The United Nations Office at Geneva
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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 17 May 2024
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1:47:10
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MP4
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UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
17 May 2024
Deteriorating situation in Sudan
Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), stated that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, was horrified by the escalating violence in El-Fasher, where hostilities between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces were having a deeply devastating toll on civilians. At least 58 civilians were reported to have been killed and 213 others injured in El-Fasher since fighting had dramatically escalated in the North Darfur town previous week.
He urged both leading generals [Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces] to act immediately – and publicly – to de-escalate the situation. He also called on them to put aside entrenched positions and take specific, concrete steps to cease hostilities and to ensure the effective protection of civilians, as was their obligation under international human rights law and international humanitarian law, and consistent with their commitments under the Jeddah Declaration, agreed in May 2023. The High Commissioner warned both commanders that fighting in El-Fasher, where more than 1.8 million residents and internally displaced people were currently encircled and at imminent risk of famine, would have a catastrophic impact on civilians, and would deepen intercommunal conflict with disastrous humanitarian consequences. He reminded the commanders of their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure strict compliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution and to put an end to any ongoing violations,
Full OHCHR statement can be read here.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stressed that in Sudan, half of the population, or 25 million people, needed humanitarian aid. Famine was closing in; diseases were closing in; the fighting was closing in on civilians, especially in Darfur. Collectively, the humanitarians asked for USD 2.7 billion, but as of today, they had received just 12 per cent of that. This was a catastrophically underfunded appeal. Without more resources coming in fast, humanitarian organizations would not be able to scale up in time to stave off famine and prevent further deprivation. Now was the time for donors to make good on pledges made, step up and help us help Sudan and be part of changing the current trajectory that's leading toward the cliff's edge.
Dr. Shible Sahbani, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Sudan, speaking from Port Sudan, said that some 17 per cent of the population were now displaced in what was the largest displacement crisis in the world. Close to 16,000 people had died due to the ongoing war, 33,000 had been injured, but the real toll of the war was probably much higher. The recent escalation of violence in Darfur, and particularly in Al Fasher, was alarming and causing more deaths and injuries among civilians as access to health facilities was hampered by the ensuing insecurity.
Both the displaced and those that had remained in their localities lacked access to necessities like food, water, healthcare, and medicines while disease outbreaks like cholera, measles, dengue fever and malaria are spreading. Currently, two-thirds of Sudan’s 18 states were experiencing multiple outbreaks. WHO was particularly concerned over the lack of treatment for people suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and kidney failure. The lack of access to basic healthcare and medicines is putting their lives at risk in a country where there was a high burden of non-communicable diseases. On top of that, famine was looming, warned Dr. Sahbani, especially in parts of Darfur and in Khartoum, with more than one-third of the population facing acute hunger.
Attacks on healthcare and humanitarian workers worsened the lack of access to health services, said Dr. Sahbani, and put patients, health workers, humanitarian workers, and humanitarian assets at grave risk. WHO had thus far recorded 62 verified attacks on healthcare. Despite the challenges, the resolve WHO to respond to the health emergency remained intact. WHO had delivered into Sudan over 1,200 metric tons of medical supplies to health facilities across Sudan’s states by air and through cross-border and cross-line mechanisms, provided key equipment to sustain laboratory services, improve ICU care and enhance infection prevention and control, supported vaccination campaigns to respond to outbreaks of cholera, measles and polio, and trained health workers in case management of epidemic-prone diseases in a crisis setting, and in management of severe malnutrition. WHO called on parties to the conflict to silence the guns and give the people of Sudan respite. Health could not be ensured in the absence of peace.
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that in his address to the Summit of the League of Arab States the previous day, the Secretary-General had urged the international community to intensify its push for peace, and call on the warring parties to agree on a lasting ceasefire. This should be followed by a political process that includes women’s and youth groups. He pledged the full support of the United Nations.
Answering questions from the media, Mr. Laerke, for OCHA, said that the scale of needs in Sudan and Gaza were uniquely high for those two places. Both contexts seemed to be in the worst situation in decades. Looking at the absolute number of people in needs, Sudan was larger and there were more people in need there. Humanitarians had the determination to keep pushing for what was right; donors pledged for what they believed was right, but the pledged money for Sudan had not yet arrived, and people of Sudan were staring in the face of famine. If there was an opportunity for access, UN humanitarians stood ready to use it, but it was very difficult to plan if there was no minimal guarantee. Dr. Sahbani, for the WHO, said that there had been 4,668 recorded cases of measles, with over 100 deaths; over 11,000 cases of cholera with some 300 deaths; and 1.27 million cases of malaria. With the upcoming rainy season, there was an increased risk of water-borne diseases, he warned. Surveillance ought to be increased, which could be done through increased access and increasing capacities of the partners of the ground. More proactive, preventive actions needed to be taken.
On another question, Ms. Shamdasani, for the OHCHR, said that the High Commissioner for Human Rights had had phone calls with both generals, appealing to them to put the needs of their people first, not block humanitarian assistance, and respect international humanitarian and human rights law. Both generals had then committed to respecting the international norms. It was very important for the UN Human Rights Chief to speak to the two leaders and remind them of their obligations. Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that aid was currently not able to cross from Chad into Darfur, where assistance was desperately needed. The pressure on Chad was acute, especially in the border areas which hosted numerous arrivals from Darfur. Dr. Sahbani, for the WHO, said it was difficult to know how many people had died of malnutrition, but some 37 per cent of the population were currently in Integrated Food Security Phase Classification category 3 or above. Due to the lack of access to food and lack of resources, it would be difficult to provide adequate nutritional support to the people in need.
Refugee arrivals in Uganda
Matthew Crentsil, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Uganda, said that Uganda hosted 1.67 million refugees, the highest number in Africa and third in the world. Uganda had one of the best refugee systems in the world, with refugees enjoying freedom of movement and access to labour to market. This year, some 19,000 refugees had arrived from Sudan; an average of 2,500 were arriving every week. The funding shortfall was severe, warned Mr. Crentsil; in 2022, some 35 per cent of the USD 836 million funding requirement for refugees had been funded. Despite the increasing numbers of refugees, funding was going down, he said. In 2023, for example, the World Food Programme had had to cut food supplies for refugees due to the funding shortfalls. Because Uganda had been hosting refugees for decades, it was assumed that many of them had been there for decades, which was not the case: only ten per cent had been in the country for ten years or longer, while all others were more recent arrivals. Suicide rates among refugee were high, with this year only more than 100 recorded cases. UNHCR had signed an agreement with private sector actors in Uganda in order to increase support for the refugees in need.
Responding to questions, Mr. Crentsil specified that the United States was by far the biggest contributor for the Uganda response, followed by the European Union and a number of other European countries and Japan. This year, USD 858 million was needed, and only 13 per cent of it was funded. If 50 to 70 per cent of the requirements were funded, UNHCR would be able to implement a meaningful response. Cooperation with local implementing actors was one of the ways to lower the costs. He explained that there had been a significant decrease in US funding, which affected the overall situation, with the US being the largest donor.
Increased targeting of migrants in Tunisia
Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), said that the OHCHR was concerned by the increased targeting in Tunisia of migrants, mostly from south of the Sahara, and individuals and organisations working to assist them. At the same time, there was a rise in the use of dehumanising and racist rhetoric against black migrants and black Tunisians. OHCHR had recorded incidents of arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights defenders, lawyers, and journalists critical of the Government, as well as its migration policies. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the authorities to respect and safeguard freedoms of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Tunisia is a party. The human rights of all migrants had to be protected, and xenophobic hate speech must stop.
Full statement is available here.
Situation in Gaza
Responding to questions from the media, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that the latest number of people fleeing from Rafah, provided by UNRWA, stood at 600,000. People were moving north and northwest, where they had been told to go, but there were no safe routes out of Rafah, or safe destinations in Gaza. Any and all aid into Gaza, by any route, was welcome, he explained. Land crossings remained the most important route for getting aid into Gaza. UN was making preparations for handling aid that was about to start arriving through the maritime corridor and the floating dock. However, assisting people of Gaza through a faraway floating dock on its own was far from adequate.
Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), stressed that the biggest issue right now was fuel. Only 13 out of 36 hospitals were now partially functioning in Gaza, he reminded, emphasizing the indispensable importance of fuel for running life-saving activities on health facilities. WHO once again appealed for access; it was trying to do best it could, under the impossible circumstances. It was hoped that the humanitarian appeals would be heard sooner rather than later. Bringing supplies into Gaza was part of the process, but freedom od movement for humanitarians and a ceasefire were also very much needed.
Missing persons in Sri Lanka
Answering a question on the latest report on enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka, Ravina Shamdasani, for the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), said that there were tens of thousands of forcibly disappeared persons between the 1970s and 2009, but there was no single authoritative data on the total number. There appeared to be a general lack of political will by the Government to deal with this issue decisively and comprehensively. People deserved to know what had happened to their loved ones, she stressed.
Afghanistan in the aftermath of the floods
Responding to questions, Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said the joint assessment teams were deploying to affected areas to determine the impact of the floods. Over 3,000 people had been assessed and 845 homes were determined to have been fully damaged. UNHCR and partners were distributing tents, clothes, and other necessities. Most urgent cases needing interventions were being identified so they could be prioritized. Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), had delivered seven metric tons of medicine and medical supplies in the immediate aftermath of the floods. Seven mobile teams had been deployed to the most affected areas by the WHO and health cluster partners.
World Summit on the Information Society and AI for Good Global Summit
Gitanjali Sah, Strategy and Policy Coordinator at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), informed that the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event would be held in hybrid format from 27 to 30 May. Stakeholders included governments, media, non-governmental organizations, regulatory bodies, UN agencies, and academia. The agenda had been formulated through a wide consultative, bottom-up approach. The Summit would look into a number of issues such as connecting remote villages; importance of communications in disaster aftermaths; protection of journalists; digital health; protection of indigenous languages, etc. This inclusive process of digital governance had stood the test of time, stressed Ms. Sah, and every voice counted. All details can be found here.
Frederic Werner, Head, Strategic Engagement at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said that during the same week, the ITU would be hosting the AI for Good Global Summit 2024, including AI Governance Day, from 29 to 31 May. Among questions to be addressed was how AI would work differently for people of different backgrounds; if AI would bridge or divide the digital divide. AI for Good aimed to help the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals by harnessing the power of AI as best as possible; more than 40 sister UN agencies were part of the process. Great efforts were being made to bring different voices to the table, including private actors, academia, and civil sector. Some 3,000 participants were expected at the Summit, including 300 speakers; over 90 demos would also take place during the Summit. The theme of this year’s AI Governance Day would be “From Principles to Implementation”, informed Mr. Werner. The morning session of the Governance Day would be by invitation-only, and the afternoon would be open for the media. More information about the Summit is available here.
Media accreditations were open for both events, and one accreditation would suffice. A press conference with lunch would be organized on 31 May at 1 pm.
Responding to a question, Ms. Sah said that WSIS discussions would be summarized and shared with the facilitators of the drafting process of the Global Digital Compact. Mr. Werner, on another question, said that deepfakes and misinformation were among the biggest challenges anywhere in the world. Developing international standards to combat these two was on the agenda of the AI for Good Global Summit. Solutions and standards ought to be made with ethics in mind, be sustainable and long-term, be aligned with the SDGs and human rights principles. Switzerland was a co-host of the event, informed Mr. Werner.
Announcements
David Hirsch, for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said that today was World Telecommunication and Information Society Day commemorating the anniversary of ITU’s founding in 1865. This year’s theme was digital innovation for sustainable development. ITU would host a video event from its studios at ITU headquarters beginning at 4 pm today and would be webcast live.
Rolando Gómez, for the for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that the Secretary-General’s message on the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day had been shared with the media.
Peggy Walters, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), informed that the IOM would host its flagship event, the International Dialogue on Migration (IDM), in New York on 21-22 May. The IDM was IOM’s main forum for migration policy dialogue, which brought together all migration stakeholders, at a global level, for open discussions on the opportunities and challenges which migration presents. It was held twice year, with one session in New York and another in Geneva. “Facilitating regular pathways for a better future – harnessing the power of migration” was the theme of the upcoming event.
Rolando Gómez, for the for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on the Rights of the Child was concluding this morning its review of the report of Paraguay.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was reviewing today the report of Estonia.
An event to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity would take place at the Palais des Nations on 22 May, informed Mr. Gómez.
***
Teleprompter
very good morning.
Thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva today, the 17th of May.
For this, uh, press briefing,
Another busy agenda for you. We have Tunisia.
We have several briefers on the situation in Sudan.
We also have announcements and a topic, uh,
update from the International Telecommunications Union.
And lastly, uh,
actually two more and then somebody somebody will speak for
the trade and development up upcoming event next month,
as well as an announcement, uh, from the IOM.
So we'll start off immediately with Ravina of
the office of the High Commission for Human Rights
on Tunisia. And then we'll go immediately over to Sudan.
Ravina.
Thanks. Good morning, everyone
on Tunisia,
we are very concerned by the increased targeting in Tunisia of migrants mostly from
the south of the Sahara and individuals and organisations working to assist them.
At the same time,
we are witnessing a rise in the use of dehumanising
and racist rhetoric against black migrants and black Tunisians.
Our office has recorded incidents of arbitrary
arrest and detention of human rights defenders,
lawyers and journalists who are critical of the
government as well as the government's migration policies.
Reported raids in the past week on the Tunisia Bar Association undermine the rule of
law and violate international standards on the protection
of the independence and function of lawyers.
Such actions clearly constitute forms of intimidation and harassment.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk,
urges the authorities to respect and safeguard the freedoms of expression,
association and peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
to which Tunisia is a party.
The rule of law must be upheld and those arbitrarily detained,
including for defending the rights of
migrants and for combating racial discrimination released
the human rights of all migrants must be protected and xenophobic.
Hate speech must stop.
Thank you very much. Uh, Ravina
questions. I see. Jamie, you had your hand up before we even started.
So is this a housekeeping or is this, uh, something on Tunisia for Ravina Jamie.
Hi, Rolando. It's not about, uh, Tunisia. It's about, uh, Gaza.
And I see that it's not on the schedule.
So I wanted to bring it up from the start unless, uh
uh I
don't know,
I.
I really would like to get to the other items before we can
take Gaza after Sudan because we really have quite a number of briefers,
including those joining us online.
So we'll get your questions on Gaza.
I appreciate that there are probably other questions
as well on the situation in Gaza,
uh, which continues to dominate, uh, these agendas.
So let's just exhaust questions on Tunisia, if any.
No, I don't see that's the case. So let's turn right away, then to Sudan.
Staying with Ravina
on the human rights situation in Al Fasher, in particular, Ravina
on Sudan.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Vol
Kur, is horrified by the escalating violence in El Fasher in Darfur,
where hostilities between the Sudanese armed forces and the
rapid support forces backed by their respective allied armed groups
are having a deeply devastating toll on civilians.
At least 58 civilians are reported to have been killed
and 213 others injured in El Fasher since fighting dramatically escalated
last week, and these figures are certainly an underestimate.
Concerned by the escalation in al Fashir and
the continued impact of wider fighting across Sudan,
the High Commissioner on Tuesday this week held
separate phone calls with Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah
al Burhan, the president of the Transitional Sovereignty Council
and commander of the Sudanese armed forces,
as well as with General Mohammed Hamdan de
Gallo, the commander of the rapid support forces.
In the separate phone calls that the high Commissioner had with the two commanders,
he urged them both to act immediately and publicly to de escalate the situation.
He also called on them to put aside entrenched positions and take specific
concrete steps to seize hostilities and to
ensure the effective protection of civilians,
as is their obligation
under international human rights law and humanitarian law.
This is also consistent with their commitments under
the Jeddah Declaration agreed in May 2023.
We warn both commanders that fighting in El Fasher,
where more than 1.8 million residents and internally displaced people
are currently encircled and at imminent risk of famine,
would have a catastrophic impact on civilians and it
would deepen inter communal conflict
with disastrous humanitarian consequences.
The High Commissioner reminded the
commanders of their obligations under international
humanitarian law to ensure strict compliance with the principles of distinction,
proportionality and precaution,
and to put an end to any ongoing violations as well as to ensure
accountability for violations of international law committed
by their respective forces and their allies.
He also urged the commanders to redouble
efforts towards reaching a negotiated solution,
including by promptly resuming ceasefire negotiations
and to facilitate comprehensive access to humanitarian aid
in areas under the force's respective control.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights had last spoken directly in person to
the two commanders in November 2022 during an official visit to Sudan.
Thank you
and colleagues just to remind you we'll take
all opening statements on Sudan and take questions at the end.
Turning now to Matt of the UN refugee agency, who as a guest he's going to introduce
Good Morning, Rolando. Good morning, everyone.
It's my pleasure to introduce our representative in Uganda, Matthew Krenzel,
who's going to brief you on the situation in Uganda with
a particular emphasis on the recent arrivals of refugees from Sudan.
Matthew, over to you.
OK, thank you. And good morning to you all. Um,
yes, we would like to start by saying Uganda,
who is the highest number of refugees in Africa,
that is 1.67 million and still counting.
Over the past 2.5 years, about €300,000
arrivals have entered and been registered in the country.
Uganda therefore I mean is the
highest refugee hosting nation in Africa and the third in the world,
which is very significant.
Besides that, uh, Uganda has probably one of the best,
if not the best asylum regime in the world where refugees are not encamped.
Refugees are
hosted in settlements and live side by side. The host communities
uh, refugees have got a freedom of movement,
access to the labour market and all rights that
Ugandans enjoy except for the right to vote.
Uh, but this said um like I said, as I said earlier on that
there is what I can term a silent emergency happening in Uganda
where
300,000 have come
over the past 2.5 years, most of whom have come from
south Sudan and, uh, and the DRC.
We have had recent arrivals from Sudan as well.
This year alone, about 19,000
refugees have come from Sudan,
Um and with a total of about 33,000
registered in in Uganda so far,
uh, Uganda has an average of about 2500 new arrivals every week.
So there is a silent emergency.
Despite this, funding is taking a downward trend.
Uh, just to illustrate how severe the funding shortfall has been. Uh,
in 2022 the total response in Uganda
was budgeted at about 846 million.
By the end of the year,
only 294.3 million had been received,
amounting to about 30 35% of the total requirements.
And this
represented about 120 million
lower than what was received in 2022. So the situation is quite dire.
Uh, despite the increase in numbers, funding is going down.
Uh, so I I I've recently, uh,
been with, um a team of high government officials, ministers, uh, to
tour a few European capitals. I've been to alert
that the widely acclaimed and praised um,
refugee response in Uganda is at the risk of crumbling.
Um, because
losing 1 $20
million
from one year to the next is like falling off a cliff.
Um, there is only a minimum threshold
of funding that we can,
kind of accommodate below that the refugee
response and Uganda will be meaningless.
And who knows what will happen to the 1.7 nearly 1.7 million
refugees who are there?
They may end up anywhere.
Uh, last year,
as a result of the funding shortfall, WFP
had to cut
food ration to to refugees and only
was able to provide 30% of the required food ration for
80% of the of the refugee population.
That is, of the one point nearly 1.7 million 91% of them live in the settlement.
Those are the ones that require food assistance.
And I would also want to underscore the fact that
because Uganda has been hosting refugees for decades,
often many people think that the refugee situation in Uganda is protracted,
which is not the case of the nearly 1.7 million
refugees who are in the country now,
um, only
179,000 have been in the country 10 years or longer.
The rest are all new arrivals. Um,
and then they keep coming.
E, 81% of these refugees are women and Children.
Uh, so you can just imagine, um the shortage of food,
um and the consequences it has on on on these refugees. Last year, as a result of the
the reduction of the food ration, many refugees left Uganda and went to
Kenya hoping to have better services there.
By the way,
the food regime in Uganda
is the lowest
in the region,
so many of them left
hoping to to be accepted in Kenya. They were not accepted.
They had to come back in all sorts of dire conditions and
they keep going back and forth.
Suicide rates is on the high.
This year alone,
about 103 cases of suicide have been reported and we are We have not even ended May
22 of which were successful. That is unfortunate,
but we are trying to do things differently in Uganda because we don't
expect to achieve different results doing the same thing over over the years.
So we are working more and more with the refugee led organisations.
And last year, for the first time in Uganda,
UNR
signed a partnership agreement with the
Private Sector Foundation of Uganda
to encourage its members
to invest in refugee hosting areas, refugee settlements and by the way,
refugees are held in about 31 different locations settlements,
all covering an area of about 1000
162 square kilometres.
I mean, that's about two times the size of Nairobi and four times New York.
So you can just imagine
the enormity
and the generous
nature of the response
in Uganda
so more or less this is this is just a snapshot
snapshot of the
response in Uganda. Thank you.
Uh, thank you very much, Mr Kretz. So I'm going to throw it out to Jens.
Uh, who will stick? Uh, stay on the funding issue. Uh, in Sudan. Jens. Over to you.
Thank you. Rolando. Uh,
good morning, everyone.
Um also very dire statistics we heard there
from from from Uganda that suicide rate that
is very bleak. I want to make the link to where people come from, namely Sudan,
where the situation of course, is very dire as well.
We speak a lot about funding and underfunding,
but this time we we're really serious.
So let me read my note.
In Sudan, half of the population 25 million people need humanitarian aid.
Famine is closing in.
Diseases are closing in the fighting is closing in on civilians, especially in
Darfur.
The overall response plan aims to reach and
support 15 million of the worst affected people.
Collectively,
we ask for 2.7 billion American dollars.
As of today, 4.5 months into the year, we have received 12% of that.
This is not just an underfunded appeal.
It is a catastrophically underfunded appeal.
Without more resources coming in fast,
humanitarian organisations won't be able to scale up in
time to stave off famine and prevent further deprivation.
We urgently need support to bring in more food, health services, shelter,
water and sanitation,
but also for the prevention of sexual and gender based violence, help to the victims
and support for the reopening of schools for out of school Children.
Now is the time for donors to make good on pledges made
step up and help us help Sudan
and be part of changing the current trajectory
that's leading towards the cliff's edge.
Don't be missing in action.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Uh, Jans, I'm gonna now introduce on behalf of, uh WHO.
We have a guest
and Tarik is also in the room. Uh, we have a guest from WHO. Doctor
Shibli. Shabani,
Uh, who is WH OS representative
in Sudan, Who's joining us from Port Sudan.
Uh, Doctor, over
to you.
Thank you.
We sorry, You'll have to unmute yourself again. Doctor,
can you hear me? Now?
Now we can please go ahead. Thank you. Thank you very much. Good morning.
And greetings from Port Sudan.
Ladies and gentlemen, um,
13 months of war in Sudan.
9 million people displaced, which represent around 17% of the population
and the largest internal displacement crisis in the world today.
This conflict has caused hunger, as that was mentioned by my colleagues.
But it has also
caused insecurity and nearly destroyed the health system,
which is almost collapsed.
Now.
Close to
16,000 people have died and 33,000 have been injured
by the talk. But the toll of the war is probably much higher.
The recent escalation of violence in
Khartoum
in, uh, Al Jazeera in Gadda,
and particularly in, uh in Darfur, in Al Fasher.
This is particularly alarming and causing
more injuries and deaths among civilians
as access to health facilities and health services.
Health care is hampered by the subsequent insecurity.
Both the uh displaced and those who have remained in their localities.
They lack access to basic necessities like food, water,
shelter but also health care and medicines.
Wild disease like
cholera, measles, dengue fever, malaria They are all spreading
as we speak.
Now,
two thirds of the 18 states in Sudan they are experiencing
multiple outbreaks at least three ongoing outbreaks in those states.
With the approaching rainy season,
this risk will be even higher,
while trauma care and disease outbreak surveillance are among the top priorities.
W
is also concerned over the lack of treatment for
people suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes,
hypertension, heart disease and kidney failure.
The lack of access to basic healthcare and medicines is putting their lives at
risk in a country where there is a high burden of non communicable diseases.
Even before the escalation of the conflict,
non communicable diseases are counted for more than 51% of mortality in Sudan.
Around 1.4 million Sudanese people living with diabetes continue
to be at high risk of disability and death
without the proper
health care services,
and those living with kidney failure will die
if they don't receive dialysis sessions now
and at least twice a week.
On top of that, famine is looming,
especially in parts of Darfur and in
Khartoum,
with more than one third of the population facing acute hunger.
The number of under five Children and pregnant and breastfeeding women
suffering from acute malnutrition has increased from 3.9 million
in 2023 to around 4.9 million in 2024.
Attacks on health care and humanitarian workers
worsen the lack of access to health services
and put patients,
health workers, humanitarian workers and humanitarian assets at grave risk.
And here
I would like to commend the great work,
which is done by the Sudanese health workforce.
I had the
opportunity and the chance to meet with them on the field.
While they are
providing services to the vulnerable populations, they are working 24 7
and a big part of them.
They didn't even receive their salaries for the last 12 months.
They need our support and they need our protection.
Who has recorded 62 verified attacks on health care.
We noted that many other international humanitarian law
violations as it was mentioned by my colleague,
but also attacks
are
not reported due to communication challenges.
Only recently, two ICRC
national staff and one
IFRC volunteer
were killed in attacks
in central Darfur and North Cordovan,
and recently two Children being cared for intensive
care units of a hospital in Al Fasher
died due to impacts of an explosion near the facility.
Such insecurity, in addition to bureaucratic orders,
continue to block humanitarian access,
leading to long waits for movement of supplies
and personnel where they are urgently needed.
But despite these challenges,
W
A's
determination to respond to the health emergency remains intact.
We've increased our footprints in the country
and we continue to actively engage with the Sudan Ministry
of Health and Health Partners to provide technical expertise,
training, provision of supplies and equipment to where they are needed,
including in hard to reach areas.
We have delivered into Sudan over 100
metric tonnes of medical supplies to health facilities
across Sudan states,
by air and through cross border and cross line modalities.
We've provided key equipments to sustain laboratory services, improve the
ICU care and enhance infection prevention and control.
We supported vaccination campaigns and stabilisation centres for malnutrition.
We responded to outbreaks of cholera, measles and polio,
and trained health workers in case management of epidemic prone diseases.
In a crisis setting
and in the management of severe malnutrition,
WO stand ready to do more
and utilise all available avenues to reach
the most vulnerable populations across Sudan.
But we need assurances of security
for our staff, for all health staff and supplies.
We also call on our partners and donors to continue to stand with us
to meet the needs of the people of Sudan.
Above all,
we call on parties to the conflict to silence the
guns and give the people of Sudan a respite.
Health cannot be assured in the absence of peace.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Uh, doctor, uh, before we go to questions just, uh,
to note that through his remarks to the
summit of the League of Arab States yesterday,
the Secretary General,
Antonio Guterres,
uh,
did raise the situation in Sudan at that event and
urged the international community to intense its push for peace.
And he called on the warring parties
to agree on a lasting ceasefire which would need to be followed by political process
that includes women's and youth groups.
That statement, uh, we shared with you yesterday.
We have a wealth of expertise up your colleague.
So if you could kindly point your question to, uh, one or two,
different speakers here,
we'll start off online. Catherine of Franz VK.
Online question to you.
Uh, thank you, Rolando. Thank you. For, um, the speakers. Uh uh.
My question is for Mr Matthew. Uh, Krenzel,
uh, who spoke about, um Uganda.
Uh, sir, Um, could you please tell us who are the main, um,
donors
who have been the main donors until now.
And you told us about a minimum,
uh, of amount needed. In order to keep, um, your actions
going, could you tell us how much it
should be?
Um, as, um, you, um you are missing or you already missing. 120 million.
If I'm not wrong, compared to, um 2022.
Um and and and? And that's it for the moment. Thank you, sir.
Ok, thanks, Catherine.
Thank you for your questions. Um,
the US is by far the biggest donor
to the refugee operation in Uganda and followed by the EU.
We have several European countries also are contributing Denmark,
Germany,
the Netherlands,
the EU Commission echo the Japan
and so on and so forth. So we have.
We have quite a long list of donors and we have some private donors as well,
contributing to the refugee response
in Uganda
talking about the minimum budget. Like I said 2022 we needed
for the entire refugee response. That is not unic
alone. The Uganda Country refugee response needed
846 million. We only got 35% of it
this year. We would need
858 million. As the numbers go up as we speak now, only 13% of that is funded.
So
to talk of a critical minimum, um,
to give a figure now at a time when the numbers are going up will be quite misleading.
But just wanted to illustrate to you that
if we are able to get
about 50 70% of the requirements, I will be able to
implement a more meaningful refugee response
in Uganda, even though we do not cover all the needs.
We are also
trying to address the funding shortfall by doing things different,
working
more and more with refugee led organisations
who are much cheaper than other partners,
as well as encouraging the private sector
to invest in refugee hosting areas
and also stepping up livelihood and self reliance activities for refugees Was
that is that is that would be a huge plus.
The more self reliant they are,
the more they will be able to cover many of their needs,
and the less and less they would have to depend on humanitarian assistance.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Ok. Uh, Katherine is that, uh, follow up.
Your hand is still up there. Quick. Follow up.
Yes,
Uh,
quick. Uh, follow up. Thank you, Rolando.
Um uh, uh, sir. Who in fact, you you said that there is a decrease of of donations, but,
um, is it due to the fact that the US did decrease the amount
or, uh, which, uh, main donor did decrease his donations?
Um, yes.
There has been a reduction of donation from the US and being the biggest donor, Um,
means if we have a significant reduction from the US, um,
it affects the entire budget.
Um, we've had other reductions also
from from many of the other donors. Um,
but let me also quickly add that in 2022 when we had the peak of arrivals,
there was a spike in donations.
And that is why I mentioned that.
Because since then, 300,000, uh, have come in, uh,
elsewhere. This will be big deals.
Uh, we are even contemplating launching an appeal for that because
the straw
trickles add up. Um,
so more or less, I hope this satisfies your question.
Otherwise, we can still go into more details. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Ok, we'll take a question from Jeremy of Radio France International.
Jeremy
Orlando. Thank you. Uh, two questions, actually. One for Jens and one for doctors.
Spai.
Um, the one for Jens is, um uh, of course. Uh, we're talking about Sudan.
Uh, record number of, uh uh, ID PS.
Uh, attacks on healthcare's famine looming.
It rings a bell for everyone here.
Uh, I guess, uh, but I I it's hard to imagine that How can the place be even worse,
uh, than than Gaza right now.
But it seems that in terms of scale, Sudan is much, much worse.
And 20 12% only, uh, funding. That's what you said
uh, how much hope do you have that in the coming month?
Uh, something will change. And And donors will actually jump in,
uh, to cover the gap, because it seems really, uh, unlikely.
Uh, as of now, So So what can be done? How much hope do you have? Th This is for
Y the the The next question for Mr
Salani is, uh
you you you you talked about, uh, cholera, Uh, and and disease spreading, uh,
right now and how it could be worse with the rainy season coming,
Uh,
I'd like to understand what is Maybe the the
the the number one disease right now spreading.
Is it, uh, measles? You talk about
malaria? Uh, you You, You You talked about cholera.
So can you elaborate a bit more on the the the facts and figures, uh,
on disease spreading and particularly, maybe cholera.
Thanks so much, Jeremy. OK, we'll start with Jens.
Yeah, thank you very much.
Many of the issues on the humanitarian side are indeed
the same.
The scale of need in both places. You mentioned Gaza and here Sudan,
I think, are uniquely high for those two places
individually,
right?
Of course, If you look at absolute numbers of people in need,
Sudan is just a bigger country,
more populous country.
So that's where you get these very high numbers.
So
I think they are both at probably the worst point that they have been at for decades
in
both these situations.
Secondly,
about hope
that the funding will
come in.
Of course we have hope. We don't think we have determination.
We have the determination to keep on
pushing for what we know is right
and what we have frankly heard.
Donors
pledge
that they also think is right
money for the response.
Now the data unfortunately tells me today that that money has not arrived.
We are still at 12%.
Given that we are staring famine,
not we people in Sudan are staring famine in the face that
money needs to be released and get into the accounts of aid
organisations who can make a difference as soon as possible because there
is a pipeline before we can get things up and moving,
you can't just do it from one day to the next.
There is
a
time
it needs to be mobilised. So that's why I mentioned that time is of the essence.
The clock is ticking.
I don't know what other cliches I can put on it,
but it really is urgent that that funding comes through.
Thanks so much. Jans.
Doctor
Sabani on the cholera and measles.
Yeah. Thank you. Uh, thank you very much for, uh, for the question.
Now, actually, as I mentioned that, um,
the disease outbreaks is a big concern for WHO.
And for the different, um, health partners.
Uh, just to give you a few figures, uh, with regards to the ongoing outbreaks.
Um uh, measles. We are, uh we've recorded, uh, 4668
uh, cases with 106 deaths.
Um, for cholera over 11,000.
Um, uh, cases in, uh, more than 12 states with,
the, um deaths 308
for malaria. It's normal. The the the cases are much higher. We have 1 million 0.27
cases over 14. Uh, states.
Now, the issue is that,
uh, we have actually two issues. The first one, the rainy season is coming.
So the what we call the vector
borne diseases, uh,
will increase definitely with mosquitoes and the the the the
quality of water and so on and so forth.
But the second thing is also the lack of access during the rainy season.
So we will not have the same possibility of having access.
In addition, of course, to the security concerns and the bureaucratic impediments
and so on access will be limited due, um, to, uh, to the rainy season.
So now what has to be done first to to increase the surveillance.
And this is another challenge that we have on the ground.
Um Is the access again access and access and access again?
The second is to build the capacity of
the different partners to improve our surveillance system,
including the minister of health,
but also the other partners who are who are on the ground.
And the other thing is to be proactive rather than to treat the cases.
But how we can prevent how we can distribute the mosquito nets, how we can, uh,
improve the quality of water
to, um, to prevent cholera spread
and so on and so forth. So I think,
um, this will be one of the challenges in the in the coming, uh, in the coming period,
but WHO is already on that.
Working with our partners, um, to be, uh, ready to prevent and to respond to any, uh,
disease outbreak
over
here.
Thank you very much, Doctor Sabani.
We still have a few hands up, starting with Lisa Schlein, the Voice of America. Lisa?
Yes. Good morning, Rolando. Thank you.
Uh, Ravina I first have a quest
question for you.
Um, I'd like to know, What did the generals say to the, uh,
high commissioner's plea to have them?
Deescalated? Uh, the conflict in
Darfur.
Uh, does he get a sense? Do you get a sense that they even care about what happens
to their people?
a And, uh, a a After we're through with, uh, Sudan,
I'd like to ask you a couple of questions on Sri Lanka, if I may.
And then I would like to know perhaps, uh, matter your your, uh,
representative can answer this question.
I'm wondering whether,
any or archa whether any transfers of, uh
uh, assistance is possible from Chad into Darfur or whether that has
been completely cut off. Uh, right now
and then, whoever can answer the question as to do you have any figures
as to how many people may have actually starved
to death. You say that, uh, famine has hit,
so I'm wondering how you're tracking this. Thank you.
OK, starting with Ravina.
Thanks, Lisa.
Um, as I always say to you, I, I am a spokesperson for the High Commissioner.
So I can't speak on behalf of the two generals.
Um, but I can share a little bit of of what the conversation was.
Now,
the High Commissioner has been seeking a conversation with both General Burhan
and General de Gallo for a long time now.
He's reached out to them since August last year.
They finally did agree to a phone call and he
had separate phone call with with each of them.
He raised, of course, the his deep distress at the situation in Sudan.
As you know, the high commissioner was there.
I was with him in November 2022 when the situation looked very different.
There was a lot of hope.
We met with a lot of young people's courageous, articulate, brilliant
young people,
particularly women who were taking to the streets and
fighting for freedom full of hope and optimism.
And it was a very delicate situation at the time.
So the High Commissioner expressed his deep distress that it has come to this now.
And he appealed to both generals to put the
interests of the people first to resume peace negotiations
to ensure that people have access to adequate humanitarian assistance,
to not block humanitarian assistance,
to ensure that their troops and their allied forces
fully respect international humanitarian law and human rights law.
To insist on accountability,
to send out messages that there has to be
zero tolerance for sexual violence for attacks against civilians.
In response,
each of them acknowledged the importance
of respecting international humanitarian law.
General Burhan also indicated that, uh, he would facilitate visas for our staff.
We we currently only have one, international staff member in Port Sudan.
And, uh, we are hoping to get visas for more staff to be able to go in.
And for the High commissioner's designated expert on Sudan
to be able to go in as well,
thank you so much, Ravina Uh, Matt,
Thanks, Lisa, on the question of cross border from
Chad going into Darfur and Sudan
at
the moment, the last information that we had from
UNHCR was that
aid was not able to go across the border.
The situation is, of course, extremely fluid.
And with other partners we would hope
that the situation would allow for aid to
pass through because we know that it's desperately needed
inside Darfur. We've just heard about
the incredibly worrying spectre of famine.
We know that people
are stuck in
Al
Facia
and we have We believe that many more people would flee if they could.
But already
in Chad on the border, the situation is extremely grim.
The country has already hosted
between 506 100,000
refugees from Sudan,
taking the overall refugee population there to over 1 million.
And the pressure is acute on Chad and particularly at those border areas. Now.
Thank you, Matt.
Maybe we'll we'll go to our WHO colleague, uh, on the last question But before So, um,
I think Ravina wanted to add one point
Just giving Lisa a tip. Um, General de Gallo has a Twitter account. Um, an X account.
So if you want to see what he conveyed to the High Commissioner, go there.
Ok, thanks for that. Uh, rovina,
uh, Doctor
sabani maybe on the issue of famine.
Uh, Matt just touched upon that, of course, as I as did other colleagues.
But maybe you want to add,
uh, a bit more on this. Thank you.
Yes, Um, thank you. Just on the, uh, famine one.
actually, it's very difficult to say how many people, uh, died due to, uh,
malnutrition.
But I can give you some figures regarding the situation that we have now
is, uh, 37% of the population are in i PC three or above,
and also 3.6% acute malnutrition and
36.4 chronic malnutrition among the population.
So these figures are really high.
And you know that the UN system, um,
as a whole in Sudan developed the famine prevention plan,
which we can call now even famine response plan.
Um, targeting 7.6
million, uh, million people for the coming six months in 167.
Um, uh uh, Localities in in Sudan.
Um, so we think that there are here two issues. The first one is due to war.
There is a lack of access to, uh to food which will worsen the the famine situation.
But the second point is that
due to lack of access and lack of,
um, enough resources,
we will not be able to implement the stabilisation centres for, uh,
malnutrition in many areas.
Including, as I said before,
uh, the main hotspots, which are
Khartoum
and the, uh, and the Darfur
over.
Thank you very much. Uh, Doctor
Sabani. OK, we still have a couple of questions. Laurents,
Swiss news agencies online.
Laurent.
Yeah, Thanks, Rolando. Thank you for taking my question. A follow up to, uh, Ravina,
um a few months ago,
Martin Griffiths had made a suggestion that the two generals might meet in order to
try to progress on the humanitarian access that had led to the conference in Paris.
So was there any kind of
good offices discussion also by the High Commissioner on
some steps that he himself to improve the
the situation of human rights might, uh, might do, uh, uh, with the two generals.
Thank you.
The High Commissioner appealed to each of them to resume peace negotiations,
and he made clear to them what their obligations are
under international human rights law and under international humanitarian law.
And he asked them to take specific concrete measures and publicly
to commit to trying to bring this conflict to an end
and to prevent it from escalating further.
Thank you very much. OK, One more question. Paula of Geneva Solutions. Paula.
Sorry.
Uh, yes. Good morning. Um, I actually the question is rather about, uh,
Afghanistan. Um,
and since, uh, since Jens is there, uh, and I don't know if there are any other.
Yeah, let's let's, uh, before we go to Afghanistan, let's finish up with Sudan.
We still have a couple of hands up.
So, Paula, if you wouldn't mind holding off on that,
um, and we'll come right back to a promise.
Um, Laurent, I think you had a follow up to the previous question you posed.
Go ahead.
yeah, yeah. Actually, yeah.
The question was also to to see whether there was any kind of proposal for a
meeting, Uh, between the two generals, that could happen in Geneva and and that, uh,
the High Commissioner could have
re reiterated the importance of, uh, such format.
Uh,
if you're asking if the High Commissioner specifically proposed a joint meeting,
uh, with the two generals?
No, that wasn't part of the conversation.
Thank you.
Thank you. Very.
And of course, if there are any developments on this,
we'll we'll certainly let you all know.
Uh, Lisa, is that, uh, on Sudan? Go ahead. Or is this on Sri Lanka?
It's on SR i Lanka.
If the situation in Sudan has been exhausted, let's Let's see,
Let's before we go to that subject, let's just make sure of that.
I see that Sudan, uh, has been exhausted, so thank you all very much.
Uh, this is an immensely important subject and
which deserves a lot of attention. So thank you colleagues for reporting on this,
Lisa, uh, Sri Lanka and then over to you afterwards on Afghanistan. Paula.
But Lisa first.
Thank you,
Rovina. Uh
uh
Do do you have any kind of a figure on
how many people have actually disappeared? Still remain
disappeared over the past few decades.
I didn't get a sense that there was any kind of
a concrete fi figure in that regard from the report.
And then, uh, have any people been
prosecuted and held accountable? The only thing that
I had read and, uh, I certainly don't didn't read it carefully enough.
Is that one person actually had been prosecuted for crimes.
Uh, that had been committed.
But that this person had been pardoned had
is is this correct? Or has has there been any effort at all to bring any kind of
accountability to any of the people that, uh, have
allegedly committed crimes throughout the decades? And, uh, then,
uh, let's see, Yeah, uh, my usual question and I ask it again,
is, uh, this is quite a fulsome report.
Uh, there have been many,
uh, in the, uh, several in the past. What has the government's response been
to this report? Has it acknowledged, uh, many of, uh, the what do you say the
the the accusations or the information that is implicit inside the report?
Or, uh, is there just a sense of denial? Denial, denial. Thank you.
Thanks, Lisa. That's quite a few questions.
I hope I can answer them all on the figures.
No,
I mean, there are reports that at a minimum,
tens of thousands were forcibly disappeared in SR I Lanka from
the 19 seventies until the end of the conflict in 2009.
But there aren't any authoritative figures
on the number of enforced disappearances?
No. And anyway, uh, what I'm here, What I'm seeing here from colleagues.
All the figures that have been shared publicly
are likely to represent a significant underrepresentation.
on the government's response. Um,
generally, there appears to be a lack of political will
to provide accountability for these cases.
There are a lot of recurring obstacles to accountability.
Frequent unwillingness on the part of the police
to receive complaints, delays in the justice system,
conflicts of interest at the Attorney General's Office.
Reparation programmes have not been developed
with sufficient consultation with victims.
And, uh,
successive commissions of inquiry have been created by the government.
But only a few of these reports have been made public,
and even when they are published, access has usually been limited.
we are continuing, of course,
to insist that people need to know what happened to their loved ones.
Um, it doesn't matter if a year has passed. 20 years have passed. 30 years have passed
you.
You still live with that every day that that uncertainty of what happened,
how did it happen?
I'll quote one of the victims families who said two weeks passed
then two months then two years now, it has been 32 years and I am still waiting.
And this was regarding an inquiry about his son, who disappeared 32 years ago.
We can't forget. We are now marking 15 years since the end of the conflict.
And there's been a lot of activities in Sri
Lanka on memorialization of the end of the conflict
and even there, rather than, you know,
facilitating a proper memorialization of all the pain
and the suffering that occurred during that time.
We are seeing that there are
reports of criminalization of memorialization efforts
as well and restrictions on this and this needs to stop.
And a genuine effort needs to be made to actually address this situation.
Thank you very much. Uh, Ravina,
OK, I think maybe to be fair, Paul,
if you don't mind waiting Jamie had his hand up early on and has a question on Gaza.
So let's let's take that question first.
And then, uh, we can go back to you on Afghanistan, Jamie, over to you.
Thanks, Rolando. Actually,
in the mean In the meantime, I actually have a question about Sudan as well.
For, uh, for Ravina. If I could,
um, Ravina,
could you just, um, qualify the response?
Um, of the high Commissioner after his phone calls with de Gallo and with Burhan
did he when he hung up the phone after those conversations, Did he say, Did he think
oh, maybe we're making progress here,
that maybe that these these two leaders are receptive
to his appeal that he could come away more positively after that?
Is there any sign that he had that?
Maybe they are willing to step away from this violence. And
I mean,
you mentioned the bit about how there's maybe
a visa available to UN staff additional,
But can you be a little bit more sort of sweeping about, uh,
the overall tenor of these conversations and whether or not
there's actually they they led the HC to have
a little more hope that this might might end.
That is a very difficult question, Jamie.
Um, it would be inappropriate of me to share, of course,
the the high commissioner's feelings and reactions after the call, Um,
in in great detail.
the visa issue is an important one.
the High Commissioner did ask for his designated experts to get access to Sudan.
Um, as well as for more of our staff to get access.
Um, and that was a positive outcome of the call.
Um, that we we may be able to receive, um, these visas and that was, you know,
immediately communicated to the High Commissioner
that this would be facilitated.
Um, so that is positive.
As you know, it's very important for us to be on the ground to be able to cover
such important crises more closely.
beyond that,
it was very important for the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights to directly speak
to the parties to the conflict to
remind them of their obligations under international law
to remind them also of command responsibility in relation to the violations that we
are documenting both by the rapid support forces and by the Sudanese armed forces.
Thank you very much. Uh, Ravina. OK, we'll, um Now, take your question.
Unless there are further questions on
this is what subject? Just shout out, uh,
Gaza,
Sudan. Ok, let's Taha, let's let's go to Sudan first.
Thank you,
Ronaldo.
I
have a question for, uh, Ravina. Is there any commitment from General Burhan
and
Heti about humanitarian access. If so,
how can High Commissioner for Human Rights follow up on this commitment
again? It's not for me to convey what they said.
It's for me to convey what the high Commissioner insisted on. So
Yeah, I I'm afraid I can't convey you know,
a commitment by by by the generals themselves.
But the High Commissioner did insist on their responsibility. Indeed.
Their obligation
under international law
to facilitate humanitarian access for all who need it.
Did you? Was there a second part to your question? Sorry.
Thats
it,
uh, on Sudan. Taha.
Yeah, Go ahead. Let's let's get to Sudan all the way.
Go ahead.
Said that 25 million Sudanese are in need.
Have you been able to reach those who are in need
specifically who are in occupied
area by
in
jazeera Al
Fashir,
right? I mean, the the the over.
We have reached a number of of of of people with various forms of aid. I.
I will just look up the exact number of of of of of people that I that I think I have.
But it's
far from far from where it should be, So it is sporadic. It's not sustained
and it is difficult to plan for
because you need to have ensured access before you can even start planning.
for that I I we heard an example from the humanitarian Coordinator there,
Um, a couple of days ago, where she spoke about a convoy
with aid that we probably would have liked to have crossed the border from Chad,
which would have been much easier into
fascia. But that's not possible. So that set out
on 3rd April from Port Sudan trying
to reach
Fo.
And six weeks now, later it still hasn't reached
because of all the impediments and the fighting on the way.
So that goes to tell you that in a sense,
the response is opportunistic in the sense that
if there is an opportunity for access,
cross line, cross border and so on, of course we will. We will grab it
and try to get to people and deliver as much
aid as we possibly can.
But it's very,
very difficult to plan if you don't have that kind
of minimum guarantee that you at least can go there.
And now the tragedy comes in
when you do have that access
and then you look at where is the aid? And then you look at a budget that's 12% funded,
right?
So we need these things to
to work together.
We know the donors are not going to give us the access.
The generals are going to give us the access if their intentions,
as we have heard also from in the past
that they want to live up to international law actually triggers it down,
trickles down the structures to the commanders on the
ground because those are the ones who stop us.
It's not the generals,
those commanders.
They need to understand this as well.
And then we need the donors to help us with the resources.
Great. Thank you, Jens. OK, I think. Now, um, Sudan,
there are no further questions on Sudan.
So we'll we'll go back to you, Jamie, quickly for
your question on Gaza and then to you. And yes,
Jamie.
Yeah, I'm sorry. I did want to go back to Gaza, and this question is for Jens.
Um, so we had a pretty thorough, um, if sometimes unclear, uh,
explanation of the new numbers about that OCHA is using to,
um that is received out of Gaza about,
uh, the the casualties from, um in the wake of the operations of the last few months.
And my question really is just about, um, you know how O
a for many months has been talking? About roughly 70% of,
uh, the the casualties have been women and Children.
and I'm just wondering if those numbers have now changed
if that percentage has changed based on your latest assessment
and
if so to what? Thank you so much, Jen.
Thank you, Jamie. OK, let's take another round on that.
The overall numbers did not change.
First of all, the amount of people the number of people who died was the same.
The question of the percentage of people in various categories did change between
what was recorded by the Government Media Office and the Ministry of Health.
Of course, we used the Ministry of Health as the best
available source
source on this kind of data.
The government media office was used for a short for a brief period
in November December when the Minister of Health told us they
were unable to provide us with those details for various reasons.
When they came back
online So did we,
because we provide the best available data at the time of reporting.
The two numbers are not,
or the two percentages are therefore not mutually exclusive because one
pertains to the 35,000 that the government media office is using.
It's not because that they are using a higher
death toll because the death toll is the same.
If you look at the report,
the most recent report that we have put out the percentages,
you will see there are those that are provided by the Ministry of
Health on the subset of 25,000 people that they have been able to fully
identify. Verify with date of birth,
date of death,
gender and ID number.
That's a full identification
of the person.
So if you are asking me about what percentages we are using now,
then please have a look at that.
At
that graphic, you will see there is a percentage for women.
There is a percentage for Children,
and then there is because that's how the Ministry of Health provides these numbers.
There is a category of elderly that is not gender disaggregated,
so you can add up those numbers that
does not take away from another reporting source,
the government media office,
which has an indication also that they use about
the number of women and Children out of the total death toll. So these two
numbers of ways of looking at it can
exist simultaneously without contradicting each other.
We as
use the Ministry of Health numbers, as you will see in our most recent reports.
Because it is, as we also heard from our colleagues in
just recently,
the
better option. It's simply better data. It's more solid.
Thank you.
Thanks to you, Jens, for that clarification.
Uh, and yes,
Yes. Thank you. This is a question to Jens on Gaza.
We are looking to have some information about the people who are fleeing
from Rafah.
If you have any figure about that number of people
fleeing Rafah from which part of Rafah are they leaving?
Are they fleeing?
It seems that they are fleeing from a number of increased number of areas
or a higher number of areas that Israel has asked to be evacuated.
And where are they going? Thank you.
Oh, dear.
The latest number that I have total was 600,000.
This is sourced to,
So I recommend that you check with them for an
update on that On the total displacement from Rafa,
we have also seen from the first evacuation orders that were given to today.
There's been an additional set of evacuation orders for more areas in Rafah
and people are moving on them as as we've talked about at length here.
People are terrified and they try to get away.
They are generally moving north and north west,
towards towards the coast where they have been told to go.
This is
very hard in the sense that
there is no safe routes out of
Rafah
and there's certainly no safe destination anywhere in Gaza
For these people.
We have as a humanitarian
operators on the ground
been moving as well
staff towards
the north,
trying to be where people are because regardless of
whether we think this movement is good or bad,
when people de facto
and in effect move, of course we try to be as close to them as possible to provide
them with assistance.
But for the latest number,
let's
I suggest you check with
it will be in our reporting later, later in the day.
Yeah, Thanks, Jen.
Of course, these these figures are fluctuating greatly,
so we can also help facilitate that, uh, through UN R.
is that, uh, Emma? Is that a Gaza related question
or
opt?
Yes,
Yes, please. Let's do that. Go ahead.
Thank you. Um,
hoping for an update on medical supplies into Gaza. Uh, por
and gave us a briefing saying if Rafah crossing was closed,
that mean meant no medical supplies into Gaza.
What is the current situation and anything on the hospitals?
Uh, given that there was a key dialysis unit in one of the Rafa hospitals. Thank you.
The
XMO.
Tariq is joining us on the podium here.
Thank you. Thank you for this question. Indeed, the
closing of
Rafah crossing closure of that crossing is
is putting us at a difficult situation when it comes to
movement of people,
medical workers, rotation of UN staff and emergency medical team stuff.
But more importantly, also on the supplies We didn't have any supplies
coming. The last medical supplies that we got in Gaza
was before May 6th.
The biggest real issue right now is fuel
health facilities. Health partners need
somewhere between 1.4 to 1.8 million litres of fuel per month
to have hospitals functioning.
There was only 159,000 litres of fuel that entered
Rafah
for all humanitarian partners. And that's clearly not sufficient.
And I don't have to remind you, what does it mean of not having fuel in hospitals?
There is only 13 out of 36 hospitals
that are partially functioning right now in Gaza.
If you don't have fuel, you can't really
run generators. And if you don't have electricity,
people who are on critical support in intensive care units are at risk.
You can't perform C sections
on pregnant women. You can't really.
You can't really do surgeries and you can't really maintain
in life the new bones as well.
Just
to tell you that, for example, that Kamal Adwan
and Al Adwar Hospital
in north Gaza are also difficult to access
and health partners from Meg medical teams had to suspend their movements
to the north.
So obviously this is again getting really
critical hospitals that are still functioning,
running out of fuel, and that puts so many lives at a danger. So we again appeal
for
access. First of all, and then, obviously
our appeal that current military operations in
Rafah are putting countless lives at risk.
Thank you very much, Tarik.
OK, lots of hands are popping up now, Emma, let's just go back to you to
see if this is a quick follow up. Because we have a few other really quick follow
up,
uh
Al
Najar Hospital in Rafah where there's that key dialysis unit.
And there was a warning of people dying if it was abandoned,
which I understand it has been.
What's the update on that? Please
look, as I said, there is There is a risk, really, that
there are.
There are hospitals that fall within blocks of what is under evacuation order.
And that's five hospitals, two in Rafah and three in the north of Gaza.
Nine primary health centres, including four in Rafah and five in North Gaz.
So
if these hospitals are to stop functioning, then obviously
people, we will lose more lives.
MSF had
had to
leave the Indonesian
Field Hospital a few days ago, so we are in a situation first.
We don't have medical supplies, we don't have a fuel.
We have hospitals that are under vacation order
we have a situation where we cannot move physically,
but also emergency medical team.
And let me just remind you there
are 18 emergency medical teams from different countries
that are doing great work in trying to help health workers of Gaza.
And
these
health workers from emergency medical teams from international
also need to do rotations, and we need to rotate stuff. But let's not forget
the people of Gaza who have nowhere to go.
So we are really in a critical situation, trying to do the best we can.
But obviously, if there are military operations, if there is no access,
we will just see more suffering.
We will have more lives being lost,
and we will be
sitting here again in a few days' time and next week and
just producing again our appeals. But we hope that one day,
and sooner than better, these appeals will be heard.
Indeed, that's the hope.
Still, a couple of hands up, perhaps on Gaza. I think Jamie is a follow up. Go ahead.
Thank you. Uh, thank you. Rolando and I do have a follow up,
yen for yens. The, um
the United States that the floating pier has,
uh I know we've been talking about it for some time,
but it's actually getting operational today, So I'd like to update, um,
the question about the United Nations response to the fact that,
uh, there is going to be aid flowing across that pier.
Um, as many as 100 and 50 trucks per day. Um,
is that a help? Do you welcome that?
And then, um, just a second quick question on that.
Is it your understanding that fuel, as Tarik just mentioned
fuel, will also possibly be flowing through that route as well to get to Gaza?
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Jamie.
It
gives me an opportunity to
read you the lines that I have on that.
first of all,
it is welcome.
And I think everyone in the operation has said any and
all aid into Gaza is welcome by any by any route,
but it is an addition,
and it doesn't take away from the fact that land crossings will be more important.
But let me just tell you what I have on this floating dock
that we read about in the news.
We,
as the UN are finalising our operational plans to make sure that
we are ready to handle aid once the floating dock is properly functioning
while ensuring the safety of our staff.
Community awareness and acceptance is paramount to ensure
the safety and security of this operation.
We are grateful for the efforts of Cyprus supported by other member states
to sustain this maritime corridor as an additional route for aid to Gaza.
However,
getting aid to people they need into and across Gaza
cannot and should not depend on a floating dock.
Far from where needs are most acute
land routes are the most viable, effective and efficient aid delivery method,
which is why we need all crossing points
to be opened.
I also, if I may just convey a few points from WFP.
The plan is for logistics cluster
managed by WFP on behalf of the UN and the humanitarian community
to facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance coming from the floating dock.
This will involve the co ordination of the arrival
of empty trucks overseeing the loading and transfer of commodities
coming through the loading dock to the trucks and the
dispatch to warehouses across Gaza and finally hand over to humanitarian
partners.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. I think
T
you wanted at one point
on the previous
I think
I asked
about Al
Najar so that that truly falls. Najar
Hospital and
you
United Arab Emirates Hospital Field Hospital are also within
this Eva
or
territory. And that's 352 beds in total. So 220 Al
Najar and 96
in
U A
and 36 beds in the Kuwaiti hospital. So all these beds and capacity
would be lost if health workers and teams have to leave that.
And obviously patients would then
pay the heaviest price.
Indeed. OK, I think we have, uh I haven't forgot about you, Paula and Afghanistan.
Mohammed of Ando.
Is this on
Gaza?
Yes. Thank you, Orlando. My question for Atari
is about an
hospital in Gaza.
Yesterday it was reported that a European Gaza hospital in Khan
was out of service due to lack of fuel.
Many officials have repeated the state that this is a hospital,
a lifeline for civilians.
Uh, my question is, what will happen to this hospital And, uh, it and its patients Uh,
is there a plan for them?
Thank you.
Thanks. Mohammed. Well, I
think what I said earlier applies to every hospital.
Basically hospitals, they need fuel.
If they don't have a fuel, there is no electricity, There is no electricity.
Then
the machines that are used to save lives cannot function. So what is happening now?
The hospitals are running out of fuel rationing
to try to keep some minimal services.
But if we don't get access to bring this fuel,
then obviously people who need dialysis.
As I said, people in intensive care units, newborns in incubators,
surgeries that are needed will not be able
to be performed. So we really need fuel. And we need a
that space within Gaza to be able to move even if we get things.
And we have been keeping
saying this that bringing supplies inside Gaza is just part of the process.
The other part of the process is to
be able to freely move
and not be delayed at checkpoints,
not having our emissions within Gaza being denied.
So we need this humanitarian space,
and above all we need we need a ceasefire.
So this horror finally ends.
Absolutely. Thank you very much, Tarik. Ok,
I think now we have exhausted, uh, questions on Gaza.
So
we'll turn back to you, Paul. And thank you for your patience.
A question on Afghanistan?
Yes. Thank you.
Um, so, uh, my question is really, uh, to know which organisations are,
uh, currently on the ground in Afghanistan following the flooding, um,
in the north and who are able to access those,
uh, those victims and where
Maybe
I think I'm nodding to Jens who might have information.
In the meantime, I'm looking for some notes, but Jens,
I don't know if you have some information.
Unsurprisingly, I don't know off the top of my head,
but I will be happy to either get you in touch with our people in Afghanistan or
look it up for you.
Of course, we can certainly get that information.
And thanks again for your patience.
I
think
Matt
from
Has something Go ahead.
Thanks for your question.
I
have a brief update that I can give.
Joint assessment teams are deploying
at
the moment to the affected areas
in Pakistan to sorry in Afghanistan to determine the impact of the floods,
the humanitarian needs, of course, and to identify families in need
to date over 3000 people have been
assessed revealing 845 homes have been fully damaged
and over 1000 severely damaged
with partners. UNHCR has been bringing in
clothes for many households tents, of course as well.
And the distribution started
on 15 May
with the delivery of emergency tents and non food item kits.
With our protection partners in the country,
we've mobilised to identify
the most urgent cases that need interventions.
And we have followed up and we will follow up
more with those partners where the needs are most acute.
I think that's the main update that we have for now.
But obviously, we're keeping a very close eye
on the situation and working as hard as we can to identify
the most acute needs and intervene where we can
thank you very much. T,
Go ahead.
Uh, no, just, uh
I know that my colleague Christian uh
uh did, uh, men. What WHO is is is doing in
a
right now, so I'll just maybe repeat a few lines on that,
Uh, that, uh uh uh WHO
has delivered seven metric tonnes of essential
medicines and medical supplies and immediately deployed
surveillance support teams and other experts to the flood response activities.
Prior to that, W
had already provided enough medication for pneumonia,
acute watery diarrhoea and malnutrition to treat about 20,000
people, plus supplies for 500 trauma cases.
17 mobile health teams were deployed by who
and health cluster to support delivery of healthcare
and to aid in rescue and response operations in affected villages and districts.
I will send notes, and there will be all these details
would be much appreciated. Thank you very much to you both.
Uh, Paula, is that a quick follow up on Afghanistan? Go ahead.
Yes, it is. Uh,
so just just wondering a question for for anyone who can answer, um, how
complicated it is, um, to actually get, uh, licences, uh, to deliver those A I DS,
um you know, I've heard that, uh,
you know, that's been some
a
bit of a stumbling point in this, you know, latest, uh, emergency.
I don't have any information on difficulties with licences.
The only details I have are the ones that I provided,
and we have been able to get access so far with partners.
And obviously we're hoping to bring in much more assistance as soon as we can.
Thank you. Uh, Matt, Um,
OK, I don't see further comments,
so thank you again for addressing the situation in Afghanistan,
which continues to be dire.
So thank you again.
Um, we're going to, uh,
signal our colleagues from the ITU to join us. Uh, join me here on the podium.
And while you're making your way up here, I should mention that, uh,
indeed, this is, uh, the announcements we'll hear from our colleagues from the ITU.
Is in connection with,
uh, World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, which is today.
And, uh, maybe just, uh, really quickly to start This, uh, part of the se, uh,
segment off is to draw your attention to the secretary General's message,
which we did share with you earlier.
Um, and of course,
this day is an opportunity to celebrate the power
of communication tools to change lives for the better.
This year's theme highlights the key role of digital
innovation and promoting sustainable development and achieving the STGS
that, uh, statement was shared with you. That message rather was shared with you
so happy to turn over to, uh, David of ITU. We'll announce our guests.
Certainly I only add a relative to your statement that, uh, at four o'clock today,
in the afternoon, there will be
a virtual video event from, uh,
taking place at IT US Studios that's available online.
Information on that is available on the IT website.
Um, and connected with this is the theme of, uh,
digital technologies and sustainable development.
We have two guests with us today to to
discuss events taking place the week after next.
While the two events are distinct,
there is that common thread of using
digital technology to support sustainable development.
Uh, with us is Gitanjali
Shaw,
who's a strategy and policy coordinator at ITU
to discuss the World Summit on the Information
Society Wiis Plus 20 Forum high-level event,
which takes place, uh, the full week of 27 to 31st of May,
and it's split in location between the International Conference Centre, Geneva
and ITU headquarters.
We also have Frederick Werner,
who's the head of strategic engagement at
IT U's Telecommunications and Standardisation Bureau,
to talk about the A I for good global summit,
including a I Governments governance Day that's taking
place on the 29th through the 31st of May
um, at C IC G.
We sent out a release yesterday on a I governance day. Um,
and on a T US media centre,
you'll have releases as well on with us and a I for good that have been put out earlier.
Media accreditation is open and urged, uh, for both events.
I would note that, uh, one credential is going to be, uh,
sufficient to enter both events.
So if you register for one of the other event that
that accreditation will be accepted for for both events or
for all three events that are taking place With that,
I'll turn it over to get Gitanjali Shaw on with us.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Uh, thank you for your interest in the W SI S plus 20 forum high
level event.
This is an existing United Nations
multi stakeholder digital Cooper operation process.
In action,
the participation will be hybrid.
We have around more than 3000 participants who will be joining here in Geneva.
All regions of the United Nations will be represented.
Stakeholders include civil society, governments,
UN agencies, technical community, private sector, academia and, of course,
the media.
A very important part of the process.
More than 50 UN agencies will be joining US and more than 80
head of regulatory bodies and ministers ranging from countries like Burkina Faso,
Belize, United Kingdom, Denmark,
India, Turkey and so on. So forth.
The agenda and the programme of this event is
built through an open and inclusive consultative process.
It's a bottom up approach.
We are focusing on 20 years of achievements on
the Geneva Plan of action enabling regulatory environment,
digital health and of course we will be awarding 18
prizes which account for action on the ground.
Why is it important?
It aligns with other UN processes that are happening in New York,
like the Commission on the Status of Women,
the
process on the 2030 agenda for development,
the
SDGs and so on
why you should be there? It's because every voice counts.
We will be looking at issues at a policy and implementation level on how
Children and women are being protected and made aware of the dangers online,
how remote areas and villages are being connected to bring
the benefits of digital to the poorest in the world.
When disaster strikes how clear communications become a lifeline,
how persons with disabilities.
Older persons vulnerable populations are being
provided with opportunities through tech.
Our action line on media covers the whole
range of issues around journalism and media,
protection of journalism and so on.
So forth, which we work with very closely with our colleagues in UNESCO
also things like digital health,
comprehensive mobile applications for detection of breast
cancer and other health issues and issues like
protection of indigenous languages through technology in
alignment with the decade of indigenous languages.
So we hope that all of you and interested participants will join us.
It's an inclusive process on digital governance, it stood the test of time.
It's evolved with the development of technology.
It's a part of international Geneva.
We bring huge crowds to Geneva who are discussing digital governance
and every voice counts.
We are working together to build and maintain a trusted connected world.
Back to you, friend.
Ok,
thank you. Good. Good angel. Very much looking forward to To with us.
Um, during the same week, Uh, we will be hosting the A I for good global summit
and also a new a I governance day. Which would be the day before the summit.
Now a I for good was created by ITU in 2017.
Uh, think about that. That's an eternity in terms of a I years.
And it was built on the premise that we now have
less than 10 years to achieve the sustainable development goals.
And a I holds great promise to advance many of those goals and targets.
So from climate change to, uh,
affordable health care to education for all to agriculture,
natural disaster management
and more high tech solutions like brain machine interfaces and robotics.
I think you you can see that the use cases are undoubtedly there.
But how do we know a high potential use case works equally well on men or women
or on Children or the elderly,
or on persons with different skin colours or persons with disabilities
or in
low resource settings where basic things like
electricity and connectivity are taken for granted?
And very importantly
for it
is a I going to help to bridge the digital divide
or further deepen the digital divide.
Now, these are not things that occur naturally to the fast moving tech industry.
I think the approach has been more let's build it,
build it fast and we'll fix it later.
But these are things that we think deeply about at a I for good.
So what is a I for good?
Simply put,
the goal of a I for good is to advance
the sustainable development goals using practical applications of a I,
and figure out how to scale those solutions for global impact.
Now, how do we do this? Well, first of all, we can't do this alone.
That's why we have over 40 sister agencies as partners of a I for good.
And in fact, during the global summit,
we're going to be launching the annual report on A I activities in the UN system
and we have almost 400 a IA.
I projects across 47 agencies in the UN system, which is amazing.
That's pretty much double where we were two years ago
and also the, uh, experts,
the A I experts would say that a I is too important to leave to the experts alone.
So great efforts have been made to bring as many different voices to the table.
So we have our UN industry partners. We have industry. We have our member states.
We we have, uh academia. We have, uh, NGO
S, civil society and even artists, athletes and the creatives at the table.
Now, what's what's new for this year? So we're basically expecting
about 3000 people. I think the same number as with this,
uh, 300 speakers, Uh, some top names you might know.
Uh so, for example, the CEO of Open A I Sam Altman,
Uh, we have, uh, Jeffrey Hinton, one of the godfathers of a I, uh,
just like Stuart Russell.
We have Tristan Harris who, uh, basically did the documentary on Netflix.
The The Social Dilemma, who will now be presenting the A I dilemma,
the Princess Beatrice of York and about 300 of speakers from all over the world.
There will also be a dynamic exhibit area with over 90 demos
on robotics for good brain machine interfaces showing a I for the arts
and always trying to use the summit to show the state of the art,
but also the limitations and capabilities of these new technologies.
So what's new? This year is a I governance day,
and the theme of a I Governance day is from principles to implementation.
And basically, we're gonna be bringing,
uh, 70 plus ministers and regulators.
About 40% of those are from developing countries.
Uh, married with our UN, uh, sister agencies.
Uh, I believe we have eight number ones of the UN agencies coming,
uh, with, uh, industry with academia with civil society.
And it really, I believe, is the most inclusive, uh,
platform on a I governance to date that
brings together this unique combination of of stakeholders.
So what we're not trying to do is come up with yet another set of texts or re
invent the wheel or try and figure out what needs to be done for a I governance.
Um, what we're trying to do is look,
what are the existing governance processes out there?
And the encouraging news is that governance governments
have been moving very fast on this issue.
So whether you're looking at the EU or the US or China or Japan or Korea,
um, you know, there's a lot of, uh,
governance processes that are accelerating at full speed.
And what we're trying to do at the summit is look
at what do all of these processes have in common?
We believe that they have more in common than they have. Different.
Uh, try and figure out which of these commonalities, Uh uh,
basically have domestic aspects and which of them have international aspects.
And when you're looking at it internationally,
how can we move from principles to implementation?
Because there's a big gap between the words and
ambitions in these new policies and governance frameworks and regulations
and what needs to be done practically.
How can you actually implement these regulations
in a way? And, of course,
is one of the main tools for the
implementation of policy regulation and governance frameworks.
And, of course, it
being a standard setting body, I think it is fitting that we are there. So it
has 220 standards developed on a
I either published or in development.
Um, so we're very much looking forward to to this, uh, conversation this, uh,
development.
Uh, the morning of governance day is, uh, invitation only.
But the afternoon, uh, is is open to media.
And, of course, all of Thursday and Friday is open to media as well.
And I'd just like to highlight one last activity for media.
We will be having a press conference on Friday at 1 p.m.
And basically it will be a press conference showing
how brain machine interfaces and a I
can be used to basically help people
with disabilities and to help with accessibility.
So, for example, you'll see, like a brain powered prosthetic arm,
you'll see someone who's able to communicate just by using his thoughts alone.
Um, you'll be seeing, uh, different solutions to to help with mobility.
For example, a robot powered exoskeleton.
Uh, so some of you were there last year.
You may remember our humanoid robot press conference.
Um so I, I think this is something not to miss.
And I would invite you all to see really the state
of the State of the art of a I in action.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Both of you.
We have a few hands up, so we'll start with Maya plants.
Are you in brief? Go ahead. Maya.
Yes. Uh, good morning, everyone.
Thank you very much for taking my question, Rolando.
And, uh, I would like to congratulate both, uh uh, Fred and
potentially for this wonderful event, because
they are a lot of work
to put together. And you have a wonderful roster of speakers
so. But I have a couple of questions. Um um how does the, um
how does the World Summit on the
Information Society supports the United Nations Secretary General
Global digital compact and how it will help
inform discussions at the summit of the future
S for ch
angeli.
Thank you, Maya. Really nice to
hear you here.
So
yes, the UN Secretary General is also
involved in the
process. We will have his video message as we have it every year
and with reference to the summit of the future and its potential
G DC We are working very closely with the co facilitators.
They were here last year if you recall my
at the Wiis
where we provide them with a platform to interact with the civil society,
technical community and the private sector.
So this interaction was really, really useful. And
many of the comments at the Wiss Forum here in Geneva
were inputted to
were submitted to the co facilitators of the global digital compact.
We will have if you look at the agenda.
There are several discussions.
A high level working level focused on the GDC and towards the summit of the future.
So we welcome all of you in those discussions,
those discussions will obviously be summarised and will be submitted
to the co facilitators of the G DC as well.
Thank you very much, Maya. And see you soon at the event.
Thank you, Ms Shah. OK, John. Zar
Costas.
Go ahead, John.
Yes. Uh, good morning. Uh, my question is to Mr Werner from the ITU.
I was wondering, sir, do you have some examples where
artificial intelligence is used for bad purposes?
And what standards or regulations are you targeting?
To prevent the use of artificial intelligence for harming people in conflict, non
conflict settings
and to protect consumers?
Can you give us some examples as the flip side of the good A
i What is some examples of the bad A I in use today?
Absolutely. And and that's a very good question. Thank you.
So, one of the things we're gonna be doing at, uh,
a I Governance day is looking at how standards can be in support of
a I governance policy and regulations that exist or will emerge in the future.
And I think re regardless of if you're, you know, north, South, east or west.
I think one of the biggest pain points, uh,
for the world is deep fakes and misinformation,
and I think you, as members of the press,
would probably relate to that more than anyone.
So at the summit itself, we are going to have a big focus on how we can
basically
create standards to combat deep fakes and misinformation.
And there are many techniques for that.
So we have a workshop on multimedia authenticity. Sorry.
Authenticity
using a i water marking.
And there are standards that already exist. So, for example, the C
from the US and all these experts are coming to
the summit from Adobe from JPEG from Meta from Google.
You know, I
different standard setting bodies, of course, our partners, I
and I
and
and
basically, the challenge is you have these standards,
tools and techniques to combat,
uh, misinformation and deep fakes. Uh, a lot of them are good. They're not holistic.
Some are more of a Band aid approach. Some more are more foundational.
But where the summit and ITU can help is, for example,
if you have a standard like this developed in North America by all these, uh,
top media companies, that's great,
but those don't necessarily mean that's gonna work
well in Africa or in developing countries.
And also have they built those standards
with the sustainable development goals in mind?
Uh, all those standards built in an inclusive way,
uh, are very mindful of human rights.
Uh, you know, RV Solutions sustainable.
So it's a bit like I was saying, in the beginning,
uh, a lot of the questions that we ask at a I for good are are often, uh,
an after thought for people who are rushing to create solutions.
Um, and it's great that they're rushing to create solutions.
But by coming to ITU and a I for good and all our partners,
we we can ensure that we have the SDGS as a kind of guiding framework.
Uh, we can ensure that solutions and standards are built with, uh, ethics in mind.
Uh, with, uh, you know, bias and data sets in mind,
uh, that solutions are secure, safe. They respect privacy versus
long term. They are inclusive, and they respect human rights and they are
aligned with.
So we do expect that one of the major outcomes and I don't want to pre empt anything
But if you do stick around to the end of the summit,
I believe that one of the major announcements of the summit
would be an announcement to build international standards on a I
to combat deep fakes and misinformation,
which I think most people would agree is one of the biggest pain points right now.
Thank you.
OK, I see four more hands up.
We really need to wrap up this press briefing pretty soon, So let's take them.
Uh, Jamie, maybe you pose a quick question. Go ahead, Jamie.
Yes, thank you.
I wanted to pick up on what, uh,
Mr Warner just said thank you very much for that this week.
We had, uh,
a meeting in Geneva between China and the United
States on the issue of a I standard setting,
um, systems and
and and governance. And I'm just wondering, um, you mentioned the interna
that one of the outcomes of the A I for good
may be an international sort of an arrangement on this.
The, uh the question that II I had was,
um do you think it's an either or proposition
where there are regional or even
bilateral discussions about standard setting Or does
it really need to be done at a United Nations wide international?
Um, level?
I mean, do you think there it's an either or or or can they complement each other?
Thank you.
Thank you. Also a very good question.
Um
I mean, at ITU and a I for good.
We we welcome all efforts to try and advance, uh,
a I in a meaningful way that benefits all.
Of course, there's different approaches around the world,
and our perspective has always been to make sure
it's aligned with the SDGS and that it basically
makes sure that no one is left behind.
So, for example, we recently had a, uh a survey of our member states
on which member states have an A I strategy.
And basically 55% of countries don't even have a strategy at all so
very much aligned with our mission of of bridging,
bridging the digital divide and and
capacity development to developing countries.
You know, our concern is making sure that
the process is inclusive and they are able to participate.
Now when it comes to the standardisation process,
it is unique in that it's the only UN agency
in the system that has a mixed membership model.
So we we have member states as models.
But we have over 1000 members coming from industry and academia,
and the standards making
process is contribution driven.
And it also includes national,
regional and international SD OS standards development organisations
as part of that standards making process.
So I'm not saying everything has to, you know, start at
I
In the case of the C two P A that was started in the US very much industry led.
And I think the value we can add is when something is is
urgent and mature and also needs that kind of international flavour to it.
Then I
in partnership with our partners from world standards
Cooper operation which is ISO
and I,
and also welcoming others.
It
can be that convening platform to make sure that
you know these international aspects To said standardisation issue
basically happens in a very inclusive way that's international
and also mixes member states, UN, agencies, academia and industry. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr Werner. OK, Maya, please.
Uh I'll I'll have to jump over you because
let's take somebody who hasn't asked the question yet.
If we have time. We come back to you. Yuri. Uh, ria novosti. Go ahead, Yuri.
Yes, thank you. This is not really a question.
This is about access, as far as I understand.
Even for journalists accredited at the UN, we need to do another accreditation.
And I just want to have a confirmation of that. And if it's the case, why?
Because we are already accredited at the UN.
Yeah, Thank you for the question.
There is a, uh, with ITU events that happen, Uh, in at C IC G.
So outside of the UN premises,
there is this requirement for secondary accreditation
that registration is open. We promoted it widely.
You can be in touch with us at press info at itu.int. So that's widely seen,
and we can respond to it. And we just ask that you,
um if you're able to provide,
uh uh an image of your valid UN credential and and And that goes very smoothly.
So we'll just try to get you through that process very quickly
with the with the understanding and that 11 secondary badge is good
for for all the events that are being talked about here.
OK, thanks. for that. Uh, David.
Catherine.
Franz Franquette.
Yes. Uh, thank you. Hi. And thank you for the briefing.
Uh, this is also a question, uh, regarding access.
Um, as you just mentioned, there will be many people,
interesting people that are going to be part of this, uh uh, events.
How can we have access to these people for 1 to 1 interviews? How does it work?
Will we be, uh, free,
uh, to go and attend all the meetings and meet the people?
Thank you.
Well, again, I would.
So maybe I'll just kick it to to Fred real quick,
But I would encourage again registration being
the first and again, we'll try to make that as simple,
um, as quick for everybody as possible.
Um, we if there's an interest of the programme is online.
And so you could have the speakers, the participants that are not ITU participants.
We
can provide information for those with whom From whom?
We have information to make those connections. We can't coordinate those for you.
Unfortunately, could be overwhelmed by that,
but we can certainly try to facilitate.
And I don't know, Fred, if you wanna
go beyond it.
Yes. Uh, thank you.
Um, yeah, we would certainly encourage you to try and get in touch with our many,
many very interesting, uh, speakers.
Uh, we've, uh, basically created a media friendly list.
Uh, and I believe most of the speakers are quite keen to engage on on media. Uh,
we've also CRE created, uh, a room, uh,
a kind of branded room where you can do stand up interviews, uh, which is, uh,
separate from our own interview corner.
So that that was, uh, a room that was leveraged, uh,
quite well last year by CNN and and different outlets.
Uh, I would also again remind that the, uh, the exhibit area is extremely dynamic.
I mean, they have cutting edge solutions that you won't see at many events,
and all of them are approachable.
And they've all been briefed that, uh, you know, media will be approaching them,
and and they welcome that, too,
Of course, without forgetting the press conference on Friday at
one. And I know, uh, timing of that press conference might not be ideal.
So we are providing lunch.
Uh, for those who who come
and, uh, I know we're short on time, but last but not least, I'd also like to thank, uh,
Switzerland
for convening and and supporting the two events with
us and a I for good Global summit.
Thank you.
Thank you. Regarding visits.
Of course, it has a very flat structure you can once accredited.
And in the building in C,
you can approach all the high levels who are present out there.
So please do as Fred said, please interact with all of them as much as possible.
And I'd like to add to what Fred said for Vs
and
good. We have a lot of communication material on our trello boards.
So you may find all of that very useful
for social media as well as for traditional media.
So please have a look at that.
And like Fred said, we are thanking Switzerland.
Who are our co hosts this time for the event and co convenor of the A I for good.
Thank you very much.
Thank you both.
And you can count on us to certainly amplify from the information service.
Uh, this important event,
Maya, we do have another briefer. Is this a quick follow up, please?
Yes. Thank you. It's a quick follow up it.
Well,
you already have answered one of the questions that we will have a separate booth
for interviews. Right? Uh, and then my question is for
essentially, what is the economic impact for the city of Geneva?
Do you have numbers like it turns brings to the city?
Uh, 40 million each event, something like that.
Do you have these numbers from last year?
Maya,
that's a very difficult question for me to respond to.
Perhaps I can check with my colleagues, focal points from Switzerland
and
get back to you since we know each other.
Thank you, Maya.
Thanks. I'm sure the colleagues will get back to you on this note.
Um, Maya, let's we have to move on to the next subject,
please Liaise with David directly.
Uh, we do have and thank you both very much. Good luck. I'm only personally I'm not.
I'm not happy because I won't be here, but, uh, good luck. Uh, I would love to have been
I'll I'll join online from where I'll be, but thank you. And good luck to you.
OK, we have now our colleague, uh, from IOM Peggy Walters, who has a brief, uh,
announcement on the international Dialogue on Migration
taking place next week in New York.
Peggy, over to you.
Good morning. Good morning, everyone. I hope you can hear me.
Um, this is just a quick update that
the IOM is hosting its flagship event next week. The International Dialogue
on Migration in New York on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
That's the 21st and the 22nd of May.
Now this the ID M
is our main forum for migration policy dialogue.
It brings together all migration stakeholders at a global level,
and we open up for discussions on the opportunities
and the challenges which
migration presents. It's held twice a year, the first session
in New York, the second session in Geneva around October.
Now the key theme for this ID M
is facilitating regular pathways to a better future,
harnessing the power of migration.
So we'll be providing a space for analysis of current and emerging issues
in migration,
governance and to essentially allow people to exchange experiences.
Uh, look at policy approaches and best practise around effective practises
at this ID M participants, uh,
and those will be governments and organisations will explore how to create
more and better opportunities for people, uh,
to move in a regular and beneficial way as
part of a comprehensive approach to human mobility.
Also at this ID M, our director general will be announcing
our new global goodwill Ambassador.
If you would like further information,
please get in touch and we can send you out a package.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Peggy.
And I'm certain that colleagues will reach out to you for this important
event in that announcement you just made so
I don't see any questions. So thank you for joining us. And thanks for your patience.
Uh, importantly, it's been a long briefing, but just before we wrap up very,
very briefly from me, as usual,
I want to highlight a couple of things happening here, starting with the
if I can find my notes. Yes. The human rights. Uh, committees.
We have the committee on the rights of the child.
Uh, this morning is concluding just around. Now I suppose is concluding
its, uh, review of Padua.
And, uh, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women SA
is, uh, re reviewing today reports on Estonia.
I already mentioned the statement of the secretary general that we shared with you,
Um, his address to the League of Arab States.
There are lots of readouts.
He held meetings with dignitaries from Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia,
Lebanon and the League of Arab States, which we shared with you.
I have a quick announcement from UE,
which I'd like to flag on their behalf.
Um, they are inviting you to,
um there's an invitation to the Biodiversity day celebration
for 2024
taking place, actually,
the international Geneva implementing the biodiversity plan,
which is taking place here at the Palais
Dion
in room three, just below us. Uh, on Wednesday.
This coming Wednesday, the 22nd of May
at 10 a.m. So this is, uh, to mark International Day for biodiversity
and, uh, no press conference to announce.
Uh, we had a press conference this morning from the World Health Organisation.
As you well know,
um, and I think that's it for me.
I already mentioned the SGS message
on World Telecommunication Information Society Day.
So, uh oh, yes. Simply just to mention that Catherine, uh, from on
the trade and development. Uh,
UN trade and development was, uh, to brief you, but,
uh to give you some information about the upcoming
60th anniversary events. Um, taking place on 12 and 13 and 14 next month of June.
Uh, but we're still finalising some registration processes,
so we'll make sure to get back to you on how to register for this
important event next month.
That's it for me.
I don't see any questions.
So Bon Appetit will be back here on Tuesday with Alessandra
and have a good weekend.