Good morning and welcome to the press briefing of the UN Information Service here in Geneva.
We have a spotlight on issues related to food this morning and I, I really have the pleasure to have with me on the podium.
In addition to Christian Doctor Francesco Branca that you will know, Francesco is the Director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at WHO, and we also have online Doctor Marcus Lipp, who is the senior food safety officer at FAU.
Both colleagues are here to brief you on the World Food Safety Day 2024.
I think the title or the the theme of it is food safety Prepare for the unexpected.
So I'll give the floor first to Francesco and then to Marcus.
Francesco, you have the floor.
So as Alessandra was saying, today the United Nations observed the World Food Safety Day, supported by the specialised agencies, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Health Organisation, in collaboration with the Codex Alimentario Secretariat.
And as you know, the Codex is the intercountry mechanism to define global Food Standards.
Every year we estimated 1.6 million people get sick from food borne disease and 420,000 people die as a result of that.
About 40% of that burden is carried by young children less than five years and.
We have decided to take this topic this year, Food Safety, Prepare for the unexpected, because food safety is really an essential part of food security, and we have so many food security.
Emergencies around the world due to conflicts due to climate change and food safety is clearly also part of that impact.
Food safety hazard do not have borders.
And we often have incidents that really span many countries.
WHO hosts the secretariat of Infosun, which is a mechanism supported by FAO and WHO it's called.
It's an international network of food safety authorities which brings together over 850 institutions from 189 countries.
The purpose is to immediately disseminate alerts about food safety emergencies and allow national authorities to recall the products involved.
Since 2020, Infosan dealt with 100 with 820 events.
So we saved many lives as a result of that last week at the Wealth Health Assembly.
The WTO Director General presented the report on the WTO Global Strategy for Food Safety.
So we have an ambitious targets to bring down the burden of food borne disease and particular the one related to Salmonella.
We now have an additional to strengthen international health regulations because the amendments were approved also by the Assembly last year.
But I'd like just to finish my introduction with the messages which really are specific for this World Food Safety Day.
Number one, we really invite governments to consider the inclusion of food safety component in national action plan for health security.
It's a health security issue.
We would like to ask countries to make sure that international health regulation really includes the connection to food safety and therefore to the Infosan focal points and.
3rd, we really call for the importance of surveillance in integrated surveillance based on one health approach on animal, environmental and human health.
So we the world can be prepared for food safety incidents with with with all this.
So join us to celebrate the World Food Safety Day and Marcus.
Thank you very much and thank you Francesco for these great introduction.
So like Francesco already mentioned, FAO and WHO join celebrating the World Food Safety the every 7th of June to highlight that only by working together can we ensure that our food is actually safe to eat.
And fittingly, the World Food Safety Day slogan is food safety is everyone's business because we all have a stake in that.
So each year we strive to reach out stakeholders from the Agri food systems to help us celebrate World Food Safety Day, be it government and food safety authorities, the food industry, but also last but not least, the consumer.
Of course, because the consumer has a vital point in making sure that food remains safe.
At FAO, we see safe food as fundamental to achieving the Sustainability Development Goals.
Sustainable Development Goals and safe food is also one of the prerequisites to fulfil FA OS strategic plan to enable better production, better nutrition, better environment and ultimately better lives.
When food is produced and traded in a safe and sustainable Agri food systems, it contributes to a healthy life and improve sustainability by enabling market access and productivity, which drives economic development and then results in poverty alleviation, especially in rural areas.
Food Improved food safety will safeguard public health and reduce child mortality as children under 5 carry the highest burden of food borne disease.
That is a focus area like every year we are working with WHO together on promoting the Food Woods World Food Safety Day theme.
This year, the theme is Food Safety Prepare for the unexpected.
The theme was chosen to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Infosan and Francesco introduced Infosan already through it.
FANWHO helped national authorities and food business to strengthen prevention, preparedness and response to food safety incidents and emergencies by fostering a global community of practise among food safety professionals.
1/3 of agriculture and food exports are traded within a global value chain and across at least two borders before they are consumed.
When governments and food safety authorities know about an incident, the more data there is, the quicker the source of contamination can be identified and mitigated.
Equally, food safety authorities need to provide information to businesses, food businesses in particular, to withdraw or recall contaminated products so they do not reach the consumer.
Having these lines of communication through in person and other networks, as well as the capacity to collect and analyse data, saves lives of consumers.
At the same time, this year's campaign calls to food businesses to ensure they have rigorous systems in place to be able to prepare in the case of an unexpected food safety incident.
Staff training, probably properly serviced equipment, an important line, importantly effective lines of communication, all help preparedness.
And of course, consumers can find themselves in unexpected situation when understanding of what makes food unsafe can help them make the right decisions to protect themselves and those around them.
So this isn't just a call to action this year, it is a call to preparedness.
Happy World Food Safety Day to everybody.
Thank you very much, Marcus, and thanks to Francesco.
And before opening the floor to question, I would also like to listen from Monica Totowa, who is also speaking about food again for World Food Safety Day.
But Monica is here to give you a short update on the global food commodity prices.
Monica, you have the floor, then we will open the floor questions.
I will not talk about food safety, but I will talk on behalf of FAO to give you a briefing regarding the FAO food price index which we just released this morning.
The index increased in May for the third month in a row, strengthening 5.9% following a seven month long declining trend, but was still down 3.4% from its corresponding value one year ago.
This increase in May was led by higher prices for cereal and dairy products, which offset decreases in the quotations for sugar and the vegetable oils.
I will only focus on the commodity groups with the largest changes.
So the cereal price index increased by 6.3% from the previous month, with global export prices of all major cereals decreasing.
Wheat prices increase the most, mostly due to growing concerns about unfavourable crop conditions for the 2024 harvest in the Northern Hemisphere, which might be possibly constraining yields in some producing areas in parts of Europe, North America and the Black Sea regions.
Additionally, we are also keeping an eye on the damage to the Black Sea shipping infrastructure, which is could be some to some extent certainly on Andy is except serving the pressure on the prices.
Also increasing was the FAO daily price index which increased by .8% underpinned by increased demand for retail and food services ahead of summer holidays in Europe and it's decreasing fresh milk production in the Western Europe.
Positive news, if you wish, is the decline in the price of the sugar index, which decreased by 7 1/2% from April, driven mainly by a good start of the harvest season in Brazil.
Nona international crude prices in fact pushed the sugar prices down as well.
Price index also declined by 2.5%, while the meat prices remained relatively constant.
Despite this overall increase, the third one in a row, the overall food price index is still almost 25% below its March 2022 peak.
Fresh cereal harvest from the Northern Hemisphere will be entering the market soon, improving the availability.
FAO also released its new cereal and supply demand brief.
Unfortunately, since the closure of the data to when the brief was released, we experience some negative weathers which announced uncertainty regarding global weed production.
Nevertheless, at this point, overall serious supplies are still seen comfortable in the 2024-2025 marketing year.
Last but not least, as global commodity prices have direct implications for food security, I would like to mention the release of the joint FAOWFT Hunger Hotspot report, which was also released this week, which identifies 18 hunger hotspots where acute food insecurity is set to increase in magnitude and severity.
Many hotspots face growing hunger crises and highlight the burning multiplier effect that simultaneous and overlapping shocks are having on acute food insecurity.
So those are conflict, climate extremes and economic shocks that continue to drive vulnerable households to the food crisis.
With that, I will be looking for the questions.
Thank you very much, Monica for this update.
I'll open the floor to question first in the room if there is any.
So let's go to the platform Yuria Prela Feria University.
Just maybe say to whom is your question.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
My question, my question is for you and this is not about FO.
So maybe take the first question from Maya and after, Yeah, maybe let's wait for this then.
Thank you very much for taking my question.
Good morning, Alessandra and everyone.
I wanted to ask Mr Francisco Branca about the how who is working on nutrition aspects to of.
Combating disease, chronic diseases with the new reformulate amended international health Regulations.
How nutrition can be used as a management tool for chronic diseases and in this special day of food safety too.
And also if you could comment, how does he work with the organisations?
Like recently he was at the Economist at an event in London at the Economist that was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the maker the the manufacturer of Ozan.
Isn't that a conflict of interest with working for the United Nations with The Who?
So the first question is how do we work on chronic diseases?
Clearly unhealthy diet is one of the key risk factor for non communicable chronic diseases.
8 million deaths every year, 40 million disability adjusted life here.
We are clearly recommending a set of policies to member states which are cost effective.
We've demonstrated that they are effective because countries have implemented them, but we've also calculated their their their cost effectiveness and they are definitely a good investment for countries.
The policies are related to the the pricing of food.
So we're recommending to tax drinks and foods which are not contributing to healthy diets, and we're recommending to provide subsidies on products which contribute to healthy diet, such as fruit and vegetables.
We recommend to work with consumer information better banning, regulating, reducing the marketing of unhealthy food products to children particularly and also informing clearly consumers about packaged food with very clear front of the pack labelling.
And finally, we're recommending public authorities to use their purchasing power, you know, the the meals which are offered in schools, hospitals, canteens, to offer healthy foods to the population, but also through social support services, you know, all the services that are provided.
So, so that we believe can change the quality of the food which is offered.
We're also working with the the private sector asking them to remove unhealthy components of the food.
We're asking them to reduce the the salt content of food.
We're asking them to remove unhealthy trans fat.
We don't have an engagement as such with the the Novo Nordisk company.
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is a major global donor and WHO is considering the nature of the engagement there?
At the moment we have not received funding from the Novo Nordisk Foundation for any project which is in conflict with the with the work that WHO is doing on on normative guidance.
Thank you very much, John.
John Zarrocostes, Francois Catter, and The Lancet.
Yeah, good morning, Francesco.
I've got something a bit timely the other day.
The Who put out a press release on the first reported death globally of H5 N 2.
And from the point of view of food safety, what are you recommending in terms of people eating poultry, which is traditionally been linked with AV and influenza?
Francesco, please answer Any of the colleagues from FAU also have something to add.
Please just raise your hand, Francesco.
So we have a a permanent working group on H5 N one.
We have not been able to demonstrate any transmission between animals and humans in you know, humans that consume either poultry or other products which, which contain it, which have been exposed to H5 N 1.
So clearly the monitoring in the production areas is, is is absolutely important.
There are food safety authorities are very carefully monitoring this, this risk.
So there should be no concern for the consumers.
Yeah, sorry for the visual hand raising.
So from the FAO perspective, we can only echo Francesco's words.
There is in all the 100 years of avian influenza that we monitor outbreaks and and the world has to suffer through outbreaks, there has not been any demonstrated food borne transmission.
Animal handlers of course who have an extremely close contact with animals may get an infection, but it's an occupational risk, it's not a food borne transmission.
So we would currently looking at this risk as negligibly low and as leads if it gets to food borne transmission.
But it's certainly a developing area.
My question was to H5 N 2, which is the first reported death globally.
And my question was how do you recommend or advise that poultry be prepared?
Can you have poultry medium rare for instance or should it be well cooked?
But maybe as a general recommendation, yes, we do recommend the, you know, thorough handling of food products in general.
I mean, this is not only specific to this particular risk.
So we, we have what we call the five keys to save food and that's something that, you know, consumers can do adequately.
This is about food storage, this is about food handling, this is about, you know, usual hygiene practises and it's about cooking of, of food products.
So you know, H5 N 2 is, is one of the potential risk associated hazards associated to handling and handling meat and and and and and poultry.
I mean, adequate cooking is something that we recommend in general.
I think Christian you you may want to.
Yeah, John, I I need to add something here.
And that's, that's for the record, the, the, the death in in Mexico is not attributable attributable to H5 N 2.
It was the case that the patient was in the hospital came to the hospital after weeks of multifactorial background of multi multi other diseases and injuries diseases.
And he died at the same day that he got into the hospital on 24 April and subsequently was also tested as it is normal in such a death case.
Tested for flu and other viruses and it was H5 N 2 was detected.
But important to note, the death is a multifactorial death, not a death attributed to H5 N 2.
I my question was that avian influenza is normally very much found among poultry.
That's why in the US they've called over 90 million animals so far.
So the question is also this person in Mexico, he had been sick for many, many weeks.
And secondly, I think who took 13 days to put out the press release even though you received the information on the 23rd of May?
I think Marcus, you raise your hand.
Maybe at this point I would just like to underline what Francesca indicated earlier.
So of course avian influenza and poultry is not new that there has been many, many rounds of infection sweeping the world and and many, many birds have been called it's a highly pathogenic or certain strains a highly pathogenic among birds.
And so it's an animal production risk first and foremost.
There has been documented spillover of various strains into humans which came in close contact with infected animals but not through foodborne transmission.
So despite many, many outbreaks of breaks of various strains of avian influenza, there was never any foodborne transmission.
Humans do not have avian influenza receptors in their in gusto intestinal tract contrary to certain animal species as far as we know today.
And so there is a very slim likelihood just from that perspective.
And as Francesco already pointed out, there are many other food safety risks if it comes to poultry and meat in general.
So cooking your meat and particularly poultry well through is always good food safety advice.
It's probably the lowest risk is connected to avian influenza.
There are many other microbiological risks that are more likely to cause harm to consumers if food is inadequately prepared.
Robin Miller, the French news agency.
Thank you for for Christian.
Death in Mexico to H5 N 2, is that is that something that's at this stage we can't attribute it and it's likely to change later or is that like the final verdict if you like?
And and secondly, yesterday in the in the webinar, it was said that The Who was awaiting full genetic sequence data on this case.
So on, on your first part, at this stage the investigation is is ongoing again the the patient died after three weeks of complications.
In general it was bedridden for three days, three weeks, then went to the hospital because of complications, respiratory complications and died in the hospital on that day which was I think 24 April.
Subsequently tests was were were done and when on 22nd May the the infection with avian influenza H5 N 2 was confirmed, the HR was notified and on 23 this notification happened.
Investigations are ongoing and the tricky party of course is because it is some several weeks ago now hospital staff the the possible contacts and I think there was 17 of them have have been all tested.
They were all negative, but that's hospital staff only in the last day of his of his life.
Other contacts in the residence and they were identified 12 in the weeks before have also been contacted by the authorities to what we hear and have also tested negative.
So investigation is ongoing, serology is ongoing.
That means the, the, the blood testing of contacts also to see if there was any possible earlier infection.
At this point in time, we, we do not know the well, the, the, as it's multifactorial.
That's how it is going down into the in, in, in into the files, so to say in such a case.
But the infection of H5 N 2 is being investigated to see whether this this was he was infected by somebody visiting or by any any contact with any animals before.
Thank you, Antonio Barato, Spanish News agency.
Do you know if The Who is considering making an assessment of a new assessment of ABN flu after this new new case in Mexico?
And if so, when do you think it could be out?
So I'm, I'm not quite sure what you mean by new assessment.
So it's the first known human infection with H5 N 2.
And now we're waiting for all the subsequent tests and results to see what the outcome is more, more I don't have at that time.
We can't can't speculate what will happen in the future.
Yes, by a new assessment, I mean when who publishes a report, long report saying what's the situation, what are the recommendations for all The Who members for for all the health networks.
I think like that investigation, if investigation shows anything which is worth to to do a new risk assessment, to reassess the situation, to re evaluate and get out new guidance, it would certainly be done.
Thank you very much to everyone who has intervened in this discussion.
We, I don't see any other questions.
So I would like to thank Doctor Branca, Dr Leap and Mrs Totova for updating us on this important World Food Safety Day and on the update of the global food commodity prices.
We have another item from WHO, but I'd like to ask Mrs Portella for her patience because we have today's guest day.
We have a connection with Port Sudan and I have the pleasure to to to introduce you to Mohammed Rifat.
Mohammed is the Sudan chief of Mission for the International Organisation for Migration.
We have him here for an update on the dire situation in Sudan.
And before giving you the floor, Mohammed, I just wanted to remind the journalist that yesterday evening the the spokesperson for the Secretary General issued a statement where he said that the Secretary General strongly condemned the attack reportedly carried out on five June by the Rapid Support Forces in the Wad Al Noora village in Gazira State, which is said to have killed over 100 people.
The Secretary General urges all parties to refrain from any attack that could arm civilians or damage civilian infrastructure.
The Secretary General expresses deep concern regarding the immense suffering of the Sudanese population as a result of the continued hostilities.
He stresses that it's **** time for all parties to silence their guns across Sudan and commit to a path towards sustainable peace for the Sudanese people.
The Secretary General's personal environment and La Mamra is continuing his engagement to advance peace efforts in Sudan.
the United Nations remain committed to supporting international mediation efforts and to working with all relevant stakeholders to to help bring an end to this terrible conflict.
And on this, Mohammed, you have updates on the internal displacements in Sudan and I'll give you the floor now.
Thanks, I hope you can hear me well.
Good morning and thank you all for being here today as the Chief of Mission for I Am Sudan.
I speak to you from Port Sudan with a heavy heart, but also with a profound sense of urgency.
The crisis unfolding in Sudan is a catastrophic human tragedy.
Today, I'm not just a representative of a UN agency.
I'm a voice for millions of Sudanese whose lives have been forever altered by the ongoing crisis.
Families have been torn apart, communities devastated, and the future put on hold.
The human toll of this crisis is huge.
The question I have to you today is painfully valid one How much suffering, a loss of life must the people of Sudan endure before the war takes notice?
Isn't 10 million internally displaced enough to compel urgent global action?
Every one of those 10 million displaced life represents A profound human tragedy that demands urgent attention.
Last week, IOM latest displacement tracking metrics has recorded 9.9 million people internally displaced in one country across all 18 states in Sudan, 2.8 million were already displaced before the war started in April 2023.
Adding on top of them, 7.1 million cents 14 months ago, More than half of them are women, 1/4 of them are children under 5.
Unfortunately, we got used to hear that Sudan is the largest global displacement.
This doesn't create much urgency for action anymore if 10 million is not yet enough.
In total, some 12 million have been forced to flee their homes in Sudan, with over 2 million crossing borders into neighbouring countries, mainly Chad, South Sudan and Egypt, often arriving in extremely vulnerable conditions and highly traumatised.
Since April 2024, we have seen an increase in number of people fleeing Sudan due to food insecurity, with 63% being Sudanese nationals while 37 being nationals or returnees.
Devastating numbers before 15th of April 2023.
Displacement primarily concentrated within Darfur and Cordovan states.
However, we are seeing here a completely shift in the dynamics of displacement in Sudan, with 36% of the displacement we have in hand nows are coming from the capital of Sudan, Khartoum.
I want to shed the light on another forgotten group in Sudan, Migrants in Sudan.
Sudan historically has been a major source, transit and destination country for migrants at the centre of multiple migration routes in the region.
Despite its own significant challenge, Sudan has long been a heaven for many fleeing war, hunger, hardship from neighbouring countries.
However, the recent war has exacerbated the situation, leaving many migrants and refugees stranded with limited very limited access to support and services.
The strain in Sudan's resources infrastructure due to the hosting large number of displaced persons has been substantial, making it increasingly challenging to provide adequate shelter, food, healthcare and other basic necessities to those migrants.
Last year IOM teams have recorded a three fold increase in Sudanese taking dangerous irregular migration corridors into Libya, Tunisia, onward to Europe.
As we speak now we have an unconfirmed reports about 2000 families are stranded in hard conditions, including migrants between the borders between Egypt, Libya and Sudan, definitely with a very limited access to them.
Sudanese are still choosing internal displacement as their first line of safety.
They still have the hope to return to their home soon.
The lack of peace investment in real solution for displacement is likely to impact not only the region but also have knock on effect cross regional and we have seen this before in several wars.
My last devastating figure for today is to say that more than 70% of IOM national workforce fulfil the definition of ID.
PS With majorities of their families are seeking safety outside of Sudan, how many of us have to be displaced or killed for our tragedy to count?
This is their messages that they want you to take out for the globe.
This is just a glimpse of the daily reality in Sudan.
Another relation to humanitarian situation and mobility.
70% of Idps in Sudan now are not only being ID PS but are they located in areas where I where they have severe food shortage being under IPC 3 or 4 with a very **** risk of famine.
These areas are mainly in Darfur region which is currently the most difficult for humanitarian to reach.
As you can tell, we are having an electricity cut.
One of the challenges that we are all facing here, Al Fisher.
The humanitarian situation has entered a new alarming chapter with the outbreak of fights in Al Fisher, the capital of North Darfur, putting over 800,000 civilians at risk.
All parties must facilitate the safe, rapid, unembedded passage of humanitarian personnel and supplies through all available routes into Al Fisher.
Alfasher locality hosts around 600,000 Idps, including those displaced both before and after 13th April 2023.
Displaced communities were primarily hosted within Alfasher Town in IDP camps and other shelter sites, including schools and public buildings.
Movement restrictions are shocking the lifeline of those in the state, with crucial roads out of Al Faisal blocked and preventing civilians from reaching safer areas, limiting the amount of food and limited in aid coming into the city.
Prices for water and fuel have skyrocketed making this essential unaffordable for everyone, especially with the Sudanese bound devaluation and lack of liquidity that we can all see here for the UN.
Al Fasher is inaccessible either cross line or cross-border.
We have all seen the horrific news coming from the small village of Wadnor.
We're also hearing of truly horrifying reports of violent attacks and casualties in the villages of what the Nora in Al Jazeera state.
While we as the UN, we do not have the full details surrounding these horrific events, there are credible reports of heavy gunfire and the use of explosive weapons in populated civilian areas.
I hope that the war didn't get used to those videos but DTM has received our DTM has received preliminary information that approximately 559 households have already fleed since yesterday from villages in Genuba Al Jazeera locality.
Reportedly duo intensified attacks in neighbouring areas.
This latest outbreak of violence is yet another devastating blow to the people of Sudan who have already endured immense suffering.
Suffering on humanitarian access.
Unobstructed humanitarian access is immediately needed, free of administrative impediments, harassment and security threats to national colleagues and humanitarian response partners.
After the Emergency Director Group's visit, we feel some improvement on access and we advocate definitely for more IOM mission.
IOM recent mission to Khartoum in Kharari and Omdurman revealed that the UN stands ready to be everywhere to provide neutral aid when access is given.
So we call for more of access.
Today I wanted to share with you not only the stark realities of the situation in Sudan, but also.
The incredible efforts being made on the ground to bring relief and hope.
It is a story of struggle but also solid human spirit.
To date, IOM has reached nearly 2.4 million people in Sudan and neighbouring countries, with life saving aid serving over 1.9 million in Sudan alone, aiming to preserve the dignity and protection for people we serve.
On funding, I would like to flag that aid agencies have struggled to keep pace with the growing needs.
Funding shortfalls are embedding efforts to provide adequate shelter, food and medical assistance.
Serious concerns are mounting about the long term impact of displacement on Sudan's social and economic fabric.
IOM this year plans to target 1.7 million people with an with a requirement of 312 million U.S.
Though the crisis is growing, the response remain critically underfunded.
IOM response overview is only 19% funded.
Thank you very much, Sir.
And I know that the journalists have already received the press releases.
So that is the, the, the, the, the figure that you quoted were there.
So I'll open the floor to question now in the room.
I don't see any hand up or on the platform.
Yuri, I know you're waiting for, for your question, but I, I, I, I like to concentrate on Sudan now I'll focus on Sudan.
So Lisa Schlein, Voice of America, thank you.
I, I didn't receive any notes.
I mean, there, there was a press release that was issued by IOM.
But it would be most helpful if.
I'm I'm sorry, I don't know your name, Mohammed, Mohammed.
If you could send us your notes because then you said a lot.
It's enormous amount to to digest.
So if you could and and quickly do this because there are deadlines and so forth.
Anyhow, as to my questions do.
Any IOM officials have contacts with any of the warring parties and there's anything getting through to them in terms of the enormity of the tragedy that is occurring, Then I would like to open up this conversation a bit more to perhaps get some other voices into this regarding from the World Health Organisation.
There are a couple of very good people who are present who could talk about the health situation, the the impact of having to move around, the lack of food that is there.
I wonder how close it is to achieving that situation and also if there is somebody from the UNHCR who could talk about the situation of refugees, of the people who are fleeing, if they are even able.
To cross the borders in order to seek safety in Chad, presumably in other neighbouring countries.
Thank you very much, Lisa.
I give the floor to Muhammad.
I have also an update from WFP, but maybe let's start with Muhammad.
And Ken is in the room, so I'm looking at him if it's possible to circulate Muhammad's notes quickly to the journalist.
Yeah, I think definitely we'll circulate the note and from our side, maybe it's a part that concerns IOM about mediation or discussion about humanitarian access with warning parties.
Definitely we need all this type of 1U common UN approach on this.
So our approach has been to go under the umbrella of discussion and mediation done by the Resident Coordinator, the humanitarian Coordinator and through OCHA into this kind of, let's say, providing access, humanitarian access.
Definitely, there is more of effort to be done from our side.
While we focus on the humanitarian imperative and neutralities, we also call on all warring parties to respect this.
I see a lot of efforts have been done by the special, by the personal envoy, the secretary general person envoy.
We all hope and count on his marathonic visits and mediation to to give us more space and access, especially that the time we have until Zarini season and the family response as you mentioned is very limited.
Maybe we have less than two months to be on ground and provide aid where we still don't have access.
And yes, on the World Food Programme, Lisa, the update I have is that sorry, our colleagues at the World Food Programme are urgently expanding emergency food and Nutrition Assistance in Sudan.
I mean the looming ****** of famine as conditions for civilians continue to deteriorate.
As we have heard from Mohammed, the scale up aims to provide life saving food and Nutrition Assistance to an additional 5 million people by the end of this year, doubling the number of people that World Food Programme had planned to support in its planning.
At the start of 2024, World Food Programme will provide cash assistance to 1.2 million people in 12 states of Sudan, giving a vital boost to local markets and food producers.
And that's what I have for World Food Programme.
I just can tell you already that I spoke to Sheeta this morning and they she couldn't be with us today, but she will be here on Tuesday for the Tuesday briefing.
On the other situation, maybe I'll pass the floor to Christian.
Yeah, thank you and thanks.
I have a few notes here, Lisa, not as much as we had recently when we had our representative talking here, but but what I have is the health system in Sudan is collapsing.
About 65% of the Sudanese population lack access to healthcare.
Healthcare insulin typically relied heavily on Khartoum where the healthcare system was decimated.
Only about 25% of the medical supplies needed are available in the country.
In hard to reach areas, only 20 to 30% of health facilities remain functional and Even so at a minimal level.
And that's from 4 of June.
These these updates, at least 2/3 of the states are experiencing simultaneous outbreaks.
Vaccination for measles has declined due to the conflict with a record number of cases in 2023 and of course unfortunately we expect 2024 to be worse.
Over 11,000 cases of cholera have been reported from 12 States and this is likely an underestimation as reporting of course is difficult.
There are also outbreaks of malaria and dengue.
Additionally, mental health and non communicable diseases needs disease needs are not being adequately addressed.
W Joe's particularly concerned over the lack of treatment for people suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases and kidney failure.
W Joe has already delivered over 1200 metric tonnes of medical supplies to health facilities across Sudan states by air and through cross-border and cross line mechanisms, provided key equipment to sustain laboratory services, improve ICU care and enhance infection prevention and control.
We supported also vaccination campaigns to respond to outbreaks to cholera, measles and polio and trained health workers in case management and epidemic prone diseases in a crisis setting and of course in handling and management of severe malnutrition.
And Lisa, you have the full package because I've got the colleagues from UNHCR also here.
Of course, William has some updates on that and maybe you can introduce to your colleague who had to brief afterwards.
Thank you Alessandra and and thank you Lisa.
We can always count on you on being interested in situations that deserve more attention in Africa and this is definitely one of them.
We have been briefing, we and other agencies here have been briefing about the dramatic situation in Sudan and how it is affecting other countries in the region for many months and in fact since the beginning of this conflict over a year ago.
And unfortunately, our efforts and those of our partners and other agencies are being Hanford by the lack of funding.
This year's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for humanitarian Response inside Sudan calls for 2.7 billion U.S.
dollars to reach over 14 million people in Sudan.
So far it is only 16% funded.
The regional refugee response plan, This is the plan for neighbouring countries.
So this is for outside Sudan, for refugees from Sudan in the neighbouring countries.
dollars for nearly 2.7 million people in five countries.
So far it is only 9% funded.
At a conference in Paris in April, over 2 billion U.S.
dollars in contributions were announced, but very little has materialised so far.
Donors must urgently disburse the pledges made in Paris and fast track additional funding for the humanitarian appeal.
2 years into the war, millions forcibly displaced and with a famine on the horizon, we must deliver much more life saving aid now.
I am fortunate to have with me my colleague Alfa Saidi BA.
He is the regional spokesperson for West and Central Africa, based in Dakar.
He will be briefing about the situation in the Sahel, but he can also talk about the impact of the war in Sudan in neighbouring Chad, which he knows well.
I'm asking him to to tell us a few things about the efforts that UNACR is doing there to relocate many of the refugees arriving from Sudan in an area in Adre where the conditions are very difficult because of overcrowding and UNACR is trying to move these refugees to a new site.
But Alpha can give us more more details about that.
Thank you very much, William, and thank you.
And there is some indeed the situation is in in charge is really very, very worrying and it really exemplifies the heart and heartbreaking situation I've been in that part of the world when you've seen people coming on daily basis by dozens in a very, very bad shape.
And most of them are women, children who have experience and and and imaginable and imaginable trauma.
And they arrive when you look at ADRE, where really it's really very, very crowded.
And we're trying to to move forcibly displaced people to a safer place.
So far we've been moving them into 5 new camps and and also in seven pre-existing camp because it's it's worth true true to recall that chat has been already hosting more than 400,000 people from Sudan before this crisis.
And, and we, we really have challenges, as William said, due to the lack of funding do because the basic needs are shelter, food, access to education for children, psychology support.
And, and we really appreciate that beside their challenges and authorities are still kept, have kept their borders open and, and, and we're working with all partners and to really provide life saving assistance.
But we also call for development also assistance because we need to build their resilience, not only for, for, for refugees, but also for us communities.
And I'll conclude with Mohammed and then Lisa.
You will have really a comprehensive answer here.
Well, thanks a lot for all colleagues who have added a huge, very good input.
Just I would like also to add maybe to follow up on the question from Lisa that since we have seen the numbers are just going on the rise, we have coordinated and with all humanitarian actors in the country and I am will lead on a multiple sector needs assessment for Sudan.
So we aim by this leadership that we will bring to all agencies what are the updated most urgent needs in all sectors and clusters that have been impacted by the increased number of displacement.
So we hope within the next three months, maximum four months that we will have a full updated list of needs and vulnerabilities in Sudan.
With this, I would like to thank you and we count on you for sharing the voice of Sudanese and their needs and most important need is funding, peace and access.
So we count on your support for this.
Thank you very much, very much, Mohammed.
And before Lisa asks, I'll ask for her if every colleague can send the notes to the journalists, those who have added to it.
And as we said before, Ioms notes, I don't see other questions on that.
So thank you very much, Mohammed.
Please keep us informed, especially if you're going for this assessment.
And I think also Alpha William Christian, I now still have a couple of guests and one of which is Alpha.
So if who can still wait, We stay in Africa and maybe I'll ask Alpha to give us this briefing on the situation in West and Central Africa for the humanitarian classes in this region, in this region.
I will deliver the, the the briefing in in English, but I'm happy to take your questions in French as well.
And thank you for giving me the opportunities to talk about one of the most negligent crisis in the world.
Unit CR the UN agency The UN refugee agency is deeply concerned about the fast growing humanitarian crisis in the Sahel region.
In the Sahel region countries of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, over 3.3 million people are forcibly displaced according to the to April to 2000 2020 four data due to relentless conflict and exacerbated by the worsening effect of the climate crisis.
This trudging forced displacement of fit civilians demands immediate international action to prevent the situation from worsening.
The The security situation in the Sahel region is volatile, forcing people to flee their homes in search of safety and protection.
Protection risk are widespread.
Survey data from the first quarter shows that forcibly displaced and host communities perceive thefts, attacks on civilians, gender based violence as the key risk.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable to exploitation, ***** and trafficking.
The lack of adequate shelter, clean water and sanitation further exacerbates the dire conditions faced by the displaced people.
The persistent insecurity prevent many from returning home, often leading to repeated displacement within the country and increasingly across borders.
While 2.8 million people have been internally displayed in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in the last four years, the number of refugees from these three counters short to five hundred 550,000 during the same.
In Burkina Faso, the dual threats of violence and inequate living conditions is perpetrating the cycle of fragility.
Although the over the past year, the outflow of Burkina Faso refugees has been significant to the coastal countries, with an estimated 170,600 arrival as of April 2024, there are currently over 200,000 millions in millions in Mauritania, 130,000 in Niger and nearly 440 thousand in Burkina Faso, as well as 50,000 who fled to Algeria but have no access to asylum procedures.
Conversively, Mali itself hosts around 990-4000 refugees, mainly from Burkina Faso, Niger and Mauritania, while grappling with more than 254,000 internally displaced people.
Despite the security and increasing pressure on local communities, neighbouring countries within the Sahel region have kept their borders open to refugees and should be commanded The increase of the increase in cross-border movement and the scores.
The deepening of the crisis and continued necessity to respond to the need in the Sahel by investing in protection, assistance and durable solutions from those efforts have are being undertaken.
Yet a lot more need to be done.
UNITAR is advocating with the international community too maintain aid during political instability in the Sahar region to prevent exacerbating the existing the existing problems and increasing the livelihood the likelihood of the future crisis.
UNCR calls for invest investment in essential protection and social system as well as supporting communities before they are forced to flee.
Envisage a joint approach between humanitarian, development and peace actors while redirecting funds to local organisation actively working on the ground for a more effective response to the needs.
Plan long term solutions from the start to provide life saving humanitarian assistance while building the resilience of displaced people in the host communities.
UNECR requires 400 four, $143.5 million to cover the Union needs needs in Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritanian and the Gulf of Guinea countries.
Thank you very much, Alpha Benjamin Lee, Swiss Radio.
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Maybe you just want to remind us the press conference, William.
Yes, indeed, Alessandra, thank you very much.
I take the opportunity to remind you that next week we will be publishing our flagship Global Trends report.
It's our annual statistical report with information about the numbers of displaced people, including refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and other persons possibly displaced and as well as stateless around the world.
The the report will be made published on the 13th next week.
But there will be press briefing by the **** Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, here in this room on Monday at 2:00 PM.
That briefing will be on their embargo.
So any of the information provided on that day can only be published after the embargo has been lifted on the 13th.
Thank you very much for this reminder.
I don't see other hands up on this.
So thank you very much to the colleagues and thank you very much to WHO for the patience and the patience of Mrs Anaida Portella, who is online with us.
Christian, you want to introduce her or?
There's not much more left to introduce.
Very good to have you there with us, Annie.
And yeah, she will talk about climate change, impacts on health of pregnant women, children and older people.
So the climate change, we've talked a lot.
We've been talking a lot about the recent weeks and months, but now on a specific impact.
Greetings from Geneva to all.
I'm Annie Portella, a scientist at the World Health Organisation.
Recent reports in the news make us very aware of climate change and its increasing impact on our lives.
In 2022, the devastating flooding in Pakistan affected millions of people.
A recent report from the Centre for Disease Control in the United States of America tells about emergency department visits peaking in 2023 over warm season months.
New Delhi is currently facing record-breaking temperatures of over 50°C, which tests the endurance of people, services and infrastructure.
It's taken some time to integrate health into the climate change agenda.
I congratulate The Who team led by Doctor Maria Nieta for their leadership and contributions to this effort.
And now we are keenly aware that the climate crisis is a health crisis.
But we also know that the crisis does not affect everyone equally.
Different factors increase risks for certain individuals and groups, whether due to biological factors like difficulties in regulating body temperature, or socioeconomic factors including working and housing conditions, or geographical factors.
While we undertake work to mitigate climate change and reduce emissions, we must also invest to protect the most at risk populations.
This week, WHO launched a series of papers on the impact of climate change at key life stages.
These provide important scientific evidence on how the health of pregnant women, newborns, children, adolescents and older people is affected by air pollution and the different climate hazards, including wildfires, flooding and extreme heat.
This evidence is critically important because shows because it shows health risks for each of these groups for the different climate events.
In so doing, this will help governments, health system actors and other partners identify specific actions needed to reduce these risks to better prepare and to protect people's health.
As to the findings, the studies show clearly that climate related hazards have mental and physical health impacts in pregnancy and for younger and older people.
If I take extreme heat as a topic, the authors note that preterm births, now the leading cause of childhood deaths, increase during heat waves waves, while older people are more likely to suffer heart attacks or respiratory distress.
**** temperatures are also associated with hypertension and just gestational diabetes.
In pregnancy, **** temperatures affect cognitive function.
Children are less likely to complete full days at school and may also struggle to learn when they are there, and that therefore impacts education for children and adolescents.
Air pollution increases the likelihood of **** blood pressure during pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm birth, and negative impacts on foetal, brain and love development.
It raises risk of respiratory illness among children and older people, who also face greater risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease and pneumonia when exposed.
Studies show it can lead to reduce cognitive capacity, whether preventing optimal development for children or accelerating declines among older people.
Flooding and drought reduces access to safe water and food supplies, leading to diarrheal diseases and malnutrition, and wildfires have been shown to increase respiratory disorders and cardiovascular mortality rates for older people.
This set of paper helps to identify direct effects on health but also show the different pathways for indirect effects including reduced crop outputs and food shortages, increased vector borne disease, increased stress impacting on mental health and more difficult working and living conditions, which are of course the foundation for our overall health.
WHO continues to urge governments to prioritise climate change as a health issue, reduce greenhouse gas and greenhouse gas emissions, sorry, and build climate resilience.
But we would also want to see specific actions that protect health at different life stages, including ensuring health and care services are prepared to address the needs of those most at risk when a climate disaster occurs.
This includes actions that are directed at individual and households, directed at community actors, teachers and health workers, structural interventions and policy interventions.
For example, during heat flexibility around work and school hours or modifying school and hospital structures for extreme weather events and rising temperatures while reducing their emissions.
Efforts can also focus on collaborating with communities and sharing knowledge of actions to take during certain events, including public health messages during peaks and air pollution or heat waves to help pregnant women, older persons, families protect themselves.
We can also train health workers to recognise heat stress, who will continue to work to identify promising interventions to protect these populations.
To identify core indicators starting with heat, to monitor impact and progress, particularly on maternal, newborn, child health and the health of older people.
To develop clinical guidance and to coordinate with partners to identify key public health messages and to support governments to bring forward actions to safeguard these populations.
Important to these efforts will be continued collaboration with our UN sister agencies and including UNICEF, UNFPA and WMO, the World Meteorological Organisation.
And Christian tells me that the notes will be distributed soonest question to The Who on this important subject in the room, I don't see any hand up.
Or on the platform, I don't see any hand up.
So thank you very much, Christian, for sending out the notes.
Just let me see one thing because we still have one announcement and it's an important one.
So thank you very much for this, Anaida and Catherine, I know that a lot of people wanted to have information about what's happening with Anta next week.
So before I go to you, you sorry, I'll ask you a little bit more patience.
I'd like to give the floor to Catherine and to hear about the arrangements for next week for the Anta, the anniversary.
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So actually I also wanted to know about the any heads of states, but beyond that, any statements that you could share early, I don't know.
Are there any new plans, anything that's like any strategy plans for anything for the next the coming few years or anything like that that you might be announcing?
There is there is no specific outcome for the, for this three day celebrations.
There will be debates the the statements.
Yes, as soon as we have them, we will share them with you if possible in advance to be checked against delivery.
I'm doing my best to to collect that as of Wednesday morning and and get and send them to you.
Of course, yes, other questions on this issue I don't see anything so oh, sorry, sorry buddy, I didn't see you.
I got him what I heard you.
We have to do our request on the line or just to send you e-mail for the place of state court.
Please send them to me directly by e-mail.
Forward to you and to us for next week and to all of us.
And so before I go to my usual announcement, I give the floor to Yuri, who has been patiently waiting.
This is a remark on behalf of Akanu.
This is the fifth time in a row when the OHCHR is not coming to the briefings and there is a lot of things that are happening, especially in Gaza.
It will be nice if this organisation could find the time to participate at least online to answer our questions.
The last time they were there, it was the 17th of May, so 5 briefings before.
So if you can share with them that we are waiting to see them in the briefings.
And the second complaint is about ILO, because today we had a new report on the employment in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
This report has not been sent under embargo to journalists.
We only had to send them an e-mail to receive it, but we a lot of journalists did that at it this morning when the embargo was lift and same.
We have no representatives of from ILO today to talk about it and to present this new report.
So it will be great if they take the time when they release a report on the day of the briefing to come.
On OHCHR, of course, we will let our colleague know of your comments.
For what concerns ILO, I think of course I can't, I can't speak on behalf of ILO, but I what I understand is that the report you're referring to has not been published in Geneva.
It has been published by their office in Beirut and I understand that they are preparing translation and information about it that they will send to you, I believe today.
But I have already asked Martin and they are working on it.
But basically, I understand that this was not done here, it was done in Beirut, and hence the fact that you didn't receive it in the timing that you were indicating.
I see your hand is still up.
Just to say that I understand it was not published in Geneva.
But for example, the report of FRO and WFP was not also published in Geneva.
It was published in the room and it didn't change anything.
Gabriella, you wanted to add something?
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OK, but we, we, we, we note the the input from our canoe speaking about the canoe and journalist.
Maybe I can also take this opportunity to say to everyone that this is the last press briefing of Ben, who has been with us, one of the pillars of this, of these briefings, really particularly pleased that you were here in person every time.
And I'd like to thank him first of all, for all the work of that he has done to, to, to, to make the UN activities known better to the Swiss public.
And of course, wish you all the best for your future endeavours.
And my very, very last announcement, first of all, yeah, I've been asked to inform you about an activity at WTO because Fernando could not come.
So I read, and this is on behalf of the World Trade Organisation.
The WT OS 9th Global Review of Aid for Trade will take place from 26 to 28 June here in Geneva, of course under the theme Mainstreaming Trade into Development Strategies.
The event will examine how the 687 billion U.S.
dollar of investment mobilised through the 8 for Trade initiative have helped developing at least developed economies participate more fully in global trade, and what more can be done to leverage trade to spur economic growth, achieve development goals and build resilience against future shocks.
Special focus will be given during this meeting to food security, digital connectivity and transitioning to a greener economy.
The event will be opened by the WTO Director General and the OECDS Secretary General together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Barbados.
There is a programme available on WTO website and for those of you who wish to attend in person, the registration is currently open and will be until the 10th of June.
And also remind you that they will have their open door Sunday, this Sunday, coming this coming Sunday and the 9th of, of June.
There is also speaking about human rights, a press conference on Monday.
We've already heard about the, the Filippo Grandi's press conference in the afternoon.
But in the morning at 10 AM, the president of the Human Rights Council will talk to you.
Amazon will talk to you about the upcoming regular session of the council, which will be the 56th.
I think I've told you everything I had on my agenda.
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But thank you very much and really every more one one chance for the I will see you on behalf of my colleagues.
We brace yourself for next week.
