personnel, and schools around the world — from Gaza, to Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere. He urged all countries to fully endorse and implement the Safe Schools Declaration, support the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack, and stand with all efforts to ensure that children and young people can continue their learning — both in times of crisis and after the fighting stops.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

- ITU - David Hirsch: ITU’s Global Cybersecurity Index 2024 (GCI24)

TOPICS

- UNHCR - William Spindler:

• UNHCR rushes relief supplies to support Bangladesh’s flood affected population
• UNHCR Calls for Inclusion of Refugees and IDPs in Flood Response Across West and Central Africa

- IOM - Kennedy Omondi with Matt Huber, Acting Chief of Mission in Yemen (From Yemen): More than Half A Million People in Yemen Affected by Floods, IOM Appeals for USD 13.3 Million to support Response.

- FAO - Monika Tothova, Senior Economist, Markets and Trade Division (From Rome): FAO Food Price Index monthly update