Ukraine
Dr. Dorit Nizan, Incident Manager for Ukraine at the World Health Organization (WHO), speaking from Zaporizhzhia, said that, along with other UN agencies, WHO was now expecting additional evacuees to arrive from the Mariupol area. UN and partners were working with the national and local authorities on this, and everyone was hoping for good news soon. WHO had topped up supplies of medicine and consumables in Zaporizhzhia, she said. Since the start of the war, the WHO had repurposed its mission in the country, assessed the situation and had so far delivered 382 tons of medical aid to Ukraine. WHO had been tailoring the trainings, supply and support to the specificities of the Ukrainian health system. Efforts were being made to strengthen the health information system, and WHO teams were embedded in warehouses all over the country. The list of needs was growing, but Ukraine was resilient, stressed Dr. Nizan.
Mr. LeBlanc referred to a statement by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ukraine, which said the UN would continue to push for the safe passage out of Mariupol city for all those civilians who wish to leave. The UN is engaging actively with parties to advance these efforts. As the evacuation operation is ongoing, details of the joint UN/ICRC initiative would be provided later to ensure the safety of the civilians and humanitarians in the convoy.
Replying to questions, Dr. Nizan stated that some health workers had left the Zaporizhzhia region due to its proximity to the active conflict zone, but health facilities had been reinforced with medical staff from other parts of the country and volunteers. People continued to be coming from Mariupol and the surrounding area; the health teams waiting for them were ready to treat burns, fractions, wounds, infections, but the exact needs would be known once the convoys arrived. Dr. Nizan explained that there were estimates that around 100,000 people remained in Mariupol; before the war, the city’s population had numbered around 500,000. Since 30 April, most people arriving had been women and children, coming from the surrounding villages and communities rather than from the Azovstal plant. While there had been no major injuries among those who had arrived, mental health remained a point of concern. On another question, Dr. Nizan explained that the WHO had established hubs across the country, but it was very challenging to work and move around, as the country was vast. The Ukrainian health system was well prepared and resilient, especially with the help it was receiving.
As of today, WHO had received 186 reports of attacks on health care in Ukraine, causing 73 deaths and 54 injuries, added Tarik Jašarević, also for the World Health Organization. On 10 May, there would be a regional WHO Europe meeting on the impact of the war on the health system in Ukraine, which would be streamed live.
Announcements
Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that today was the World Press Freedom Day, on the occasion of which the Secretary-General had issued a message. On this day, the Secretary-General said the United Nations was shining a spotlight on the essential work of journalists and other media workers who sought transparency and accountability from those in power, often at great personal risk. Without freedom of the press, there were no real democratic societies, and no freedom.
At UNHQ in New York, on 4 May at 4:30 p.m. Geneva time, there would be an event on journalism under digital siege, to be moderated by Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. This event would be webcast live on UNTV.
Mr. LeBlanc informed that today at 12 p.m. noon, there would be a press conference by OCHA on the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Speakers would be Bruno Lemarquis, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Modeste Mutinga Mutuishayi, Minister of Humanitarian Action and National Solidarity of the DRC.
On 5 May at 11 a.m., there would be a launch of ILO report on Social Dialogue 2022. Speakers would be Guy Ryder, ILO Director-General, and Vera Paquete-Perdigao, Director, Governance Department at the ILO.
The Committee Against Torture would being on 4 May in the morning the review of the report of Kenya.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child was opening this morning its 90th session and would begin this afternoon the review of the report of Greece.
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Press Conferences | IFRC , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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Press Conferences | WMO
Launch of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s Air Quality and Climate Bulletin 2024.
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Press Conferences | OHCHR
The UN disability rights committee (CRPD) presented the findings of its 33rd session on DPRK, Finland, Kiribati, Maldives and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
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Press Conferences | HRC
UN Human Rights Council President Ambassador Jürg Lauber briefs the press in Geneva ahead of the Council's 60th session.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , IFRC , UNHCR , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , UNFPA
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Agency, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
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Press Conferences | UNOG , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , OCHA , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Women, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
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Press Conferences | UNOG , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , UNITED NATIONS
Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the press in Geneva on Friday on famine in Gaza.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , OHCHR , WHO , WFP , UNHCR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
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Press Conferences | UNOG , WHO , OCHA , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the World Health Organization.
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Press Conferences | OCHA , WHO
Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organization.
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Press Conferences , Statements | UNEP
After 10 days of UN talks on plastic pollution, no consensus was reached; negotiations to continue.