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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

THURSDAY, 7 JANUARY 2015

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

• The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Parfait Onanga-Anyanga as his Special Representative for the Central African Republic and Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic ().
• Mr. Onanga-Anyanga served as the Acting Special Representative for the Central African Republic and Head of MINUSCA since 16 August 2015, when he succeeded Babacar Gaye of Senegal, who served as the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General of MINUSCA.
• Mr. Onanga-Anyanga brings with him extensive experience with the UN in conflict-affected areas, including in his role as the Coordinator of UN Headquarters Response to the Boko Haram crisis since January 2015, and previously as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi and Head of the UN Office in Burundi, as well as Assistant-Secretary-General and System-Wide Senior Coordinator on Burundi (2012-2014).

SYRIA: U.N. OFFICALS CALL FOR UNIMPEDED HUMANITARIAN ACCESS TO HARD-TO-REACH AND BESIEGED AREAS

• The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Yacoub El Hillo, and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Kevin Kennedy, have called for unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those in need in hard-to-reach and besieged areas in Syria.
• In a statement, they said that they have been particularly concerned about the plight of nearly 400,000 people besieged by parties to the conflict in locations such as Deir Ez-Zor city, Daraya, Foah and Kafraya, as well as besieged areas of East Ghouta.
• In the last year, only 10 per cent of all requests for UN inter-agency convoys to hard-to-reach and besieged areas were approved and delivered.
• In particular, almost 42,000 people remaining in Madaya are at risk of further hunger and starvation. The UN has received credible reports of people dying from starvation or being killed while trying to leave.
• The UN has welcomed today’s approval from the Government of Syria to have access to Madaya, Foah and Kefraya and we are preparing to deliver humanitarian assistance in the coming days.
• International humanitarian law prohibits the targeting of civilians. It also prohibits the starvation of civilians as a tactic of war. The UN called for immediate humanitarian access to all hard-to-reach areas and besieged areas and for the facilitation of safe evacuation of civilians.

U.N. CONCERNED OVER DETERIORATING HEALTH SITUATION IN TAIZ, YEMEN

• The World Health Organization () remains concerned about the deteriorating health situation in Taiz, Yemen, where more than 250,000 people have been living in a state of virtual siege since November 2015.
• All of the city9;s six hospitals have been forced to partially close some services and are overwhelmed with injured patients. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to deliver medical and surgical supplies due to the insecurity.
• Five WHO trucks carrying medicines and medical supplies have been prevented from entering the city since 14 December 2015. Three of those trucks are carrying 500 cylinders of oxygen that are critically needed by the hospitals.
• WHO has called on all parties involved in the conflict to allow the secure movement and delivery of medical and humanitarian aid to all people, regardless of their location.
• In times of crisis, it is vital that health facilities remain functional and provide people in need with uninterrupted access to life-saving medical care.

U.N. ENVOY IN LIBYA CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACK IN ZLITEN

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Martin Kobler, has strongly the terrorist attack today on a security training centre in Zliten.
• He said that the heinous act once again shows that urgent progress is required towards the formation of the Government of National Accord and the rebuilding of Libyan security forces.
• The Special Representative continues to urge all Libyans to put their differences aside and unite to confront the scourge of terrorism, adding that Libya cannot afford to remain divided in the face of such serious terrorist threat.

D.R. CONGO: U.N. MISSION REPORTS INCREASING VIOLENCE AND TENSIONS IN NORTH KIVU

• The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has received reports that on 7 January, the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) reportedly killed 14 civilians, seriously wounded eight and abducted two others in North Kivu.
• Over the past several weeks, there has been an increase in ethnic tensions between the Hutu and Nande communities and clashes between the FDLR and various Mayi-Mayi groups.

DARFUR: U.N.-A.U. MISSION CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON ITS PERSONNEL FOLLOWING AN AMBUSH

• The UN-African Union Mission in Darfur () has said that a patrol was ambushed today by an unidentified armed group near Anka, North Darfur.
• The perpetrators, who greatly outnumbered UNAMID’s peacekeepers, seized one machine gun, four rifles and rounds of ammunition. One peacekeeper was injured in the attack.
• UNAMID condemned such attacks on its personnel. The Mission is working closely with the relevant Sudanese authorities to investigate the incident.

U.N. MISSION REPORTS HEAVY SHOOTING IN SOUTH SUDAN’S PIBOR COUNTY

• The UN Mission in South Sudan () reported heavy shooting yesterday from the Pibor airstrip in Jonglei, close to the Mission9;s compound. Reports about those involved in the fighting are still unclear.
• Some 260 civilians fled to the UNMISS compound for protection, but left a few hours later after the firing died down.
• The UN Mission observed later in the day that most shops were closed in the market and that there were few civilians in the town. Overall, the Mission reports it is protecting some 193,000 civilians in its sites across the country.

FOOD PRICES DOWN FOR FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR – U.N. AGENCY

• The Food and Agriculture Organization () said today that abundant supplies and slow economic growth have driven food prices down for the fourth consecutive year.
• In December, the Organization’s Food Price index declined a further 1.0 percent from its revised November value, as falling prices for meat, dairy and cereals more than offset gains by sugar and vegetable oils.