Welcome to the press briefing of Friday, 20 August of the Information Service in Geneva.
We have quite a few items related to Afghanistan to start with and I will start by giving the floor to Shabyaman to for UNHCR you have an update on the situation of humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, please.
Thank you, Alessandra, and good morning everybody.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is concerned about the prevailing humanitarian needs within Afghanistan and urges support to ensure that all those requiring assistance are not forgotten.
The situation on the ground across the country remains extremely fluid.
While widespread fighting has decreased since the takeover of the country by the Taliban on Sunday, the full impact of the evolving situation is not yet clear.
Many Afghans are extremely anxious about what the future holds.
Bolstered support for the humanitarian response inside Afghanistan is urgently required to deliver assistance to the Afghan people, including some half a million displaced this year alone.
The vast majority of Afghans are not able to leave the country through regular channels.
The footage taken a few days ago of crowds at the airport has shocked the world.
Speaking powerfully to the sense of fear and uncertainty among many Afghans.
UNHCR welcomes the efforts of several states to protect at risk Afghan nationals through bilateral evacuation programmes.
These bilateral evacuation programmes should not, however, over shadow or substitute an urgent and wider international humanitarian response.
Nor these should, nor should these programmes hamper or preclude the possibility for Afghans the right to seek asylum in other countries.
All States and the supplies to countries both within and outside the region must preserve the right to seek asylum for Afghans arriving through regular or spontaneous means.
UNHCR is also concerned that many are confusing these bilateral evacuation programmes with classical refugee resettlement.
This is completely unrelated.
UNHCR does not transfer citizens from their own countries to other states.
In the past week, several states have announced resettlement or evacuation programmes, respectively, for Afghans at risk.
The full details of these initiatives have not yet been announced.
UNHCR remains concerned about the risk of human rights violations against civilians in this evolving context, including for women and girls.
As of today, those who may be in danger have no way out.
UNHCR is calling on countries neighbouring Afghanistan to keep their borders open in light of the evolving crisis in Afghanistan.
Some 200 UNHCR colleagues, both national and international, remain on the ground in Afghanistan as of today.
We are continuing to work with 18 local local NGO partners with some 900 staff throughout the country.
At present, we are able to access all provinces and are working in some 2/3 of all districts.
Together with the wider UN country team we are committing.
We are committed to staying and delivering aid to the Afghan people for as long as we have access to populations in need and can ensure safety for our staff.
Since the beginning of this year, we have provided emergency assistance to 230,000 people, including cash assistance, shelter kits, hygiene support and other essential relief items.
Protection, monitoring and needs assessments are ongoing for some half a million displaced Afghans, and 80% of those are women and children.
We call on donors to remain steadfast in their support for humanitarian operations in Afghanistan and are also appealing for support.
dollars to reach those displaced and who are in need with humanitarian assistance.
Unhcr's emergency funding appeal for the Afghanistan situation remains drastically underfunded at some at some 43%.
Thank you, thank you, sorry, thank you very much.
And indeed, we also said yesterday that the humanitarian response plan is just 37% funded for Afghanistan with more than half the year gone.
So funding for emergency shelter relief items is particularly urgent due to the surge and displacement, but only 4% of the funds required have been received.
Tariq has also an update on the health situation in Afghanistan.
Thank you very much, Alexandria and good morning everyone.
You have also seen the there's a statement by our regional director for its Mediterranean that issued previous days where where we said that WTO is committed to staying in Afghanistan and delivering critical health services.
We call on all parties to respect and protect civilians, health workers, patients and health facilities during this difficult time.
The well-being of all civilians, as well as the safety and security of our staff in Afghanistan is paramount.
Continuity of health services must continue without interruption across the country, with a focus on ensuring the women have access to female health workers.
Already at the start of 2021, half the population of Afghanistan, including more than 4 million women and nearly 10 million children and needed humanitarian assistance.
1/3 of the population was facing crisis and emergency level of acute insecurity and more than half of all children under five years of age malnourished.
The current drought is expected to elevate those.
So how is the situation now?
Most of major health facilities are functional and this is based on a provincial level field monitoring health workers helping walls to return to or to remain in their posts, including female health staff on COVID-19.
Just to give you the the figure from yesterday, yesterday 37 new cases and seven deaths were reported.
Now, there was a decrease in the number of positive cases and deaths in past few weeks, but this may be due to decrease in reporting and in testing due to insecurity.
Just to remind you that since January 2020 there were over 100,000 and 150,000 cases and over 7000 deaths and vaccination.
Only 5% of Afghan population received one dose of the vaccine.
Close to 1.9 vaccine doses have been administered.
Exact figures will be in my notes that you will you will receive immediately after after this briefing.
There are almost 300,000 new Idps in the last two months and in areas where people have recently fled, including travel.
WTO received field reports of increase in cases in diarrhoea, malnutrition, **** blood pressure, COVID-19, black symptoms and reproductive health complications.
When it comes to trauma cases, close to 14,000 conflict related trauma received at 70 W health facilities in July 21 is more than three times more than what was in July last year 2020.
There is also a major challenge that is attacks on health.
2631 healthcare workers were affected since January.
What we call on is all parties to simply address disruptions to medical supplies and equipment being shipped into and across the country.
We need to increase the control in factual diseases, especially at overcrowded IDP sites.
When it comes to COVID-19 and other routine immunisation, including polio vaccination, they must continue without interruption to prevent secondary health.
Nutrition supplements are needed to address rising malnutrition among children, especially those affected by conflict.
WHO has continued to deliver in the last week?
On Tuesday, WHO dispatched medical supplies to Wazir Akba Khan Hospital in Kabul.
Earlier this week, WHO provided medical supplies to Helmand Regional Hospital and to three HealthPartners.
Some work that was interrupted has now resumed.
WHO and partners conducted an health initial assessment of the health needs of recently displaced populations and deployed free mobile health teams.
So the work of these teams, you will remember, was on hold for about 48 hours when I spoke to you last time on Tuesday, but it has now restarted.
We are also helping to prepare the health system in anticipation of any volatility in the situation.
We provided trauma care support to 134 health facilities in 34 provinces since January.
These hospitals reported more than 20,000 of trauma cases in the past two months.
500 health facilities were provided with emergency and medical supplies since June.
We are also training health staff in hospitals in mass casualty management.
More in the note on on the situation in in Afghanistan.
Just also let you know as someone have been asking, do you have a educated communication officer working for for Afghanistan who is in close contact with with our country office and can can provide any any more details on the on this occasion?
Thank you very much, Tarek.
And I would also like to remind you that yesterday the Secretary General has had a press encounter on Ethiopia, Haiti and Afghanistan and on Afghanistan, as yesterday was the national day of that country, he extended the special message to the people of Afghanistan during this trying time.
And he said the United Nation is with you and committed to stay and deliver to help advance peace, opportunity and human rights for all.
And I also have an announcement from our colleagues of the Human Rights Council that they've asked me to read to you.
The Human Rights Council would like to announce that the special session will be held on Tuesday, 24th of August to address the serious human rights concern and situation in Afghanistan.
The special session is being convened following an official request submitted on 17 August, jointly by Pakistan, Coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and Afghanistan.
In addition to the 89 member and observer states sponsoring the session named in the press release that you received last Wednesday, several more states have added their support, as any state can do up to the start of the session at 10 AM on Tuesday morning.
So far, these additional countries include Brazil, Iceland, N Macedonia, Norway, Montenegro, Switzerland and the United States of America.
An organisational meeting will be held on Monday 23rd of August at 3:00 PM here in Geneva.
You will receive updates by e-mail in the usual way and the media team will send you an update on Monday afternoon spelling out the specific programme for Tuesday's session along with the draught resolution which is expected to be tabled on Monday.
Action on this draught resolution is expected at the end of the day long session on Tuesday.
Both meetings will be webcast by Web TV by on webtv.un.org and most interventions will be delivered remotedly.
However, **** Commissioner Michelle Bachelet and the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva are expected to deliver their remarks to the special session in person.
Due to this hybrid format, journalists are encouraged to follow online, although there is limited capacity in Room 20 to accommodate broadcast media if needed.
And this is what the colleague of HRC have asked me to read to you.
So let's see if we have questions on Afghanistan.
And I see Jamie here in the room.
I just wanted to go back to some of the figures we I heard Ramiz Al Akhbarov, the Resident Coordinator of Afghanistan for the UN and on the radio this morning and he mentioned two things that I'd like to just run by both Shabia and Tarek.
For Shabia, he mentioned that there are roughly 600,000 ID PS at the moment.
If I remember correctly, the last you had said was 500,000.
So I'm just wondering if you have to see any new figures on that, if, if that's the most up to date number.
And what if anything are you saying in terms of people trying to go across borders?
Because obviously you've mentioned that, but I just want to get an update on whether or not people are going across land borders.
And and then finally, just in terms of assisting people who want to evacuate via the airport, what if anything UNHCR is doing to help that process?
And for for Tarek, he also mentioned the that they are bracing for medical supply shortages and medicine shortages in the month of September.
I'm just wondering what who is doing about that.
You mentioned the deliveries to the Wazir Akhbarhan Hospital.
Is that supplies or equipment coming from outside or is that from deployed from within the country of Afghanistan?
And are you able to bring in medicines and equipment from abroad?
Maybe we'll start with you.
I have also a certain number of figures that have been given to me by OCHA, but maybe you have something a little bit more updated.
Look, the last figures that we have reported were I think more than 550,000 people.
Yeah, internally displaced, but it's constantly being updated.
So I mean, we will, we'll check back again if we have an update on that.
No, I think, I mean what we tried to clarify today was also just these evacuations, they're life saving, they're critical, they're needed, but they are bilateral programmes organised with the states.
So we encourage those, those should continue.
But the, the main message is also that a broader international response is needed.
I mean, evacuations will benefit some people, will save their lives.
But then what about the other Afghans who can't leave, who remain in the country, who maybe also don't want to leave?
Maybe they they want to stay at home, but they need to, they need protection, they need support.
And then there are also people who are crossing borders.
And these numbers are very small still.
The magnitude of the crisis is still within Afghanistan.
But we have been advocating since day one saying, you know, if people are trying to seek safety and protection, those borders must be open.
People must be able to, they, we must preserve the right to seek asylum.
So they must be able to access that.
And so, and essentially as well, we, we can't forget the humanitarian response within the country needs to be supported.
I mean, we, we just talked about these figures of 550,000 internally displaced people.
These are people who've just been displaced this year, but there are also millions internally displaced prior to the current crisis that remain in need of assistance.
And also the Afghans who fled previously over the past few decades to Iran and Pakistan.
Those two countries host 90% of Afghan refugees worldwide.
So we just wanted to put that in context.
There's really a broader international response that's needed.
And that's not just kind of focused only on one element in terms of the situation.
As I mentioned, the movements across borders are still relatively smaller.
It's very hard for people to to leave.
We're still watching the situation.
It's it's still very fluid, but something we're closely following.
And also people may not have the means to live through regular channels, so they may not have the documentation that's required.
There may be movement restrictions.
Kabul airport, I think we've seen those other scenes of desperation and that speaks to kind of the the fear and anxiety and despair of people who are trying to to seek safety and protection.
So I think that's that's very much what we're closely following up on and advocating for.
Jamie, the the figures I was given by just you know, Yancey's is, is not in Geneva, but Venice is there to to answer questions which he gave me is that since January.
So this is the the time frame since January 2021, more than 550,000 people have been newly internally displaced.
So as should be able to say, these are new internally displaced people and 735,000 people have returned to the country from run Pakistan and other countries and are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
And the the numbers you have heard this morning from the resident coordinator, we can check this with Vanessa if they have an update this morning.
But this is the numbers they have been given for the moment.
And Tariq, you you, yeah, thanks.
I I don't know to be honest and maybe colleagues from our channel if the deliveries, humanitarian deliveries to the airport have resumed.
I will definitely ask our colleagues.
But as you know WTO in in most of similar situations do pre position medical supplies in our warehouses inside country and then we do these deliveries.
But again, I will ask my colleagues if and when air, air supplies from outside the country, if it has been resumed or or we are expecting it.
Yes, good morning, Alessandra and colleagues.
The first shall be a couple of things.
You well, everybody's saying that 550,000 people have been newly displaced this year, but you shall be have mentioned that millions more have been previously displaced.
You have a figure on that, on how many totally have are displaced in Afghanistan and in need of aid and also regarding people wanting to leave and being able to leave.
There are terrible reports about people actually getting to the close to the airport and having their documents shredded by the Taliban.
Now many of these people may be on the list of Afghans who have helped the United States who should be taking them out.
What should be done with these people if they if they succeed in actually making it into the airport, what do you advise the United States to do in terms of helping them out?
Refuse because they don't have the documents which have been shredded or should they be allowed to be airlifted to safety?
And then for both you and Tariq, have you so far didn't prevented?
From accessing people in need with your aid and you know globally whether whether other UN agencies maybe you Alessandra know that have been prevented in some way by the Taliban from accessing people with aid.
Thank you, Lisa for all those questions.
So in terms of the figures, we the 550,000 others that have been displaced since January till the present date, that's in 2021.
And as at the end of last year, at the end of 2020, we had 2.9 million that were internally displaced.
So I'll repeat that again, 2.9 million.
These are internal displacements, so people who are displaced within the country.
But in addition to that, there are also 2.6 million registered Afghan refugees worldwide and the majority of those, around 90% are hosted just in Pakistan and Iran.
So just two countries who host 90% of Afghan refugees worldwide.
And and these figures for the refugees, they don't include asylum seekers or unregistered undocumented Afghan nationals in neighbouring countries.
So just to put that in perspective, going back to the issue of evacuations, again, just to emphasise, I think we need to be very clear about this because we, our humanitarian refugee agency, we, we are involved with people when they are displaced within the country or when they cross borders and they become refugees.
So we are there, we work to provide assistance and, and help support responses to that.
But the evacuations are beyond our remit and really are negotiated and arranged directly by the government's concerned with the people they're trying to evacuate and with other countries that they're trying to evacuate them to.
So we, we have no involvement in these arrangements do welcome them and and think they are essential they they can save the lives of people who are at risk.
So this should, this should be done and we welcome that, but really have no operational or logistical or any other type of involvement with these programmes.
But we are very concerned about the ability of people to seek protection and safety both within Afghanistan and outside.
So This is why we have been consistently reiterating a call to ensure the protection of civilians within the country and also the the preservation of the right to seek asylum for those that are fleeing.
This is absolutely critical.
I mean aside the right to seek asylum, but also to seek safety, This is life saving.
People's lives must be protected.
Their rights and freedoms must also be protected.
And it's something we are are concerned and will continue to advocate with the rest of the international community.
We've made these very strong calls.
And and that that strong call, Lisa was also done by the Intelligence Standing Committee on the 18th of August.
We distributed to you that call.
There were a number of issues in that statement, but also the committee said we call on governments to keep borders open to receive Afghan refugees fleeing from violence and prosecution and refrain from deportation.
This is not the time to abandon the Afghan people.
Member states must provide all possible support to Afghan national at risk, including a moratorium on repatriation.
We urge neighbouring country to ensure the protection of Afghans displaced across their borders.
It's a very strong statement we distributed to you and was signed by 18 if I'm not wrong, humanitarian actors, UN and non UN.
There are just one one more thing you've asked Lisa if there was any update from other agencies.
I I've also an update from from the UNDP, from the UN Development Programme that said yesterday that 20 mobile healthcare teens continue to assist internally displaced people in Kabul.
The teams are providing COVID-19 screening, risk communication, treatment and referral, referral of critical patients to sever sorry to several temporary camps in the city.
UNDP said that the mobile teams have assisted more than 9000 individuals since the beginning of August.
More than 60% of our ID PS who received essential healthcare services were women and children.
That's another update we got from another agency, Gabriel.
Oh, sorry, Lisa, you have a follow up.
Yeah, I had asked the second question, which I guess got lost, whether you and HCR and WHO and other agencies.
But those are the 2 that are there have been prevented from accessing people in need by the Taliban.
I'll give the floor to Shabba and but we also have James from UNICEF connected.
Look, as of today, our staff are still on the ground, still delivering assistance, providing that assistance.
And as I mentioned another, we, we have access to a number many districts across the country.
So we're continuing that assistance.
Obviously our presence and our humanitarian operations are predicated on having those safety and security guarantees and very importantly those that humanitarian access to affected communities.
So this is what we continue to engage on, but we are still operationally present and delivering aid across the the country.
And also you know these as I mentioned, it really is contingent on having those those guarantees.
But as of today, we're still continuing that and that's why we issued this appeal today to basically booster support for the humanitarian response in the country because humanitarians, UNH are among many others are committed to stay and deliver that assistance.
So we are very much engaged and committed to staying there.
Oh, it's the same, same as my colleagues.
So we obviously are looking into into safety and security of our staff, but we are committed to stay in, in Afghanistan and we issuing we are issuing calls that that health service must be continue to be delivered.
And you have heard from Director General at our press conference day before yesterday that he was in contact with the acting Minister of Health, Doctor Wahid Majrooh and and assured the Minister of WH OS report.
As I have said, we did deliver some supplies to, to to several health facilities this week.
Mobile teams could resume and health workers have been asked to, to, to remain on duty or to report duty, including health workers.
So this is what we have at the moment.
And I think what I said about UNDP also shows that they are working and as the Secretary General said yesterday, we are much there and helping the people of Afghanistan in this moment.
Hi, thank you for taking my question.
Hi Alessandra, for Tariq, I would like to know if you if, if double choice seeing problems with respect to women, if they can go to the doctor alone or they have to be a a companion but by a man, What happens if they need medical help for bad treatment, *****, beatings or something like that?
And also for Shabia, if women want to leave the country or move to another part of the country, but cannot do so because they have to go.
So what are what are how are you going to help those women?
And the third question to Alessandra regarding the Human Rights Council, a session who is going to be on behalf of a of Afghanistan, the ambassador, the NCN ambassador, the ambassador who named the President who fled the country or with who are you talking?
I mean, UN is they, yeah, Regarding the authority of of Afghanistan, just on this very last point, I can quickly answer, Gabriella, as you I'm sure aware, the United Nations, the representation of each country to the United Nations is a subject of approval and eventually modified by decisions of the UN journalism, the credential committee.
And for the moment, we have not seen any change in the representation of Afghanistan.
The other question, Tariq, may be on women and their access to health.
Hi, I will definitely be in touch with our country office and see what what they see on the ground.
But we have been clear that that access to health has to be has to continue for also for all groups of population, that well-being of women and girls must be protected and supported, and that women have to have access to female health workers and, and we will definitely advocate for these principles.
And as I said before, the note that came from UNDP was specifying that 60% of the ID PS who received essential healthcare services through the mobile healthcare teams that UNDP has displays were women and children.
And also, Gabriela, I would invite you to have a look at the statement that UN Women has put out for women and girls in Afghanistan.
Thank you for taking the question.
Just I was wondering, there's this UN assessment that's been reported on today about the situation that indicates that the Taliban have been conducting targeted door to door visits of people who worked with the US and NATO forces and have been screening people as we heard also on the way to the airport.
I was wondering if there are any details from any of you on what these visits have entailed and also with people who have worked with UN agencies have also been targeted to your knowledge?
I don't think we have any specific update on that, Nina.
I can ask my colleagues in New York when they wake up if there's anything, but I haven't seen anything for the moment on the issue of the UN personnel.
I think it has all been said by Stefan Dujarik in his briefing of two days ago.
I'm sure you've seen all the information about what we are doing to protect our staff, whether in Afghanistan and those who have been relocated in Hamati, and also, of course, both the international staff and the national staff.
Otherwise, I can send it to you, Corinne.
So I'm happy to let others go first.
Let me see if there are other questions on Afghanistan.
In any case, Tariq has an announcement to make, so he will stay with us.
Just let me see if there are other questions on Afghanistan.
Your hand seems to be the last one.
There is Gabriella who has an update.
The question that I asked to to the refugee agency about women wanted to go out or displace or leave the country alone.
This is obviously a big concern.
And as I mentioned in the note today, we're very worried about the situation as well for, but particularly for women and girls among other civilians.
But we have seen a huge amount of women and girls comprising those that have been displaced.
So they make up a significant proportion of the displaced community within Afghanistan.
And I, I've briefed on this before, but I mean 80% of those that were newly displaced are women and children.
So they are among those that are fleeing and we get lots of questions asking is it just men that are fleeing?
What about women and children?
But they are very much among those that have been forced to flee their home.
So we are responding to those needs.
We are also advocating for access to safety for all civilians, including women and girls who also may be may be at heightened risk.
So this is a paramount importance to ensure that they can access safety.
But As for the cross-border movements, as I mentioned, these are still relatively fewer than what we're seeing within the country.
So we, we really don't have a full picture as yet, but understand that these are just still small scale movements.
But but just to answer your question, women and girls are among those that have been displaced and among those that you can say most impacted by, by the situation in the country over.
And I think now we can go to Korean because I don't see any other question on on Afghanistan, Korean ask your question.
I guess it's to Tariq, right?
Basically, my colleagues in Asia are writing a story about whether the Olympic Games exacerbated the outbreak in Tokyo and would like to see if what The Who thinks about that and also whether The Who is looking or is doing or knows of anyone else doing any modelling around that.
Thanks for being I'm I'm not sure I will have to ask my colleagues about that.
And I don't have in front of me the the the figures.
What we were saying always is that there has to be a risk based approach for carrying any, any event with a larger group of people that depends on a local epidemiology.
It depends of how much the risk can be mitigated, what measures can be put in place.
Now the decision on and carrying on with the, with the, with the sport or other events, with large number of people is with the organisers.
WTO provides tools that help organisers assess the risk and see how this risk can be managed.
I guess Tarek, if you have any information on that, I'm seeing messages.
It would be interesting for all the journalists if you could share it with everybody.
So I don't see is there any other question for Tariq before asking to do his announcement?
Corinne, you have a follow up.
I just wanted to say like especially like the second part of my question about whether The Who or if The Who knows that anyone else is doing any modelling around that would be good to know.
Corinne, if you can just send me please an e-mail and I'll, Oh, I did.
I sent it to the media enquiries.
OK, so I would like to now to read to you a note that came to us from the World Food Programme.
As you know, Thompson is away these days, but we have a couple of colleagues who will send you the name and contact that are available for follow up questions.
The note is on the situation in Ahiti and as you know, the Deputy Secretary General is currently there to bring the support of the United Nations to the people of Ahiti and see how we can better serve them this difficult time.
So let me read you the note from the World Food Programme.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck a hit on Saturday morning has devastated an already fragile country.
Over 2000 lives have been lost, 52,000 homes reduced to rubble and nearly 77,000 destroyed.
Key infrastructure like hospitals, schools and roads have been severely damaged.
World Food Programme estimates that 250,000 people 215,000 people are in need of urgent food assistance in nip suit and condoms.
Heavy rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Graze that hit the earthquake affected region is exacerbating the emergency and complete complicating relief efforts.
With homes destroyed, families are sleeping on the streets, hospitals are overwhelmed and are running out of space.
With a large number of people in need of urgent medical assistance, access to the affected S remains a challenge.
Even before the earthquake, recurrent political unrest, gunfights and roadblocks had already limited access to the South.
The damage caused by the earthquake, heavy rain and flooding are making it harder to reach those who need our support.
The World Food Programme is using air, sea and road routes to transport essential supplies like food and medicine for the government and the humanitarian community to the affected areas.
A United Nations Humanitarian Air Service helicopter managed by the World Food Programme is transporting staff and medical supplies and other essential needs.
For this lifeline to continue, the World Food Programme urgently needs $2.5 million.
The World Food Programme has also set up a shipping service to the South to support humanitarian response.
Before the earthquake, WFP was already assisting communities in the South with cash support and is now also providing hot meals in hospitals in Lake Cai, one of the worst affected cities.
As an immediate priority, WFP is sending more food to health centres.
The earthquake struck as I eat.
It was already dealing with multiple crises.
Nearly half of the population, that is 4.4 million Asians, need immediate food assistance.
Over 1.1 million were expected to suffer from severe hunger.
Political instability, gang violence and rising food prices have made day-to-day life a struggle.
With access to basics including food becoming difficult.
That concludes the statement from the World Food Programme have been asked to read to you and, as I said, if you have any questions, please address them to the staff, to the colleagues.
Whose names we are going to send you with the notes?
I see Catherine has raised their hand.
Yes, Alessandra, thank you.
And in fact, you answered my question because I wanted to ask you if you could kindly send the notes as quickly as possible with the contact details of the person who is here instead of Thompson.
We will do it quickly just after that, Tariq, you have your hand up.
If I may just add few words on Haiti as I received some reports from from our country office.
We receive reports at hospitals and most affected departments are overwhelmed and require requiring emergency support and medicines.
These needs include general and specialised medical personnel, medicines and medical supplies including anaesthetic drugs, orthopaedic, external fixators, among others, as well as logistical support for the delivery of supplies and transfer of patients.
Earthquakes and heavy rains increase risk of outbreaks, especially in densely populated areas prone to waterborne and communicable diseases and with displacement of populations such as cholera, dengue, measles, meningitis, COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections.
WHO PAHO is supporting coordination of health response alongside Itis, Ministry of Health and UN agencies.
The partners and PAHO have delivered essential medicines and other medical and surgical supplies to affected health facilities.
PAHO is also coordinating 1 emergency medical team on the ground and we have 15 emergency medical teams from various countries that are on standby ready to be deployed depending on the needs of the Ministry of Health.
I will I will send these notes and link to the situation report from from our colleagues in PAHO.
Also, as you know, we have lost one of our colleagues in the earthquake.
Doctor Usman Ture was deployed to to to to support response to COVID-19.
Thank you very much for this update.
I see that Lisa has a question and then Catherine will come back to you.
Actually for you, Alessandra, I was wondering if you had some information about the United Nations kind of global programme our search and rescue teams on still on the ground.
I mean, is, is this still going on or has that ended?
And has the United Nations released money from its emergency fund?
Anything that you have that could sort of amplify this story would be interesting.
On the on the allocation of funds, I think it has already been said quite a couple of days ago, but we've allocated 8 millions from the Central Emergency Response Response Fund to provide essential healthcare, clean water, emergency shelter and sanitation for all impacted people.
You hear what I was saying about the fact that we have the the relief teams, the assessment team, sorry that I've been looking at the scale of the needs and I was trying to find here.
I have give me one second.
I wanted to see if we have some notes from the just one second here.
The the the Deputy Secretary General Mina Mohammed, as I said, is in Haiti with Akin Steiner, the administrator of NDP yesterday, today, the day before, they've been affecting, they've been visiting affected communities and meeting with the members of the government, civil society and even staff.
They are coming back to New York today and I would like to ask for your indulgence.
I will ask if we have a result of those assessments because I don't have anything from OCHA and maybe there will be something today as the **** level mission is coming back to New York.
I will come back to you on that.
Katherine, you had a question and I hit it and then we have an update from Javier.
Yes, my my question is to Tariq and and other agencies also.
Apparently the hospitals in Haiti are overwhelmed with thousands of people and I wondered why the people are not sent to Dominican Republic or did I miss something?
Katrina, I think this is something that I would need to to to check with colleagues in PAHO if such option have been have been considered.
But obviously that also depends on on both countries as well.
Unfortunately, Haiti went through years of instability with the, with the health system that that was not, that was always, that was often challenged really by different outbreaks.
I lived in Haiti for a year and a half and I remember how how health system was often being being put at the at the test because of the of the of the number of of infectious diseases and and not having optimal, optimal capacity.
Just just to clarify, Catherine, the, the fact that there has been assessment teams going around and, and the visit of the Deputy Secretary John doesn't mean that we haven't already acted in ITA.
There have been a lot of work already done by, as we have heard, the World Food Programme, by the International Organisation for Migration, by UNICEF.
UNICEF has done already a lot of work to save lives and help children.
So this is it's an ongoing work, but I'll try to get some information if there is a a general assessment, updated assessment which has been done of the needs.
I thought James Elder was online from UNICEF.
Is he still online or has he skipped?
He should be still online.
No, he's not online anymore.
But I can read to you what's what's UNICEF has been doing in IIT.
If he can help, well, yeah, OK.
But it's really a shame that he disappeared.
So the the issue is the following.
What happened with UNICEF?
That's the information I've been given.
Preliminary assessments conducted by UNICEF and Asian officials in revealed extensive distractions to schools just weeks before they are due to reopen.
Initial estimates show that 94 of the 255 schools in South Department are destroyed or have sustained partial damages.
UNICEF is rushing life saving supplies including medicine, safe water, hygiene and sanitation material and tarpaulins to the affected areas even as flooding and mud slides hamper relief efforts.
And also I wanted to add that there have been, yes, sorry, that was yesterday.
So 19th of August, there have been 2 humanitarian convoys have the leader the assistance to the South of the countries.
Convoys have faced roadblocks.
This is not just UNICEF is humanitarian assistance from various agencies.
Convoys have faced roadblocks erected by communities with unmet needs, highlighting the need for accountability to affect the populations and communications with communities.
And maybe you can contact James afterwards if you want more details on UNICEF action.
So before I go to Katherine Wissu, Shabia, you wanted to correct one figure.
You've just had an update.
Please go ahead on Afghanistan, right?
Sorry, it was a very small but important clarification.
We've sent out the press release, so hopefully we'll have it, you'll have the draught.
But just on the numbers I mentioned about the appeal, I mentioned a different number, but it's been updated.
So in terms of our supplementary appeal for the Afghanistan situation, we are highlighting 62.8 million U.S.
dollars to that's needed to respond to urgent needs to support the response for internally displaced people in Afghanistan as well as preparedness in Afghanistan and its neighbouring countries.
And that 63.8 million is part of the requirements for the Afghanistan situation, which is for US $351 million.
And this is, this remains drastically underfunded at 43%.
So anyway, a lot of figures, but they are in the latest release which we've sent out.
So hopefully you would have it, but thank you for that.
Thank you very much for this update.
So let's go to Catherine for who has an announcement.
The vulnerability Illustri to the Como Development Prosperity Secretary General like you said or photograph 4 News alone selection photo grass committed selection explosive virtual mode la conference category.
Director General Jared Art Centre.
The University de Pretoria.
A luxury a security a composite The inquiry executive.
WordPress Photo Le photograph Barbara Dia, Ronnie Carrington, Andrew Rifkin key journalist A director initiative.
Of Mirsi, Kathy, Bon, Weekend, Atwa and Tarek, You had an announcement for a press conference.
Very briefly, WHO is going to release 2 documents, a global analysis of trends in hypertension prevalence and treatment and new WHO guideline on hypertension treatment.
So more than 700 million people are living with untreated hypertension, according to the first comprehensive global analysis of trends in hypertension prevalence, detection, treatment and control.
This has been led by Imperial College of London and the World Health Organisation.
The document will be published next week in The Lancet.
The study covering the period 1990, 2019 includes data from 184 countries, covering 99 of the global population.
It provides data by country and highlights where the most progress has been made.
So, in parallel to this global analysis, WTO will launch a guideline on the pharmacological treatment of hypertension in adults.
The new guideline, the first in 20 years, writes new recommendations to help countries in their efforts to improve the management of hypertension.
Specifically, it provides guidance on the initiation of treatment, recommendations on the interval for follow up target blood pressure to be achieved for control and the colour of health workers who may initiate the treatment.
So these documents are going to be launched on on Tuesday night.
So 12:30 Tuesday night to Wednesday, Geneva time.
We are planning to have a press conference under embargo.
This press conference will likely take place on Monday.
On Monday also we will be able to to to give material under embargo to journalists.
So details about press conference as well as when embargoed material can be can be taken will be sent in a media advisory either today or early Monday morning.
We, we will also confirm that the speakers who will be there, likely doctor, Doctor Matt Bente Michaelson, who is from our department non communicable diseases and some some other guests likely from Imperial College of London as they have been leading on on this, this analysis.
So more will come in the in the media advisory that we expect to be sent either today, hopefully today or on Monday morning with the with the with the, with the aim of having a press briefing on Monday that would be embargoed until until the release of documents 12:30 on Tuesday night.
Sorry, I had a question for you, Alessandra.
So if anyone has questions for Tarek, that's OK.
Peter, you have a question for Tarek?
Terry, because yeah, I was just wondering, so will the regular COVID press conference take place on Wednesday, then likely we will have a press conference on Wednesday and on COVID-19 regular press conference.
So this would be a specific press conference on the hypertension with experts on hypertension and would likely take place on Monday, but would be embargoed until the release of documents that would be Tuesday to Wednesday night.
If there are no other questions for Tariq, Thank you very much, Nina.
Sorry, before I come to you and to your question, Lisa, we have James back on the line, James Helder for UNICEF.
I have read to our colleagues journalist the lines about your preliminary assessment conducted in IIT and what you are distributing that.
But Lisa had a question, a specific question for you.
Hi, James, so happy you're back.
I do have a specific question and that is during previous disasters in Haiti.
Unfortunately, there are too many of those.
You have raised the alarm about the protection of children and about many of them being exploited, many of them being given up for adoption.
And these have not often been truthful adoptions, but have been, you know, trafficking situations.
So could you expand on what UNICEF is doing in terms of, well, the first, discuss some of your concerns and also what is actually happening with the protection for children and other things that you might have to say about your operation in Haiti.
I was in contact with the country last.
Night about this and they promised me some numbers, so I'll put out a short note on that maybe later today.
But yes, from previous crises to the current one and and times in between, adoption in the country has continued to be an issue.
Inter country adoption numbers have actually risen in the last four or five years.
Whilst, you know, we have put various measures in place and child protection measures in place and measures around a lot of work on unaccompanied children, it has still continued to be an issue that that simply won't, won't go away.
It's an area that we're consistently concerned about in a crisis like this one because there are of course so many unaccompanied children.
Our primary response has been twofold.
1 is of course on policy on inter country adoption and I'm showing, you know, local.
Local networks actually put those policies in place.
And the other one is having an A large cadre of child protection workers and social workers who are well trained on this and who have some enforcement powers.
I'll come back to you with some numbers on unaccompanied children and specifics on adoption, hopefully today and anyone else who who needs it.
But that's essentially where we are at the moment, Lisa, on that specific issue in Haiti.
That would be really appreciated James, if you could send it to everywhere.
Everybody tell you everybody that's that's yes, please do I I see hands up for this.
Anybody else for James on IT or Afghanistan or any I don't see other hands up.
So thanks, James for having coming back.
Nina, you had a question for me.
It was about the special session on Tuesday on Afghanistan.
I was just wondering with the UN briefing is there which clashes with that.
I'm sorry if I missed it, but are your plans to put that earlier or or to avoid the the clash?
Yes, the the special session on Afghanistan is going to be the whole day long.
So I guess we won't be able to really avoid the clashing with the with the briefing.
I will see with Rolando who comes back on Monday if there is any possibility of adjusting the time of the briefing.
Maybe we can do it a little bit earlier or depending really on the programme on Monday of Tuesday morning, how it goes and who's going to speak when we will see if we can do something.
But it's hard to avoid really the, the, the overlapping since the, the session will last the whole day.
But I'll, I'll let you know if we can do something in terms of timing.
Thank you for for this note.
I don't see any other hands, so I'm left with reading you a couple of announcements.
First of all, always on human rights.
The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will continue today, Friday 20th at 12:30, its review of the report of France, which started last Wednesday and will conclude on Monday.
Please note that at the beginning of the public meeting today, the Committee will hold a minute of silence to honour one of its member, Sumiya Amrani from Morocco, who passed away on Wednesday 18th August.
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will close next Wednesday at 5:00 PM it's 104th session during which it has reviewed the reports of Lebanon and the Netherlands, and the Conference on Disarmament will hold its next public plenary meeting next Tuesday morning.
Tuesday is going to be a a busy day.
I guess they'll start at 10 AM.
Under the presidency of Chile.
It will they the conference will discuss its draught annual report to the GA as submitted by its president the next week.
Please note that the Conference on Disarmament will hold a second public meeting on Thursday, 26th of August at 3:00 PM to have a discussion on the participation of women to International Security.
And then just to remind you that we have two International Day coming up this weekend, which are really very important on the 21st of August.
As you know, yesterday we we commemorated a World Humanitarian Day and all the humanitarian aid workers that have given their life or are working under dire conditions to help the most vulnerable people.
Tomorrow, 21st of August, the international community will commemorate the International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
This is a recently established day and the Secretary General's message is saying, just read you an instructor.
You, you have received the whole text.
He's saying that this year's observance focuses on the importance of connections, especially during the ongoing pandemic, which continues to restrict movements, limit people's ability to see loved one, and for victims and survivors, denies them the opportunity to come together to support each other.
Connection says the Secretary General can be a powerful agent of healing, helping terrorism survivors around the world to feel heard, seen, unless alone.
He also he concludes by saying, I look forward to seeing how we can further these efforts during the first ever UN Global Congress of victim of Terrorism to be held later this year.
the United Nations is committed to a world free from terrorism.
On this International Day of remembrance of and tribute to the victims of terrorism and on all days, let us stand in solidarity with our victims and survivors so we may support them in healing their trauma and bringing them hope.
And on Sunday, the international community is commemorating the International Day for the Victims of Acts of Violence based on Religion or Belief.
This is set 22nd of August.
The Secretary's General's message says that the violence in first of all that we continue to witness a rise in its speech, intolerance and even physical violence and attacks on individuals, groups and sites purely because of their religious beliefs or significance.
This violence often goes hand in hand with the infringement of other fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of thought or conscience.
The secretary General says states have the primary responsibility to prohibit and deter discrimination and violence and to protect the human rights of religious minorities and ensure that perpetrators of these crimes are held accountable.
At the same time, says the Secretary General and the international community must do more to support the victims of these heinous acts, as well as those who are working to address the root causes of intolerance and hate.
And he concludes by saying freedom of religion or belief is a human right enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Today, this right is being tested.
Let us commit to turning the tide on this appalling trend to building more inclusive and peaceful societies where diversity is celebrated as a richness that strengthens us all.
And that concludes what I wanted to tell you.
If there are no further questions and I don't see any, thank you very much.
