YouSaid · the spoken record

Ghelani

lines on the record: 84
first: 2018-11-29
most recent: 2023-08-03
sittings or episodes: 9
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“We really need Council members’ support, and we count on it to make that an effective forum. In this role, I have visited communities teetering on the brink of famine. I have sat with mothers in too many nutrition wards, in too many displaced camps, and as their small children fought for their lives, they were too weak to cry or even make a sound. That eerie silence is deafening. It never leaves one. That silence is also a call for action. As Martin Luther King said in his Nobel Peace Prize lecture, “famine is wholly unnecessary in the modern world... There is no deficit in human resources; the deficit is in human will.””
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Fifthly, we also need to acknowledge that a halfway, fragmented response to the interconnected risks will not cut it. We need adequate humanitarian funding, on which the lives of millions depend. And for lasting peace and famine prevention, we must address the climate and economic crises. The Secretary-General has prioritized the threat of famine and hunger. Among other initiatives, in 2021, he created a High-Level Task Force on Preventing Famine to lead and organize a cohesive system-wide response. Together with the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Rescue Committee, with David Miliband, we are in the process of reorientating that forum to provide dedicated support to countries.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Secondly, we must make better use of existing early warning mechanisms, such as resolution 2417 (2018), in a focused and effective manner. Too often, we have sounded the warning alarm without effective follow-up and concerted action. Thirdly, we must be bold and creative in finding ways to mitigate the impact of war on the most vulnerable. Such solutions are possible. We have seen agreements between parties to conflict and resolutions in the Security Council agreed to for that end, but they require political courage and compromise. Fourthly, women and girls must be at the centre of our efforts. Crises and hunger affect them disproportionately, and they also hold the key to lasting solutions. Research has shown that involving local women in peacebuilding increases the probability that violence will end by 24 per cent.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“There needs to be a renewed commitment to peace though a reinvigorated multilateral system where Governments, the United Nations and regional organizations work hand in hand. Where peace may still take time, five things are critical to reduce suffering and prevent famine. First, we must ensure parties to conflicts respect international humanitarian law. That includes protecting objects necessary for survival such as food stocks, water systems and other objects necessary for food production and distribution systems. It also includes facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need and protecting humanitarian staff and assets. States must spare no effort in exerting their influence to ensure parties respect the rules of war.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Climate change is increasingly becoming a threat multiplier. As the stress on water and other natural resources leads to increased competition and displacement, conflicts and hunger spread. Of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate-related risks, seven are affected by conflict, six host a United Nations peacekeeping or special political mission and four have more than 1 million people one step away from famine. At the same time, insecurity in conflict-affected countries hinders climate adaptation efforts. That leaves already vulnerable communities even poorer, hungrier and less resilient. The challenge may appear overwhelming, but progress has been and is again possible. So, what can we do? First and foremost, we must redouble efforts to prevent, reduce and end conflict in all its forms.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Humanitarian facilities and supplies also often come under attack, are looted or used for military purposes. The difficulties the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and their partners are facing in the Sudan are a stark reminder of that, and our deepest condolences go to the families of the 11 humanitarian workers killed in the Sudan in recent weeks. Food insecurity itself also fuels instability. For example, recent research highlighted by the World Food Programme has shown how food insecurity, when coupled with pre-existing grievances; desperation too often fuelled by poverty and inequality; and governance issues cause people to choose violence over peace. It is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, often resulting in conflict. Conflict-induced hunger is compounded by a toxic mix of climate change and economic shocks.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Conflict and insecurity remain key drivers of hunger and famine. Every one of the seven countries where people faced famine-like conditions last year were affected by armed conflict or extreme levels of violence. Five of those seven countries — Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen — are regularly on the Council’s agenda. Armed conflict destroys food systems, shatters livelihoods and drives people from their home, leaving many extremely vulnerable and hungry. Sometimes those impacts are by-products of war, but all too often they are inflicted deliberately and unlawfully, with hunger utilized as a tactic of war. Conflict does not spare those who are providing assistance to stave off famine. Last year, dozens of humanitarian workers were killed and many more were kidnapped or injured in situations of conflict.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to take part in this briefing today. The Security Council is more than aware of the multiple challenges and threats the world is facing today. But the threat of famine — people starving slowly to death — must be a red line. And yet the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity reached a quarter billion last year. That is the highest recorded in recent years. Of those people, some 376,000 were facing famine-like conditions in seven countries. Another 35 million people were on the edge. As in all crisis situations, women and children are the most impacted. This situation has not come as a surprise. It is a man- made crisis that has been swelling for years. We are now at the tipping point. Hunger and conflict feed off of each other.”
2023-08-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9392 (2023) · source
“Let me conclude by reiterating the concern with which I opened my briefing: any escalation in the fighting will have devastating consequences for the people of Yemen and will send us back to square one. People in Yemen need a return to normalcy so that they can rebuild their fractured lives. The time to deliver that is now.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“That dependency is exacerbated by a long-standing gap in development funding, which is impeding investment in long-term solutions. We are also concerned that the continued attacks and fighting on and around ports could have an adverse impact on the economy, as mentioned, and may subsequently lead to the further deterioration of the humanitarian situation. With just over a month left in the year, the humanitarian response plan is now 55 per cent funded. Despite all the challenges, aid agencies are reaching 10.5 million people on average every month. We would like to express our appreciation to all donors for their support, especially in these times of global economic uncertainty, while also calling for further support to maintain the life-saving humanitarian services.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“More than 30 carjacking incidents have occurred in Government-held areas so far this year. Five United Nations staff members are still missing after being abducted in Abyan in February. Two additional United Nations colleagues in Sana’a remain detained after more than a year. We continue our repeated calls for all staff to be released immediately. We also take this opportunity to remind all parties to the conflict that, under international humanitarian law, they must facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need and must respect and protect humanitarian staff and assets. As we previously briefed the Council, Yemen’s continuing economic instability and the collapse of basic services remain key drivers of the humanitarian needs and leave much of the Yemeni population dependent on aid.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“We are struggling to maintain the space that we need to provide principled humanitarian aid, especially at a time of uncertainty, when we actually need to scale up services. We recently conducted an evaluation that systematically looked at all aspects of the aid operation. In following up on that, the humanitarian community is working to further address access constraints and advocate for humanitarian space, while also undertaking efforts to strengthen accountability, transparency and oversight in the aid operation. In addition, the deteriorating security situation is leaving humanitarians increasingly exposed to carjackings, kidnappings and other incidents. That is obstructing safe access particularly in Abyan and Shabwah governorates, where we urgently need to scale up our operations.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“Humanitarian access is still largely constrained by bureaucratic impediments, restrictions on movement and an unacceptable level of interference. The civilian population is again bearing the brunt of those restrictions, and people are not receiving the life-saving services and supplies that they need in a timely manner. Between July and September, more than 70 per cent of the reported access incidents, or nearly 500 out of 673 such incidents, were due to bureaucratic impediments, the vast majority of which took place in Houthi-controlled areas. Despite all our efforts, restrictions have become more widespread and entrenched. Over recent months, the restrictions on movement imposed by the Houthi de facto authorities, which particularly impact female staff and beneficiaries, are leaving us less room to operate.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“As mentioned in our briefing last month, new estimates indicate that the number of people facing acute food insecurity between October and December is slightly lower than our initial projections in early 2022. That is very good news, but it does not eclipse the fact that 17 million people still do not know where they will get their next meal. In that context, we welcome the recent arrival of a shipment carrying 14,000 metric tons of wheat flour under the Black Sea Grain Initiative on 15 October, as well as three further grain shipments, which left Ukraine on 23 October and 13 and 17 November. We have been briefing the Security Council on a regular basis regarding the humanitarian operating environment, which is now becoming increasingly difficult every month.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“As mentioned in our briefing last month (see S/PV.9152), we also underline the need for increased funding for mine action activities and the facilitation of importing equipment. The threats to civilians in Yemen extend far beyond the immediate impact of the hostilities, especially for vulnerable groups facing severe protection risks, as was mentioned. Migrants and refugees also experience significant dangers. So far this year, more than 50,000 migrants have taken the sea route from the Horn of Africa to Yemen in search of a better life. Just last month, another migrant raft sank, leaving three people dead and another 28 missing. Hunger continues to haunt more than half the population in Yemen, preying on the most vulnerable.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“As we said in previous briefings, the reduction in fighting since April has allowed civilians to move freely. But that has increased their exposure to landmines and unexploded ordnance, with more than 164 civilians, including 74 children, killed or injured between July and September. People too often fall victim to those horrific devices, risking injury, and even death, while striving to access health facilities, schools and other essential services. The parties to the conflict must take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population under their control against the dangers resulting from military operations, including by identifying, marking and decontaminating dangerous areas.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“Localized clashes continue to impact civilians in some parts of the country. We remain concerned about the possibility that large-scale hostilities may again resurge in Yemen. In the last week of October, according to verified figures, shelling and sniper fire killed two civilians and wounded another eight, many of them children, in Taiz. Earlier this month, in Ma’rib, four displaced civilians were killed and at least another five were injured when a weapons storage facility exploded due to the fighting. Vulnerable groups bear some of the heaviest costs of the clashes. According to open-source reporting, child casualties surged by 43 per cent between September and October. Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to account for the largest share of civilian casualties.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: As the Special Envoy already mentioned, many of the truce’s provisions continue to hold despite its expiration on 2 October. That is providing a continued and much-needed reprieve for the people of Yemen. However, the humanitarian dividends of the truce need much more than six months to take hold, and the people affected by the conflict need a sustained guarantee of peace before they decide to return home to rebuild their lives, for some after having been displaced multiple times. They also need to see improvements in their everyday lives beyond a reduction in fighting. Many people, particularly those in the southern parts of the front lines, told us that they had yet to see the positive impacts of the truce on their livelihoods and economic situation.”
2022-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9199 (2022) · source
“At the same time, we need the continued facilitation and support of all parties to increase cross-line access throughout the country. In the north-west, the eighth cross-line mission to Sarmada, in Idlib governorate, was completed over the weekend. The inter-agency convoy delivered 503 metric tons of food for more than 56,000 people, as well as nutrition, shelter, water, sanitation items, health kits and other supplies. Secondly, we need urgent funding. Almost 11 months into the year, our humanitarian appeal for Syria still faces significant funding shortages. We must bring the world’s focus back to what the women, men and children of Syria need most — immediate aid, early recovery, hope for a dignified life and a better future. And above all, they need peace.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“We are supporting the repair and rehabilitation of critical basic civilian services. We are providing access to electricity and removing debris and solid waste, launching income-generating activities and providing vocational and skills training and interventions to support the social cohesion of communities. But we need support for two crucial aspects. First, we need access to all people who need humanitarian assistance. That includes continued cross-border access and increased cross-line access, in line with what international humanitarian law requires of all parties to armed conflict. A non-renewal of the authorization to carry out cross-border humanitarian assistance at the peak of winter and in the middle of a massive cholera response could cut off access to millions of people in the north-west just when they need it most.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“In the north-west, some 2 million depend on winter assistance to meet their most basic needs. Most are women and children living in camps with limited or no access to heating, electricity, water or sewage disposal. Humanitarian partners have launched a winterization response, but it remains grossly underfunded, with the shelter and non-food-items sector funded at just 10 per cent. If that gap is not filled, families will not receive the heating, fuel, blankets and winter clothes they desperately need to keep warm. The United Nations and its partners will continue to provide life-saving assistance, such as food, water, health and protection services, to millions of people across Syria. And because early-recovery and livelihood activities are a core pillar of the humanitarian response, we are providing more than life-saving assistance.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“The lack of water leaves the communities affected, and particularly women and girls, more vulnerable to sexual exploitation and abuse. We are just weeks away from another winter in Syria, and a painfully familiar scenario will soon unfold. Snowstorms, sub-zero temperatures, strong winds, rains and flooding are expected to hit soon. Over the past decade, we have seen year after year what that means for families living in tents and makeshift shelters. We have also seen how severe fuel and electricity shortages make it very difficult for families to keep warm and for essential services to keep functioning. This year, the number of people who need winterization assistance has increased by a staggering 30 per cent across the country compared to the previous year.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“Our two pooled funds, the Syria Humanitarian Fund and the Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund, will make around $10 million available to partners across the country. We are grateful to the donors who pledged new support to the cholera response, but much more is needed. It is also now critical that donors convert their generous pledges into early disbursals of funding. The water scarcity has also affected crops and farmers’ livelihoods, driving prices up and putting food further out of reach for millions of people. Syria is now experiencing its lowest wheat harvest since the crisis began, following two consecutive seasons of drought- like conditions. Food insecurity is spiralling out of control and malnutrition rates are rising. Syrians today can afford only 15 per cent of the food they were able to purchase only three years ago.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“The crisis is likely to get even worse. The outlook from now to December suggests an increased probability for below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures. If that materializes, it will further exacerbate an already dire water crisis. The equation is simple. When people drink the same contaminated water that they use to irrigate their crops and when they do not have sufficient water to practice proper hygiene, waterborne diseases spread, causing people, especially children, to fall ill and sometimes die. The three-month cholera response plan coordinated by the United Nation requests just over $34 million to assist 162,000 people with health services and 5 million people with water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“Millions of people across Syria lack reliable access to sufficient and safe water, and the health system has been devastated by more than a decade of conflict. Insufficient and poorly distributed rainfall in many places, severe drought-like conditions, low water levels in the Euphrates River and damaged water infrastructure are all factors compounding the outbreak. From 11 August to 20 October, the Allouk water station was unable to service close to 1 million people in Al-Hasakah city and surrounding camps with water. Some water reportedly reached the city on 22 October. A similar situation is unfolding in Al Bab, in Aleppo governorate, where 185,000 people still face severe water shortages. The United Nations and our partners have been sounding the alarm on the water crisis in northern Syria for the past year at least.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“And the deaths and injuries do not stop when active fighting stops. Those weapons pose a lasting, deadly threat to civilians. Security operations in Al-Hol camp in August and September damaged shelters and temporarily restricted people’s access to humanitarian assistance and services. In addition, many children were detained, and humanitarian partners still lack access to them. I would like to give a little more detail about the cholera outbreak that is rapidly spreading throughout Syria and has been made worse, as was also mentioned, by the country’s severe water shortages. More than 24,000 suspected cholera cases have been reported and cases have been confirmed in all 14 governorates. At least 80 people have died so far. While that is a tragedy, it should not come as a surprise.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: As the Special Envoy has mentioned, communities in Syria are caught in the middle of a spiralling security, public health and economic crisis. They are basically struggling to survive. Allow me to share the latest facts. The conflict continues to cause civilian death and injury, primarily along the front lines. As the Special Envoy has already described, the ongoing active fighting and its impact on civilians and civilian structures have continued. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 92 civilians were killed and 80 injured in August and September alone. Twenty-seven of them were killed by explosive remnants of war. Syria is reporting some of the largest numbers of victims of explosive ordnance worldwide, and two in three victims are children.”
2022-10-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.9163 (2022) · source
“Looking ahead, what do we need to support the humanitarian response into 2022? First and foremost, all actors with influence must work to de-escalate the violence. What most civilians want is durable peace. While the peace process has had a real impact in parts of South Sudan, its implementation has progressed, as Council members have heard, at a slow pace and violence continues to erupt. Secondly, humanitarians need continued support from the Government of South Sudan for safe and unhindered access to reach people who desperately need help. And thirdly, while we need resources now for the humanitarian response plan to sustain the response, we also urge donors to give funding at scale early in 2022 so that we can get ahead of needs, which are anticipated to rise.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“As mentioned, In October they will be forced to stop support in other IDP camps due to supplies being reallocated or reprioritized to counties where people were at the brink of famine. Should resources become available, WFP would resume assistance to the 106,000 people affected in these camps. South Sudan is also currently on alert for a resurgence of COVID-19, driven by the Delta variant. Measures adopted to mitigate and prevent the spread of the virus in South Sudan have had limited impact owing to the challenges in the ability of the health system to carry out vaccinations and low uptake of the vaccination. Although we prevented a catastrophe this year, with all the challenges faced, we will have to remain ever vigilant to ensure that we do not come to the brink of a famine again in South Sudan next year.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“The South Sudan humanitarian response plan of $1.7 billion is the largest ever for South Sudan, but is only 56 per cent funded. The Central Emergency Response Fund and the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund have been critical tools in our response. Together, these tools have provided almost $100 million to support food insecurity education and protection. I thank the donors who have supported humanitarian operations in South Sudan for their generosity. The generous help that Member States have provided has helped to avert famine. As the Special Representative indicated, despite the resources allocated so far, funding challenges forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce the scale of food rations in all refugee, protection of civilian and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps since April, affecting 700,000 people.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“Armed conflict in Central Equatoria, mainly with non-signatory parties to the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, b and other armed factions, has also displaced more than 120,000 people since the beginning of the year. The humanitarian needs have been further exacerbated by exceptional flooding for a third consecutive year, so far affecting nearly 420,000 people. With more heavy rains expected in the coming months, thousands of people will be forced to move from their places and homes and will require assistance and livelihood support. As South Sudan emerges from the lean season with hopes for the harvest season, there is a risk that flooding may lessen any food security gains, which could contribute to extreme food insecurity recurring next year.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“Humanitarians also appreciate the support provided by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan through long-range patrols and the setting up of temporary operating bases in several locations, which have supported access for humanitarians. This challenging situation has been further compounded by new emerging needs as a result of the sub-national violence referred to by the Special Representative. For example, the further deterioration in the security situation in Western Equatoria, has led to the displacement of 80,000 people and the interruption of assistance to thousands.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“The destruction and looting of humanitarian facilities has continued, including the looting of over 1,000 metric tons of food, valued at more than $1 million. In addition, frequent attacks on civilians and humanitarian convoys and roadside ambushes, in particular along the key supply routes, including the major pipeline in the south that the Special Representative mentioned, have disrupted operations and resulted in increased prices of essential goods for an already vulnerable population. An alarming development this year has been interference of aid activities by armed youth. Humanitarians appreciate the Government’s support and engagement on that issue and its promotion of the engagement of joint high-level missions with youth groups in parts of the country. The Government’s leadership in that regard is greatly appreciated.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“Humanitarians have prevented children from dying from chronic diseases as a result of undernourishment, and they have managed to give hundreds of thousands of people a lifeline out of starvation. This response, of course, has been part of a larger aid operation in South Sudan, where aid agencies assisted some 4.4 million people across the country between January and June with food, medical and nutritional care, water and sanitation, protection support and shelter. Notwithstanding these gains, there has been limited change in the behaviour by non-State armed groups and certain youth groups that continue to hamper access. Since the beginning of this year, four aid workers have lost their lives in the line of duty and more than 170 aid workers had to relocate due to security threats.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“People projected to be in Phase 5 were in the counties of Akobo, Aweil South, Pibor, Tonj East, Tonj North and Tonj South. In five of these six locations, conflict was the major driver fuelling displacement and leading to the loss of lives, assets and livelihoods and disproportionally impacting women and girls. How has the humanitarian response progressed, and have we been able to stave off famine? Humanitarian agencies scaled up the multisectoral response in the at risk counties and showed extraordinary commitment to leave no one behind and pre-empt a further deterioration of the crisis. They reached over half a million people between January and June. This substantive response has been essential to averting famine.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“As the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said, over 60 per cent of the population are severely food insecure. The combined effects of conflict, climate shocks, displacement, the socioeconomic impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the lack of investment in infrastructure and basic services have driven them deeper into need. More than 8.3 million people currently need humanitarian assistance, including 1.4 million children. The United Nations estimated in December 2020 that 2.4 million people faced emergency levels of acute food insecurity — corresponding to the Integrated Phase Classification 4 or above — between April and July 2021. Further, some 108,000 people faced catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity — Integrated Phase Classification 5 — at the height of the lean season.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: I thank you, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in South Sudan. In December 2020, the Council was briefed on the worsening food insecurity situation. This followed a warning to the Council that famine was looming in several countries, including South Sudan, in September of 2020 (see S/PV.8761) — one year ago. Today, I will update the Council on the current humanitarian situation, the impact of the humanitarian response, the ongoing drivers of food insecurity and humanitarian needs and what is needed to prevent reaching the brink of famine again next year. People in South Sudan currently face the highest levels of food insecurity recorded since independence.”
2021-09-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8859 (2021) · source
“The sooner all the discussions wrap up, the sooner all this can start. In parallel, as the Council has heard from the Executive Director, there is also work under way to support the contingency planning. I thank UNEP, the IMO and others for supporting those important efforts. The United Nations remains eager to help as best it can, in line with everything that I have just described.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“For a United Nations-led mission, that path starts with a comprehensive, impartial assessment. As we have said before, the United Nations has no preference on how the problem is ultimately solved so long as it is done safely. So where do we go from here? The United Nations expert team remains ready to deploy, as it has been for the past two years. The United Nations will keep that team on standby for as long as we have donor funding to do so. Some of those funds, however, will start running out soon, so we hope that things will start moving much, much faster. If all the assurances come through, it will still take several weeks for the United Nations to rent the mission vessels, ship all the specialized equipment, deploy the experts and sail to the FSO SAFER from Djibouti.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“During the mission, the experts will also do some light maintenance to minimize the immediate risk of a spill, which we hope will buy more time. A formal scope-of-work document, available on the United Nations website, outlines exactly what the United Nations team wants to do in terms of maintenance, provided the conditions on board and in the surrounding environment make it safe enough to do so. As we have told the Council, Ansar Allah at the time accepted the scope of work back in November. However, it now seems unhappy with this. The United Nations focus on assessment may seem frustrating given that everyone wants to see the problem solved right away. And, of course, the world would certainly welcome whatever path can be taken to move as quickly as possible towards a safe and sustainable solution.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“From what we can gather, the physical structure is degrading, the underlying systems do not work, and there is a good chance that flammable gases are building up in some places. But because the United Nations has never been allowed to visit the site, we do not know exactly what the conditions are like on board. That means that it is impossible to say in advance exactly what activities can safely be performed. That is why also the main purpose of the United Nations mission has always been to assess the vessel’s condition. Experts need to verify what we are dealing with and assess what can be done safely. The assessment will provide impartial evidence on the options to resolve the problem once and for all.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“That is mostly because the Ansar Allah authorities, while always agreeing to a mission in principle, have been reluctant to provide the concrete assurances needed to proceed. The United Nations wrote to Ansar Allah two months ago to clarify exactly what is needed for the mission to deploy. Project donors sent a similar letter, and several Member States have been raising the issue directly as well. Over the past 10 days, there have also been extensive discussions to try to bridge the remaining gaps. But so far, those efforts have not succeeded. The main sticking point seems to be what exactly the United Nations mission will do and, more specifically, why the United Nations cannot agree more in terms of repairs. As we have said before, the FSO SAFER is a dangerous site; it has had essentially no maintenance for more than six years.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: Over the past two years, Under- Secretary-General Lowcock has briefed the Security Council 23 times on the FSO SAFER tanker, including at a dedicated meeting like this one last July (see S/2020/721). With 23 briefings behind us, progress, needless to say, has been much slower than anyone would have wanted. In the past, we have explained in detail what we think the likely impact of the spill or explosion might be, that is, a dire environmental and humanitarian situation. That assessment has not changed, so I will not repeat it here today. We have also updated the Council every month on United Nations efforts to gain access to the FSO SAFER vessel. There is not much more new to say here either. The bottom line is that so far, no mission has been allowed to deploy.”
2021-06-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8786 (2021) · source
“In that regard, we welcome the launch this year of the ICRC Missing Persons Project, which will build a community of practice; bring together experts and practitioners to work with families, Member States, international organizations and other actors to help stop people from going missing; find those who have gone missing and support their families. The scale ofthe problem can and must be addressed, principally by respecting and ensuring respect for international humanitarian law. For the sake of those missing now and who may be in the future, and for the families that suffer so much as they wait for news, it is incumbent upon us all to take action.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“We would encourage parties to conflict and States to avail themselves of the support of the ICRC and other key actors in establishing the necessary legal and policy frameworks related to missing persons and the needs of their families. As the resolution rightly stresses, strengthening the role and capacity of relevant existing national, regional and international mechanisms to provide advice and support to Member States will be essential. We would also encourage Member States to engage in networking, exchange of experience, best practices and other means of cooperation on the issue of missing persons as a result of armed conflict.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“In turn, this entails putting in place appropriate domestic laws and policies, including mechanisms to search for the missing and respond to the needs of their relatives. These mechanisms should entail the collection, management and protection of information on missing persons; the establishment of necessary forensic and other processes for managing human remains; and the provision of psychological, legal and financial support needed by the families of the missing. The resolution adopted by the Council today is rightly ambitious. It calls upon States and parties to conflict to put in place these and other specific measures.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Meanwhile, cases of missing persons that occurred years and even decades ago in the Balkans, Lebanon, Nepal and Sri Lanka, for example, are still pending clarification. What we need, as the Secretary-General noted in his report last month on the protection of civilians (S/20l9/373), is for parties to conflict to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law as it relates to missing persons. The law prohibits enforced disappearance. It requires that parties take all feasible measures to account for those reported missing as a result of armed conflict. It enshrines the right of the families of the missing to receive information on their fate and whereabouts.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Moreover, the anguish and uncertainty can jeopardize the prospects for reconstructing the social fabric of conflict-affected communities and societies. There is no comprehensive figure for those missing in conflict, but what we do know is that the situation is dire. For example - as the Council will hear from the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - more than 10,000 cases of missing persons have been opened by the ICRC in relation to the Syrian conflict. The organization has also received 13,000 requests for support in finding missing relatives from families in Nigeria. In Myanmar, South Sudan and Yemen, United Nations bodies have reported cases of enforced disappearance of persons deprived of their liberty, along with many other persons reported to be missing.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Sometimes they are civilians merely fleeing violence for their own safety, girls and boys who become separated from their families, and elderly persons or persons with disabilities who are unable to flee or are left behind. They might be civilians or combatants, killed during fighting, and their remains improperly managed or disposed of. Whatever the circumstances, the families of the missing are left in a state of absolute despair, not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones. When the missing person is also the breadwinner, the impact on families can be economically devastating. In some situations, the relatives of missing persons find it hard to remarry, claim their inheritance, receive benefits and rebuild their lives in the face of legal and administrative obstacles.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source
“Ms. Ghelani: I am pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Mark Lowcock. We very much welcome today's discussion and adoption of resolution 2474 (2019), on missing persons in armed conflict. Importantly, the resolution affirms the obligation of parties to conflict to prevent persons from going missing and to clarify their fate if they do go missing. It comes not a moment too soon. Alarming numbers of persons go missing in armed conflicts. They might be captured by warring parties and held incommunicado in secret locations, where they may ultimately die. They might be victims of extrajudicial executions, their bodies hidden in unmarked graves.”
2019-06-11 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8543 (2019) · source