Briefing by Spokesperson for Secretary-General
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English
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Jan Egeland, the Special Adviser on Syria, briefed the press in Geneva today about humanitarian conditions in that country, saying that he feels that this will be the worst winter in the five-year war. Some of the areas are freezing cold, he said, and people will be in need of digging themselves down in the ground in extreme cases, because they cannot be reached to receive humanitarian aid.
He added that the reports we have now from within east Aleppo is that the last food rations are being distributed, and there will be nothing more to distribute next week.
He said that we have a UN initiative for east Aleppo that has four parts, involving medical supplies into the medical facilities in east Aleppo; medical evacuations out of east Aleppo for the estimated 300 or so patients that are in urgent need of medical evacuation, the delivery of food and other urgent supplies to east Aleppo, and the deployment of more medical personnel to provide relief in east Aleppo.
The Office for the Coordination Affairs (OCHA) says that a further 3,300 people have been displaced since yesterday, bringing the number of people displaced in context of the Mosul military operations to more than 45,000 since 17 October.
At this rate, camp capacity is still keeping pace with the steady flow of displacement, but additional camp space and emergency shelter options will be needed in the next week to accommodate anticipated displacements. Total camp capacity is expected to expand to 90,000 available spaces by mid-November.
A humanitarian mission to Hamam Al Alil and Al Shura, approximately 23 kilometres south of Mosul city, yesterday reported an estimated 71,000 people in the villages. Priority needs include food, potable water and health care. The Ministry of Migration and Displacement has organised a first distribution, but sustained humanitarian assistance is needed in these villages.
The UN Mission is South Sudan (UNMISS) reports sporadic gunshots and firing of large calibre weapons in Yambio today. The instigators of this firing are unknown.
Shortly after, some 44 civilians, mainly women and children, entered into the compound of an NGO located next to the UN base. Later in the day, the civilians left the compound and returned to their homes.
In a statement issued today, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) calls the air pollution currently experienced in the Indian capital Delhi a wakeup call for the world.
This is not just a challenge in Delhi but a growing one for many cities around the world with air pollution levels in other Indian cities, such as Varanasi and Lucknow, equally extreme in recent days, and over the past year, alerts in cities like London, Beijing, Mexico City, Los Angeles and Manila.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) informs today that sugar, dairy and cereals lift their Food Price Index in October by 0.7%.
This index has risen continuously throughout 2016 except for a brief dip in July; it is now 9.1% higher than it was last year.
In response to questions about the detention of a judge in Turkey, the Spokesman confirmed that the United Nations has raised the arrest and continued detention of Judge Aydin Sefa Akay, who serves as a judge of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, with the Turkish authorities.
The Organization has informed the Turkish Government that Judge Akay enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Statute of the Mechanism and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN. On this basis, we have requested his release and the cessation of legal proceedings against him so that he may resume his important functions for the Mechanism.
In response to questions on whether there was a famine being reported in Burundi, the Spokesman said that, according to the information we have, there are no people in famine in Burundi at present.
However, humanitarian needs in Burundi have increased sharply this year. There are an estimated 606,000 people in phase 4 (or emergency phase) and between 1.3 million and 1.4 million people in phase 3 (crisis phase) on the integrated food security phase classification. The World Food Programme (WFP) is conducting evaluations and food distribution in the affected provinces.
He added that the reports we have now from within east Aleppo is that the last food rations are being distributed, and there will be nothing more to distribute next week.
He said that we have a UN initiative for east Aleppo that has four parts, involving medical supplies into the medical facilities in east Aleppo; medical evacuations out of east Aleppo for the estimated 300 or so patients that are in urgent need of medical evacuation, the delivery of food and other urgent supplies to east Aleppo, and the deployment of more medical personnel to provide relief in east Aleppo.
The Office for the Coordination Affairs (OCHA) says that a further 3,300 people have been displaced since yesterday, bringing the number of people displaced in context of the Mosul military operations to more than 45,000 since 17 October.
At this rate, camp capacity is still keeping pace with the steady flow of displacement, but additional camp space and emergency shelter options will be needed in the next week to accommodate anticipated displacements. Total camp capacity is expected to expand to 90,000 available spaces by mid-November.
A humanitarian mission to Hamam Al Alil and Al Shura, approximately 23 kilometres south of Mosul city, yesterday reported an estimated 71,000 people in the villages. Priority needs include food, potable water and health care. The Ministry of Migration and Displacement has organised a first distribution, but sustained humanitarian assistance is needed in these villages.
The UN Mission is South Sudan (UNMISS) reports sporadic gunshots and firing of large calibre weapons in Yambio today. The instigators of this firing are unknown.
Shortly after, some 44 civilians, mainly women and children, entered into the compound of an NGO located next to the UN base. Later in the day, the civilians left the compound and returned to their homes.
In a statement issued today, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) calls the air pollution currently experienced in the Indian capital Delhi a wakeup call for the world.
This is not just a challenge in Delhi but a growing one for many cities around the world with air pollution levels in other Indian cities, such as Varanasi and Lucknow, equally extreme in recent days, and over the past year, alerts in cities like London, Beijing, Mexico City, Los Angeles and Manila.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) informs today that sugar, dairy and cereals lift their Food Price Index in October by 0.7%.
This index has risen continuously throughout 2016 except for a brief dip in July; it is now 9.1% higher than it was last year.
In response to questions about the detention of a judge in Turkey, the Spokesman confirmed that the United Nations has raised the arrest and continued detention of Judge Aydin Sefa Akay, who serves as a judge of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, with the Turkish authorities.
The Organization has informed the Turkish Government that Judge Akay enjoys diplomatic immunity under the Statute of the Mechanism and the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the UN. On this basis, we have requested his release and the cessation of legal proceedings against him so that he may resume his important functions for the Mechanism.
In response to questions on whether there was a famine being reported in Burundi, the Spokesman said that, according to the information we have, there are no people in famine in Burundi at present.
However, humanitarian needs in Burundi have increased sharply this year. There are an estimated 606,000 people in phase 4 (or emergency phase) and between 1.3 million and 1.4 million people in phase 3 (crisis phase) on the integrated food security phase classification. The World Food Programme (WFP) is conducting evaluations and food distribution in the affected provinces.
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Parent ID
1771952
Asset ID
1772221