The United Nations Office at Geneva
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Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 02 November 2021
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Press Conferences | UNICEF , UNHCR , UNOG , WFP , UNDP
Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 02 November 2021
Climate change
Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service (UNIS), said that the previous day the Secretary-General had addressed COP26 in Glasgow, providing a blunt assessment of the world state of climate. Today, the Secretary-General would meet with five regional groups, world leaders, and representatives of civil society, including youth.
Gautam Narasimhan, UNICEF’s Global Lead for Climate, Energy and Environment, said that 2021 was expected to be among the warmest years on record. At COP26 there had been many statements by world leaders in which children and youth featured prominently, but meaningful action that was actually considering children was still lacking. UNICEF had examined all of the 103 submitted National Determined Contributions (NCDs), only one third of which were found to be child sensitive. Only 12 percent of the NCDs reported that children had participated in the development of the plans. Leaders by large continued to pay lip service to child rights and child inclusion, said Mr. Narasimhan.
UNICEF was imploring governments to take three actions: 1) increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience, with developed countries needing to exceed the agreed USD 100 billion annual climate financing; 2) speed up greenhouse emission reductions, as the world’s children could not afford more delay; 3) include young people in climate negotiations and discussions, as they were the generation that would be most affected by the ongoing climate change.
Responding to questions, Mr. Narasimhan said that survey after survey showed that children and young people deeply cared about the climate change. Children would bear both the physical and mental brunt of the climate change. Every child and young person alive today had been born into a world fully aware of the consequences of inaction on climate, yet leaders were still unable to agree on measures to stop it. It was nonetheless hoped that the universal love for children would lead to a great action on climate change, stressed Mr. Narasimhan.
Sarah Bel, for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), informed about the the new local climate campaign: From Geneva to Glasgow, United for the Earth. A press conference would be held on 3 November at 9:30 at the Museum of Natural History to launch this cultural event, result of the collaboration between UNOG, UNDP, local Geneva authorities and Cassandra's Hourglass. For the first time ever, an iconic projection would be made on the UN building that would last for the duration of the COP26 to mobilize citizens' energies to be actors and co-creators of solutions for the climate crisis. A large gathering within this campaign would take place at the Place des Nations in Geneva on 9 November.
Climate change induced hunger in Madagascar
Arduino Mangoni, World Food Programme Deputy Country Director in Madagascar, stated that successive droughts had hit the south of Madagascar, the region that had already been the most vulnerable part of the country in terms of poverty, food security, nutrition, education, and infrastructure. The current droughts had been compounded by sandstorms, presence of locusts, the consequences of COVID-19, and growing insecurity, thus forming a “perfect storm”.
The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) results showed growing numbers of people in IPC 3-4-5 up to December 2021. This was the only climate change induced famine in the world, stressed Mr. Mangoni. The trends in terms of food insecurity and malnutrition since 2020 were extremely concerning with growing numbers of people in IPC 4 people in IPC 5, and the number of severely malnourished children rising exponentially.
The food security and nutrition indicators were already too severe for this time of the year when the lean season was only starting. What was extremely concerning was that the numbers of malnurtured children were double those of the numbers in 2020. Lean season was starting only now, so the WFP had started scaling up in terms of ration and nutrition programmes and planning to further scale up in terms of people assisted and ration starting from December 2021 till the next good harvest, hopefully in April 2022.
Mr. Mangoni stressed that more resources were needed now; an amount of USD 69 million was necessary to cover the emergency response throughout the current lean season.
Responding to questions, Mr. Mangoni stated that 1.3 million people were in IPC category 3 and above; of them, 500,000 people were in categories 4 and 5. The lines between the categories 3, 4, and 5 were very fine; those were all people who had exhausted various copying techniques and those in category 3 could easily slide to higher categories. Even the water was scarce and harder to reach. Around half a million children under the age of five were projected to be malnourished; 110,000 of them were severely malnourished and at the risk of dying by April 2022, unless they were immediately supported. Because of the intensity of the drought, people had had a terrible harvest, explained Mr. Mangoni; in some areas it could be considered a “lost harvest”. The economic impact of the latest drought had not been gaged yet.
Tomson Phiri, for the World Food Programme (WFP), in a response to a question, explained that globally USD 6.6 billion was needed to provide, for 12 months, one meal a day to the 42 million people who were at the risk of dying of hunger. That amounted to USD 40 cents per person per day.
Sexual abuse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In a response to questions on sexual abuse and exploitation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that UNICEF had asked the Office of the Internal Oversight to investigate all allegations pertaining to UNICEF. One alleged perpetrator had been identified; his case was currently under investigation, and he was no longer working for UNICEF. The case was being followed on a daily basis. The organization had globally strengthened its efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse; almost all UNICEF country offices had improved partner reporting and training.
UNHCR begins airlifting aid to Kabul
Shabia Mantoo, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), informed that a plane carrying winter relief from the UN Refugee Agency’s global stockpiles in Dubai was landing in Kabul today.
The plane was carrying 33 tons of winterization kits for displaced Afghans. It was the first of three UNHCR flights, with the next two scheduled to land in Kabul on 4 and 7 November.
Humanitarian needs were rising rapidly in Afghanistan ahead of winter, when temperatures can dip to -25⁰C. Weighing 25kg, each winterization kit contained flooring, partitions, and other items to improve tent insulation against the cold. The kits also provided heat resistant protection to enable the installation of a stove.
Ms. Mantoo explained that UNHCR was using land, sea and air routes to bring humanitarian relief into Afghanistan and other countries in the region so that it could respond to the increasing needs. Further relief supplies had also been prepositioned in Termez, Uzbekistan, ready to be trucked into Afghanistan as needed. UNHCR appealed to the international community to urgently increase financial contributions to assist displaced Afghans, both within and outside the country, who remained extremely vulnerable.
Full press release is available here.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service, said that in the past week more than 90,000 people in the east of the country had received humanitarian assistance from the IOM. She recalled that UN Member States had responded generously to the call at the High-level Event on Afghanistan, held in Geneva on 13 September. However, those pledges needed to be disbursed quickly, and so far only 48 percent of USD 606 million required had been received. She added that some 30,000 people had been reached with single dose COVID19 vaccines in two provinces since 16 October.
Geneva announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service, informed that the press conference to present results of a joint investigation into alleged violations of international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law committed by all parties to the conflict in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, by the UN Human Rights Office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, would be held on 3 November at 9:30 am. Speakers would be Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Maarit Kohonen Sheriff, Chief of the Africa Branch at the OHCHR; and Françoise Mianda, Section Chief of East and Southern Africa at the OHCHR.
On 8 November at 10:30 am, there would be a press conference to present the World Intellectual Property Indicators Report, under embargo until 12:30 pm that day. Speakers would be Marco Aleman, Assistant Director General, IP and Innovation Ecosystems Sector; and Carsten Fink, Chief Economist at WIPO.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was beginning this morning its review of the report of Kyrgyzstan, while in the afternoon the Committee would begin the review of the report of the Russian Federation.
On 4 November, at 6:30 pm, there would be a Ciné-ONU event at Cinerama Empire in Geneva, showing the documentary “Breaking Boundaries” by David Attenborough.
On today’s International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the Secretary-General said that the previous year, according to UNESCO, 62 journalists had been killed just for doing their jobs. Many had lost their lives to conflict. Almost nine out of ten of those killings went unpunished. The Secretary-General urged all Member States to stand in solidarity with journalists, and to investigate and prosecute crimes against them with the full force of the law.
Teleprompter
Good morning.
Welcome to the Information Service Briefing, press briefing in Geneva today, Tuesday 2nd of November.
We have quite a few news today for you from various agencies on the issue of climate.
As you all too well know, the world leaders and communities meeting at the moment in Glasgow for the COP 26 yesterday, the Secretary General gave a keynote address to the Corp.
He gave a blunt assessment of the status of our efforts to combat climate change.
As we face the hottest years on record.
We've distributed to you the statements of the the the addresses of the Secretary General.
So if you have not received it, but as no, we will send you more information today in the following days when the Secretary General today is scheduled to have meetings with five regional groups as well with other world leaders, bilateral meetings and also with representative of the civil society, including his youth advisory group on climate.
Also on this subject, of course, we have various colleagues who would like to brief us and I would like to start with James, James Elder on behalf of UNICEF.
James, you are here with us today with Gautam Narasimhan, who is UNICEF's global lead for climate energy and the environment to speak about impact of climate change on children.
I don't know if you want to start or we want to give the floor directly to Gautam Alessandra.
Good morning, everyone, very quickly.
Yes, Gautam is, as Alessandra said, our lead their climate, energy, the environment.
He is as knowledgeable as we have on children and this crisis.
And of course the world is somehow now expecting children to have the solutions to this crisis.
We know that they are certainly the most effective.
So beyond his breath, any questions you may have on the broader issue of children and climate, please Gautam.
OK, Gautam, over to you in Glasgow.
Thank you, James colleagues, thank you very much.
2021 is expected to be one of the warmest years on record according to our colleagues at WMO.
And as the mercury and thermometers rises, so does the pressure on governments to take action on climate change in top 26.
As I speak to you, there have been many statements from world leaders in which the words children and young people have been mentioned multiple times.
But while leaders are once again talking about the impact of the climate crisis upon children, too few are yet to consider and turn these words into meaningful actions that actually consider children.
We received we released a new UNICEF analysis today that reveals that 2/3 of country's climate plans don't address the needs and priorities of children.
We examined the Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCS, and these were updated ahead of COP 26, where I am now.
These documents are submitted by the countries which have signed the Paris Agreement and outline the actions that they commit to meet its goals.
And of the 103 country plans, UNICEF considers just 35 percent, 35 of them, which is just about 1/3 of them to be child sensitive.
Only one in five of them reference child rights or intergenerational justice in any meaningful way, and only 12% reported the children participated in the development of the plan.
Now countries are saying the right things about considering and including children.
But with their climate plans, these promises follow.
Children and young people bring energy, leadership and ideas to the table.
And yet leaders continue to pay only lip service to their demands.
The climate crisis is a child rights crisis.
And in August UNICEF published the The Children's Climate Risk Index, which revealed that 99% of the world's 2.2 billion children, virtually all of them, are exposed to at least one climactic or environmental shocker stress, including heat waves, cyclones, flooding, drought, vector borne diseases, air pollution and lead poisoning.
And roughly 1 billion children live in countries that are extremely **** risk of the threats of climate change.
And these children, they face multiple compounding climate shocks, threatening their health, education and very survival.
To respond to the climate crisis with the interests of children at the heart of all decisions, UNICEF is imploring governments to take three actions.
The first, to increase investment in climate adaptation and resilience.
Children in communities that have contributed the least to global emissions will face the greatest impact of climate change.
These are communities that will see the greatest growth in child population over the coming decades.
And for these children, mitigation to cut CO2 emissions will come too late given emissions reductions will take decades to have an impact on the climate impacts that we already have baked in.
Building the resilience that the social services that these children depend upon, water, health, education, is critical to reduce the risk that they will face, and UNICEF urges developed countries to exceed their 2009 promise to mobilise $100 billion of climate finance annually.
These sums are simply inefficient, insufficient given recent evidence, and therefore UNICEF is urging a greater emphasis on funding to build climate resilience and adaptive capacity.
The second reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Adaptation can only do so much and it is imperative that COP 26 leaders commit to cutting emissions faster and deeper.
The world's children cannot afford further delay and therefore UNICEF is urging countries to cut their emissions by at least 45% compared to 2010 levels by 20-30 to keep warming to no more than 1.5°C.
And the 3rd and critically, is to include young people in all climate negotiations and decisions.
And as today's analysis confirms, children, young people continue to be underrepresented in policies and climate discussions, even though they're the most critical clients for sustainable solutions.
This limits their ability to influence decisions that are critical to their future and doesn't help them lead the world that they will inherit.
Every child and young person born today is born into a world that is fully aware of the consequences of inaction of climate, and yet leaders are unable to agree on measures to effectively stop this.
The international community must use the remaining discussions at COP 26 to turn words into action.
They must create safer communities for the children affected now and agree on a path forward to prevent the worst impacts of climate change for people everywhere.
Colleagues, thank you very much.
Thank you very much Gordon.
And just also on the question of children, I just would like to drive your attention to the fact that yesterday the UN Special Representative for Children in Armoured Conflict, Virginia Gamba, said that tackling the climate emergency can contribute to the protection of millions of conflict affected children.
The impact of climate change, he said, can aggravate fragilities and worsen conflict dynamics, adding that children are the most vulnerable group in times of crisis.
She was joining the calls from other UN officials to translate climate emergency commitments into actions and to invest in adaptation and resilience so that children can realise their their rights to grow up and thrive in peaceful societies.
I see we have a few question for UNICEF.
I'll start with Catherine, but Please remember that afterwards we will also be briefed on climate related issues by World Food Programme and UNDP.
Catherine, good morning Alessandra, good morning to all.
Do you hear me?
Yes, I would first kindly ask the gentleman to send out his statement.
That would be more easier for us to cover the story later on.
And I had raised my hand already in the beginning, at the beginning of that UN briefing, because I wanted to address the question about sexual ***** of people in DR Congo.
James, I, I heard that some staff members from UNICEF were involved in those abuses.
So could you please make a comment?
And I would like also to ask the same question to IOM representative if there's someone from IOM today.
Thank you.
OK, Katherine, first of all, no, no.
Are you representatives today?
I would like to ask James to keep this for later on.
We will answer your question, but I'll, I'll ask for your indulgence.
Let's concentrate on the climate issue 1st and then I'll give the floor to James to answer your question because I see that Lisa has a question and we, as I said, have more people briefing on climate.
And then we will go to your question, Katherine.
So Lisa, you have a question for Gautam.
I, I do, I do.
Thanks, Alexandra.
Good morning, everybody.
You know, I, it seems as if the children, the kids, the young adults, they are the most amazingly articulate people I think I've ever heard.
Now they don't have power because they don't vote, but many of them are fast approaching the time when they will be able to vote.
Do you believe that this might in fact change this situation if they have the power to somehow persuade the politicians to do the right thing, shall we say?
And then now the fact is that developed countries are ignoring developing countries.
They're not giving them the money.
So they're not really sort of discriminating against the children alone.
And yet you isolate, you bring them out.
So do you think that by appealing to the heartstrings, if they have any of the politicians in the West, that regarding children, that this might actually turn things around?
That seems a little bit difficult.
Thank you.
Thank you, Lisa Gautam.
Lisa is our correspondent for Voice of America.
Would you like to answer her?
Yes and thank you very and thank you very much Lisa.
And to your first point, yes, absolutely as to as the young people of today reach voting age, we we did that.
That is a strong signal because survey after survey and increasing evidence suggests that children and young people are motivated about climate change, that this is the issue that they care about.
And what we and UNICEF and of course others also try and do is to ensure that they have opportunities to participate even earlier and that then they had then they put them before they reach voting age.
So, so that, that's, that's the first part.
And on the second part, it's yes, yes, to a certain extent.
I mean, it's important to also remember that children will bear the brunt of the impact of climate change.
They're physically and psychologically more vulnerable to have their entire lives ahead of them.
And for example, when it comes to the health impacts of climate change, 95% of it are estimated to be born by children under the age of five.
There is a certain and yes, there is a certain amount of global solidarity that we are appealing to because of our universal love for children.
And speaking on behalf of UNICEF, we put children at the heart of everything that we do.
So to that extent, yes, very much also hoping that our universal love for children will be able to motivate greater action upon.
Thank you very much.
Any other question for UNICEF on this issue in the room or online?
I don't see any.
So thank you very much, Gautam.
To brief us from Glasgow, it would be really useful indeed if you could send your the note of your speech through James.
Maybe it's, it's going to be easier.
Thank you.
So I will go now to our colleagues from WFP.
Thompson is with us and he brought with us to us Adwina Mongoni, who's World Food Programme Deputy Country Director in Madagascar to speak about the impact of climate change on hunger levels there.
So Thompson, would you like to say something or should I give the floor to Mr Mangoni?
Just quickly, I could just give a housekeeping issue to say I have circulated earlier slides as well as notes that were prepared by at least morning and later today we will circulate a news release on how climate change is magnifying the hunger issue in Madagascar.
With that, maybe we can proceed and bring that, you know, Arduino.
Go ahead.
Good morning to all and thank you for this chance.
I would like to take this chance to delve into this specific situation here in Madagascar and to put things into context, imagine a region twice the size of Switzerland, around 80,000 square kilometres in the South of Madagascar.
This is the poorest part of the country in terms of the most vulnerable in terms of all relevant indicators, poverty, education, nutrition, health, the status of the infrastructure.
And this is the part of the country which is regularly, chronically I would say, affected by mainly droughts, but also cyclones, including floods.
So this is the sort of backdrop against which the most intense drought in 40 years has hit this specific region in 2021.
The elderly people whom we assist in the South, they keep telling us that this is the most severe phenomenon, the KA, they called it the drought in since 1981.
Now, against this backdrop, we have some acute phenomena like the intensity of the drought, as I mentioned, back-to-back droughts in the last five years, a new phenomenon of sandstorms probably caused by soil erosion, deforestation in the last 20 to 30 years.
And then of course, the consequences, the impact of COVID.
According to a World Bank study, around 1.3 million, 1.3 million people since last year have fallen into poverty because of the consequences of of COVID.
We have **** prices.
Inflation is staggering, especially for food prices, including water.
And then we also have insecurity.
There's a new again, a new phenomenon of dahal, of bandits ravaging the area.
So all these factors combined are producing on the ground a situation which could be in a way described as a sort of perfect storm which is driving as as we all know a a food security crisis.
We have some pockets of IPC 5 or famine like conditions.
This is basically the only and may maybe the first climate change famine on on Earth.
And the reason why we're extremely concerned not only WP, but all the food security and, and nutrition actors is that if we look at the trends where we're coming from against the backdrop I have alluded to and if we look at the projections for the months ahead, the situation is very alarming.
So let's start with the food security part, IPC 3-4 and five trends since last year have gone up.
So if we only look at IPC 4, around 200,000 people in IPC four last trimester last quarter of last year, we have around half a million now with a projection of people in IPC 5 as well around 30,000 between now and the end of the year when the new IPC results will be available.
First time in Madagascar since the introduction of the IPC in 2016.
As I said, we have pockets of famine and in general the people in IPC 3 and above around 1.3 million as we speak today is higher than the people in IPC 3 and above in 2016 during the El Nino driven crisis.
Now looking at the nutrition trends, similar patterns around 120,000 kids in GAM acute malnutrition last quarter of last year 2020, I run half a million according to the latest ITC nutrition projection between now and April 2022.
And what is also extremely concerning is that if we look at the new admissions in terms of severe and moderate malnutrition for over September 2021, they are double the numbers compared to the same time in 2020.
And this is very in a way is consistent with what we keep seeing on the ground, in the villages, in the nutrition centres and in the areas where we serve the people most most affected by the crisis.
I was in the South a couple of weeks back and once again whenever one enters a nutrition centre, the situation is is heartbreaking with silence, no joy, kids just staring at you and in a situation of really skin and skin and bones.
I have been working with the World Food Programme in several countries in this continent in several emergencies including DRC, the Central African Republic in Darfur.
I have never seen kids in the situation they are in at least starting from end of last year.
Now I point I would like to emphasise is that the situation on the ground as we speak today is very alarming.
If we look at the period, the time so early November in terms of food security, in terms of malnutrition, the situation is already very much deteriorated when we're only now entering the lean season, which of course is the period between now and the next harvest, assuming that the next harvest will be, will be a good one.
So the situation between now and March, April when the harvest is expected cannot back deteriorate farther deteriorate if it is to improve based on a good harvest, based on the humanitarian intervention in in the coming months just to rapidly wrap up from my end.
In terms of WP plans, in order to address the situation, we are scaling up progressively.
So we have been assisting around 700,000 people since the beginning of this year.
However, on a on 1/2 ration based on resources constraints till the end of August, starting from September, we have managed to increase the Russian for around 400,000 people in IPC 4:00 and 5:00.
So this is already a very relevant step in the right direction.
The plan is to further increase starting from December, January going towards the peak of the knee season with assisting around 1,000,000 people in IPC 3-4 and five.
So assure of those in need with the full Russian resources permitting between December, January till the end of the bean season.
And for that, we need around 69 USD million if we are to address the current gaps between now and the upcoming six months now, while we go ahead with our humanitarian interventions and the lead times for contributions to be translated into food available on the ground are of around 4:00 to five months.
So we have to fill the gaps now financially while we do that in terms of assisting people in need in the crisis where possible.
We're feasible.
We are moving ahead.
We're scaling up our resilience programmes as well in terms of providing communities with access to water, in terms of reforestation and in terms of sand dune stabilisation.
So resilience where possible has to be strengthened if we are to ensure that people progressively become self reliant in the coming months and in the coming years.
I thank you again and I'll stop there.
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for this extensive briefing.
I have a few questions for you from the journalist Lisa again from Voice of America.
Yes, thank you again and good morning to you, Mr Mongoni.
If first, if you would be so kind as to send your notes.
Thompson did send us some notes, but what you had to say right now would be useful.
I, I, I have to admit I got lost in the thicket of your IPCC's and your games.
And I'd like you like to ask you to simplify some of the numbers.
If you would, please could you give a global number of how many people are facing acute hunger are short of hunger and how many of them actually are in the state of famine?
Because to think that this is the first climate induced famine is rather dramatic.
And then also would you give the numbers in terms of how many children are malnourished and are they at risk of death?
If so, how many and how can how can this be prevented of you?
What?
You went to a nutrition no sentence and you were clearly affected by it.
What sort of treatment is being given to the children and what sort of hope do you have for their survival?
Thank you.
Thank you so much for this comprehensive question.
So of course, we'll share the notes and you will see all the figures.
But just to share with you the main ones, we have as we speak 1.3 million in IPC 3 and above with around 490,000 in IPC 4 and as we speak 30,000 in IPC 5.
So these are the latest IPC data according to the end of April 2021 IPC results.
Now from what we're seeing on the ground, these figures are doomed unfortunately to rise in the coming months as we're only now entering the lean season.
So the toughest part of the year for the agricultural population in terms of malnutrition figures, we have as we speak around 110,000.
This is a projection between now and April 2022, people, children up to five years in a situation of severe malnutrition.
These are the children who are at risk of dying if not supported.
And these are the kids.
I'm glad that UNICEF is on the call.
These are the kids who are being treated through the Pampi nut by UNICEF, including through some medical type of intervention.
What the Wolfie problem?
Is sorry, I'm I'm seeing the faces of my colleagues here.
Can you repeat just the number of the children, the figure that you've just given?
Can you just repeat it please?
So according to the latest IPC Nutrition July 2021, we have half a million children up to five years in acute malnutrition.
This is moderate and severe, out of which Out of whom 110,000 in severe malnutrition and this is a projection between now and April 2022.
Thank you very much.
And again, as Lisa said, all these numbers would be really useful in writing.
Catherine, Catherine Fiancon And then I'll go to the room to Peter.
Yes, yes.
Catherine Fiancon for France Van Katra.
Sir, could you please do you have an explanation about the fact that this crisis is in fact so long?
We, we had the case for many, many months already.
So is, does it mean that the effect of climate is growing in the, in the region?
And I would like you also to remind us the latest appeal you you did because you said that you need 69 millions in order to fill the gap from now to April.
So what was the the last appeal you did and how much did you get for that appeal?
Thank you.
Thank you for the question.
Why is it so long?
As I said, first of all, because of the intensity of of the of the drought, people have had very poor harvest because of the droughts over the last five years.
The last harvest, the one in 2021 was corresponding to around 1/3 of the five year already very poor average.
So I would for some areas we could describe it as a lost harvest in 2021.
I would also add to that the fact that so far, as I alluded to earlier, not only that this fee but also the other food security actors have only been been able to intervene based on 1/2 Russian.
So most of the people in need since October, November 2020 have been supported through 1/2 Russian due to resources constraints.
It's only starting from June that WP has been able to support the people in IPC 5, the 14,000 people with a full Russian.
And only starting from September, as I mentioned that the people in IPC four and five, around half a million are being sorry from WPS and 370,000 IPC four and five are being served with a full Russian.
So in general, what we did so far has has not sufficed to reverse the food insecurity and malnutrition trends so far.
And this is the reason why WP and the other food actors need very badly more resources to be able to assist the people in IPC 3-4 and five at least during the lean season with a food Russian now in 69,000,000 between now and the end of the lean season.
As I said, assuming that the next harvest will be a good one.
The needs we we have got.
And I, I can get back to you with some details on what we have gotten since the last appeal in in July.
We got some money from the surf.
We got money from the UK, an additional funding line from Echo extraordinarily for the in kind support and not only for the cash, but I can get back to you with some details on on that front.
Back to you.
Thanks.
Thank you very much, Ardwin.
I'll go to the room.
Peter, Kenny, Peter, introduce yourself please.
Yeah, thanks for taking my question.
I just want to clarify something about certainty.
The written statement says it is the only climate change induced famine in the world and your words, you said it may be the only climate induced famine in the world.
So could you clarify on that point?
And secondly, could you say, I, I know that we've had this famine around for some time, Could you say what the overall economic impact on Madagascar is, if you have such information?
Thank you.
Yeah.
Thank you.
So it is it is so far.
This is what I meant.
The only climate change driven IPC so famine as far as we know.
If we look at the others current food crisis including famine like conditions.
So South Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia for the degree they're all driven by conflict.
Going to your second part of the question, Sorry, I, I missed it.
Sorry, sorry for that.
We had a.
Problem of Mike.
Just one second please.
Peter will repeat the question.
I said that this famine has been around for some time.
Yeah.
And could you, if you can explain to us what is the overall economic impact on Madagascar?
I know this is a regional famine, but could you say what the overall economic impact on Madagascar is?
Thank you.
Well, I, I don't have the figures for that.
I I as mentioned earlier, I know about the economic impact of COVID-19 and beyond the figures of the World Bank 1.3 million additional people falling into poverty since 2020.
We can see it on a daily basis.
So the people who migrate from the villages were most affected by the drought.
They tend to go to the main urban centres along the coast were a few years back, they would find labour opportunities and this is no more the case because of the impact of COVID.
Tourism is highly affected now in terms in terms of the effects of the drought.
I can only tell you what we see in terms of food insecurity and malnutrition and these are the figures that we will share.
I am not sure about the economic impact of the latest drought.
It has not probably not been gauged so far yet.
Over to you.
Thank you.
Nina Larsen, AFP, Thank you very much for taking my question.
So like the Lisa, I'm a little bit confused by all the IPC numbers and was hoping you could just clarify.
So I understand that IPC 5 is, is famine.
Would you say that the IPC 3 and IPC 4 figures are then on the brink of famine?
And if I understood correctly, that was around 22 million and then the famine figure was around 90,000, if I heard correctly.
Could you confirm that?
And then could you say how many children or others do you think have actually already died from malnutrition?
Do you have any figures on that?
Thank.
You, yeah.
Now for your first question, there's a very fine line between IPC 3-4 and five.
We have seen it over the past months.
As I said, gradually people in IPC 3 have fallen in IPC 4, meaning these are people who are progressively exhausting their their coping strategies and they are moving into crisis coping strategies.
These are people who do not, who do not have anything nutrition left to eat.
So they are eating cactus leaves, insects, locusts, they don't have water.
They have to walk 30 to 40 kilometres in order to buy water.
And water is becoming more and more expensive.
And we have seen people in IPC 5, as I said, there are pockets and these are mainly people who are fleeing, who are leaving behind their villages because they have sold everything they had, their animals, their land, their kitchen utensils.
And as we know, whenever a woman sells out her kitchen utensils, this is the last drop.
And then before migrating, before walking away from her village with her kids towards the urban, the urban centres, children dying.
We, we have heard in various villages constantly we hear about matters telling us about their losses in terms of children.
However, mortality is not easily determined here in this country because of cultural issues.
So it is not easy.
So children are not registered.
Children after six months, usually their deaths are not registered.
So it's only by anecdotal evidence that we can see and also by seeing the reality on the ground that we can assume that children, including children, are are dying.
Over to you.
Get with the dumbest.
Yeah, yeah, because sorry, sorry, I'm doing a bit the first part of Nina's question.
So if you could just re clarify the numbers, sorry, but it's it's a lot of numbers for the journalists to absorb.
So again, the numbers.
So you will see that in the slides that I've shared.
With Thompson, so as we speak today, we have 1.3 million people in ITC 3 and above, OK.
So around half a million people in IPC four and five and the rest in IPC 3.
As I said, the trends are very volatile.
So people in IPC 3 tend to fall into IPC 4 if not assisted adequately.
This is for the food and security part.
For malnutrition, again going back to the IPC nutrition, July 2021, we have around half a million children up to five years in GAM.
So in acute malnutrition this comprises both moderate and severe between now and April 2022.
The concerning part is the severe children, so severe malnourished children 110,000 on the one hand and the new admissions in terms of moderate and in terms of severe malnutrition in the health centres, they are already the double than than last year, the same.
And this is very alarming.
Thank you very much, Gabriela Sotomayor.
Thank you very much.
Good morning, Alison.
Good morning, everyone.
So just for to clarify, you need $69 million for Madagascar, but what about what WFPDG said, that you need $6 billion to help 42 million people that are literally going to die if you don't reach them?
And Mr Beasley said that millionaires, billionaires like Elon Musk, for example, could help prevent millions from starving to death.
So and then I think that Mister Elon Musk said that he will help, but you have to prove it can.
Can you comment on that?
Thank you so much.
I don't know if you know or Thompson want to answer the last part of the questions, but please Arduino.
Yeah, I can just start and then maybe Thompson would like to compliment.
So the 69,000,000, this is for the Madagascar and this is for the emergency response between now and November up to end of April, so six months ahead for general food distributions, including prevention and treatment of malnutrition.
This is for the sheer emergency response for the next 6 months for Madagascar.
What the Executive Director was referring to, these are the 42 million people around the world in IPC four and five, OK, whom if they are not assisted today could face the risk of, of death any, any time.
And for that, WFP needs 7 billion in order to save their lives.
Thompson, back to you.
Yeah.
Thank you so much for that.
Spot on, spot on, Adriano.
Only 6 billion, let me just say the more than 6 billion that WFP's Executive Director referred to, is the estimated total cost for the World Food Programme to assist all those people who are facing emergency.
Levels of food insecurity and as Adrina said, this is IPC or Car de Harmonise.
First for plus, it is for a period of 12 months where we are giving them one meal a day, which is basically the basic meal for them to stay alive.
Now put simply, it is 42,000,000 which translates to $0.40 per day times 365 days.
Now this is an aggregate number.
Each country has its own different costs and each beneficiary in each country has a different unit cost based on all the things that influence the cost of delivering food in different countries.
I hope this sheds light on the 6.6 billion.
Gabriella, I see your hand up.
I think you just want to reiterate.
So I'll ask directly to Thompson.
I think she wanted also comment on Mr Musk's declaration if you have any.
Yes, if you if you can comment on that.
And also, so this is this quantity is for one year.
Is is that correct?
The the 6.6, that's the exact figure.
6.6 billion is for 12 months.
One year, yes.
OK.
Yes.
You don't have any other comments.
So John Zaracostas, yes, good morning.
I'd like to follow up on my colleagues questions.
Can you please elaborate and perhaps your colleagues from UNICEF and WHO, if they're listening in, how many children are being treated in feeding centres and how many are at the moment suffering from severe acute malnutrition?
And thirdly, how many have been diagnosed medically dead from famine in UN run centres or centres run by UN agencies and their partners?
I understood what you said about the problems of registration by the authorities, but what is the UN country team telling us on the ground there?
Thank you.
I give the floor to Arduino, but James and Fidela who is connected for WHO?
If you have any comment to add, just raise your hand Arduino.
Say on on your last point, very little.
We don't have the data in terms of mortality.
So we we can only tell the world what we see on the ground for the time being.
There was a, an MSF study a few months back, but it was the, the range, the scope of the study was very limited.
So that was not representative of the situation in terms of mortality for the whole S.
When it comes to your first and second question, WP as we speak is covering around 35,000 children through the treatment of malnutrition in what we call here the Crenam Le Le Santo, the prison charge 11 nutrition for moderate malnutrition.
And in addition to that, we have around 130,000 kids that we assist on a monthly basis through our general food distributions that are integrated complemented by the prevention of malnutrition.
This is distribution of plampy dose to all kids between 6 and 59 months coming with their their matters.
But there's a gap, as you can see, if we take the figure as true of the projection of GAM of acute malnutrition between now and April 2022.
Maybe the colleagues from UNICEF might want to compliment what I just said over to you.
Thanks.
Thank you.
I don't know if James has anything because I didn't see stand up, but yeah, James, you are.
You are muted.
No, I'm, I am.
I'm sorry.
No, Jonathan, John, I can have a look at the numbers of feeding centres, Sam, but off the top of my head and noting what our colleague from WFP just said, I I don't have those.
I am looking at your other request more broadly.
And if this one is still specific after this, then we can loop bilaterally.
Yeah, I think that those numbers would be of interest to a journalist, James, if ever you can share them.
Catherine, Yes, last question on this and then yes, go ahead.
Thank you.
Two things.
The first is as we'll have the Glasgow summit, I mean which started yesterday.
I, I, I've heard that there will be a conference, a special conference organised by the Head of State of Madagascar and Seychelle regarding the situation.
Could you provide us with more infos about that?
That is my first question.
And my second request is can I kindly ask Mr Mongoni to say a few words about the situation in Madagascar in French so like that we can use it for radio and TV?
Thank you.
I'm sorry, Alessandra, but I mean, the gentleman speaks.
Yeah, but French.
Let's try.
Because we are really.
No, no, no.
So I'm sorry.
I mean, we need.
We need also.
I need.
Yeah, I understand that, Catherine.
But if it's something new, he can say in French.
Otherwise, maybe we can do it at the end.
But Mr Mangoni, maybe you want to say something.
I think, I think you're referring to the Climate Vulnerable Forum leaders event.
Is that that one or is there another one that is convened by Madagascar?
Maybe you know about it, Mr Mangoni, Otherwise I can ask.
I don't have the details about this conference attended by the President, but I know that the President has gotten involved, especially through his new cabinet in the South, not only for the emergency response, but also for the longer term solutions.
They are talking about creating a Greenbelt around 200 kilometres in the South along the coast.
They are talking about providing communities with access to water.
They are talking about reforestation, etcetera.
And the UN is ready to assist the government on on this front in in the years, in the months and years ahead.
Over to you.
Thank you very much, Katrina.
I'll try to to find you the information, the exact information on this event.
In the meantime, I'd like to to ask Sarah to touch upon the last part of our briefing on climate and then maybe Mr Mongolian Andrea, if you could stay on the line afterwards at the end we might ask you to say something in French if you don't mind.
And then I haven't forgotten Catherine's question.
We'll go to James for the question on DRC.
So let's start with Sarah.
Sarah, you wanted to just say a few words about what's happening in Geneva for the and on Glasgow, please.
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James.
James, The question from Catherine was about the issue of sexual ***** in DRC.
Can you comment or maybe say something about that, James?
Sure, thanks.
That's Rhonda.
Yes.
So look, when those allegations of sexual exploitation and ***** in that Ebola response very first came to light, and that was prior to the establishment of WH OS independent Commission, UNICEF asked the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services to investigate all allegations that pertain to UNICEF.
That investigation led to the identification of one former UNICEF staff member and that case is currently under review.
That alleged perpetrator no longer works for UNICEF.
So essentially that's the specifics I think to your to, to your question.
I mean, to give a little bit more details around UNICEF's fight against sexual exploitation and *****, in the last, I'd say three years since 2018, the organisation globally has strengthened efforts to prevent and respond to exploitation and ***** with a focus on putting victims first.
I mean, a few examples of that.
In the last two years, more than 40, more than 40 million children and adults have had safe access to effective channels to report sexual exploitation or *****.
That's about, you know, 44 million, that's compared to 9 million in 2019.
Almost all our country offices around the world have improved partner reporting and training.
You can report sexual exploitation and ***** implicating any UNICEF personnel or partners and it can be publicly reported in basically real time.
And of course, UNICEF reports to our executive board on actions to protect against sexual exploitation and *****.
Hope that helps.
I hope so, but Katrina's raise our hand.
Katrina, yes, I, I would like to thank James for his detailed answer.
But what happened with that person, because it is now decades that we have, we see regular incidents in the AIDS sector.
And, and the, I think that one of the problem is, is impunity is that when people are identified, the, I mean, there's no, there's no follow up.
And my second thing, James, is because you've been, I'm sorry about going back on that.
It's on, on WFPI.
Really want some French remarks from Mr Mongone, as Madagascar is a French speaking country and we need French.
I mean what he said is very important and French is one of the working languages.
I'm sorry Alexander, French is one of the working languages of UN and we cannot exclude like that French, particularly when we have someone, an expert last as Mr Mangoni that speaks both languages perfectly.
Thank you and thank you, James.
Thank you very much.
And as I said, I'm not excluding it.
I'm just more speakers and we will as Mr Mangoni is very kindly waits on the line.
We will do it at the end.
James, do you want to add anything about what happened as as Katrine said to the person you refer to?
Sure.
Look, it's just the, the numbers don't hold, don't hold the idea true that there is the things are swept under the carpet and the, the numbers over the last few years have shown very, very clearly an organisation like UNICEF and, and the sister UN agencies have been quite aggressive in, in, in identifying and then ensuring accountability.
There is of course still a mechanism.
So for example, when you know from the, from the first moment, this case, this case, which is this, as I say, this alleged perpetrator no longer works for UNICEF, but is currently under investigation by the internal oversight services.
Now when we first heard about these allegations via WH OS independent Commission, when that was made public, we've been in constant contact since then with WHO seeking information about any allegations that relate to UNICEF.
We've been assured that they'll provide us with access on any that are relevant and we just we, we await for that.
So I'm happy to share any much anymore.
As I said, there's a huge amount now that's publicly available in terms of actions and the way that people have been dealt with who have been found guilty of this.
But at the moment we have been literally on a daily basis following this case.
But there are other organisations involved, John, is that on this subject too?
Yes.
Good morning, James.
Just to follow up on Catherine's question, the person, the former staff member, was he a national staff or international staff working for UNICEF?
And secondly, I don't understand if he's no longer a staff member, how the internal oversight is having jurisdictions.
Doesn't that fall in the jurisdiction of the nationality where this person comes from, given that sexual ***** is a crime on the statutes of all countries?
John, I'm not, I'm not an expert.
I'm going to come back to you on that.
I certainly don't know the, the gender or the nationality of the, of the alleged perpetrator.
And I, I, I won't go into levels of immunity and so on.
Not immunity.
I'm not going into sort of different criminality cases and so forth.
What I do know is that the, that was a staff member at the time.
So I would sense that as a staff member at the time then the UNS internal oversight services continue to have jurisdiction.
But please let me get you exacts on that and of course to Catherine and Jamie has a question on this from the room.
Jamie, Hi James, good morning.
Just what, what level of staffer it was this person?
Yeah.
Jamie, I don't know.
I'm sorry.
As soon as New York, NY wakes up and they're close, I will seek, if I can get allowing, of course, that some of these things may be confidential based on it's an ongoing case, but I'll seek those three parts, gender, nationality and level.
Katherine, yes, thank you for giving me back the floor.
And I would like also to have a reaction from IOM later on.
But regarding UNICEF, did you receive any letter from the European Union that is threatening you to suspend their funding regarding the problem of these *****, this ***** in DRC as they did with WHO?
Thank you.
No, to the best of my knowledge unless it's been shared during the course of this meeting, no, thank you, James.
And yes, thank you for coming back to the journalists on all these points.
I'll, I'll see with IOM Katherine if they can send you a reaction.
And I turn now to Shabia.
Thank you for your patience.
You have an important also and I would like to thank everybody who has briefed on on climate related issues.
And Mr Arduino Mangoni, please stay with us for the end.
But I'd like to give the floor now to Shabia for an important update on Afghanistan from the **** Commissioner for Refugees.
Shabia, you have the floor.
Thank you, Alessandra, and good morning, everyone.
And Barbara couldn't be joining us this morning.
So I will just give an update in his absence.
But he is still in in Kabul.
We are just updating on an airlift that is arriving in Kabul this morning.
So a plane carrying winter relief from the UN refugee agency's global stockpile in Dubai is landing this afternoon in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The UNHCR chartered plane took off from Sharjah earlier today, intending to arrive in Kabul at 3:30 PM local time, which will be about midday Geneva time.
The plane will be carrying 33 tonnes of winterization kits for displaced Afghans.
This is the first of three UNHCR flights, with the next two scheduled to land in the Afghan capital on the 4th and 7th of November.
Humanitarian needs are rising rapidly in Afghanistan ahead of winter, where temperatures can dip to -25°C.
Many displaced families like proper shelter, while some of those who have recently returned to their places of origin have found their homes unfit for the cold season.
Weighing 25 kilogrammes each, the winterization kit contains flooring partitions and other items to improve tent insulation against the cold.
The kids also provide heat resistant protection to enable the installation of a stove.
Conflict and insecurity have displaced 3.5 million Afghans inside the country, of which some 700,000 were forced from their homes this year.
UNHCR is rushing to provide winter assistance to some half a million displaced Afghans, returnees and others in the local host communities by the end of the year.
UNHCR continues to distribute other much needed humanitarian assistance to displaced Afghans.
Nearly half a million have received assistance so far this year, including emergency shelter kits, food rations, blankets, kitchen sets, stoves, solar panels, solar lanterns and cash for the most vulnerable.
We are using land, sea and air routes to bring humanitarian relief into Afghanistan and other countries in the region so we can respond to increasing needs.
Further relief supplies have also been pre positioned in terms of Uzbekistan, ready to be trucked into Afghanistan as needed.
As we continue to scale up our humanitarian response, more resources are urgently needed to reach all those who will help, who would need help to survive the harsh winter ahead.
We appeal to the international community to urgently increase financial contributions to assist displaced Afghans, both within and outside the country who remain extremely vulnerable.
In addition to emergency relief for the internally displaced, UNHCR also continues to work in communities where former refugees have returned by investing in infrastructure including education, health, livelihoods and shelter.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And also on the issue of Afghanistan, just an update from IUM, well, from IU and from, from the from the humanitarian colleagues in the country that says that last week more than 90,000 people received food assistance across the East of Afghanistan.
This includes food insecure people and Afghan retirees at the Torkham transit centre at the border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is run by IOM.
And just a reminder that while Member States responded generously to the call at the **** level event in Afghanistan in Geneva on the 13th of September for humanitarian and development aid, we would like to recall and to to invite countries to actually disburse the pledges quickly.
So far only 48% of the 606,000,000 required has been received.
I see Lisa as a question and then Jamie from the room.
Yes, right.
Good morning.
Good morning, shabby.
I have a couple of questions here.
First of all, I, I believe these flights were delayed, right?
They were supposed to go out, if I, my memory serves, about a week or two ago.
So that indicates perhaps you're having some problems and you've overcome them.
Now a a comment and, and and a question in there.
And then will the three flights take care of providing the needs of the half a million people that you want to help?
And how, how do you choose your beneficiaries?
There are about 3 1/2 million internally displaced people.
So you know, how do you choose them?
And then last, what, what are conditions like right now?
Lot of talk about winter coming in.
Has it already begun to set in?
Are you already having problems in terms of accessibility to the people you need to reach?
Thank you.
Thank you, Lisa.
Always pertinent questions.
Look in terms of the the flights, I don't have the background, I can, I can double check also with Barbara after this.
So we can perhaps get back to you in your first question.
In terms of how assistance is prioritised or distributed, I mean this is the same across many of our operations worldwide.
It's on the basis of needs and vulnerabilities and we are present in the country as in many other countries when we have mass displacement situations.
So this is based on under the severity of needs and vulnerability and ensuring that those who need it the most can access this assistance.
Your last question and what conditions are like, I understand from colleagues there, I mean, already they're feeling the onset of the cold with temperatures dipping to even 0°C.
So the nights are quite cold, people have very rudimentary or basic set up, especially those that have been displaced.
So this is it's quite critical.
And that's why there is an urgency to get this winter assistance in, you know, in the Highlands and the other parts of the country.
We're expecting even more, you know, temperatures to dip even more.
So.
So this is a real concern.
It will just compound humanitarian needs for those that have been forced to flee and are in a very precarious situation over Jamie that your headline says UNHCR begins airlifting aid to Kabul.
I mean this is the first time that you've had any.
I mean, obviously there have been aid to other places business of what's the superlative here basically is that is you know, is this the 1st and what's kept and what's kept you from getting in earlier kind of along the lines of Lisa's question.
OK, I'm on.
Sorry, still getting used to the the yeah, it's, it's the one of first of three, I think that are intended to land in Kabul indeed.
So I mean this is it just we're trying to proceed with whatever routes we can either in the country or neighbouring countries, but to access people across.
So I mean, this is quite, quite important, quite critical.
Thank you.
Lisa, you have a follow up?
Yeah, I actually I remember what I should have remembered, but I didn't.
You you had previous you you sent 3 convoys I believe from from Uzbekistan to to Mazar E Sharif by Rd.
Is that right?
I see.
OK, got it now.
So this is the first time that you've gotten the aid into Kabul itself.
Does that mean that the situation for commercial and humanitarian aid reaching Kabul has softened, that the Taliban is actually opening up the airport for, for traffic now?
It has been closed for a while.
And and you consider this important?
I mean, will you be you and other aid agencies be able to perhaps send more critical aid in that way?
Thank you, Lisa.
I can double check our assistance in general being transported to to the country afterwards just to double check.
But no, I mean, sorry, sorry, Jamie, also if it wasn't clear, but it is the first airlift inside Kabul.
I can't comment.
I don't have the information about the commercial aspect.
But in terms of our humanitarian relief and our operations, I mean this is quite significant.
It does allow proximity in terms of being able to distribute from Kabul itself.
So I'm afraid I can't give you the picture on the commercial activities, but this is in terms of what we're doing for our humanitarian response.
Thank you, Shabir.
I don't see the question.
Before we leave the issue of Afghanistan, just let me add and maybe James want to say something, we can answer a question.
And this the the vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 supported by UNICEF is also ongoing in Badakhshan and Takar provinces, reaching some 30,000 people with a single dose vaccine since 16 of October.
So thank you very much.
So that was shall be a thank you.
You were our last speaker today.
I just wanted to add a couple of points and then we will come back to Madagascar.
Just to remind you that the 4th of November, which is Thursday, we will have the senior on climate issues at the cinema here, an event that will show you the latest documentary from David Attenborough and who it's which is supported by the Permanent Mission of the UK with which we are organising the debate.
Today is the International Day to End Impunity for crimes against Journalists.
Last year, according to UNESCO, 62 journalists around the world were killed just for doing their job.
This is an important day and the Secretary Generalised issue a message that we have distributed to you.
He said that impunity for killing journalists is extremely ****.
According to UNESCO, almost 9 out of 10 cases go unpunished.
Women journalists are at particular risk of online violence, and in general, journalists face countless other threats.
Today, on this International Day to an impunity for crimes against journalists, say the Secretary General.
We commemorate the legacy and achievements of journalists killed in the line of duty and call for justice for crimes committed against them.
He urged Member States and the international community to stand in solidarity with journalists around the world today and every, every day, and to demonstrate the political will needed to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists and media workers with the full force of law.
And just a very last point to remind you that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is beginning this morning.
It's review of the report of Kyrgyzstan, and this afternoon they will begin the report, the review of the report of the Russian Federation.
These are the announcements I had for you.
Just also, and I'm thinking I have to remind you that the press conference of WAIPU to launch the WAIPU, the World Intellectual Property Indicators report is going to take place on Monday, 8th of November at 10:30 PM.
So that there's a mistake.
9:30 AM Sorry, the embargo is until the 8th itself at 12:30.
And also be reminded of the press conference that OHCHR is organising to present to the results of the joint investigation into alleged violations of international human rights humanitarian refugee law committed by all parties to the conflict in the grey region of Ethiopia.
And this press conference will see Michelle Bachelet, the UN **** Commissioner for Human Rights, talk to you together with the Chief of the Africa Branch and the Section Chief of East and Southern Africa of OHCHRI.
Think we have sent you a message to change the time of this press conference.
We will come back to you on this as I'm not sure that it will indeed change time.
So let us confirm this as soon as the briefing is over.
And I now like to come back to Mr Mangoni ESC Mr Mongolian Arduino Vu Puri, a whole prompt latest information represent portal que Vidoni the word briefing and Francis Sula situation Madagascar.
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Yes, thank you, Merci beaucoup, Monsieur Mongoni, Simon Francais, Alessandra.
I would like to take the opportunity, as we are in the day of impunity of crimes against journalists, to underline the difficulty of the journalists in the world to to do their job.
And one of our colleagues had recently problems in his coverage at the G20 in Rome being having some problems, issues with security of the President Bolsonaro of Brazil.
And I really think, and Akani thinks that it is important to give journalists the capacity and the possibility to work in goods in a good environment.
We are just covering issues in order for the world to know better what's happening.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Catherine.
Indeed, it's very important that we underline the importance of the of the of the need for journalists to exert their work in the best possible condition.
Thank you very much to for this statement on behalf of Akano.
Yes, good morning.
My name is Jana Haberman.
I write for Tiger Spiegel in Berlin and other German language media.
It's a question for Mr Mongoli.
Probably it has.
Been asked but I I will ask you again.
You said that.
The the famine in Madagascar is the only climate induced famine that you are aware of, but.
It is is it as well the the first climate induced famine?
I think we've touched upon this, but maybe Arduino if you want to just say something again on that.
It, it, it's certainly the only one among the IPC in the world.
As I mentioned, South Sudan, Yemen and Tigray are driven by conflict.
And I, I think you're right, unfortunately, given the trends and given the fact that, you know, the international community, we'll need some time in order to have an impact on the current trends in terms of climate change.
There might be others in, in the coming months, in the coming years.
And we're seeing signs, signals signs of that everywhere, all over, all over the world.
Over to you.
Jan.
We have a follow up from Yan that is being muted.
Yes, OK.
My my question was quite simple.
Is this the first famine, climate induced famine ever or have we had such a phenomenon before?
As as far as I know this is the first one.
So this is the first country where we have pockets of people in IPC five in famine like conditions.
And this is a country where there's no conflict.
So the the the situation on the ground, people living on in a famine like condition, this situation is driven by the effects of climate change.
So the answer is yes, from my end, over to you.
Thank you very much, Merci buku mish Mongoli.
That concludes our briefing of today.
Thank you very much for bringing us all this information and good luck for your important work in Madagascar.
Thanks to everybody.
Bon appetit orvoir.