Tag: UN

3m Ukrainians already in need of humanitarian assistance – UN

UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said an eight-year-long conflict in Eastern Ukraine had already made three million people to be in need of humanitarian assistance “on both sides of the contact line”.

Griffiths, who also serves as the humanitarian affairs chief, told journalists that the UN and its partners had been responding to that need for many years.

Griffith spoke to journalists on Saturday at the UN headquarters in New York about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine.

“This year alone, for example, UN coordinated humanitarian convoys delivered over 150 tonnes of assistance to the most vulnerable people in the non-government controlled areas in the Donbas,” he said.

Women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, those living close to the contact line and those living in the non-government areas are currently the most in need.

“They continue to require food, shelter, health care, water and sanitation and protection,” the senior UN official said.

He painted a grim picture of shelling of urban centres across Ukraine and unconfirmed reports of human casualties and damage to residential infrastructure, expressing extreme concern over the impact of the ongoing escalation.

“We are concerned about reports of population movement…fleeing in search of safety and protection,” Griffiths said.

He said that hundreds of thousands of people were “on the move in Ukraine and out of Ukraine, as we speak.”

The UN emergency coordinator echoed the Secretary-General’s position in stressing that UN humanitarians were committed to expanding their presence.

“We have not left. We are not leaving Ukraine,” he said.

As people there are “bunkered down,” Griffiths said that the UN was scaling up its efforts to help meet the needs of those effected, “and we have been doing this for some weeks.”

At this alarming phase of escalation, he flagged that the safety and security of all UN staff and their dependents was a top priority.

“We are currently facilitating the temporary relocation of non-essential UN staff and eligible family member within Ukraine,” said the Emergency Coordinator.

In the meantime, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OHCHA) has set up an inter-agency operation centre in Geneva and will be launching an appeal.

It will bring together the needs of the region outside Ukraine, under the leadership of the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, as well as for those within the country.

Turning to the UN chief’s announcement on Thursday that 20 million dollars would be released from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to increase an immediate response, Griffiths said that it was imperative for the scale of needs in these “very, very extraordinary circumstances.”

“In the coming days, we will launch two coordinated emergency appeals in response to Ukraine’s escalating humanitarian needs, including rising internal displacement, and the needs of people seeking refuge in countries neighbouring Ukraine.”

He explained that donors were needed to mobilise financial resources, which will be outlined in a few days.

The most important point Griffiths said was the safety of UN humanitarian workers and their humanitarian partners, saying that our humanitarian response is guided by humanity, neutrality, operational independence and impartiality.

The senior UN official reminded that 50 per cent of the wheat used by the World Food Programme’s (WFP) comes from Ukraine, which illustrates that the effects of the crisis are “spooling out before us, and we have yet to see where it will lead”.

February 27, 2022
Ukraine Invasion: 25 killed, 102 injured in military airstrikes – UN

UN says it has received reports of at least 127 civilian casualties out of which 25 were killed and 102 injured in the Ukraine crisis caused by shelling and airstrikes.

The UN rights agency, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said the number was very likely to be underestimated.

Two days since Russia launched military operations inside Ukraine, the UN rights office, OHCHR, confirmed that many civilians have already been killed and injured.

“We are gravely concerned about developments over the course of the day yesterday and overnight in Ukraine. We are receiving increasing reports of civilian casualties.

“Civilians are terrified of further escalation, with many attempting to flee their homes and others taking shelter where possible.

“As the High Commissioner has warned, the military action by the Russian Federation clearly violates international law. It puts at risk countless lives and it must be immediately halted,’’ OHCHR spokesperson, Ms Ravina Shamdasani said.

“The High Commissioner stresses that states that fail to take all reasonable measures to settle their international disputes by peaceful means fall short of complying with their obligation to protect the right to life.

“We urge full respect for international humanitarian law and international human right law.’’

Shamdasani said the agency was disturbed by the multiple arbitrary arrests of demonstrators in Russia, who were protesting against war yesterday (Thursday).

“We understand more than 1,800 protesters were arrested. It is unclear whether some have now been released.

“Arresting individuals for exercising their rights to freedom of expression or of peaceful assembly constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty.

“We call on the authorities to ensure the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained for exercising these rights.

“Our UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission remains in Ukraine and will continue to closely monitor and report on the situation,” she said.

February 25, 2022
Leave what may be the most devastating war since the start of the century – UN tells Putin

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has warned Russian President, Vladimir Putin, not to begin what may be the devastating war since the start of the century.

“In the name of humanity, don’t start what may be the most devastating war since the start of the century,” Guterres appealed to Putin.

Guterres urged Russian President to bring his troops back to his country and announced 20 million dollars for humanitarian support in Ukraine.

In his words: “Today, I’m announcing that we will immediately allocate 20 million dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund to meet urgent needs,” Guterres told journalists in New York on Thursday.”

According to him, “protecting civilians must be priority number one in supporting the people.”

Guterres reiterated that the UN and its humanitarian partners are “committed to staying and delivering, to support people in Ukraine in their time of need.”

The UN Secretary-General pointed out that Russian military operations inside the sovereign territory of Ukraine was “on a scale that Europe has not seen in decades, conflict directly with the United Nations Charter.”

President Putin had launched military action in Ukraine on Thursday.

In spite of a sustained UN-led and international diplomatic push to avert military action in Ukraine, President Putin did just that, triggering a barrage of reactions, beginning with the UN chief condemning the move and appealing for peace.

In the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia

“All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations,” Guterres said, quoting the Charter.

The UN chief underscored that the use of force by one country against another is “the repudiation of the principles that every country has committed to uphold,” which he stated applies to the present military offensive.

“It’s wrong. It’s against the Charter. It’s unacceptable. But it’s not irreversible,” Guterres said.

As deaths rise and images of fear, anguish and terror in every corner of Ukraine are pervasive, Guterres reminded that “people, every day innocent people, always pay the highest price.”

“In line with the Charter, it’s not too late to save this generation from the scourge of war,” Guterres said, “we need peace.”

The top UN official described what happened as the “saddest moment” in his tenure as UN Secretary-General.

In light of this development, Guterres said: “I must change my address and say: In the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia.”

The Russian President had listed three conditions to put an end to the standoff, advising Kyiv to renounce its bid to join NATO, to partially demilitarize and to recognize Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

But, Ukraine rejected Putin’s demands.

February 25, 2022
UN pledges more support for IDPs in DR Congo’s Ituri province

United Nations (UN) top peacekeeping official, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, has stated that the UN will work together with the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as well as other partners, in ensuring security in the eastern part of the country, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN’s top peacekeeping official,

He said this on the first day of his visit to the country, in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, while representing the Secretary-General, António Guterres.

Lacroix held different discussions with provincial authorities of Ituri and North Kivu and reiterated the need for the international community and other regional partners to support the DRC in providing security for the displaced people.

He reiterated the need to support the DRC in providing security for internally-displaced persons (IDPs), including in Ituri province where recurring attacks from the CODECO militias in Djugu territory have left hundreds of people dead and thousands internally displaced.

Lacroix visited a UN site in Djugu territory of Ituri that is hosting 74,000 IDPs and listened to representatives of communities living on the site, who appealed for various things from the UN – and the Government – as the DRC’s Minister for Defense, Gilbert Kabanda, was accompanying the UN peacekeeping chief.

Defence Minister Kabanda promised that within one month, more Congolese troops will be deployed to the villages where the IDPs had fled, so that security can be fully restored and infrastructure, such as schools and health facilities, could be built.

One of the representatives of the people, Pilo Mulindro Willy, who is Chief of Bulkwa, raised the issue of security as a top priority, both at the site in the town of Roe as well as in the villages.

“I asked the Government to disarm these armed groups as they are disturbing our people. Villagers want to return home so that they could continue with farming,” he said.

“We want the Government to send more troops to protect our villages.,” he said, adding that the promised one month is too long to wait for troops to come and secure the area.

The minister acknowledged that the site at Roe was not safe as there are not enough troops from the Congolese military to protect civilians.

According to UN officials, the wave of violent attacks in the Ituri area since November 2021 has resulted in an increase in the number of IDPs at the site of Roe, leading to the rapid saturation of the facilities there.

There is a dire lack of infrastructure and basic services for the displaced persons, leading many to settle in public spaces, with others hosted in precarious conditions by host families.

Currently, displaced people do not have access to shelter, food, healthcare, and psychosocial assistance. Newly displaced people lack basic shelter and basic items, putting additional pressure on IDPs that were on-site before the last six months.

Sanitation and hygiene are critical due to the lack of WASH facilities, increasing the risk of a surge in deadly epidemics.

Lacroix also traveled to Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, where he held discussions with the military Governor, Lt.-Gen. Ndima Constant.

The UN peacekeeping chief reiterated United Nations’ solidarity with the Congolese people.

“The Secretary-General is sending his message about our determination to work tirelessly with national, local, military, police authorities and civil as well as our common determination to see the local population benefits from our humanitarian plea and security efforts.”

He added that his visit has showcased the cordial relations between the United Nations and provincial authorities.

On the protection of civilians in Goma, Lacroix cited a great collaboration that has been established between the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and one of DR Congo’s neighbors, saying, “I think such determined efforts bear fruits.

“But we all understand it takes time, that’s why the United Nations have to repeat every time we call and engage. You might be determined and at the same time understand that it is not a problem that could be resolved in certain weeks or months.”

On February 17, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the humanitarian community launched an US$1.88 billion appeal to implement the 2022 Humanitarian Response Plan, aiming at providing aid to 8.8 million vulnerable people.

On Thursday, Lacroix will be in the DR Congo capital, Kinshasa, to represent the UN Secretary-General at the Summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism, (ROM) of the Addis Ababa Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.

February 24, 2022
UN welcomes success against ISIL in Syria

UN on Thursday expressed concern over reported civilian casualties but welcomed any move contributing to the defeat of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terror group in Syria.

“The UN system as a whole has been very united in efforts to act against Da’esh, so any successes against them are to be welcomed,” the Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, Farhan Haq said.

Haq spoke while reacting to a question at a news conference in New York, following an attack by U.S. Special Forces in northwestern Syria that culminated in the death of the leader of the ISIL terrorist network.

Haq remembered that ISIL, also known by the Arabic term Da’esh, “has committed heinous crimes and brought tragedy to thousands of men, women and children.

“We want to take this moment to remember the victims and families of victims of terrorism, everywhere in the world,” he said.

According to news reports, at least 13 civilians, including women and children, died during the U.S. Special Forces operation in the Syrian border town of Atmeh.

Regarding civilian’s casualties, Haq said the UN continued to call on all the parties to take all the necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

“In the case of trying to determine responsibility for the casualties in the attack, it would be important to have an investigation,” he added.

The U.S. raid targeted Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who took over as head of the group in late 2019, just days after leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died during a similar US operation.

In a televised statement, U.S. President, Joe Biden, said al-Qurayshi had died as al-Baghdadi died, by exploding a bomb that killed himself and members of his family, including women and children, as U.S. forces approached.

The operation came as ISIL had been on the offensive. Late in January, the group tried to seize a prison in northeast Syria holding at least 3,000 detainees affiliated to the group.

President Biden said that al-Qurayshi had been the architect of the siege, which was repulsed by US-led coalition forces.

According to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at least six children were killed and one girl was badly injured due to heavy violence.

Since the year began, violence has heavily escalated in and around Idlib in Syria’s northwest, where 1.2 million children need assistance.

Many families in the area are internally displaced, having fled violence in other parts of Syria over the years.

In 2021, nearly 70 per cent of grave violations recorded against children in Syria occurred in the northwest.

The acting UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Bertrand Bainvel, noted that this recent increase in violence came amid freezing weather conditions and record sub-zero temperatures in Syria and the region.

“At least five Syrian children died in the north of Syria due to harsh winter conditions in the past two weeks alone,” he informed.

Idlib province in northwestern Syria is the last rebel-held stronghold in the war-torn country, much of it under the control of former al-Qaeda-affiliate Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham.

February 4, 2022
UN chief urges Burkina Faso coup leaders to lay down arms

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on coup leaders to lay down their arms, while strongly condemning the attempt to take over government by the force of arms in Burkina Faso.

His statement was made by his Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, stating that he was following the progress of the country with serious concern.

He urged the coup leaders to guarantee the protection of the physical integrity of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré and the institutions of Burkina Faso.

Guterres said he was mostly concerned about the whereabouts and safety of the president who had not been seen since the crisis began early Sunday.

The UN chief expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the country’s capital, Ouagadougou.

Newsmen reports said the military announced on Monday it had seized power and overthrown the president.

The announcement was made on state television by an army officer who cited the deteriorating security situation in the country for the military takeover.

According to news reports, civilians and military elements have voiced growing criticism for months over the ģovernment’s inability to tackle growing Islamist insurgency that has destabilised much of the country.

Guterres reiterated the UN’s full commitment to the preservation of constitutional order in Burkina Faso.

The secretary-general reaffirmed the organisation’s support to the people in their efforts to find solutions to the multifaceted challenges facing the country.

In May 2021 a military coup was staged in Mali and a wave of other coup attempts and takeovers have occurred across West Africa and the Sahel, including in Chad, Sudan and Guinea.

Earlier in the month, the UN Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel told the Security Council the resurgence “is often the consequence of political practices that are completely out of step with the aspirations of the populations.

January 25, 2022
UN relief chief pledges support for Nigeria in rebuilding Northeast

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths has pledged to support Nigeria to help rebuild the lives of those affected by violence in the Northeast.

The UN humanitarian affairs chief who made the pledge at the end of his four-day visit to Nigeria, said the UN would do everything to support the country.

According to him, UN will help Nigeria to build the lives of vulnerable families who have been impacted by violence in the Northeast.

The UN humanitarian affairs chief travelled to Nigeria to see firsthand, the humanitarian situation and response in the Northeast.

He was also in Nigeria to raise international awareness about the deteriorating humanitarian situation and bring attention to the ongoing regional conflict affecting the Lake Chad Basin.

The UN relief chief met the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, the Chief of Defence Staff Lucky Irabor and some federal government officials

He also met with the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, where the extremist group Boko Haram launched its Islamist insurgency in 2009 that has spread to neighbouring countries, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad.

In the northeast, he met with Nigerians who have been affected by the violence, as well as humanitarian partners, in Maiduguri, Bama, and Damasak.

The conflict in the Lake Chad basin has taken a heavy toll on communities across border areas of the affected countries, putting more than 10 million people at risk and in need of humanitarian assistance.

During his visit to Damasak, on the border with Niger, Griffiths heard from women and families displaced by the violence.

They told him of their hopes to return home, yet they despaired that they were unable to plan for a better future given continuing insecurity and attacks by armed groups.

Griffiths said: “It’s heartbreaking to see the deep impact of the violence and repeated displacement for so many.

“Yet the people I met demonstrated amazing courage in the face of vicious violence, killings, kidnappings, repeated displacement and sometimes bare survival.

“In Bama, women told stories of having escaped from years of armed group captivity only weeks ago. It is our duty to help them rebuild their lives.”

He said the governor of Borno State, had conveyed the commitment of authorities to improve security and build resilience for the most vulnerable.

“We will redouble our collective efforts to improve protection of civilians and humanitarian access, and seek durable solutions out of crisis wherever possible,” the UN humanitarian chief added.

“It is clear we share a common objective: upholding the dignity of Nigerians and finding ways to ease the suffering too many of them face today.

“People are yearning for security, livelihoods and better access to social services, and we stand ready to make this a reality with the Government and our humanitarian partners,” he said.

Griffiths heard firsthand from those working on the aid frontline: “Brave humanitarian workers, most of them Nigerians themselves, work tirelessly and often at great personal risk to help others.

“I deeply admire their commitment and, in turn, commit myself to advocating for their safety, and for the necessary support to the people they serve.”

In 2021, the humanitarian community reached more than five million people in need in Nigeria.

The 2022 Nigeria Humanitarian Response Plan, slated for launch in February, requires over one billion dollars.

It sets out the humanitarian community’s plan to assist 8.4 million people in need this year.

January 23, 2022
Humanitarian Crisis: UN delegation on assessment visit to Borno

A United Nations delegation, led by UN Under-Secretary and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr Martins Griffths, is in Borno to assess the situation as the State Government embarked on resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) back to their recovered areas.

Newsmen reports that the delegation on Wednesday visited Bama town where it interacted with IDPs, government officials and military personnel.

Speaking in a meeting with Gov. Babagana Zulum, Griffiths said UN would continue to partner and support the Borno government in improving the lives of people affected by insurgency.

Griffiths who lauded the gradual return of peace to Borno, stressed the need for people in need to get support in time and in a dignified way from all stakeholders.

“We therefore see our role to provide aids, assistance and support where we can through our agencies to those people in need,” Griffiths said.

In his remarks, Gov. Zulum expressed the appreciation of government and people of Borno to UN agencies for their interventions, particularly the unique role being played by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Zulum urged the team to use the visit to interact with all stakeholders for first-hand information on realities on ground and efforts being put in place.

Zulum, who explained to the team why his administration is closing some of the camps in Maiduguri because of pandemic and social vices, urged the team to visit some of the camps, particularly Muna Camp, which remains one of the worst camps in the world that is not fit for human habitation.

“I look forward to discussing how we can best work together to reduce the suffering of people affected by insurgency, and how we can support people not only to live but to live in dignity,” Zulum said.

The governor, who also spoke on improved security, said the death of Boko-Haram leader, Shekau, has provided an opportunity for many of his fighters to surrender to the military, adding that many hostages who were held as slaves by the insurgents also had the opportunity to come out.

He said government and partners had built new houses for many displaced persons yearning to go back home.

January 20, 2022
UN recapitulate support for Nigeria’s development

The United Nations is committed to supporting Nigeria and moving the country from where it is, to where it ought to be, says Dr Reuben Bamidele, its National Programme Officer in Nigeria.

Bamidele said this on Monday in Lagos at the Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting on the formulation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDPF) 2023-2027.

The UN official said that the organisation would keep on supporting the aims and objectives of the Federal Government.

He noted that the essence of the consultative meeting was to make critical decisions from stakeholders on ways to support the Nigerian government.

“The United Nations is committed to supporting the Nigerian government and moving the country from where it is, to where it ought to be and also in ensuring that the peace and security of the country are strengthened.

“The cooperative framework is the collective response of the UN system in Nigeria.

“We achieve a lot in supporting the country and helped in the economic recovery, so we intend to keep the partnership and achieve better things going forward.

“Development is dynamic and continuous, so we would keep on building on what has been done,” Bamidele said.

He noted that the stakeholders meeting would take place in the six geopolitical zones in the country.

Earlier, Prof. Lanre Olaniran, a Consultant for the UN, revealed that development shortfalls and high unemployment rates were some of hindering development in the country.

“Low earnings for individuals, poor social indicators and disparities by incomes, are some the factors that need change for the development of the country.

“Environmental, ecosystem and natural resource management remain a challenge; given the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources which expose the population to climate change vulnerabilities.

“We must all join hands together in finding solutions to these problems, hence the reason for the meeting, so that we can get everyone’s input on these matters,” he said.

Olaniran, who works at University of Ibadan, noted that the synergy between the organisation and the government cannot be over-emphasised.

“It is important for the government and the UN to work together to avoid duplication of projects that would have been done by the government.

“It is important to have the cooperation frameworks so that both parties can find out what has been done and what hasn’t and this would also prevent wastage of resources,” he said.

Other stakeholders at the meeting were officials of International Organisation of Migration (IOM), Lagos State Ministry of Economic, Planning and Budget, amongst others.

January 18, 2022
Nigeria’s Amina Mohammed reappointed as UN deputy secretary-general

UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Monday, formalised his prior announcement that Ms Amina Mohammed of Nigeria will continue in her role as Deputy Secretary-General during his second term for another five years.

In delegating development coordination to Mohammed, the secretary-general set in motion the most ambitious reform in the history of the UN development system.

Guterres, on June 18, 2021, took the oath of office for his second term five-year term as Secretary-General of the UN, pledging as his priority, to continue helping the world chart a course out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After he took his oath of office, Guterres announced that Mohammed would continue to serve with him for a second term that runs from January 2022 to December 2026.

Mohammed’s leadership helped advance the conceptual shift from the UN that Member States called for in adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Over the last five years, the UN Sustainable Development Group was strengthened to enhance global leadership and oversight for development and the UN established a strengthened UN Resident Coordinator system as the foundation of a more effective development system.

Guterres expressed his appreciation for the Deputy Secretary-General’s leadership of the UN Sustainable Development Group and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximise the impact of the UN development’s system on the ground.

Prior to first assuming her role as Deputy Secretary-General in January 2017, Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Special Adviser to Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Post-2015 Development Planning.

Before joining the UN, she worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, providing advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions.

January 11, 2022