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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

FRIDAY, 15 JULY 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACK IN NICE

• In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General condemned the 14 July terrorist attack in Nice, France. He expressed his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific act, as well as to the Government and the people of France. He wished a speedy recovery to those injured.
• The Secretary-General hopes that all those responsible for this massacre will be rapidly identified and brought to justice. He stands firmly by the French Government and people as they confront this threat and stresses the need to intensify regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ARRIVES IN RWANDA FOR AFRICAN UNION SUMMIT

• The Secretary-General arrived in Kigali, Rwanda, where he is to attend the African Union Summit and raise the need to resolve the crisis in South Sudan with the leaders gathered there. He should be meeting with a delegation from South Sudan, including Nhial Deng, the Special Envoy of President Kiir, and Foreign Minister Deng Alor.
• On 17 July, he will depart from Rwanda for Kenya, where he will open the fourteenth session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

NUMBER OF SOUTH SUDANESE REFUGEES COULD PASS 1 MILLION MARK THIS YEAR: U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY

• The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that the situation in Juba remains calm but tense. Earlier today, the mission carried out a search operation for weapons at the UN Tomping base, where 2,300 internally displaced people are currently being protected, and recovered several items, including ammunition and military uniforms.
• Outside of Juba, UNMISS received reports of some clashes in Leer today.
• The Mission also began the temporary relocation of non-critical personnel in Juba to Entebbe today.
• Meanwhile, UN Peacekeeping wishes to thank the Government of Germany for its support in the medical evacuation of four wounded peacekeepers on Wednesday to Entebbe.
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also reports that, four days into the tenuous ceasefire in Juba, many people have begun to return to their homes. Humanitarians have now visited all of the reported collective displacement sites and estimate that around 8,000 people remain displaced, including around 4,300 in the UNMISS sites and some 3,700 outside.
• Humanitarian organizations continue to respond in locations with the highest needs. While responding to the acute needs in Juba as a result of the recent violence, the humanitarian community remains extremely concerned about the immense humanitarian needs across the country, where more than 4.8 million people were already severely food insecure before the recent violence.
• The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, today said that the population of South Sudanese refugees in the region could pass the 1 million mark this year if cross-border displacement trends continue.
• Expressing concerns about the likelihood of fresh outflows of refugees in the wake of the fighting in Juba, UNHCR today launched a revised appeal of USD 701 million.
• UNHCR noted that their initial appeal for this year was only 17% funded, which has forced them to prioritize emergency response and life-saving activities, at the expense of critical water, sanitation, hygiene, health and shelter interventions for refugees. Although children constitute 70% of the refugee population, child protection activities are also severely compromised, they said.

U.N. REPRESENTATIVE IN IRAQ URGES MORE SUPPORT FOR IRAQIS

• The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for , Jan KubiÅ¡, briefed the Security Council today, urging more support for Iraqis at this critical juncture.
• He said that the pledging conference for Iraq in Washington on 20 July is a sign of the international community9;s continued commitment for a stable and peaceful Iraq and its recognition of the sacrifices Iraq and its people bear in fighting Da’esh.
• The Special Representative noted that the recent strategic victories against Da’esh in Fallujah and Qayyarah, and progress in cutting off their supplies in Hawjia have once again proved that Iraqis are capable of defeating the group. He welcomed Prime Minister Haider Abadi’s efforts to prioritise UN-supported humanitarian operations, as preparations continue to liberate Mosul.
• Mr. KubiÅ¡ said that while the international community is ready to offer assistance, Iraqis must implement substantive economic, institutional and anti-corruption reforms that will put their country on the road to recovery and improve the lives of Iraqis.

AT LEAST 200,000 CIVILIANS TRAPPED IN THREE SYRIAN TOWNS IN DESPERATE SITUATION: U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF

• In a issued today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, rang the alarm about the increasingly desperate situation of at least 200,000 civilians trapped in three towns in Syria where attacking forces have been making significant headway in recent weeks.
• High Commissioner Zeid said he believes that there are at least 150,000 civilians who are now effectively totally trapped in the opposition-held part of Aleppo. He worried about what will happen to them as the fighting closes in and intensifies, while their already minimal supplies of food, water and medicine run out.
• Meanwhile, as Government forces and their supporters have advanced on the opposition-held eastern parts of the city, armed opposition groups have escalated their shelling of government-held areas of Aleppo, further endangering the remaining civilian population there.
• The High Commissioner also expressed alarm about the desperate situation of the thousands of civilians who have been trapped in the strategically located town of Darayya, in Western Ghouta, an area close to Damascus that has been under siege by Government forces and their allies since 2012. He expressed concern about deteriorating conditions in Manbij, where approximately 70,000 civilians are believed to be trapped between the warring parties.

YEMENI PEACE TALKS TO RESUME TOMORROW

• The Yemeni peace talks are expected to resume with both delegations tomorrow in Kuwait. The delegation of Ansarallah and General People9;s Congress arrived in Kuwait today. The for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, is currently in Riyadh and is meeting with President Hadi and the delegation of the Government of Yemen.
• Meanwhile, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, has expressed concern regarding the lack of foreign currency reserves in the Yemen Central Bank. Without such reserves, Yemen’s commercial sector is unable to receive lines of credit, curbing Yemen’s capability to import key staples such as rice and wheat.
• Yemeni families are already paying as much as 30 per cent over pre-crisis wheat prices in some areas of the country. Seven million people are severely food insecure.
• The United Nations has provided food assistance to an average of four million people a month between January and May this year.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS CHIEF TO VISIT DRC

• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein will begin a four-day official visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday, at the invitation of the Government. During his visit, he has requested a meeting with the President Joseph Kabila and will hold discussions with top officials. He will also travel to Bukavu to visit the Panzi Hospital.

SOUTHERN AFRICA EXPERIENCING WORST EL-NIÑO-INDUCED DROUGHT IN 35 YEARS: U.N. OCHA

• The Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, is scheduled to visit Malawi and Madagascar from 16 to 22 July to see for herself the impact of El Niño in Southern Africa.
• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that Southern Africa is experiencing the worst El-Niño-induced drought in 35 years, following the failure of two consecutive rainy seasons. Nearly 40 million people in the region are food insecure.
• During her visit, Ms. Kang is expected to meet representatives of affected communities, government officials and humanitarian representatives in Malawi and Madagascar to discuss the effects of the drought and the efforts currently underway to address people’s needs.

U.N. AGENCIES SCALING UP ASSISTANCE IN NIGERIA

• The World Food Programme () said that they have been working with the Government of Nigeria and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to scale up assistance in the north-east of the country to reach some 724,000 people in desperate need.
• The agency has more than doubled the number of people it has been able to reach in the last six months. It remains very concerned about the rising number of people facing hunger. It warns that unless life-saving assistance is provided fast, hunger will only deepen during the current lean and rainy season.
• WFP needs US$65 million to continue providing life-saving assistance until the end of the year in north-eastern Nigeria.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CONCERNED ABOUT TREATMENT OF ASYLUM SEEKERS IN HUNGARY

• The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over further restrictions by Hungary leading to push-backs of people seeking asylum as well as reports of the use of violence and abuse against them.
• The agency says that these restrictions were not in line with international law, and has called for reports of abuse to be investigated.
• The number of refugees and migrants at the Serbia-Hungary border had reached over 1,400. The majority are women and children who have been particularly affected by the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

NO BETTER INVESTMENT THAN HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES: SECRETARY-GENERAL

• On the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, the Secretary-General that while young people hold the key to society’s future advancement, too often they face barriers to their personal progress. More than 73 million are unemployed, making youth three times more likely than adults to be out of work.
• The Secretary-General said that empowering young people through skills development strengthens their capacity to help address the many challenges facing society, including poverty, injustice and violent conflict. There is no better investment than helping a young person to develop their abilities, he said.
• In connection to this, new data from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) warns that an estimated 263 million children and youth are out of school – a number equivalent to about a quarter of the population of Europe.