NEPAL: Quake Aftermath: Hundreds of thousands of survivors continue to require and rely on Urgent Humanitarian Assistance

As part of the recovery effort in Nepal, humanitarian agencies are providing cash to the affected families through local shop keepers. Photo: OCHA

24 July 2015 – Three months after the first of the devastating earthquakes that hit Nepal, hundreds of thousands of survivors continue to require and rely on urgent humanitarian assistance, the top United Nations humanitarian official in the recovering country said today.
“The emergency is not over yet,” warned Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Nepal. “As long as humanitarian needs persist, relief agencies will continue to support the Government in addressing these vulnerabilities and ensuring the survival of communities affected.”
The cold and damp monsoon weather exposes those affected to further hazards and, together with customs delays, adds to the challenges aid agencies tackle daily. Shelter, food and livelihoods support, water and sanitation, medical and psychosocial care, and protection remain top priorities, he said.
In the last three months, the humanitarian community provided shelter assistance to 340,000 families, distributed food to over 2 million people and provided safe drinking water to some 2.5 million survivors in 14 most-affected districts, points out a press release issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Hundreds of thousands of children continue to benefit from education and psychosocial support. Almost all of health facilities also restored use of cash programming, which proved to be indispensable in achieving these goals and overcoming the topography challenge.
“I am heartened and encouraged by the dedication of the responders: the Government, the many volunteers, my colleagues. Together, we achieved a lot,” stated Mr. McGoldrick. “But we must continue.”
Basic shelter will continue to be provided to families who lost their homes, as more-durable shelter solutions are sought and implemented, underscore the press release. Aid agencies aim to assist more than 1.4 million people with food and another 1 million people with livelihoods support, and to provide safe drinking water and sanitation to 2.5 million people.
Medical camp kits will continue to replace damaged health infrastructure and temporary learning spaces are intended for additional 270,000 children. The humanitarian community is also planning ahead, to ensure the most vulnerable are assisted beyond the monsoon and prepared to survive through the harsh and cold wintery conditions.
“We cannot fail the most vulnerable communities, people who count on us more than ever with the monsoon season underway and the winter fast-approaching” stressed Mr. McGoldrick. “The humanitarian community can and will deliver on its commitments, provided that we receive the right support.”
To date, only $210 million, or 50 per cent, were received against the $422 million humanitarian appeal. An additional $222 million in support to post-earthquakes relief was provided directly to the Government of Nepal on a bilateral and in-kind basis.

SOUTH SUDAN: 'Senseless cycle of violence' in South Sudan must end – UN humanitarian chief

25 July 2015 – Amid massive displacement and “horrendous atrocities,” civilians continue to bear the brunt of South Sudan's brutal conflict, the top United Nations relief official underscored today, as he urged all parties, including the leaders of the warring factions, to “listen to their people,” lay down their arms and halt the rapidly spiralling humanitarian crisis.
“I am deeply shocked by what I have seen. Innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of this brutal war,” said Stephen O'Brien, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as he wrapped up a four-day visit to South Sudan, which earlier this month, marked the fourth anniversary of its independence amid ongoing violence and deprivation.

Mr. O'Brien, who is also the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, painted a grim picture of the situation in South Sudan, which has been wracked by instability and conflict since later December 2013.
“Families have endured horrendous atrocities – including killing, abduction, and the recruitment of children into armed groups. Women and girls have been beaten, raped and set on fire,” he said, explaining that entire communities have lost their homes and their livelihoods. Many people are starving, living in swamps or in bushes, hiding in fear of their lives.

“This senseless cycle of violence must stop,” he declared.
During his mission, Mr. O'Brien met with humanitarian partners, Government officials and the diplomatic community, and visited communities affected by the conflict in Juba, the capital, and Unity state.
The UN humanitarian chief called on the leaders of the warring factions to take responsibility for their own actions and for those who act in their name; “I call on the leadership of South Sudan to listen to their people and lay down their arms, to stop the violence, reconcile their differences and commit to peace.”
According to the UN Office for the Coordination Of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which Mr. O'Brien heads, the humanitarian consequences of the nearly 20-month long conflict in South Sudan are grave: Some 4.6 million people are severely food insecure, with a quarter of a million children at risk from rapidly worsening nutrition.

Massive displacement continues – over two million people, half of whom are children –have fled their homes. This includes some 1.6 million people displaced inside South Sudan and almost 600,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries.
“Humanitarian needs are higher now than ever and we cannot wait to respond, to do even more than brave humanitarians are already delivering. I appeal to the international community to act now to avert an even greater humanitarian tragedy in South Sudan,” underscored Mr. O'Brien.
The South Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2015 is currently only 42 per cent funded, leaving a gap of nearly $1 billion dollars, according to OCHA.
The security situation in South Sudan has deteriorated steadily over the past year since political in-fighting between President Kiir and his former Vice-President, Riek Machar, and their respective factions erupted in December 2013. The hostilities subsequently turned into a full-fledged conflict, resulting in reported atrocities and possible war crimes.
The UN Security Council marked the fourth anniversary of South Sudan's independence by expressing profound disappointment in South Sudan's leaders for putting their personal ambitions ahead of the good of their country and their people, sparking months of politically motivated violence that has left thousands dead and caused a “man-made…catastrophe.”
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51498#.VbXZm7Xeums

CHINA: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concerned by 'broad scope' of China's new security law

“This law raises many concerns due to its extraordinarily broad scope coupled with the vagueness of its terminology and definitions,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein in a press statement.
“As a result, it leaves the door wide open to further restrictions of the rights and freedoms of Chinese citizens, and to even tighter control of civil society by the Chinese authorities than there is already.”
The new legislation covers a large spectrum of issues and defines the meaning of national security extremely broadly, stressed UNHCR: it is described as the condition in which the country's government, sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity, well-being of its people, sustainable development of its economy and society and other major interests are “relatively safe and not subject to internal and external threats.”
“The law should clearly and narrowly define what constitutes a threat to national security, and identify proper mechanisms to address such threats in a proportionate manner,” Mr. Zeid said, adding that, by doing so, individuals will be enabled to foresee the consequences of their conduct, as well as to safeguard against arbitrary or discriminatory enforcement by authorities.
For instance, articles in the law envisage the mobilisation of citizens to guard against and report on security threats to the authorities, but the type of conduct that is considered to be a danger to national security is not defined, conferring broad discretion and leaving potential for abuse.
The law also states that individuals and organizations must not act to endanger national security neither provide any kind of support or assistance to individuals or organizations endangering national security, without specifying the precise scope of any of these terms.
Welcoming the fact that the new security law makes specific references to the Constitution, to the rule of law and to the respect and protection of human rights, Mr. Zeid said he is concerned about the lack of independent oversight.
“States have an obligation to protect persons under their jurisdiction – but they also have an obligation to guarantee respect for their human rights. Restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly need to serve a legitimate aim [and] be necessary and proportionate, and there should be independent oversight of the Executive,” the High Commissioner said.
Mr. Zeid also noted that China's National People's Congress will in the near future also consider laws on the regulation of foreign NGOs operating in China and on counter-terrorism.
“I regret that more and more Governments around the world are using national security measures to restrict the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, and also as a tool to target human rights defenders and silence critics,” he said. “Security and human rights do not contradict each other. On the contrary they are complementary and mutually reinforcing. Respect for human rights and public participation are key to ensuring rule of law and national security.”http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51355#.ValfXrXeums

SOMALIA: Full-fledged UN peacekeeping mission in Somalia would be ‘high-risk undertaking,’ Security Council told

Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in Somalia. UN Photo/Loey Felipe. 16 July 2015 – A United Nations peacekeeping mission in Somalia would be a “high-risk undertaking,” considering the threats posed by Al-Shabaab militants and despite advances made by the African Union Mission in the country (AMISOM), a senior UN official told the Security Council today.
“Progress would not have been possible without the continuing sacrifices of AMISOM troops and the Somali National Army. Their heroism deserves our collective tribute,” said Edmond Mulet, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, attributing the significant gains made against Al Shabaab to a surge of AMISOM military personnel and to the logistical support package for the Somali National Army.
“However, in the face of these advances, A1 Shabaab continued to adapt, launching asymmetric attacks and blocking access to some of the newly recovered areas. It also expanded its presence in Puntland and became a more significant threat within the sub-region,” warned Mr. Mulet.
Underlining the importance of the extension of State authority throughout the Somali territory, the Assistant Secretary-General said that the international community should engage in Somalia in accordance with the new federal map.
The recommended strategy was designed to create an enabling environment for the political process to unfold in Mogadishu and the regions during the next critical 18 months, and would be guided by three interlocking objectives: enabling the political process at all levels; reinitiating offensive operations against Al-Shabaab strongholds as soon as possible; and enabling consolidation efforts.
Those objectives, he said, required strong commitments from all partners, including the Somali Federal Government, the African Union, troop-contributing countries and the United Nations.
While improving AMISOM’s efficiency and effectiveness, the surge in uniformed personnel should be maintained until the end of 2016, as recommended by the Secretary-General, he said, welcoming the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to reconfigure the Mission within the authorized ceiling.
Ultimately, “the proposed security strategy would only succeed if Somali security institutions were supported and able to progressively assume greater responsibility for their own security,” Mr. Mulet said.
To that end, it is important to devise an enhanced and more coherent architecture for international partners to deliver capacity-building support to the national army and the country’s defence sector. In that regard, he highlighted, the adoption of the “Guulwade” Plan for the development of the army on 23 April was a critical step forward.
A gradual shift of efforts towards establishing and capacitating the Somali police force is equally critical, he said, noting that the development of effective and accountable forces, particularly in the regions, should be accelerated.
Adding that the security of Puntland should not be forgotten, the Assistant Secretary-General recommended extending the non-lethal support package to 3,000 Puntland forces on an exceptional basis until the end of 2016, but only upon completion of their integration into the Army, as well as their formal inclusion in the “Guulwade” Plan.http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51442#.ValVubXeums

BURUNDI: UN experts urge Security Council action amid mounting violence

16 July 2015 – The escalating pattern of politically motivated violence in Burundi demands a response from the United Nations Security Council before the hostilities can evolve into wholesale atrocities, a group of the Organization’s independent experts have warned.
“The international community must not simply stand by and wait for mass atrocities to unfold, thereby risking a major conflict of regional proportions before it finally decides to act,” the experts said in a statement released today by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
According to the UN, civil unrest erupted on 26 April in Bujumbura, Burundi’s capital, after the ruling Conseil national pour la défense de la démocratie-Forces pour la défense de la démocratie (CNDD-FDD) party elected President Pierre Nkurunziza on 25 April as its candidate for the then-scheduled 26 June presidential election.
Mr. Nkurunziza has been in office for two terms since 2005, and a broad array of actors warned that an attempt to seek a third term was unconstitutional and contrary to the spirit of the 2000 Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi that ended a decade of civil war in the country.
The mounting violence across Burundi has also provoked a widespread humanitarian crisis as refugees have spilled across the country’s borders and fanned throughout the region. Indeed, by late last week, more than 145,000 people had already fled to neighbouring countries.
In today’s statement, the experts, which include Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Pablo de Greiff; Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Christof Heyns; Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Gabriela Knaul; Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Michel Forst; Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye; Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Maina Kiai; and the Chairperson of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, Seong-Phil Hong, added their concern that the situation in Burundi was accumulating “the well-known and visible marks of a society which previously suffered divisions leading to grave violence.”
“This can escalate into major conflict through the use of outright repression against, and intimidation of, the population at large, the instrumentalization of the police, the closure of independent media, as well as the detention of the opposition and other civic leaders,” they continued. “We also witness efforts to coerce the judiciary, some of whose highest members have fled the country claiming their lives were at risk.”
At the same time, noted the Special Rapporteurs, armed militias, with the collaboration of authorities, exercised targeted violence against civilians.
Burundi’s elections, originally scheduled for 15 July, have now been postponed by six days to 21 July in order to mitigate the effects the tensions may have on the final vote. However, the delay, the experts cautioned, did not remedy the atmosphere of fear pervading throughout the country.
To that point, they appealed to the Security Council to exercise its “unique role for peace and security and for preventing conflicts worldwide” and address the crisis head-on.
“This is a crisis that is eminently preventable – everyone can see the risks. What is lacking is action,” underscored the independent experts. “Given the painful history of Burundi and the region, the long engagement of the United Nations in the country to re-build peace, the Security Council must be all the more alerted to the increasing potential of an escalation of massive violence.” Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51435#.ValPZ7Xeums

LIBYA: Security Council urges all Libyan parties to unite in support of new political agreement

16 July 2015 – The United Nations Security Council has welcomed the initialling of the Libyan political agreement in Skhirat, Morocco on 11 July as the latest step towards resolving the country's political crisis.
The agreement’s initialling is the result of ongoing UN-facilitated consultations between various Libyan parties and comes amid sporadic fighting across the North African country.
“The members of the Security Council recognized the political will and courage demonstrated by those who initialled this draft agreement, which seeks to resolve Libya’s institutional and security crises,” the 15-member Council declared in a statement issued late this afternoon.
“The members of the Security Council called on all parties to engage with the Libyan political dialogue and unite in support of this agreement which will move the political transition process forward, through the formation of a Government of National Accord.”
The fighting in Libya has sparked a growing displacement crisis within the country with the number of people displaced almost doubling from an estimated 230,000 last September to more than 434,000, the UN's refugee agency recently reported.
The largest bloc of internally displaced people (IDPs), some 105,000, is located in Benghazi, where the UN has been working with the municipality, as well as local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to distribute items to some 6,000 of the most vulnerable IDPs between March and June.
Meanwhile, the violence has also added to the mounting list of casualties. Last week alone, at least 10 fatalities were reported among civilians in Benghazi including a number of children, according to information provided by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).
In today’s statement, the UN body voiced its support for the formation of a Government of National Accord to help rebuild the country, and “to tackle the growing threat of terrorism in Libya and its neighbouring countries.”
Additionally, the Council encouraged UNSMIL to advance relevant efforts for coordination of international assistance to a future Government of National Accord.
The Council was briefed yesterday by the UNSMIL chief Bernardino León who said that a peaceful transition in Libya will only succeed through a significant and coordinated effort in support of a future Government of National Accord and by ensuring that sufficient security is achieved throughout the country so that public administration can resume its key functions.
“A Government of National Accord can be the only interlocutor through which the growing threat of Da’esh [also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL] and its affiliate groups can be effectively tackled, he said.
Reiterating UN support in ensuring national ownership in the transition process, he also said: “I am confident that the international community is ready to offer the needed support based on the priorities that the Libyans will identify.” Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51443#.ValN-LXeums

ADDIS: UN officials hail outcome of conference on development financing as 1st milestone of 2015 on sustainable dev and climate change

16 July 2015 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior United Nations officials today hailed the outcome of the financing for development conference in Addis Ababa as the first milestone in a critical year in which major decisions are also expected on the future sustainable development agenda and on climate change.
“The Addis Ababa Action Agenda is a major step forward in building a world of prosperity and dignity for all,” Mr. Ban said in a statement, adding that it revitalizes the global partnership for development and establishes a strong foundation for implementation of the future development agenda.
The Action Agenda, adopted at the conclusion of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, contains a series of bold measures to overhaul global finance practices and generate investments for tackling a range of economic, social and environmental challenges.

Member States have now passed this first hurdle. Now we must work ever harder for a successful summit on sustainable development in September.

Building on the outcomes of previous conferences held in Monterrey, Mexico, and in Doha, Qatar, the document addresses all sources of finance, and covers cooperation on a range of issues including technology, science, innovation, trade and capacity building.
Mr. Ban noted that the Addis conference was the first of three milestones this year. “Member States have now passed this first hurdle. Now we must work ever harder for a successful summit on sustainable development in September in New York and for a meaningful agreement on climate change in December in Paris.”
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the Conference, highlighted the fact that the Action Agenda features a comprehensive set of policy actions with a package of over 100 concrete measures and some concrete deliverables.
“The Addis Ababa Action Agenda testifies to our collective resolve to build a better future for all in a more equal and sustainable world,” said General Assembly president Sam Kutessa in his statement to the Conference’s closing plenary, in which he spotlighted the agreed concrete deliverables, policies and actions to support the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda.
With the international community now having “embarked on a momentous journey in a common pursuit to eradicate poverty, improve livelihoods for all and protect our planet,” he called on all delegations to fully implement the Action Agenda.
“With this successful outcome, we have a strong basis to build upon and continue our path towards historic Summits in New York in September and Paris in December. I count on your continued commitment to ensure an ambitious outcome for the post-2015 development agenda,” he said.
“The Action Agenda provides a global framework for financing sustainable development and developing sustainable finance. This new framework aligns all financing flows and policies with economic, social and environmental priorities.”
Also delivering a statement at the closing plenary, Letty Chiwara, UN Women Representative to Ethiopia, the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), said that, along with other aims, the Action Agenda reaffirms that achieving gender equality, empowering all women and girls, and the full realization of their human rights are essential to achieving sustained, inclusive, and equitable economic growth and sustainable development.
Delivering a statement on behalf of UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, she said that to date, no country in the world has closed the gender gap. The chronic and persistent under-investment in critical areas for women and girls, such as economic empowerment including reducing and redistributing women’s unpaid care and domestic work; sexual and reproductive health and rights; violence against women and girls, women, peace and security; and participation and leadership, has hindered the realization of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
”New and existing commitments on gender equality require unprecedented and transformative financing, in scale, scope, ambition and quality, from all sources and at all levels,” she said, calling on all Member States to endorse and implement the Addis Ababa Action Plan on Transformative Financing for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and to give the next generation of development goals the financial impetus necessary to achieve gender equality and to empower all women and girls.
Among the new initiatives agreed by Member States is the establishment of a Technology Facilitation Mechanism at the summit to be held in September in New York to boost collaboration among various actors to support the Sustainable Development Goals.
In addition, countries agreed to establish a Global Infrastructure Forum to identify and address infrastructure gaps, highlight opportunities for investment and cooperation, and work to ensure that projects are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
They also decided to strengthen the financing for development follow-up process to ensure that no country is left behind, including by establishing an annual financing for development forum and an inter-agency task force which will report annually on progress in implementing the FFD outcomes.
In the Action Agenda, countries also recommitted to achieving the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance (ODA), and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent for least developed countries.
“We are really, really pleased with the outcome,” said Amina Mohammed, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, welcoming in particular the decision on ODA. “A few years after the financial crisis, when we began this conversation, there was very little appetite for a discussion on 0.7 but today we have a recommitment to it.”
The recommitment on ODA was also welcomed by Gyan Chandra Acharya, High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
“There is a very clear forward-looking commitment coming from the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. It talks about, with a timeline, implementation of 0.2 per cent of GNI going to the LDCs,” Mr. Acharya said. “It was there before but it was more aspirational. But now it is coming with a very strong commitment to implement it.”
The Action Agenda also calls for strengthening support for the work of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters to improve its effectiveness and operational capacity, and the engagement with the Economic and Social Council.
On climate change, the outcome calls on developed countries to implement their commitment to a goal of jointly mobilizing $100 billion per year by 2020 from a wide variety of sources to address the needs of developing countries. Countries also committed to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that lead to wasteful consumption.

Source: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51437#.ValLt7Xeums