Cyprus, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria & other topics - Daily Press Briefing
Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-International Days
-Secretary-General/Education
-Security Council
-Cyprus
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Syria
-Sudan
-South Sudan
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Hurricane Beryl
-Operational support
-Guests tomorrow/Briefings
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
At a memorial event held this morning in the General Assembly Hall, the Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General. He underscored that the genocide in Srebrenica stands as a harrowing testament to the devastating consequences of inaction in the face of hatred.
Today is also World Population Day.
In his message, the Secretary-General says that more women than ever have access to modern contraception, but progress has been unequal and unsteady.
He adds that around 800 women die needlessly every day in pregnancy and childbirth - the vast majority in developing countries.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/EDUCATION
The Secretary-General spoke this morning at the Special Event on Transforming Education, noting that almost two years have passed since the Transforming Education Summit was held right here in New York.
Since then, he said, the global crisis in education that leaders came together to address at the Summit has shown little sign of abating. Without a dramatic shift in tackling that crisis, the Secretary-General warned, we cannot - and will not - shape a more peaceful, sustainable and just world.
He said that some 84 million children are likely to remain out of school by 2030, adding that it is truly shocking and that some 70 per cent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are unable to read a basic text by age 10.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council held consultations on the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
The Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, briefed Council members.
And this afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., the Council will hold an open briefing, followed by consultations, on Colombia. Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia is expected to brief Council members.
CYPRUS
And also on Cyprus, I have been asked about the Secretary-General’s meeting with his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, María Angela Holguín Cuéllar. In answer to those questions, I can say that the Secretary-General received yesterday the report of Ms. Holguin on her efforts to find common ground on the way forward in Cyprus.
The Secretary-General is now considering the recommendations in her report in order to propose next steps to the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the UN and its partners continue to respond wherever and whenever possible, despite ongoing hostilities, access restrictions, impassable roads, fuel shortages, and a lack of public order and safety, all of which are obviously severely hampering all of our humanitarian operations.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says it has assisted about a quarter of a million people in Gaza so far this month. During June, the agency provided food rations for over a million people in Gaza.
However, limited food stocks in central and southern Gaza forced WFP to reduce rations last month, with some areas only receiving wheat flour.
So far this month, WFP has also worked with dozens of community kitchens in Gaza to provide about 1.8 million hot meals to people in central and southern Gaza, as well as Gaza City. But the agency warns that the supplies needed for this assistance will be depleted in just days unless additional stocks are received.
Meanwhile, the UN, along its humanitarian partners, are providing critical support to displaced people crossing from northern to southern Gaza, following Israel’s latest instructions for people to leave Gaza city. This includes water, hot meals, food parcels, and health and nutrition support.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says that more evacuation orders issued by Israel are further threatening the health of people who have already suffered so much. WHO’s Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said today that the Al-Ahli and Patient Friendly hospitals in northern Gaza are the latest unable to function due to fighting.
Meanwhile, more than 10,000 patients still need to be evacuated out of the Gaza Strip, because they cannot receive required treatment inside Gaza.
Full Highlights: www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon...