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Bi-Weekly Press Briefing 13 September 2022
13 September 2022
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, chaired the hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the Human Rights Council.
Preventing famine in Somalia
El-Khidir Daloum, World Food Programme (WFP) Representative in Somalia, speaking from Mogadishu, stressed that world leaders should not turn their heads away from Somalia. A major scale-up of humanitarian aid to Somalia was making a difference, and continued funding was necessary to sustain this effort. WFP was doing its best to expand the number of people it was serving, even while its funding was very limited. In August, the WFP alone had reached 4.4 million people with life-saving assistance. In June, 7.1 million people had been facing critical food insecurity; as of today, an estimated 4.3 million people were still facing critical food insecurity, while 120,000 were suffering from catastrophic hunger, stated Mr. Daloum. Those numbers, while improving, were still unacceptable. Some 6.7 million people would still face critical food insecurity throughout December, he warned. It was critical for the international community to scale up and for humanitarian actors to continue pushing deeper into rural and hard-to-reach areas. A coordinated humanitarian response was needed, in order to address various needs, such as water and sanitation, in addition to nutrition.
James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), connecting from Copenhagen, said that there was no doubt that the humanitarian response was making a difference. However, the number of Somalia’s youngest children, six to 59 months, who were expected to suffer severe acute malnutrition had unfortunately increased, from 386,000 in June to some 513,550 today. Severely malnourished children were up to 11 times more likely to die of diarrhea and measles than well-nourished children, both of which were spiking across the region that was predicted to head into famine. More children needed urgent assistance today than during the 2011 famine, warned Mr. Elder. In other words, more than half a million children were facing preventable death right now. A radical change was needed to make sure such situations do not happen again. UNICEF’s three-year appeal for building resilience in the Horn of Africa was currently three percent funded.
Etienne Peterschmitt, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Somalia, speaking from Jallam, stated that the food insecurity in Somalia was reaching catastrophic levels, resembling the famine conditions of 2011. As already mentioned by the FAO representative, approximately 6.7 million people across the country were likely to experienced acute food insecurity by the end of this year – that was 41 percent of Somalia’s population. The repeated warnings were clear that we had to act now, or the famine would occur shortly. The drought situation was spreading at an alarming rate, more districts and regions were facing emergency levels of food insecurity as the cumulative effects of multiple failed rainy seasons took their toll. An estimated 55 percent of all Somali children under five were facing acute malnutrition. FAO and partners were trying to bring assistance as close as possible to affected communities in order to prevent famine in the hardest-hit rural areas. Action was necessary now to save lives and livelihoods, stressed Mr. Peterschmitt. Greater and immediate support was needed: famine could be prevented if the international community acted now.
Responding to questions from the media, James Elder, for UNICEF, reiterated that more than half a million children needed immediate assistance to prevent severe acute malnutrition. Stabilization centers were full, and some children had to receive treatments on the floor. Mr. Elder said that over 13,000 cases of measles and 8,400 of acute watery diarrhea had been recorded in the first half of the year; some 78 percent of those had been children under five. Etienne Peterschmitt, for FAO, added that people were depending on imported powder milk as their local camels were out of milk. Some three million cattle were estimated to have perished, which was dramatic as livestock was one of the key pillars of the country’s economy. Mr. Daloum, for WFP, reminded that half of the deaths in 2011 had happened before the actual declaration of the famine. So the international community had to act now.
Pakistan floods aftermath
Knut Ostby, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Representative in Pakistan, speaking from Islamabad, stressed that the recent floods had been at an unprecedented scale, affecting some 33 million people and killing at least 1,400 people. Many millions of acres of crops had been destroyed, affecting both the current and the next planting season. The accelerating global warming was at the bottom of this human suffering in Pakistan today. United Nations agencies were trying to reach people in need, and at the same time recovery had to start as soon as possible. Some recovery support was already being provided, partly by pivoting existing programmes, informed Mr. Ostby. It was hoped that donors would contribute generously: the situation had been caused by the global climate change, and international solidarity was needed to solve it.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that the UN Secretary-General António Guterres had just visited Pakistan to show solidarity with the people of the country following the destruction caused by the devastating floods. He had appealed for massive international support to bolster the response and tackle what he called a “climate carnage”.
Announcements
Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council, reminded that the 51st session had begun on 12 September. The interactive discussion on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan was continuing this morning, to be followed by a presentation of the report on human rights in Nicaragua. A general debate on the oral update of the High Commissioner would commence in the afternoon today; more than 130 speakers were registered to speak. Water and sanitation for indigenous peoples, and unilateral collateral measures would be on the agenda on 14 September. More details are available here.
The Commission of Inquiry on Syria would present its latest report in a hybrid press conference on 14 September at 12 noon.
On 15 September at 1:30 pm, there would be a hybrid press conference to present the first report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Burundi, Fortuné Gaétan Zongo.
Shabia Mantoo, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that at 7 pm today the UNHCR would be publishing the Refugee Education Report. An embargoed press release had been shared. UNHCR Education Section representatives would speak at the UN Spokesman’s noon briefing in New York today.
Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), reminded that the WHO would be releasing new Global guidance framework for the responsible use of the life sciences. A press conference at 2 pm today would take place, with Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, and Dr. John Reeder, Director, Research for Health Department. The weekly press conference with Dr. Tedros would be held at 12 noon on 14 September.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that today at 12 noon, there would be a hybrid press conference by the Presidents of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Peter Maurer and Francesco Rocca, about the the growing hunger needs they were seeing across the world. The speakers would make a joint call for urgent action ahead of the UN General Assembly in New York.
At 3:30 pm Geneva time today, an update would be provided on the efforts to reintegrate food and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia into the global markets. UN Coordinator for the Black Sea Grain Initiative Amir Abdulla and UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan would brief the journalists in New York and the event would be webcast on UN Web TV.
Today at 3:30 pm, at a hybrid press conference in Geneva, Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) would present the new United in Science report.
On 14 September at 11 am, there would be a hybrid press conference by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to present the UNCTAD Report on its Assistance to the Palestinian People 2022. Speakers would be Richard Kozul-Wright, Director of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies, and Mutasim Elagraa, in charge of the Assistance to the Palestinian People Programme, UNCTAD.
The Committee on the Rights of the Child was concluding this morning its review of the report of Viet Nam. This afternoon, the Committee would begin consideration of the report of the Philippines.
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances was concluding this morning the review of the report of Mali. This afternoon, the Committee would begin consideration of the report of Czechia.
The Conference on Disarmament was holding this morning a public plenary meeting in Room XVIII. The Conference had yet to adopt its annual report.
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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
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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”.
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