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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 17 July 2026
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Press Conferences | IOM , OHCHR , UN WOMEN , WHO , WFP
UN Geneva Press Briefing - 17 July 2026
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and UN Women.
Humanitarian and food security situation in El Obeid
Abdallah Alwardat, World Food Programme (WFP) Sudan Country Director, connecting from Kosti, stated that El Obeid, normally a city of over half a million people, now had almost double that population, filled with internally displaced people. It was a crowded city, with open camps and many more living with host communities. The city was very stressed, with food, water and fuel all being a big concern. WFP had been providing food assistance to over 100,000 people in the camps inside the city, but there were many more IDPs in the city who needed urgent assistance. Mr. Alwardat said that there were sources of hope, with El Obeid generously hosting so many IDPs, but many more resources were urgently needed. While WFP had been able to bring in food and work with partners on the ground, over the last few days some of them had not been able to bring food closer to the beneficiaries. Even reduced food rations were being shared among families, in a striking sign of solidarity. Mr. Alwardat gave an example of an elderly woman at one of the distribution centres, who had told him that the WFP food distribution was her only source of subsistence, and even that was not sufficient. Millions of people in Sudan were food insecure, of whom WFP was supporting three to five million. While communities were trying to cope with overwhelming situations, without further support the situation would be getting worse, concluded Mr. Alwardat.
Answering questions from the media, Mr. Alwardat said that as long as there was necessary financial support, WFP would be able to continue delivering food. Flexible funding from donors would make a scale-up feasible, he added. WFP now had resources for next two to three months. The road from Kosti to El Obeid, which Mr. Alwardat had crossed the previous day, was functional, he said.
Ebola outbreak in East, South and Horn of Africa regions
Frantz Celestin, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Director for East, Horn and Southern Africa, said that the Ebola outbreak was unfolding against the backdrop of a triple crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in communities already affected by insecurity, repeated displacement, and limited access to essential services. As of 14 July, more than 2,000 cases and 700 deaths had been reported across the affected countries of DRC and Uganda. The outbreak had grown by approximately 70 per cent in just two weeks, with an average of more than 40 new cases reported each day. Particularly concerning, said Mr. Celestin, was the fact that nearly 66 per cent of reported deaths had occurred in communities, highlighting continued challenges in early detection, surveillance, and timely access to care. At the same time, constraints on humanitarian access and challenges in building community trust underscored the need to place affected populations at the centre of IOM’s response.
Displaced populations remained particularly vulnerable. The outbreak's expansion into two new provinces of Haut-Uele and Tshopo showed the importance of managing the mobility dimensions of public health risks. Strengthening surveillance at points of entry, land and riverine communities along the Congo river, held the key to effectively preventing further spread, not just within DRC, but also across borders. IOM continued to support governments and partners to scale preparedness and response efforts and ensure safe mobility. Mr. Celestin stressed that strengthened partnerships with governments, humanitarian partners, frontline health workers, and affected communities were the backbone of this response in building community trust. Almost two-thirds of IOM’s total ask of USD 55.8M for its Regional Ebola Preparedness and Response remained unfunded. He warned that the risk of regional spillover was real, with Uganda having reported epidemiologically linked cases since the beginning of the outbreak, and cases emerging in DRC closer to the South Sudan border.
Responding to questions, Mr. Celestin said that most of IOM’s work went to supporting the governments in monitoring and screening movements in the DRC and other countries across the region, at over 200 points of entry and control. IOM was focused on the mobility aspect of the outbreak, he stressed, providing an incentive to the governments to keep the borders open. IOM was providing capacity building, equipment and surveillance support to the governments. On another question, Mr. Celestin said that this strain of the virus was moving faster than those before. He emphasized the importance of building trust among communities.
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), explained that four out of five contacts was now being followed up, which was good but still not sufficient. The challenges remained huge, but progress was being made, with staff training, prophylaxis arriving and lab capacities being expanded. Challenges came from uncontrolled movements and persuading everybody on the ground that movements of dead bodies and dignified burials had to be done in an organized, safe manner.
Andrew Mbala, IOM Crisis Manager speaking from Nairobi, added that the organization had mandates to monitor mobility across the continent and coordinate and manage displaced people’s camps. There had been a lot of movements of dead bodies across internal points of control within DRC, which IOM was surveying. All tests conducted on those bodies had come back positive. Since the beginning of the outbreak, two-thirds of the recorded deaths had been within communities, added Mr. Mbala.
Unrest in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir
Jeremy Laurence, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk appealed for calm in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir amid a wave of unrest ahead of regional elections at the end of the month. Dozens of people, mostly protesters but also law enforcement personnel, had reportedly been killed since June ahead of the vote for the Legislative Assembly on 27 July. OHCHR called for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths that had occurred due to the unrest. The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a movement behind the protests comprising traders, transporters, students, lawyers, activists and others, had been banned under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly threatening public order and security. The criminalization of a civil society organization and imposition of strict limitations on gatherings raised serious concerns about infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
Mr. Laurence stressed that detained JAAC leaders had to have access to legal representation and their families. Their rights to due process and fair trial had to be fully guaranteed. Restrictions in the area on access to the Internet were also concerning, as they disproportionately restricted the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression, including freedom to seek, receive and impart information at a time when tensions are running high. OHCHR urged the authorities to ensure full Internet access throughout the territory and called for meaningful and inclusive political dialogue to address the underlying issues and grievances of the local population.
Women on the move in Europe and Central Asia
Belén Sanz Luque, UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, speaking from Istanbul, said that UN Women, along with the International Organization for Migration, was today launching a report called “Women on the Move in Europe and Central Asia”, which offered a unique window into realities of those women. Women represented 54 percent of all migrants hosted in the region and of those born in the region who had moved away. Whatever the reason for women to move, the common thread was the migration was not gender neutral. The report shed light on diverse experiences of women along their migration journeys. For too long, women had been invisible in migration data. Education and employment were under the main reasons women emigrated from the region, the report revealed. Labour migration often left women less protected. Conflict and displacement were reshaping women’s migration journeys, said Ms. Sanz Luque. Human trafficking remained one of the most hidden forms of exploration. Climate change was emerging as a major driver of women’s movement across Europe and Central Asia, with projections that it would only grow further. The report told stories about human rights, protection, and opportunities, stressed Ms. Sanz Luque. UN Women was hoping that the report would help governments and partners create adequate migration policies. Migration had the face of women, and it was high time this was acknowledged.
Answering questions, Ms. Sans Luque explained that the report was being launched today and would be shared shortly. It looked at the period of the last four years and used national data sets provided by governments.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that 18 July was the Nelson Mandela Day, on which occasion the Secretary-General’s video message had been shared.
Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
Welcome to the press briefing of the UN Information Service here in Geneva.
Today is Friday, 17th of July.
You've received the agenda and I would like to immediately go to our colleagues from the World Food Programme and in particular, Abdullah Al Wardot, who is the Sudan Country Director and who is connecting from quite a difficult place, from Costa, I understand, to tell us about the situation, humanitarian food situation in El Obeyed, where you know that there is a crisis, a terrible crisis unfolding.
So I like to go to Abdullah immediately, ask him for his introductory remarks and then we will open the floor to questions.
You have the floor, Sir.
Good morning and thank you for giving me this opportunity.
I'm calling you from Costa.
As you said, you know, after a one day trip to Alohaed City, just to see a first hand experience, you know the humanitarian situation on the ground.
We have been providing humanitarian assistance Alohaed even before this current crisis.
But yesterday really I wanted to go physically with the team to be there on the ground and to see the situation.
What we have seen simply a city over 506 hundred thousand people population has almost a double of that population where ID PS have been coming toward the city.
Even from the past.
We all know that Alobed City has hosted many of the ID PS coming from the South Kodufan, the West Kodufan and lately from the North Kodufan and even beyond.
You know people coming from the deaf force in in the past.
So it's a crowded city with the, with open camps, more than 120,000 people in, in what what is called the unified camps, where you have the tents, the shelters, but many more are living with host communities or they are just making their own shelter, which is not protective enough.
So we met with with our partners on the ground, we met with the people we have seen first hand, you know the ID, PS, how they are living, how they are coping with the situation.
Definitely that city is already stressed because of the current situation, because of other factors.
We know that food, water and the fuel is a big concern and it continues to be fall.
Now WP has been providing food assistance to over 100,000 people in these camps inside the city.
But as I said, there are more many ID PS in that city and they need urgent assistance.
We all know the economic situation in the country and in the city.
So I have seen first hand experience of food distribution where we had to bring in our fleet to bring the food to the last mile close to the beneficiaries.
And definitely that's because of the lack of fuel, which we all know that has been happening over the past few weeks.
And the city continues to be stressed on food, water and fuel.
But definitely there has been a little hope.
You know, despite all what we have seen, the number of ID PS that they don't have a source of income, they don't have a source of assistance except what the humanitarian agents are giving and whatever the local authorities are providing.
I must say, you know that that city has been very generous to host a large number of ID PS and sharing the resources, sharing the services.
But definitely as I said again, we need to bring in more assistance to the city because the number is far more than what we are providing.
We are providing assistance to more than 100,000 ID PS in the caps today.
As I said, we have been able to bring in food as WIP.
We have been able to work with partners on the ground, but unfortunately the last few days we have not been able to take the food or our partners have not been able to take the food closer to the beneficiaries, to the IDPS.
That's why we had to bring in our fleets and trucks because of the lack of fuel.
We had to bring in our support, you know, to bring in the food closer to the beneficiaries.
Something very interesting that really I have seen it.
I have witnessed that one with my team.
We are providing even not the full food ration for the people, but even that reduced food ration is being shared by the recipients with other families because they know that they don't have any other source of income.
So that's something really have have struck me.
You know when when I have seen that one and the team as well.
I visited one of the many camps where it it accommodates more than 7400 families, people arguing for food but also people arguing for water, water supply, which is being tracked by partners.
So it was very clear whatever we are bringing into the city is the only lifeline for those people.
We want to do more for sure, but of course we are also stretched on our resources.
But definitely we have the access, we can deliver the food and we can be there and we can work with partners on the ground.
Resources are limiting us to do that.
One I met 11 old woman at the distribution centre where she had to come and to receive her, her food and she has been in that camp for a year now.
And when I asked, you know, do you have any other source green card, she just said it's only what WP is giving me and it's not enough.
She has just confirmed that it's not enough.
Not only that, she was waiting to receive the food and she was just thinking how to carry the food back to her tent.
She wanted to move it on this little tuk tuk, you know, where she has to pay transport.
So she was going around to to look at other families, if they can share the course, you know, and just share the burden of the course of transferring the food back to the tents.
We are working with partners on the ground and just to make sure that we continue to deliver food, at least for the people that we have been helping.
But we know that many new arrivals also have been coming to the city.
They are being registered, they are being verified or they have been there, but resources have not permitted partners to deliver.
We are looking into how we can help all those new people who are just living in the camps for now.
I'm not talking about the many people who are living with the host communities.
Again, this comes at a very difficult time where we have almost 20 million people in Sudan.
They are classified as acute food insecurity.
WFP has been helping between 3 to 5 million people who are classified again in emergency or catastrophe emergency or food security limits.
So we are talking about the IPC 4:00 and 5:00.
So what I saw on the way yesterday was really dramatic and we see communities trying to cope with overwhelming situations.
If there's no support, it can get worse and definitely that is possible only if we have additional resources.
Indeed.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for this, for telling us, you know, first hand what you saw there.
I'll open the floor to questions now.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
If, if WFP is the only lifeline, I'd like to ask, can you sustain that lifeline or how long can can you keep that lifeline going for?
And, and secondly, we've been hearing from the United Nations very dire warnings about what may happen in El Obeid over.
We've been hearing this for over the last couple of weeks, having been there yesterday.
Could you describe for us the, the military situation that you see on the ground?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you so much on on the lifeline as as long as we have the necessary financial support, I think we have the means and the capacity to sustain that lifeline.
And we have been delivering the food the last two or three weeks.
We have managed to deliver the food and the pre pre position food for the next two months and we started the distribution already for July and we are ready to do for August.
On the, on your second question on, on the military, I'll, I'll be very honest with you, I have not seen, I have not observed any military military movement or whatever.
We have drove from Costi around 350 to 400 kilometres.
We drove early morning to a little bit and the road was OK.
Traffic was relatively OK.
But definitely, I mean I have not seen many commercial trucks or supplies coming in.
So we spent like four or five hours there and we drove back late in the evening.
So the road is acceptable and we have been into the city and we have moved around as well.
Thank you very much.
Don't see other hands in the room.
So Olivia Reuters, hi there.
Thank you very much for the briefing this morning.
I just wanted to get a sense in terms of the next steps for Elevate.
I was speaking to your acting director of WFPA couple of days ago who was pointing to a potential scale up from 100,000 to to reaching 100,000 people to about 250,000 people because he was saying that there's been a bit of an opening in terms of access.
I'm just wondering if that is still the ambition or whether now because of the the fuel shortages, you're kind of faced with a kind of a logistical kind of challenge to actually make that happen.
Some details on that would be would be great.
[Other language spoken]
As I said, we have the means, the capacity and access to scale up and all what we have been missing in the past is the resources.
Now thanks to our donors who are giving us also a flexible funding which which which is already now being secured.
It's it's going to to be easy to scale up that one.
All what all what we need to do is, is really now to plan for the scale up beyond the 100,000 people that we have been, we have been supporting.
In addition to that by the way we have been also providing nutrition support to 17,000 children in the camps.
So it is the web, it's scalable and now at least we have the resource for the next two to three months.
But beyond that one, even this scale up scale up up to 250,000 will not be sustainable unless the resources would remain, you know coming through.
Thank you very much.
The Abdullah, I don't see other hands up for you in the room or on the platform.
So I'd like to thank you very, very much for coming and briefing us on your visit.
Good luck for the next days.
I think you will be very important your action to keep this lifeline open as you said and we have heard your appeal for funds.
Thank you very much again and good luck.
Let me now go to our colleagues from IOMI.
Have the pleasure to have with me on the podium of Mr Mr Franz Celestin, who is the IOM Regional Director for East Horn and Southern Africa, of course, with Muhammad Ali, who is also here for answering question.
Mr Celestin, you would like to brief our journalist on the Ebola outbreak in the East Horn and Southern African region, please.
You have the floor.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, colleagues.
Thank you for giving me the space to brief you today, giving us the space to put the appropriate spotlight on a virus that is spreading faster than our ability to contain it.
With your support, I believe we can definitely manage it, but at the moment it's proving to be very difficult.
The Ebola virus and the outbreak is unfolding into in against the backdrop of three crises the that is happening in the the Republic of the Congo.
What we already seen as insecurity in the communities, protracted displacement and limited access to essential services.
As of July 14th, more than 2000 cases and 700 deaths have been recorded across the DRC and Uganda.
As you know, the most severe impacted is the DRC and the average is growing at approximately 70% from what we saw two weeks ago with an average of more than 40 case new cases reported on a daily basis.
And that suggests the severity and the gravity of of what we're dealing with today.
Of particular concern is the fact that 60% of the reported deaths have occurred in communities, which highlights continued challenges and early detection, surveillance and timely access to care in several affected health zone.
We we are seeing our capacity to surveil and and timely response is constrained, which means that we, we have we don't know the true impact of what's happening in in the communities.
At the same time, the constraints on the humanitarian access and the challenges we see and building trust within the communities underscored they need to place affected population at the centre of our response.
Displaced populations remain particularly vulnerable, with nearly 150,000 ID PS and 69 IOM supported sites in the eastern DRC, with another 300,000 residing in host communities having been affected.
While surveillance, infection prevention, and risk communication activities are being strengthened, sustained investment is needed to mitigate immediate outbreak outbreak risks and to address the vulnerabilities that existed long before this current outbreak.
The outbreaks, its expansion and two new provinces near the capital of Kansasia shows the importance of managing the mobility dimension of of public health risks.
Strengthening surveillance at points of entry and points of control along communities and along the River Congo holds a key to effectively preventing further spreads not just in the DRC but across borders and to the neighbouring countries.
I am continue to support the government, the partners to scale up preparedness and response efforts and ensuring safe mobility across the borders.
We have conducted nearly 7 million health screening, supported more than 200 points of entries and points of control, strengthening community engagement and risk communication to address miscommunication, build trust with communities and expand preparedness efforts along key mobility corridors.
Strengthening the multi sector WASH, shelter image, PSS protection and health support is underway but additional funding will require will be required to reduce our great risks and displacement settings.
If I had to leave here, I have 2-3 key messages for those listening and for the journalists and this room.
First is to strengthen partnership with the government, the humanitarian partners, frontline health workers and affected communities which is the backbone of this response and building trust within communities.
Second is the flexible funding to to this response.
63% of IO M's total of $55.8 million ask for our original response and preparedness remains unfunded.
In this regard, funding is the key enabler and we need to focus on data cross-border coordination, which is critical in providing evidence on mobility dynamics, the roots, space of vulnerability and priority location, but also for the preparedness and response measures across our region.
Second is the critical rule that mobility management in the DRC and across mobility corridors in the region.
The risk of spillover is real.
Uganda has reported cases link cases to the DRC from the outset of the outbreak.
Cases are emerging in the DRC closer to the South Sudanese border.
So our response in the DRC matters not only for its people and the government, but also the region and the continental wide health, security and preparedness.
Thank you very much for your time.
Thank you very much, Mr Cerista.
And I'll open the floor to questions now.
I'll start with the the Dutch, the German news agency.
Sorry.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Sorry Christian, go ahead.
Yes, I I'm getting a little bit confused because you are saying the same things that who is saying to us all the time and has been for for two months.
Why should a government give money to IOM instead of The Who?
Where, where exactly is the the line between what who does and what IOM does what?
What is the specific?
Concern of IOM in the in the health crisis that is being dealt with by WHO and the other UN agencies.
[Other language spoken]
That's an excellent question and it and it gives me the opportunity to truly highlight the differences.
Most of our work is supporting the government and monitoring movement across borders so that the points of entries.
That's why I mentioned we have been supporting the governments in the region, not just the DRC, but Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and in Tanzania with 200 points of entry and points of control.
Points of entries are are points where people cross borders between nations and points of controls are control mechanisms that are put in place to monitor and put proper surveillance in place when people are moving moving between communities.
Let's say there was a community like Bunya that is impacted.
It's important for the government to have an idea of who's moving in and out of these communities to effectively track those person in case there is a need and, and monitor the movement of people to effectively contain the, the, the spread of the virus.
So we focus on the mobility aspect of it, the movement of people and the, the fact that IOM is working with the government, building their capacity, like as I mentioned, millions of health screening across the borders.
It, it gives us an idea of what's happening across the borders.
And if we, since we're providing such support to the government, it gives them the level of comfort to keep the borders open.
Because as you may recall, the initial reaction to, to the outbreak, some governments close their borders.
And when the governments close their borders, it's like a balloon.
If you squeeze here, you inflate.
Their people will find their way when they need to move.
It's better to allow them to move where you can monitor them when you can screen them instead of them crossing the borders and, and points that are not monitored and then that would allow the virus to spread.
So that's IO M's position.
And this is what we're doing with the, the government.
That means IOM is at the borders doing the screenings or IOM is providing capacity building to, to Congolese.
Yes, capacity building, training equipment and surveillance material, PPE.
[Other language spoken]
Jeremy, I don't know if the question is for IOM or WHOI think Christian is listening up.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Question whether for, OK, so whether for IOM or WHO, but you're saying that 60% of the deaths are occurring in communities.
I was wondering that's of particular concern.
I was wondering is there any difference with the previous outbreaks from that perspective, the 60%, is it kind of regular in, in Ebola outbreaks in the RC or is it something new?
[Other language spoken]
Or was it for the no go ahead.
No, no, please answer and Christian is online if he wants to add something afterwards, but please go ahead, OK?
This virus is is moving faster than most we've seen because we are effectively operating on the back foot because it took 45 days to to truly understand what it was.
It's a new strain and because of that, the existing test did not detect it in a timely manner.
More people have died prior to the detection and more people were infected prior to the detection.
So it's, it's nothing like we've seen before both and in the scale, both and the understanding of it and when we truly found out what was happening.
And also it's also different from the scale of the response from what we've seen before.
Some countries as you, you've seen with the with Uganda have done an effective job and, and, and containing it.
So the 42 day mark is, is counting before we can declare Uganda free of the virus.
But that's, that's coming up.
It's completely different from what we've seen before.
I don't know if I can give you a specific number, but with all the matrix that we've looked at this virus is the this current outbreak, I should say is different.
And I see that Christians put this video on.
So Christian, maybe you want to add something and it it that's a yes.
I mean, it means that today more people are dying at home than in previous outbreaks.
That's a yes yeah.
And there's, there's a level of one of our biggest obstacle and containing and reduce the level of spread of the virus is the trust factor.
And, and, and that's something we have to contend with.
This is why we need to go into the communities to build a trust.
They don't, if you don't trust the messenger, it doesn't matter what the message is.
And, and so right now that's one of our key obstacles is the trust.
So more people you've seen attacks on on on medical centres, more people they they are less likely to to report it.
And yeah.
So there is there is more to it.
And maybe Christian can add.
[Other language spoken]
Christian you want to add something Let me try.
Thank you very much.
And and thanks to the colleagues.
I mean, you had yesterday again at the press meeting, whether T Doctor Iguazo mainly talk a lot about exactly these points and also Tuesday here here at the police.
So I'm I'm not even trying to paraphrase what he says, but the important point was just now made the the the work with the communities, the contact tracing.
That's that's quite something.
And the, the challenging setting of the the Eastern DRC with the mining activities, the refugee communities, the internally displaced people, lots of economic activity going on, fighting conflict, everything at the same at the same time.
And then big distrust of the community to any foreigner, to even foreigners from within the same country if they're not from the same community.
This is why it's so difficult to have contact tracers, medical staff going out to the communities, because the moment you're not from the same community, there's a level of distrust given the whole context we have there.
That's why it's very different from previous outbreaks.
On top of the fact that we don't yet have have any any medicine or or vaccines against it, 4 out of five contacts are now being followed up.
This is good, but that also means one out of five cannot be followed because they disappear somewhere and cannot be followed.
And we can't, we can't get to them.
The, the, the, the people can't get to them given the context I just, I just elaborated on.
So this is the real challenge.
While everything is getting better and better and better and there's more progress, the challenges are still huge and we're still behind the virus.
So to say we're still running behind trying to provide everything.
The the laboratory capacity has increased, has been like massively staff has been trained, PBE has been arriving, both exposure Propelluxus is now available many, many, many things.
But again, the challenge is to get to every last person and even when they die in the communities, that is as long as we know that's where they are.
That is already, as horrible as this may sound a a positive thing.
The the challenge are those we can't reach.
And we know there are cases out there.
We know there are contacts out there would just disappear, whether across border or in communities.
That is what we can only assume and guess.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Christine, and thank you, Mrs Celeste.
Robin, AFP, thank you.
On those 7 million screenings that the IOM conducted, what was the result of those screenings?
Was were Ebola cases detected?
Were were cases of, of other diseases detected?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Very good question.
I don't know the exact numbers, but that's something I I can, I can get for you.
What I know is we've been able to effectively identify and and, and stop a number of cases from moving either from a point of control or a point of entry.
I can get the exact number.
I don't have it with me.
[Other language spoken]
I have some colleagues on that.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Andrew, do you have the numbers?
Andrew.
Oh, yes, I can see him.
[Other language spoken]
Andrew's connected and he has racist.
And Andrew, please, have you got the figures for our journalists?
You need to unmute yourself.
We unmute you here, but you need to unmute yourself too.
Don't know if he manages to get the voice on.
I can see his hand.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Now you're connected.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Just to give the numbers at the point of entry and point of control, we have generated over 200 alerts.
But usually what happens is that these alerts needs to go for secondary screening to validate whether they are confirmed cases.
But I want also to add on which all of them were negative, but I just want to add that we have also seen over 50 dead bodies passing across of controls as France was saying hello, yes, as France was saying that one of the key activities that we we do at the point of control and point of entry is to have surveillance, strengthen surveillance along mobility corridor.
And during this time, because the community are trying to not to follow the usual routes and use the unofficial routes, what is likely known in Africa as pioneer routes.
We always station some of the screening points in this area.
And we have managed to get over 50 dead bodies passing through these points, which have been reported.
And as a rule at the moment that all dead bodies needs to be tested for that matter.
But I also just wanted to take this opportunity to add 2 points that as IOM, we have also a mandate to chair and coordinate all point of entry and cross-border activities at continental level.
And we are the one leading the Poe pillar at the continental level.
So that is also mandate, which is quite specific to IOM and is not the same with WHO.
The second thing to add on is on the ID PS.
We have seen cases coming from IDP sites and therefore as IOM has a mandate for camp coordination, camp management, what we call CCCM, we lead and support partners working in this displacement sites to make sure that there's coordination, there's surveillance and displacement sites and continuity of services within the displacement site.
So that is also a very unique role that is very specific to IOM.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Andrew.
That was really useful I think to complement what Mrs Edison said.
Yes, Robin, you have a follow up.
[Other language spoken]
Andrew, could you, could you say a bit more about the, the situation of these dead bodies of these?
Do you know if these were people who later the tests came back and they and they did have Ebola?
And can you say a bit more about the, the the circumstances in in which these bodies are are crossing the border?
[Other language spoken]
And and which borders as well?
Thank you, Andrew.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
The the the border we I'm referring to here and probably I didn't clarify is the internal borders or maybe we call them boundaries to make it clear, not borders.
So there hasn't been any crossings of dead body to another country, but we have seen a lot of crossings of dead bodies within the boundaries within the the country.
So for example, from one health zone to the other health zone or from one district to another district.
So that's why IOM conducts what we call population mobility mapping to understand what are some of these unofficial routes, whether it is at the border point or at the boundary point where we think based on analysis of population movement, we think that there could be a cross boundary transmission and therefore we do surveillance at this point.
We also have a list of contacts that is always shared with the team to make sure that and, and this is shared from the surveillance team to make sure that if there's any listed contact, then the team at the point of control or point of entry will be able to have this information.
And if there's anyone crossing one of these points can be detected and then we call the the secondary surveillance team to come and do secondary screening.
So all these cases that I'm talking about are mainly crossings within the boundaries, not within the borders.
And all of them were tested, turns positive.
OK, That's clear.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, that's what he said.
All the all the bodies came back, all the tests came back positive.
[Other language spoken]
Olivia Leopard von Reuters, thanks very much.
Just a couple of questions on the on the bodies and the monitoring.
What was the time scale for the monitoring overall?
Was it since the outbreak began or maybe a few weeks later and just that time period for the number of 50 bodies during during what time scale was it a matter of how many weeks was that?
And second of all, can you just actually explain what the potential risk there is from these these these bodies crossing these boundaries and these kind of limitation areas?
If you could explain the kind of potential public health risk of, of that, that'd be great.
[Other language spoken]
Want to start, Andrew.
All right.
Yeah, Let's refer to them as points of control instead of boundaries, so to avoid confusion, Andrew.
All right.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks, Franz, for that.
So this is the the numbers I'm giving you since the outbreak began and the public health risk that we have with that is that as Franz mentioned that over 60% of the deaths, 66% of the deaths are within the community.
And we have also seen a situation where the community are a bit, there's the community acceptance is a bit low when it comes to management of suspected cases or confirmed cases or dead body management because we have a team that does dead body management and including the burials as well.
And we have seen that in the community over time.
There is element of resistance during the burials and we have seen attack coming in.
So the public health risk to be on the point is that there is chances of more people contacting the virus if the management of dead bodies are not done in the best way possible.
I'll give an example of 1 case that crossed to this new place, new province, the Shapo province that we are talking about that also Franz mentioned in his presentation.
This is a case that moved across from one province to the other province because they almost even wanted to do postmortem on the dead body.
And then later on, there has been a number of cases that has been confirmed after that.
So what that means is that if we don't really manage the dead bodies well, if we don't educate the community to make sure that they let us know the right, let us know how in terms of informing the right team to support some of the dead body management, then it means there will be more spread within the community.
And that is what all of us are working so hard, all the agencies to make sure that the cases are mitigated and we come to the end of the outbreak.
Thank you very much.
I see that Christian has put his hand up, so please yeah, thanks again and and thanks Andrew.
And and France just again for the context in the the context just mentioned with very different communities coming together there mining activity, especially commercial activity.
That means people are working the mining for example, who are not from that province.
That means they of course want to go back to their, to their, to their homeland or their home community.
That is true when they're sick also, not only, um, in case they're dying, but when they're sick, they sometimes don't trust again the, the health centre in the area.
They want to move and want to move back to their own area.
When they're dying, relatives try to come and collect the bodies and bring them back to their own community to give them a proper burial on the ground in their community, which everybody in any other context would want to do.
Now the challenge is exactly as as colleagues you outlined is the the uncontrolled movement and to convince the communities, convince every single worker that they can have a dignified burial, that they can have their loved ones with them and they don't have to give them up.
But in a controlled and dignified and Safeway.
And that is the biggest challenge right now to convince still everybody on the ground to to keep this in mind, this trust working with the communities is the key factor here.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Christian.
Sorry that we are get fixated on these 50 bodies, but that's a very interesting case.
Andrew, maybe you can explain to us what happens.
There is a point of control where family with a coffin passes by, they are stopped, swap is taken of the dead person and what happens next?
Are they then continuing home to bury, bury their loved one or is everyone waiting to get the results?
And are you then collecting all the contact details?
How does that actually work?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So what happens is that whenever we come across dead body being transported along the mobility corridor, our workers, IOM is not really to do the testing.
We have the surveillance team, which is led by WHO and the government that we inform them and then they will be able to come and, and, and, and do the secondary screening, collect the samples.
And then since it's a dead body, there's also a unit which the pillar, which is dead body management pillar that are also informed to come and support.
And of course, have a chat with the community, the the next of kins explain and and then they support the because all the burials are supported by this pillar, which is not really the role of IOM.
So our role mainly stops at the identification of a possible case, because when it's dead body, you know it's a possible case.
So identification of a possible case.
And then from there we hand over to different pillar, which is more of the surveillance pillar that handle the case, including the dead body management pillar.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Andrew.
I think this was the last question for you and for Mrs Srista.
Thank you very much, Muhammad Ali and thanks for coming and briefing our journalist.
Thank you, Andrew, good luck with your important work.
That just one question I'm asked.
Andrew was talking from where?
Nairobi from Nairobi, OK, Andrew is my crisis.
Can you put the Andrew is a crisis manager in Nairobi.
OK, IOM crisis manager in Nairobi so that you can write where he's calling from?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Oh, OK, Nina, just show your hands.
[Other language spoken]
Is that for IOM?
[Other language spoken]
Jeremy is here too.
And they're more, more briefer waiting.
[Other language spoken]
If it's, it's for IOM, I can't hear her anyway.
[Other language spoken]
Jeremy, you have a point on Kashmir, if I'm not wrong.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you and good morning everyone.
UN human rights chief Volcker Turk appeals for calm in Pakistan administered Kashmir amid a wave of unrest of head of regional elections at the end of the month.
Dozens of people, mostly protesters but also law enforcement personnel, have reportedly been killed since June.
Ahead of the vote for the Legislative Assembly on the 27th of July, we call for prompt, thorough and impartial investigations into all deaths that have occurred due to the unrest, both amongst protesters and members of the security forces.
The Joint AWAMI Action Committee or the JAACA movement behind the protests comprising traders, transporters, students, lawyers, activists and others has been banned under anti terrorism laws for allegedly threatening public order and security.
Some of the group's leaders have subsequently been arrested.
The criminalization of civil of a civil society organisation and imposition of strict limitations on gatherings raise serious concerns about infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
Detained J Double AC leaders must have access to legal representation and their families.
Their rights to due process and fair trial must be fully guaranteed.
Restrictions in the area on access to the Internet are also concerning as they disproportionately restrict the enjoyment of the right to freedom of expression, including freedom to seek, receive and impart information.
At a time when tensions are running high, we urge the authorities to ensure full Internet access throughout the territory.
The High Commissioner calls for meaningful and inclusive political dialogue to address the underlying issues and grievances of the local population.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much Jeremy, for that.
Any question.
No, I don't see a hand so ravicant.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
My question is whether the UN Human Rights Commission has anything to say about the hunger strike that is being carried in New Delhi by a leader of the Ladakh region called Sonam Wang Chu.
Sonam Wang Chuk is fighting, you know, for the recent harassment created for students and several other corruption charges.
He's now on the 18th day of his hunger fast.
And, you know, general expectation is it'll, he will.
He's saying he'll continue till 20th.
But great reports are emerging that he might actually, you know, suffer deathly, you know, kind of event.
So can do you have anything to say on this or your Human Rights Commission?
Has he said anything?
Thanks for for your question.
I'm afraid I don't have any information on this specific case.
Could you please send us the details and and I'll make sure I'll follow up for you.
Thank you very much.
If there are no other questions from from HHR.
Thank you very much Jeremy for this.
And let me go to oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, I didn't see your hand.
Sorry, I'm looking at my notes and not to the room.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
The press emblem campaign announced yesterday that killing, the killing of 39 jewellers since the beginning of the year, some in Gaza and some Press emblem campaign announced the killing of 39 journalists since the beginning of the year, some in Gaza and some in Lebanon, killed by Israeli forces.
I'm asking about the measures taken by Commission in this regard, the killing of journalists in Israel, in Lebanon and Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
To be honest with you, I'm not aware of this report, but I, I, I can give you an answer with respect to the killing of journalists or, or any imposition of where journalists can't carry out their work freely and independently.
And in cases like Gaza, we know that there's not international media there and we know that sadly, hundreds of journalists have been killed during that the, the, the past couple of years.
Journalists are, are the eyes and ears and, and for the public to get information, they need to be protected and have their rights fully respected at every stage of their work.
[Other language spoken]
So, yes, deeply concerning.
Thank you very much German this time.
I really don't see any other hand up for you.
Thank you very much for coming.
And now let me go to Istanbul, where we have the great pleasure to welcome the UN Women Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Belen Saint Luke.
The organisation is launching a new report about women on the move in Europe and Central Asia, and Belen is here with us to tell us about it.
[Other language spoken]
You have the floor, Belen.
Thank you very much and good morning.
Greetings from UN Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul and thank you for for joining us in this opportunity.
Today, UN Women, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration, is launching a report that is titled Women on the Move in Europe and Central Asia.
The most important contribution of this report is not only the data that it presents, but also the story it tells.
The report, as you will see, offers a very unique window into the realities of women and girls who are on the move to better understand the trends across this region.
It captures a region where whose migration landscape has been profoundly reshaped in recent years, from the displacement, displacement caused by Russia's full scale war in Ukraine and the devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey, to protracted displacement and continued labour migration across this region.
So in fact the region has become one of the world's major migration crossroads.
It is a place of origin, a place of transit and of destination.
13 million women who were born in this region have left the region, and 9.5 million women who are born outside of Europe and Central Asia have migrated are now are now living here.
Women represent and approximate 54% of all migrants who are hosted in the region and also 54% of all migrants who are originally born in this region and who have moved abroad.
The report also tell us that migration can be an escape from war, from violence and from disaster, but also can be a journey towards better education, decent work and equal opportunities.
Whatever is the reason for women to move, there is a common thread.
Migration is not gender neutral.
For too long, migration policies have overlooked women's realities, experiences and contributions.
And yet today, women are shaping the migration in the region and across the region.
So it is against this backdrop that the report sheds lights on the diverse experiences, opportunities and challenges that women encounter throughout the migration journeys.
The findings show that while migration creates new opportunities, women continue to face a structural inequalities.
For too long, women have been invisible also in migration data and policies for the reinforcing these inequalities.
So let me share briefly 5 key examples of what the report is telling us.
First of all, education employment is one of the main reasons why women migrate.
More than half of students from the Western Balkans and Turkey studying abroad are women, many of whom remain overseas to build their careers.
Yet highly educated migrant women often struggle to find work matching their qualifications.
Nearly 50% from Albania and 5055% from Kosovo are overqualified for the jobs they are taking.
Second, labour migration often leaves women less protected.
Between 30 and 50% of migrant women from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are engaged in sectors where informal employment is common, including the care sector, and therefore they are at the high risk of exploitation and gender based violence.
There is conflict and displacement are reshaping women's migration journeys.
Between 2022 and 2024, women accounted for 61% of citizens from the Republic of Moldova and 56% from Ukraine arriving in the European Union.
And inside Ukraine alone, nearly 60% of internally displaced households are headed by a woman.
Human trafficking remains one of the most hidden and gender forms of exploitation for women on the move.
Women and girls account for the overwhelming majority of identified victims across the region, including 74% in Albania, 93% in Kosovo, and 81% in Montenegro.
And in South Caucasus, at least 112 women were identified as trafficking victims in 2023.
As we all know, this is only the type of the iceberg.
And finally, climate change is emerging as a growing driver of women's migration across Europe and Central Asia.
We estimate that by 2050, up to 2.4 million people in Central Asia could be displaced by climate related disasters.
So in addition to outlawing outlining these trends, the report provides a set of policy recommendations for gender responsive migration.
These recommendations are fully aligned with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the first intergovernmentally negotiated during agreement to cover all dimensions of international migration.
Ultimately, as we have been discussing with IOM, these reports tell us about something much more than trends in migration in Europe and Central Asia.
It tells us about human rights, protection and also opportunities.
It calls for action to ensure that women who move, whether by choice or by necessity, can do so safely, with dignity and with equal opportunities.
So from UN Women, we hope that this report will help governments and our partners to assign migration policies that recognise women's experiences, address the barriers they face and unlock the enormous contributions that they make to communities and economies across the region.
Migration has the face of a woman.
[Other language spoken]
I thank you indeed, thank you very much.
Let me open the floor to questions if any in the room.
And so let me go to the platform.
I see my plans, the brief.
Yes, thank you very much for taking my question.
I'd like to know a little bit about the report.
I haven't received a copy of the report.
And how was the report made and where are the sources and demographic big breakdown as well as sample size.
How did you gather this information is quite important information, if you could.
Let's give me some information already, Doctor Berlin, if you want to answer.
But also we are happy to to share the report and the press releases with the journalist here in Geneva if needed.
[Other language spoken]
But please go ahead, Berlin.
Thank you very much for the question.
Indeed, the report is being launched today and made available to all of you.
The report has looked at a period that runs mostly for the last four years and it looks at data sets that are official from the government and National Statistics across across the different sub regions in Europe and Central Asia.
It includes the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Torquier, Central Asia and the South Caucasus, and it accounts for the ways in which women, not only in terms of number, are facing the different challenges in migration, but also it that reflects about what are the key areas in which in society organisations have been reporting the different gaps in the migration policy.
So the report has a companion on the specific methodology that has been followed and the intention of UN Women in collaboration with IOM has been to generate data that can really inform the policy decisions within the region.
So I hope the report will give you much more detail about the specifics of the methodology.
Thank you very much, Benen Tomoko Mutakao Nikkei.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for taking my question.
My question is actually not on to the new report, sorry to say.
[Other language spoken]
So my questions goes to actually to Miss Olga Angel in the same I think.
So my question is today in Japan bill to amend the Imperial House law was passed by Parliament and the United Nations has recommended that the rule limiting succession to male descendants be should be changed to more gender neutral rule.
But it was so to say ignored by the government again.
So I could you give me your thoughts or comments on that this unequal rule remains unchanged.
[Other language spoken]
So, but and this is not about the report.
I don't know if you want to comment on this gender balance appeal for for the Japanese authorities from UN Women.
I don't have information to address this question at this point.
So I'm not in a position to answer.
OK, thank you very much.
No worries any other question for you and women?
I don't see any hand up.
So the most important thing now is that we get oh, sorry, Tomoko, go ahead yes, so my question was to for the Miss Olga on gaol.
So I think she's rather for responsible for other general questions.
Yeah, I see what you mean because good.
I think you're referring to Olgut Angel, who is the colleague of Ben.
I think she's in Geneva.
Olgut, I think you are connected.
I don't know if you have more information in order to answer to Moco.
Yeah, we would love to take your question.
[Other language spoken]
I will pop the question in the chat for you and you can send your question to us and we'll get back to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much to both and thanks to Belen and all good.
And maybe if you can follow up with the request of the journalist to receive the report and the press releases and I see Maya has a follow up.
Yes, thank you very much.
The follow up is such is the report has not been sent around or has been sent by IOM because it seems like you did the thing partnership is IOM and the report was released in April, if I understand because I did the quick search here on the web and or is this a new one?
I think it's a new one indeed in, in April, we, we launched a brief in anticipation of these reports.
But the report is being sent out today after this briefing.
So right away you will all have it.
And yes, we did a, a presentation, an anticipated presentation expert group with IOM about the implications of the initial findings of the report.
But the full-fledged information is being launched today with the report.
So you will have it as soon as we finish this presentation.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
A quick, quick follow up reminder that perhaps, Oh, I speak for all journalists, we prefer to have the reporter just before, a day or two before if possible, because then we can prepare good questions for you.
Otherwise, we don't know what we're talking about.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We can also send it out to Andre Embargo.
[Other language spoken]
OK, So I think it's noted John Zarro, Costas, The Lancet and Franz Wancat.
Yes, thank you, Alessandro.
[Other language spoken]
On behalf of the UN Correspondents Association, we urge all UN agencies to please send on embargo any report and if they are to do a briefing, to allocate some time before the regular briefing, say at 9:30, to have special time for their reports, but ideally to get the material on embargo.
That's critical for journalists.
And Maya's points are very valid.
Thank you, John, and for balancing information.
John is the best president of the Association of Accredited Correspondents here.
That is why he was making this appeal.
We will discuss this with your colleague with Georgina here in in Geneva.
But most importantly, today, please cover this important report that you will receive anytime.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I see that tomatoes put out the question for you, Olga and otherwise I don't see other questions for Belen.
So thank you very much for highlighting this very important report.
It's important to spotlight the women on the move that says you said that the moving is a displacement as a women face.
So thank you very much for this.
I don't see other question for another on other subjects.
I just have one announcements for you, which is about tomorrow.
As you know, tomorrow, the 18th of July is Nelson Mandela Day.
You have received the video message, the statement read on camera by the Secretary General for this important day.
We've just distributed it to you.
Please remind all your readers about this important day and the importance of commits, time and energy for the community as Nelson Mandela did.
And that is all I had for you.
If there are no questions, I'd like to thank again our speakers.
Thanks again to Belen and the UN women colleagues also for their follow up.
And I just wish you a very good weekend and I'll see you next week.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you to all.