Thank you for joining us here at the UN
office at Geneva for this press briefing today.
The fifth of July. We have a couple of agenda items for you today. We have updates
And we also have a colleague joining us from Rome, uh,
from the FA O, who will provide a monthly update on the global food commodity prices.
So immediately I'll turn over to Vanessa
OA for an update. Uh, from
We have an update for you today on hurricane burial, which, as you heard,
is the strongest hurricane in history in the
Atlantic Ocean during the months of June.
But it is also very unique in its rapid intensification.
So Hurricane Beryl left a trail of destruction in
Grenada and ST Vincent and the Grenadines on Monday,
for hurricane, and it then impacted Jamaica on Wednesday on July 3rd.
It could also impact Belize and Mexico today and over the weekend.
Humanity assessments are ongoing and will continue so that we can
get a full picture of the extent of the damages.
But according to current estimates,
some 40,000 people have been impacted in ST Vincent and the Grenadines,
more than 100,000 in Grenada
and 120,000 people in Jamaica.
But again we are still in the very early days of the emergency,
so these figures need to be taken with cautious and we will continue
assessment and hopefully we'll get a clearer picture as the assessment progress.
we spoke to some colleagues and it seems that we have some limited information,
So we hope that during the day we will be able to join colleagues and see
how it is moving in that direction.
our partners said that the hurricane caused extreme damage to the islands of Karaku
Martinique, where 70% and 97% of buildings were damaged respectively.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, 90% of homes on Union islands were affected,
Ko, nearly all building sustain damages,
with roofs ripped off and several shortages of water and electricity reported.
We continue to support and work closely with the authorities,
the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Agency and our partner to assess
and respond to the devastation caused by hurricane burial.
We have deployed teams from
Orchards regional office who are already supporting
formers. We are also deploying
emergency managers from the UN disaster assessment and
team will go to Barbados and the other one
to support the response in Grenada and ST
Vincent and the Grenadines,
while the other one will go to Jamaica.
We could also send an additional team if needed to Belize.
4 million has been made available from the Central
Emergency Response Fund to kick start a humanitarian response
and our teams are also working on an appeal and
we hope to give you more details during the day
just to add and after I will leave the floor to our
colleagues of my FRC and I think they will agree with that.
Also, we have been preparing for this year hurricane season.
I would say that such a strong storm this early is extremely rare,
and it's also a warning for the anticipated
very intense hurricane season that is coming.
Thank you very much. Vanessa throwing out to Tomaso.
And who will introduce his guest,
who I would like to thank for joining us from Port of Spain.
It's, I think, very early 4. 30 in the morning there. So thank you very much.
But you can introduce her. Thank you.
And, uh, thank you, Vanessa, for what you just said, and I Yes, we totally agree.
And we share the concern for this, uh,
hurricane season. So today with us, we have R
disaster manager for the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean. And she will update
journalists on the Red Cross
and needs that we are seeing in different countries. And let me just take
RIA for being with us at such
early time for her in the middle of the night.
Hi. Good morning, everyone and thank you for having me.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies is concerned about the survey impact of hurricane barrel
which rapidly developed and intensified into the earliest hurricane to
reach a Category five intensity in the Atlantic Ocean.
Initially monitored as a tropical system in 42 hours barrel escalated
into a devastating hurricane that has affected several Caribbean islands.
Climate change has likely played a significant role
in the rapid intensification of storms like barrel
the hotter than normal sea surface.
Temperatures in the southern Atlantic and the
Caribbean are acting as catalysts for storms,
causing them to strengthen quickly into media hurricanes.
this new reality of unprecedented hurricanes
is becoming the annual and ever present
reality for the Caribbean countries who are facing the brunt of climate change.
The severity of damages in the aftermath
of hurricane barrel are tangible and devastating.
Red Cross teams on the ground
have confirmed that barrel's life-threatening marines
and winds have severely impacted the most vulnerable populations in Grenada,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
barrel brushed Jamaica's southern coast on Wednesday,
bringing heavy rainfall and damaging winds.
This is the strongest hurricane to strike Jamaica in
almost 17 years since Hurricane Dean in 2007.
Red Cross volunteers prepositioned essential relief
items at branches and distributed blankets,
cots, hygiene kits, toppings
to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and to vulnerable communities.
Social media was utilised to share early warning and risk communication messages,
ensuring public safety and preparing it.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
the passage of hurricane barrel was felt across the entire country.
It is estimated that roughly 90% of Grenadine islands have been impacted
from critical infrastructure to housing.
Grenadians are reliving the traumas of Hurricane Ivan as
Barrel needs a landfall as a Category four hurricane,
completely destroying the islands of
A state of emergency remains in these islands,
where the official count of those in shelters is still unknown
and communication channels are severely limited.
Red Cross volunteers are supporting assessments and relief efforts,
hygiene kits, cleaning kits,
blankets and kitchen sets which have all been dispatched to the affected islands.
In Barbados, the fishing industry has been severely impacted,
with over 200 fishing boats damaged or destroyed.
Red Cross volunteers are supporting damage and needs assessments and
collaborating with local authorities to aid shipments to neighbouring islands.
The Cayman Islands continue to feel the
and as hurricane barrel as it charges towards the Yucatan Peninsula.
It is making land fall in parts of Mexico,
and the real damage of picture and picture
comes only hours and days after the event.
Events like these are no longer a one off
and highlight the need for local actors to
lead the way in preparedness and anticipatory action.
We are seeing that action right now.
The value of the Red Cross network in the Caribbean is evident
as our staff and volunteers are there before, during and after disasters,
mobilising to prepare for the impact and
helping communities to face the aftermath.
They are from the communities they sue
and with the best understanding of the community's needs and contacts.
the new reality that climate crisis poses the Caribbean nations.
It must be noted that we are only at the beginning of the hurricane season.
We still have a staggering five months to go.
Climate variations that shift like a pendulum swing takes countries
like Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from drought
to massive storms. In the blink of a hurricanes
storms are more likely to rapidly intensify and become stronger,
causing severe destruction and giving communities less
and less time to recover between shocks.
This only further stresses the need for a co-ordinated inclusive and
non-discriminatory approach to addressing critical
humanitarian needs of affected population.
The IFRC will continue to support local Red Cross teams across the Caribbean,
and we call on the governments,
donors and stakeholders to support our response to early
action efforts as humanitarian needs continue to grow.
Re before we take questions, uh,
just wanted to make sure you did see the
statement of the secretary General that we shared with you
yesterday through which he, uh,
says he's deeply dismayed by the destruction, uh, wreaked by the hurricane barrel
and expresses his solidarity with the people and
governments of the nations affected by this disaster.
Uh, and also extending his sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
Wishing a swift recovery to those injured, he also,
uh, offers the UN support, um, to countries of the region.
On that note, I should also mention on behalf of the World Food Programme, Um,
responding to government's requests,
the World Food Programme has started to provide
uh, emergency logistics coordinations
with food or cash assistance to those
countries most affected or those communities most affected
I should mention also putting Claire on the I was just going to say, Claire,
you have your hand up already.
But just to say that Claire is available
to take questions. If you wanted to add something now, I'd note your hand was up.
Please chime in. Now. Go ahead, Claire.
Sorry I couldn't be with you in the in the room
this morning as I was moving office here at WMO.
just to give the latest update, This is from the, um
US National Hurricane Centre, which
acts as the regional specialised centre
for the World Meteorological Organisation.
Uh, Beryl, um, sort of weakened a little bit
then, you know, uh, moved over warm water, so gathered strength again There.
It's now back as a major hurricane. Category
uh, as it heads towards the
Yucatan Peninsula in, in, in, in Mexico.
Um, the National Hurricane Centre says that, um, the maximum winds are,
um near 100 and 85 kilometres an hour. Um, obviously, higher gusts are possible.
And as we say, time and time again. We You know, we
rate hurricanes, uh, by the strength of their winds.
But quite often it's the water which poses the, you know, the the real threat.
Um, so very, very, very heavy rainfall is expected, Um, and obviously the risk of,
um, storm surge and coastal flooding in in in vulnerable, um, coastal communities.
um, you know, we haven't heard.
Unfortunately, we haven't heard the last of Beryl, um, for the for the next.
Uh, for the next few days, it, uh, you know, is gonna carry on causing, uh,
And as my colleagues have said,
we are at the start of what looks like it will be a very,
very long and very dangerous hurricane season.
Thank you very much, Claire.
OK, we'll turn it over to your colleagues for questions. Christoph
Thanks for taking my questions.
I was just wondering if you could give us a sense as well
how many people you have on the ground and I'm working.
was wondering if you could give us more details on Kako
I think our colleague from, uh IFRC was saying that, uh,
it was literally completely destroyed.
how many people were affected and, uh, how many victims there are.
And also, what are the needs now what?
What is it that you need? Is it heavy machinery to to clear? Uh, if
you can just give us a sense
I, I believe you will tell us how much money you need also, So
thanks a lot for your question. Maybe I start and then
just in terms of the team. So as
we said, we were kind of prepared.
We have a regional office in Panama,
so we immediately deployed some colleagues from there.
And we are in the process of deploying this UN
teams emergency responders, which will be a team of 1010 to 15 to the second one.
We will work closely with colleagues who have already been deployed on the ground
Island. Maybe I will let our colleague, who is on site to respond
in terms of the needs first thing. As I said, assessments outgoing.
But we know from similar emergencies that have happened in the past.
What can be will be the need.
Of course, we cross check with assessment on the coming days, but
obviously people will need shelter.
We don't know yet the damages to the portable network, for example.
That's the first thing that comes up. People will need food.
We need to see where people will be staying, staying with
with families, depending on which island. As we say in
Karaku, almost the island is almost entirely destroyed.
So that might be, as we discussed with our colleagues, a few amount of people.
But they lost everything,
so they will need an immediate response now in support,
but also in the months to come,
and especially if we think about people being on the outside.
And we say that the hurricane season will continue.
We need to think about that.
People will be in open shelter when the next hurricane come in.
We need to work on that which is as urgent as food and water
and the thing that we think would be the most urgent thing for people
in terms of the appeal. So that's what we are working in on the appeal.
idea of an appeal is to be fast. Of course. Always.
But we also really need to look at
the needs are completely different on every island,
we are working 24 hours with our colleagues on the ground to be sure that we propose
an appeal that will respond to the specific needs
of people for now in the coming months.
And we hope that we will have more detail on that to share with you soon.
Thank you. I can just take over what
a colleague was saying about assessment. Ongoing.
And also we are working on an emergency appeal which should be launched,
I think in the next coming hours possible one day or two.
And it is, of course, a link to the assessment done in every in every country.
Then to speak about damages needs a number of our teams, staff and volunteers.
Who I'm sure knows better than me. The situation. Thank you.
Hi again, everyone. Uh, so, yes, I was actually on the ground in Barbados.
I only came out to Trinidad yesterday
afternoon. We also have personnel
on the ground in Grenada.
Uh, they actually went to
Uh, so we anticipate that we'll have a full report in the coming hours?
Um, probably by the end of the day today,
our teams on the ground in Jamaica are also conducting assessments
and coordinations with the national government as well as in Barbados.
All our national society has an incredibly
strong relationship with the local national disaster organisations.
And every one of them has a representative from the
Red Cross placed in the national emergency operating centres.
So we are getting information, sort of like the daily updates,
um, from these National Emergency centres
as, uh, we echoed with our
assessments need to be done for it, but, uh, in
areas that have been evacuated in particular. So, for example,
yesterday we heard from our colleagues in Saint Vincent
that people are literally coming from Union Island
to the mainland of Saint Vincent with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
They are asking for the basic needs at this point. Food, clothing, water.
Uh, the same can as well can be said of those who are evacuating from
uh, as our colleagues mentioned,
we're not sure necessarily where people are staying
because some of people are going with family members, so that support will be there.
But there are also several people who are going
to government shelters in Saint Vincent in particular.
Even the government shelters have been damaged
because there are schools and churches
and other buildings that have been impacted. The roofs have been blown off.
So they have had to relocate people even within the shelters.
so we are really, really taking a look at the assessments that are incoming.
They are slow but steadily incoming For us to be able to inform
emergency appeal that hopefully will be launched
before the end of the day.
Thank you very much, Aria, for that, uh, those notes,
Um, do we have further questions for our colleagues on Hurricane Beryl?
No, you go ahead, Christoph. Yep.
Um, my question is for, uh, Claire,
Um, I was just wondering, So there's going to be landfall in, uh, Mexico.
Do you have any idea how long it can last there?
Uh, what I mean is, is it a slow hurricane?
Uh, because that makes usually a big difference.
especially with the with a lot of rain. So I was just wondering,
it's probably a stupid question, but I'm going to ask it anyway.
Like do we have any sense of
Is there already another one, like starting in the Atlantic right now? Do you?
Have you seen any? Any signs of
of the next? Next one. Thank you.
Ok, thanks. Thanks for that. I'm on the National Hurricane Centre website now and
in the Atlantic. No, uh, there's no sign of one at the moment. Um,
there is a a tropical depression, but that's in the eastern eastern, uh, Pacific.
So hopefully we'll have a little bit of,
uh, breathing space before the, uh, before the next one, before the next one hits.
Um, as to the so the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Centre is that
it's close to landfall in the
Um, and dangerous hurricane force winds,
storm surge and waves are expected as Beryl moves,
um, moves on shore. Um, from what I understand, the terrain of the Yoko
um, is not conducive to Beryl. Sort of sitting around for very for very long.
Um, as far as I know. It's quite, you know, it's it's It's quite it's quite hilly.
dissipate fairly, Uh, fairly rapidly.
I don't think it's gonna be the type of hurricane, you know,
That that will just sort of sit and, uh, you know, uh,
for a long time. But I'm just looking at the, uh,
we are still, you know, talking about
very heavy rainfall. Um, so three day, three day total
Yucatan Peninsula we're talking about, um,
6 to 8 inches, which is 100 and 50 to 200 to 200 millimetres.
So, you know, if you put that in in the context of
just think of the amount of rainfall we received, you know,
last Saturday in Geneva in the storm.
And, you know, you multiply that by a by A, you know, by a factor of X.
And this is this is the the rainfall that they are
that they're you know, they're they're going to get
So hopefully that, uh, that will answer.
Thank you very much. Uh, Claire,
I don't see if you wanted to add something to
Just to keep an eye on our social media accounts. We will continue updating on
the hurricane in Mexico and what's coming next.
And also we are trying to gather some
material if you are interested from different teams in the different countries,
And we will also, of course,
update on the launch of the emergency appeal once we have it.
That would be much appreciated. Thank you very much to
Maso. And of course, to you, Vanessa. And
who's joining us very early in the morning from Port of Spain in Trinidad.
Uh, stay safe and thank you very much. And of course, we'll continue to track,
uh, and support the people. And, of course, report back to you.
Uh, as need be on this, uh, hurricane.
So thank you. Once again, colleagues
OK, we'll shift gears now, um,
Tova, who's a senior economist. Um,
for the Food and Agricultural Organisation is joining us from Rome
with a monthly update on the global food commodity prices.
Thank you. And good morning from
I would like to brief you about the
latest developments on the global food commodity prices.
The food price index was released this morning.
The index remained unchanged in June after increasing for
three consecutive months in a row
UH, what was at play in the last month
was that the high in vegetable oil, sugar and dairy prices of
the index remained 2.1% lower than its corresponding value one year
ago and almost 25% below the peak reached in March 2022.
Focusing on specific commodity groups,
the cereal pricing backs down 3% from the previous months,
and global export prices of all major cereals decline
the decline mostly reflected seasonal pressures from ongoing harvests.
it was the harvest in the Northern hemisphere for maize in the southern hemisphere.
price oil index, by contrast, rose by 3.1% from May
due to reviving global import demand for palm oil and
firm demand from the biofuel sector in the Americas. For so
Sugar Price Index also increased by 1.9%
from May after three consecutive monthly declines
due to a large part about concerns of advanced weather and monsoons,
impacting production in Brazil and India to major producers.
The daily price rose by 1.2% with international quotations for B A
reaching a 24 month high on the back of increased
demand for near time deliveries amidst heavy retail sales,
seasonally falling milk deliveries in Western Europe
and non inventories in Oceania,
the meat products meat price index virtually remain unchanged,
getting a little bit into the supply and demand fundamentals,
also updated its focus for global Syria production in 2024
and it's now pegged at an all time high.
Behind this increase are these projections for better
harvest outlooks for mains in Argentina and Brazil,
which will offset downgrades in the outlooks
for Indonesia and several southern African countries.
he forecast is based on better prospects in Asia, notably Pakistan,
which will outpace the declines due to inclement
weather in parts of the Russian Federation.
and on supply and demand situation of the S
I would like to stress globally remain
satisfactory with comfortable stock to use ratios.
However, the situation in specific countries might be different.
For example, as global commodity prices are denominated in the United States,
wrong U United States dollars does not necessarily translate
into lower food import bills into many countries.
I would like to make a remark about the agricultural market information system.
the G 20 initiative aiming to improve transparency
on the global markets, the secretariat of which is hosted by FA O,
which also released its monthly monitor yesterday.
Among other it highlighted that May 2024 was
the 12th consecutive months of record-breaking global temperature.
Should this stress spread, and
there will likely be negative impacts on agriculture from extreme heat,
particularly if this heat occurs during periods of moisture,
stress on key reproductive stages, that better man a
I'm open to questions. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Monica. Uh, do we have questions for our colleague from FA O?
No, I don't see that's the case. So thank you.
I think you were very comprehensive and detailed in your uh, briefing.
So thank you very much for
for that as usual, providing these important statistics.
Um, in that case, I think we are near the end of this briefing.
I just have a few announcements of my own.
And then perhaps, if you have any questions, uh, for me or actually,
colleagues online, just to mention,
um, that in terms of, uh well, I just wanted to flag that the SG, um is in Central Asia,
I think. Currently in Tajikistan, we did share with you yesterday. A statement from
the SG to the Shanghai Shanghai, uh, Cooper Operation Organisation.
Um, through which he stressed, um,
so let me just get my notes here.
the UN S common commitment to
multilateralism based on the Charter International law
and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Um, and spoke of the central goal of our multilateral system to must be, uh, peace.
Um, of course, this is an overarching message,
and this is something that is contained in
the statement we did share with you yesterday.
We also share with you a number of readouts, uh,
of meetings that he held in the sidelines of of, uh, this, uh, summit,
Uh, including with the presidents of Kazakhstan,
uh, Mongolia and Belarus.
In terms of what's happening here in Geneva, we have the Human Rights Committee,
which is concluding this morning its review of the report of Honduras.
Uh, and then starting this coming Monday, um,
the Committee against Torture will open
session, uh, during which it will review,
uh, the reports for Ecuador, Republic of Korea, Cote d'Ivoire,
and Turkey. Turkey. Sorry,
and then the Human Rights Council is still underway.
Another week left for this session we have today. The council is
adopting outcomes of the review
for the during the universal periodic reviews. Rather,
uh, for the following, uh, countries, Nigeria, Mauritius, Jordan,
And this afternoon, uh, we continue with Jordan in Malaysia,
the Central African Republic, Monaco and Belize,
and our colleagues at the Human Rights Council Secretariat have, uh,
asked me to note that, uh,
there is a total of 26 draught resolutions and decisions, uh,
that have been submitted to the council for its consideration.
Uh, next, uh, starting next Wednesday, the 10th of July,
and will continue until the,
uh, 12th. When the session is due to conclude.
So 26 draught resolutions from Wednesday to Friday to be considered.
And of course, the council, media and communication team will share
with you the table of these draught resolutions and decisions. As always,
press conference to announce, uh, Wednesday,
the 10th of July at 11 a.m. in this room.
Uh, UN Trade and Development.
Uh, will And, uh, Katherine was here just a minute ago. There you. Hi, Katherine.
There is a report if you have more questions. Of course. Katherine is available.
Um, we have a press conference with Rebecca Greenspan,
the Secretary General of UN Trade and Development,
together with Shamika Crean,
who's the UN trade and Development director of technology and logistics
who will speak to the publication of the digital economy report for 2024
shaping an environmentally sustainable and inclusive digital future.
Uh, the report is under embargo until 12 noon on the, uh 10th, but, uh,
the press conference is just prior to that at 11.
That is all I have. If you have questions. I see.
John, you have your hand up, John, over to you?
Yes. Uh, good morning. Uh,
I was asking, uh if, uh, James, if he's still online or Margaret,
uh, if they have an update on the
number of Children that have been evacuated from Gaza
for treatment for severe acute malnutrition, there were some, uh, very, uh,
news reports yesterday of Children having been evacuated for
S a treatment from Gaza to neighbouring Egypt.
Uh, if they have the latest updates on that Thank you.
I believe, uh, we do have, uh,
Margaret. And why don't we start with you? I see you on camera.
So, Margaret, over to you.
Hello? Um, John, I don't have updates on numbers.
I do know indeed that there has been an effort to move the Children.
The Children we were most involved with were Children being treated for,
long-term conditions for for cancer that they
simply could not get the treatment for
uh uh, Gaza. But I would also
underline, as as my colleagues have often said, we have 10,000 people,
including many, many Children who
who will only survive their conditions and only have a
chance of returning to full health if they are evacuated.
are pleading for all avenues, all gates, all possibilities to be opened.
So that tho, those people can be evacuated.
Uh, James may have specific numbers on the Children.
Thanks, Margaret, for James is not connected. But of course.
Uh, we could relay your message, John, uh, to James and and colleagues at UNICEF.
Should they have additional information. But thank you. Thank you very much.
Now, do we have further questions?
No, I don't see that's the case.
So again, if you have any other current questions or comments, do
do, let us know, and we'll continue to update you as well as on the hurricane
in the Caribbean. So thank you very much. Um, have a good weekend. And bon appetit.
