The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Press Conferences | UNHCR , OCHA , WHO , UNOG , UNITED NATIONS , WFP
Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 11 February 2022
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the hybrid press briefingwhich was attended by the spokespersons of the World Food Programme, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Refugee Agency, and the World Health Organization.
Displacement in Myanmar
Matthew Saltmarsh, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), stated that the UNHCR was stepping up its emergency response to assist hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people in Myanmar as their number had crossed the 800,000 mark - doubling since February 2021.
Security was deteriorating rapidly across the country as fighting and armed conflict intensified with no sign of abating. UNHCR forecast an accelerating trend of displacements in the coming weeks and months. UNHCR and partners were scaling up operations and deploying additional resources to support as many of the displaced as possible, complementing local community responses.
Humanitarian access in many parts of Myanmar remained restricted due to insecurity, roadblocks and challenges in obtaining access approvals. As a result, host communities and local responders continued to play a leading role in assisting displaced populations, demonstrating solidarity with each other by donating what they could. UNHCR had been working with UN agencies, local partners and communities to assist those affected wherever possible, including displaced and stateless populations and host communities. Mr. Saltmarsh stressed that some 600,000 stateless Rohingya in Rakhine State, including some 148,000 displaced in camps, villages and displacement sites, also remained highly vulnerable and require humanitarian support.
UNHCR remained committed to providing critical humanitarian assistance to those in need and calls for full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Myanmar, so that no disruption to lifesaving work occurs for local, national, and international aid agencies. A total of USD 56.7 million was needed to ensure adequate humanitarian assistance and support vulnerable communities.
Full statement can be found here.
Responding to questions, Mr. Saltmarsh said that the UNHCR dealt with the military based on the humanitarian imperative: it was all about getting access and ensuring that humanitarian staff could work freely. UNHCR had some 200 staff on the ground. Access to the Rakhine State had been sporadic; life there was extremely difficult with a largely stateless population. Mr. Saltmarsh specified that there were some 918,000 displaced Rohingya in Bangladesh and over 800,000 internally displaced Rohingya in Myanmar.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), recalled that the United Nations on the ground had called for the respect of the freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and had urged the military to release detained journalists. According to UNESCO, as of 9 February at least 146 journalists had been arrested in Myanmar since the coup, a third of whom were still believed to being detention.
Aid delivery to Tigray
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), stated that a shipment of medical supplies was arriving to Mekelle today. However, fuel and cash necessary to continue operations were still missing. WHO was concerned about the lack of fuel necessary to transport the newly arrived aid, because without fuel, medicines could not reach communities in need. It was hoped that this issue could be resolved shortly with the support of national authorities and international partners.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), added that the lack of fuel and cash had been an issue for a long time. Operational humanitarian agencies were not allowed to bring in fuel to Tigray, he explained. In northern Ethiopia there were two problems: active fighting and restrictions, which adversely affected delivery of aid and supplies. Humanitarian agencies were running out of fuel as no fuel had been allowed to enter Tigray since August 2021, with an exception of two WFP trucks. Every week, 200,000 litres of fuel was needed to run operations at full scale, he explained.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the UN Information Service, reminded about the visit to Ethiopia this week by the UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
Outbreak of Lassa Fever in the United Kingdom
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that two people in the same family had been diagnosed with Lassa Fever in England; they had recently returned from west Africa. He explained that Lassa Fever was an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus and was transmitted through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or feces of infected rats. Person-to-person infection could happen, but the virus did not spread easily. Most people would make full recovery, but severe illness could develop in certain individuals. Lassa Fever was endemic in a number of western African countries. The overall case fatality was one percent, and it went up to 15 percent for those hospitalized.
Measles outbreak in Afghanistan
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that there was a sharp rise in measles cases in Afghanistan. The disease had been endemic in the country for a while, but cases had been rising sharply since summer 2021. 35 319 suspected cases of measles and 156 deaths have been reported in Afghanistan from 1 January 2021 to 29 January 2022. Of these, 3221 cases were laboratory confirmed. Ninety-one percent of these cases and 97% of these deaths were in children under five years-old.
The rapid rise of cases in January suggested that the number of deaths was likely to rise in the coming weeks. Malnutrition weakened immunity, making people – especially children – more vulnerable to measles. It was an extremely contagious viral disease, and it was particularly dangerous for unvaccinated, malnourished young children, explained Mr. Lindmeier. WHO and partners were strengthening their measles outbreak response. The best way to protect children from measles was for countries to step immunization efforts and ensure that at least 95 percent of children receive two doses of vaccines.
Answering to journalists’ questions, Mr. Lindmeier said vitamin A supplements had been provided to some 8.5 million children in November 2021. A larger measles vaccination campaign, aiming to reach 3.5 million children nationwide, was to start in May, or earlier, if possible.
Humanitarian response in Madagascar after Cyclone Batsirai
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), informed that emergency response teams, including a ten-person UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team, had deployed to Madagascar to support the emergency response in the hardest-hit areas. At least 94 people had died in the disaster, the Government’s disaster management agency reported this morning, and more than 116,200 people had been affected, including nearly 30,800 people displaced. Those numbers continued to change as more information became available.
The cyclone’s wind and rains had also destroyed, damaged, or flooded more than 18,000 houses and 4,500 classrooms; about 70 health centres had been damaged. UN agencies and NGOs were already providing relief in support of the Government-led response and delivering food, water and sanitation, health supplies and protection services, while needs assessments continued in the most-affected districts in the south-east of the country.
More details on the humanitarian response can be found here.
Tomson Phiri, for the World Food Programme (WFP), said that the WFP, along with the Government of Madagascar, was providing food, logistics and IT assistance and an airlink to support relief operations in the districts of Mananjary and Manakara badly affected by Cyclone Batsirai.
WFP had so far distributed 10,000 hot meals in cyclone shelters in Manakara; some 8.7 metric tons of prepositioned food had been distributed to displaced people in Manakara and 3.4 metric tons had been distributed in Vohipeno. Another 5.2 metric tons would be distributed over the coming days, and around 160 metric tons of food was being transported to Mananjary. Cash distributions for nearly 1,400 households were ongoing in Farafangana.
Mr. Phiri added that the WFP was supporting the government in its rapid assessment including an aerial survey. The UN Humanitarian Air Service was conducting special flights in coordination with OCHA to assess the impact of the cyclone. WFP would also provide road transport to partners between Manakara and Mananjary to enable relief efforts.
More information is available here.
Announcements
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), informed that Dr. Tedros, WHO Director-General, was on a high-level visit to Cape Town, South Africa, to inspect the mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub. Press release is available here.
Mr. Lindmeier also informed about coming into effect of WHO’s new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which provided a common language for health care professionals around the world. In 2019, WHO Member States had committed to using this ICD for mortality and morbidity reporting from 2022. ICD-11 was entirely digital and accessible to all. Over 90 countries and numerous health care providers had provided inputs. ICD-11 included new chapters on traditional medicine and addictive gaming disorders, explained Mr. Lindmeier. More information can be found here.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), announced that Joyce Msuya of Tanzania had started as OCHA’s new Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. Ms. Msuya brought more than 20 years’ experience in international development and finance with diverse assignments in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Full announcement is here.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on the Rights of the Child would conclude this afternoon its 89th session, during which it had reviewed the reports of the Netherlands and Madagascar.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was reviewing today the report of Uganda.
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights would open on 14 February its 71st session, during which it would review the reports of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Belarus, Czechia, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain. The session would last until 4 March.
Today was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, for which the Secretary-General’s message had been shared.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Press conference on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua by the UN Group of Human Rights Experts
1
1
1
Press Conferences | ITU , UNHCR , WHO , WMO
YEMEN - UNHCR: Escalating conflict in Yemen could fuel more displacement, refugee movement
CLIMATE - WHO / WMO: Health and Climate impact of El Niño
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC , OHCHR
Mariana Katzarova discusses human rights in Russia as a UN Special Rapporteur.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IOM , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , UNFPA , UNHCR , UNOPS , WHO
UN Geneva briefing: Yemen crisis worsens, urgent aid needed across multiple sectors.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Press conference on the latest report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the UN Human Rights Council
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR
Victims Still Waiting: A Global Briefing on Transitional Justice Around the World
2
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences | WMO
As world’s water reserves change, countries must prepare for a new reality: WMO
New data showing that rivers were at their lowest level for decades last year provides further evidence that the climate crisis is real and countries must act immediately to protect themselves from the increasing threat to communities and livelihoods, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Thursday.
The key findings from WMO’s State of Global Water Resources 2025 report covering the hydrological cycle and extreme events in the five-year period to last year:
- 2025 was one of driest years for river discharge in 35 years
- Past seven years have seen abnorfmal river flows
- Water storage on Earth’s land surface has decreased in past decade
- Widespread glacier loss across all regions for fourth consecutive year
- Asia and Africa are regions most affected by water-related disasters
- Water data availability has improved, but gaps remain in hard-hit areas
Highlighting the long-term decline in the Earth’s freshwater storage and glacier melt, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo explained that the planet’s water reserves used to act as a planetary “savings account” that absorbed the occasional dry season, avoiding a water crisis. “One of the central stories of the 2025 report is what is happening to that savings account? And the simple answer is that we are depleting it,” she told journalists in Geneva.
Groundwater reserves are equally stretched and have been in decline since 2014, WMO’s report states, with nearly two-thirds of monitored wells worldwide showing levels lower than the historical norm and indicating a shift “further toward deficit…not recovery”.
“At the same time, we are seeing more water-related disasters,” Ms. Saulo said, while also stressing that the currently strengthening El Niño “will increase the risk of drought in some areas, and flooding in others”.
Glaciers disappearing
In 2025, for the fourth consecutive year, every major glaciated region on Earth lost ice mass, leading to short-term hazards including floods and long-term water insecurity, according to WMO.
Responding to a question about whether the changing global water cycle might have contributed to the deadly Nepal-China flooding disaster, Ms. Saulo explained that melting ice and rock was just one factor in the chain of events that ultimately sent a massive and deadly wall of water and debris downstream on 26 August, killing at least 1,367 people.
“You asked if it could happen again? Absolutely; the problem in this region is that there’s 63,700 glaciers at the last count,” she told a Press Conference in Geneva. “Even if you’re looking with remote sensing with satellites at these glaciers, you might see some faults, you might see some slight shifting, that does not mean necessarily catastrophic collapse. So, in order to plan for this, it’s very, very difficult. But the international community is looking very hard at ways in which we can bring people together to solve some of these monitoring issues.”
Data indicates that glaciers shrank between 2023 and 2025 with cumulative losses of 1,400 gigatonnes of water – or about one third of annual fresh water needs.
Every major glacier region on Earth lost ice for the fourth consecutive year.
“All 19 glacier regions around the globe lost ice; in Central Asia, Iceland, the Russian Arctic and western Canada and the United States, it was among the three worst years on record,” said Wayne Jenkinson, WMO’s Director of Hydrology and Cryosphere.
Some regions with smaller glaciers such as Central Europe, the Caucasus, the western Canada and the United States may already have reached “peak water”, Mr. Jenkinson warned.
“After this point, the glacier gives less meltwater each year simply because there is less ice left to melt. That matters for every community downstream that relies on water during hot, dry summers,” he explained.
Narelle van der Wel, WMO’s Head of Cryosphere Monitoring, Predictions and Services, stressed that while some further glacier loss is unavoidable, the eventual scale of the decline is not predetermined.
“Some glacier loss is inevitable, but total loss of glaciers is not yet inevitable,” she said, pointing to emissions reductions as central to limiting future losses.
Preparing for moving baselines
The report does not attribute every observed change to climate change alone. WMO says pressure on water resources and natural variability also contribute.
Mr. Jenkinson said governments need to prepare for “moving baselines” as historical patterns become less reliable.
“The situation 30 years ago is not where we are today,” he said. Countries, he added, need to prepare “for those changes that have really already arrived”.
ends
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WMO , OCHA , WHO , UNICEF , UN WOMEN , OHCHR , IOM , UNHCR
Update on Ebola from WHO and OCHA, update on the situation of children with the beginning of school in Ukraine from UNICEF, UN Women on the impact of the settlers and restrictions on women and girls in West Bank, OHCHR on the recovery of extensive human remains in Gaza, IOM and UNHCR on the new wave of displacement in Yemen
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | WFP
‘Super El Niño’ and converging crises worsen hunger in South Sudan and across the region - WFP
South Sudan’s hunger crisis is becoming increasingly catastrophic as violence, extreme weather and dwindling aid leave millions without enough food, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
Update on the human rights situation in Belarus by the UN Group of Independent Experts on the Human Rights Situation in Belarus
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC , OHCHR
Update on the human rights situation in Syria by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNOG , IOM , UN WOMEN , UNCTAD , WHO , UNECE
IOM Yemen's Western Coast displacement; UN WOMEN on Gaza; UNCTAD Strait of Hormuz disruptions impacts; WHO Ebola logistics in DRC; WHO smoking and infertility; UNECE Data centres and energy.