YouSaid · the spoken record

Holmes

lines on the record: 557
first: 2007-04-04
most recent: 2010-07-07
sittings or episodes: 25
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

“Throughout 2008, armed groups in Mogadishu used residential areas to launch indiscriminate mortar attacks against Ethiopian and TFG forces, provoking equally indiscriminate and disproportionate counter-attacks, often involving the use of heavy weapons. Reports suggest that all sides launched their attacks with such lack of precision that 3 there was little, if any, expectation of striking a military objective or avoiding civilian casualties. Armed groups also used homes and crowds of civilians as cover from which to ambush TFG and Ethiopian forces, resulting in wild firefights and further civilian casualties. In Afghanistan, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) reports that more than 2000 civilians were killed during hostilities in 2008, an increase of over 40 per cent compared to 2007.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Meanwhile, we have had to face up to fresh atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the north-east of the country and in parts of southern Sudan. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, LRA attacks on villages in Orientale province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have left more than 500 people dead. Over 400 have been abducted and some 100,000 displaced. For any who hoped the threat of LRA brutality had gone, it has been a rude awakening indeed. In Somalia, 2008 was, for an increasingly high proportion of the population, another year trapped in a vicious cycle of attack and counter-attack between armed groups and Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Congolese civilians found themselves in the worst of all worlds, subject to attacks, displacement, sexual violence and forced recruitment perpetrated by advancing rebel forces, and to acts of violence, rape and looting carried out by members of the official Congolese armed forces and Mai-Mai and other militias. In one particularly horrific incident in early November, an estimated 150 people were killed during two days of violence in the town of Kiwanja. Reports indicate that most of those killed were summarily executed by the forces of Laurent Nkunda. Others died when caught in combat between Nkunda's forces and Mai-Mai militia. Though the situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is now somewhat more stable, sporadic violence continues and humanitarian needs are great, while access remains extremely limited.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Can we look at what has been happening in Gaza in the past three weeks and say that either Israel or Hamas has come close to respecting fully these rules? I think not. I repeat that violations of international humanitarian law by one party to a conflict offer no justification for non-compliance by other parties. Allegations of violations must be fully investigated and those responsible held to account. 09-20780 As much as the world's attention is focused on Gaza, that is, sadly, by no means the only situation to raise profound concerns over the degree of respect for these rules and for international humanitarian law. From the end of August, the eyes of the international community were focused on the catastrophic situation that began to unfold around Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“For those launching attacks, this includes doing everything feasible to verify that the objectives to be attacked are neither civilians nor civilian objects and refraining from any indiscriminate attacks, including those that may be expected to cause incidental civilian casualties that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from that specific attack. For those in defence, it means removing civilians and civilian objects from the vicinity of military objectives and avoiding locating military objectives within or near densely populated areas. It also means not ordering or using the presence or movement of civilians to render certain points or areas immune from military operations or to shield military objectives from attack.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Only a full and fully respected ceasefire will spare the civilian population from these horrors, and even then, their need for assistance will remain both urgent and overwhelming. In the conduct of military operations, constant care must be taken to spare the civilian population from the effects of hostilities. This requires strict compliance with the principles of distinction and proportionality and the requirement to take all feasible precautions in attack and against the effects of attack.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Israeli operations are also causing extensive damage to homes and public infrastructure and 09-20780 seriously jeopardizing water, sanitation and medical services. United Nations schools sheltering displaced persons have been hit; humanitarian workers have been killed and ambulances hit; the sick and wounded have been left trapped and unassisted; and up to 100,000 people have been displaced from their homes. The situation for the civilian population of Gaza is terrifying, and its psychological impact is felt particularly by children and their parents, who feel helpless and unable to protect them. It is a situation from which civilians have only minimal respite: three hours a day, with no escape, as borders and crossings remain closed.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Yet any Israeli response must itself comply with international humanitarian law. Here too, there is considerable and grave cause for concern. The population of Gaza was already suffering severely after more than 18 months of closures. Since the current hostilities started, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports, as of yesterday, 13 January, that the number of Palestinian casualties stands at 971 killed, of whom 311 are children and 76 women, and 4,418 wounded, of whom 1,549 are children and 652 are women. Many of the male casualties are no doubt also civilians. The number of child casualties has reportedly tripled since the beginning of ground operations on 3 January. The Israel Defense Forces are no doubt trying, as they say they are, to take steps to minimize civilian casualties, but they are clearly not succeeding.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“Mr. Holmes: Thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council this morning. I will cover a number of urgent issues, but the main focus today must be the conduct of hostilities and the need for strict compliance with international humanitarian law. The current situation in southern Israel and Gaza is pressing and desperate. Civilians in southern Israel have long had to live under constant threat of rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian militants. Considering the number of rockets and mortars fired, civilian casualties have been limited, but the frequent and indiscriminate nature of these attacks inflicts severe psychological suffering. Four Israeli civilians have been killed and dozens injured since the current hostilities began. These attacks are contrary to international humanitarian law and must cease.”
2009-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6066 (2009) · source
“More buildings are needed and more water and timber are consumed, so we have a particular responsibility to start to tackle these environmental issues now, rather than waiting until the end of the conflict, at which stage it will be much more difficult to resolve them. Thank you very much, Mr. President, for the opportunity to respond to those points.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The environmental damage being done there, and in areas around other camps in south Darfur, is very considerable. Environmental experts I met raised the point that if we do not do something about this now, by the time the conflict is resolved the damage may have become irreversible. I think this is a very important point we need to bear in mind: the damage to timber because of urbanization and the need for firewood and the damage to water resources caused by concentrations of IDPs in certain places. And not least, we have to bear in mind the large-scale presence of the international community. Peacekeeping forces and humanitarians also contribute to this.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I entirely welcome the possibility of continuing that discussion - what it means, how important it is and how we can do things about those areas - within the context of the debate on the protection of civilians, which we will be having, I think, in January. I look forward to that very much. Finally, the last point raised by the representative of Italy was a question about the environment, which I 08-63132 did touch on briefly. I was shocked at some of the things I saw and heard while I was in Darfur this time, but also in eastern Chad. For example, in south Darfur, the site of Kalma camp used to be a forest. There are now virtually no trees visible in any direction around the camp, apart from those that are useless. In fact, the camp is littered with the trunks of trees that have been felled and are being used for various purposes.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“We need to make sure we have done all the homework necessary to try to resolve those issues so that when people do start to return home in large numbers, any conflict between them and other people who may have occupied their land or been using their land for grazing in the meantime can be resolved peacefully and that there are proper dispute-resolution mechanisms in place. These issues are absolutely fundamental in this context, and we need to have them fully in mind. The representative of Costa Rica also mentioned the protection of civilians and the need to continue the debate on that.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I think another important part of this, which I did refer to briefly in my remarks, is the possibility of locally led reconciliation efforts between different communities, which have very often gone through very traumatic times in the past few years, whether in Chad or Darfur. If such reconciliation efforts can be maintained and pursued, if communities can reach agreement between themselves about living together peacefully in the future, that facilitates the question of return as soon as possible. A related question was raised by the representative of Italy with regard to land and property rights. There is no doubt in my mind that, in the context of discussions about a settlement in Darfur, those issues are fundamental, as they are in many other circumstances.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Whenever I go into a camp and talk to people, they say "Of course we want to go home, but we can't go home until we feel safe when we do." There is also the question of the provision of basic services like health and education and other parts of infrastructure when people return home, but the basic requirement is security. I think what that means is that it is difficult to imagine wholesale return of people from camps in either Chad or Darfur until there is a proper peaceful settlement. In the meantime, if there are people who wish to go home, and if there are areas that have become safe and are seen as safe by the inhabitants of the camps themselves, that is entirely welcome, and we will certainly help those concerned to return. We have no hesitation about that; we think it is a positive development.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The representative of Costa Rica asked about the prospects for the people in the camps and the plans for their future. I think the representative of Italy made a similar comment about how we can encourage and facilitate returns. I think the first thing to say is that, obviously, we are fully in favour of people in camps, whether they are refugees or IDPs, returning to their places of origin as soon as they possibly can. As I said in my own remarks, life in camps is dehumanizing, demoralizing and damaging to any prospects of normality in the future, and becomes more so the longer it goes on. Therefore, we encourage returns as soon as possible. But the basic conditions for those returns have to be in place, the most basic condition being security. That is the issue that is raised constantly with me.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The only note of caution I would raise is that we need to be careful that we actually maintain the full processes of consultation and voluntariness on the part of the IDPs themselves and do not get ourselves into a position where we appear to be putting undue pressure on people to return before they genuinely think it is safe to do so. The representative of the Russian Federation reminded us that humanitarian assistance is there to support Governments and needs to respect their sovereignty fully. I simply want to assure him that we fully recognize that ourselves. We also recognize, as many people around the table commented this afternoon, that the fundamental responsibility for the safety and security of their own citizens and also of humanitarian workers rests with the Governments concerned.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I was also able to discuss it with the authorities in south Darfur and in Khartoum and to remind them that there was still a need for a proper investigation of that incident. On the question of returns of IDPs in eastern Chad, the representative of France suggested that sometimes the United Nations might have been too slow in responding to that phenomenon and accompanying those who were returning. I wanted to assure him that we do recognize the importance of providing assistance to those who are returning and making sure that some basic services are in place. In the place I visited - which was also visited recently by Minister Kouchner - I think we are beginning to do that, both on the part of United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I hope it will be followed shortly by the deployment of the agreed border contingents on both sides of the long border between the two countries. As people have said, that is absolutely fundamental if there is to be any chance of a peaceful settlement in Darfur and stabilization of the region. The representative of France raised the issue of the protection of the civilian and humanitarian nature of the camps but made the point that that does not excuse attacks against the camps. He referred to the particular case of the very tragic incident in August of this year in Kalma camp in south Darfur, when 33 IDPs were killed and many more injured. I simply wanted to echo that point. That issue was very fresh in the minds of the people in Kalma camp whom I met.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I also noted the primordial importance given by virtually all speakers to the need for a ceasefire that is respected by all sides and urgent efforts to produce a political settlement. I hope that the Governments concerned and the rebel movements also will listen to these messages coming from the Council. Let me also take this opportunity to echo and agree with what was said by many people around the table about the importance of relations between Chad and the Sudan and the improvement that we have seen in recent weeks. I was able to discuss this in both capitals, and I did note that there was a certain cautious readiness on both sides to make a fresh start on the basis of the Dakar Agreement, which has started with the exchange of ambassadors and which was noted by many speakers.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I was also very grateful for support expressed in many quarters for what I was saying about issues such as access, the importance of the protection of civilians and efforts in that area, including the problems of gender-based violence, the importance of maintaining the civilian and humanitarian nature of refugee and IDP camps, the importance of speeding up administrative procedures and reducing administrative obstacles to humanitarian work, including implementation of the moratorium on restrictions, which has just been extended, and the responsibility of Governments to facilitate humanitarian work and protect humanitarian workers, including not least, for example, stopping the phenomenon of banditry, which is common to both Darfur and eastern Chad.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Mr. Holmes: I shall just to respond briefly to some of the points raised. First, I am very grateful for the support that has been expressed around the table this afternoon for humanitarian efforts and for the heroism and courage of humanitarian workers, in both Darfur and Chad.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Meanwhile, it is important that UNAMID continue to use its current and future capacity to improve the physical protection of civilians, in particular in the camps near the main towns, as they have now done so successfully around Kalma camp in South Darfur. This will not only improve the safety of civilians and humanitarians, but will also help contribute to reducing tensions overall. Lastly, let me make one comment on the issue relating to the International Criminal Court in the Sudan. Regardless of what may happen in the coming months, it is in everyone's interest to ensure the safety of humanitarians and to sustain the humanitarian operation. I took every opportunity to remind the Government of the Sudan of its fundamental responsibilities in this context.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“They have a lot to answer for, too. Meanwhile, the situation in Darfur cannot continue without causing incalculable damage, not only to the physical environment - the risks to which in areas like forest cover and water resources struck me particularly forcibly on this visit - but also to the ability of Darfur to recover its culture and way of life in the future. A generation is growing up in the camps with no knowledge of what went before. How will they respond if and when real peace returns? How many will go back to villages in some cases already occupied by others? Humanitarian relief cannot answer these questions. Only decisive political action can.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The United Nations, NGOs and donors must all continue to help ensure effective recovery and development. But the Government of Southern Sudan also needs to allocate additional resources for basic services. Let me conclude with a few general points. The situation in Darfur remains a huge challenge - above all for the people of Darfur, but also for humanitarians, for UNAMID and for the political process. There is plenty of room to criticize the Government of the Sudan for continuing human rights violations, for not disarming the militias, for not always facilitating humanitarian relief, or for declaring a ceasefire then 08-63132 almost immediately violating it. However, the rebel movements have neither declared a ceasefire nor shown great readiness to engage in a political process, and are also not helping relief efforts.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“One child in every seven dies under the age of five. Agriculture has huge potential but, three years on from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, more than 90 per cent of fruits, vegetables and consumer goods are imported from Uganda or Kenya. The good news is that some 12,000 kilometres of roads have been de-mined, 3,000 water points have been rehabilitated, 2.4 million former IDPs and refugees have returned and primary school enrolment rates have risen dramatically. So, some of the peace dividends hoped for on the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement have begun to appear. But there is a long way to go. While Darfur's problems tend to take the spotlight, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement remains of huge importance for the whole country.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“I also discussed this with the new Abyei Administrator and his Deputy, in particular the importance of ensuring that the resources required to implement the Road Map are made available. This is a point I strongly took up in my meetings in Juba and in Khartoum. The importance of Abyei to North-South peace can hardly be overstated. I also visited Juba for the first time since March 2007. Juba itself has boomed in the meantime, with the good and bad sides that boom implies. But outside the capital, the process of construction remains painfully slow, and little of the oil revenue flowing to Southern Sudan has so far been seen. Southern Sudan, while no longer a humanitarian emergency as such, still has some of the worst child and maternal health indicators in the world. For example, maternal mortality is twice as high as Darfur.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Overall, my discussions with the Sudanese authorities, while frank at times, took place in a constructive spirit. We now need to see rapid results on the ground. We are also intensifying our contacts with the rebel movements to persuade them that they too must respect humanitarian personnel and aid efforts. From Darfur I went to South Kordofan to assess the humanitarian response to May's serious violence in Abyei, which forced some 50,000 civilians to flee, many to nearby Agok. Talking to the displaced Dinka, the message was clear: without continued progress on 08-63132 the Abyei Road Map, including further support to the joint implementation and police units, most of the population will not return, primarily due to fears of renewed violence.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“To help address these issues, I have asked the Government again to allow UNHCR to support them with camp coordination and management. I also strongly urge rebel leaders to respect the civilian and humanitarian nature of the camps. Frustration and problems are not, of course, confined to the camps, but exist in many rural areas too. We are trying to engage with and help all communities, including Arab nomadic communities, and to promote early recovery and development wherever possible. Local reconciliation efforts between communities, as well as wider political negotiations, are essential for future normalization, and I was encouraged that these were already under way in some places, for example to allow the recent harvest to go ahead in relative peace in some areas.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“We must also be aware of the effects of continued violence, stress and upheaval in Darfur. Those in camps are increasingly frustrated. The longer they stay there, the more militancy is increased by questions such as land and property rights. Fears are increased by renewed pressure by Government authorities for rapid return, even when security conditions are clearly not right for safety or sustainability. Some camps are particularly sensitive, such as Kalma or those around Zalingei in West Darfur, both of which I visited. Just yesterday, tensions came to a boil in Hissa Hissa camp in Zalingei, resulting in a tense standoff which required the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) to position itself between the camp and an armed group.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“On the long-standing issue of administrative obstacles impeding humanitarian operations, the Government recently extended the moratorium on restrictions through January 2010. I welcome this early decision. We should be able to harmonize procedures and practices between the federal and state levels, and address issues together before hasty unilateral actions are taken, such as harassing or closing projects or expelling staff. I have also asked the Government to provide international humanitarian staff of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with multiple-entry visas to increase operational efficiency and to avoid the anxiety of having to wait for exit visas, for example in urgent compassionate circumstances. This would reduce bureaucracy for both sides and would significantly improve the atmosphere of relations.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“It was therefore particularly disturbing that programmes aimed at preventing or responding to this violence are under increased pressure from Government authorities, with South Darfur presenting the most difficult challenges and one or two unacceptable incidents. The authorities there have also recently forced the closure of two NGO mental health projects. An air of unnecessary suspicion continues to hang over the aims of this type of project. I raised these issues with the Government at all levels. I hope that we can reach a better shared understanding of the essential purpose of protection and find ways of working together to help people living amid these brutal risks.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“It seriously damages the quality of assistance - for example, World Food Programme rations are still only at 70 per cent because of attacks on their convoys - and it damages the credibility of their promises to ensure our safety. Nobody can be satisfied with only keeping needy people alive. Alleviating their suffering and protecting them from abuses are as much a part of humanitarianism today as are food, water and other material assistance. For example, throughout my trip in Darfur, I was confronted with the pervasive risk of sexual violence. I met many women who had the courage to speak out.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“There are many reasons for our access problems, including the continuing violence, travel restrictions, the politicization of the humanitarian environment, 3 including in the IDP camps, and the dramatic increase in attacks on humanitarians and their property. The year 2008 has seen these attacks reach unprecedented levels. As of 30 November, 261 vehicles had been hijacked and 172 compounds broken into. The cars and other valuables stolen seem to find their way mostly to Chad or Libya for resale. Rebel movements, or groups or individuals linked to them, appear to be primarily responsible for the majority of these terrifying incidents in rural areas. However, many also occur in main towns under Government control. I call on both the Government security forces and rebel leaders to put a stop to this banditry once and for all.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Even if this displacement or re-displacement is only temporary, the destruction, including of humanitarian infrastructure, and consequent delays in relief assistance redouble the suffering. To the frustration of all, many of the problems noted in the past are equally relevant today. The operation nevertheless continues to achieve its primary goal of keeping people alive, not least through the sheer determination of thousands of aid workers to overcome the obstacles. But at the risk of stating the obvious, the things most urgently needed are a ceasefire that is declared and respected by all parties and a negotiated settlement to the conflict. The critical humanitarian challenges today are access and protection of civilians.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Overall, I left Chad with slightly more optimism about future prospects than I had expected, including in terms of our efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian aid. However, the risks of rapid deterioration remain high. The international community and the Security Council cannot afford to neglect Chad. I should now like to turn to the Sudan, where I visited all three Darfur states, South Kordofan, Juba and Khartoum. The billion-dollar humanitarian operation in Darfur, still the largest in the world, will soon enter its sixth year. The needs are not diminishing, and the situation remains grave. This year more than 315,000 people have been forced to flee from violence and inter-tribal conflict.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“08-63132 In my discussions with the Chadian Government and local authorities, I also strongly encouraged them to increase their effective presence in the East and to live up to their own responsibilities for ensuring security, providing basic services and supporting development. They, in turn, drew attention to the need to take into account the unequal treatment of the original population, many of whom are themselves on the edge of extreme poverty and food insecurity. We need to add to our existing assistance projects a package to address this as well as the environmental issues. I hope donors will look favourably on this, as on the overall Consolidated Appeals Process 2009 requirements of some $389 million, in the same way that they have responded generously to humanitarian needs in 2008.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The deployment of the newly trained Chadian gendarme force, the Detachement integre de securite (DIS), fully supported by MINURCAT, is equally vital. They have the mandate and training to provide the kind of local police protection in and around the camps that is so badly needed. Deployment has already begun and I was encouraged by the attitude of members of the DIS that I met. But there is a long way to go, and there remain some key issues of equipment and operational capability to be resolved. The Council will soon be voting on the future of the United Nations presence in Chad. I urge members to ensure that MINURCAT II has the resources to cover the key geographical areas currently covered by EUFOR, in addition to one or two others, with the necessary logistical support and an appropriate mandate.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“This banditry, which is carried out largely for profit, following a pattern we have seen in Darfur, is encouraged by the proliferation of small arms throughout the area, the presence of armed militias and more or less total impunity for those responsible, in the absence of any meaningful local judicial system. Some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have already withdrawn, wholly or partially, and we will need to work hard to fill these gaps and provide the best basis possible for others to stay. A speedy and effective deployment of MINURCAT II and a smooth transition from EUFOR are therefore vital to help improve security for refugees, IDPs, the humanitarian community and the original population alike.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Security remains critical, and must go hand in hand with the provision of basic social infrastructure and a stronger presence of State authorities. The presence of EUFOR and the progressive deployment of MINURCAT have helped to stabilize the situation overall, to provide much needed general reassurance to refugees, IDPs and the local community and to improve security for humanitarians. However, EUFOR has not had the capacity to tackle the growing problems of local banditry and criminality, which remain the greatest single concern for the humanitarian community in eastern Chad. Since the beginning of the year, about 160 serious incidents have been recorded, including the murder of the head of the Save the Children team.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“In the absence of a settlement in Darfur, there is unfortunately little immediate prospect of return for the Sudanese refugees who have been in Chad for the last five years. The focus is therefore on increasing self- sustainability. There are, however, some signs of hope for the IDPs. There have been limited voluntary returns to their villages of origin in recent months, particularly in locations further away from the Darfur border. Others are moving between the camps and their previous smallholdings to restart agricultural activity. In Louboutique, which I visited, the return process has been greatly facilitated by effective locally led 08-63132 reconciliation efforts. I hope these can be replicated elsewhere, without putting undue pressure on the IDPs.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“The politicization and militarization of the refugee camps and some IDP sites are major and increasing concerns. In particular, recruitment by armed groups, including of children, notably by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), is threatening the civilian and humanitarian nature of the camps. This needs to stop if the humanitarian effort is to be able to continue successfully. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has already been unable to deliver assistance in one camp for two months for related reasons. I asked the Government of Chad to do all it can to prevent such problems, and I call on the JEM. leadership in particular to recognize their responsibilities too.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“In the east, banditry has worsened and poses a significant threat to IDPs, refugees, aid workers and the local population. The underlying tensions from long years of internal conflict and the spillover from Darfur have not gone away. The humanitarian situation is relatively stable in terms of numbers. Around 263,000 refugees from Darfur and 57,000 from Central African Republic, and 180,000 IDPs, are currently receiving humanitarian assistance. Emergency needs are mostly being met and the quality of aid reaching IDPs is much better than on my last visit, in March 2007. However, the long-term presence of such large numbers of refugees and IDPs is resulting in growing tensions with the host population and additional strain on the already fragile environment.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Mr. Holmes: Thank you very much, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council on my recent visits to Chad and to the Sudan. I visited Chad for a second time to look at the humanitarian situation and response, particularly in the light of the deployment of the European Union military operation (EUFOR) and the United Nations Mission in 2 the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) and the transition to MINURCAT II. In eastern Chad, I visited refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, and a village where IDPs have begun to return. In N'djamena I spoke with the Prime Minister and other ministers. National tensions have eased since the attack on N'djamena last February but the situation remains fragile and volatile.”
2008-12-03 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6029 (2008) · source
“Mr. Holmes: I shall be very brief. I think understandably, most delegations focused their remarks on the major political and security challenges in Afghanistan and less so on the humanitarian situation, but I am grateful to those delegations that referred to the need to increase the humanitarian assistance we can give to the people of Afghanistan and to the need to strengthen our efforts with the Government of Afghanistan to reinforce our humanitarian capacity. I am grateful for that support. Let me assure the Council that we will be doing our best for our part, that is as the international humanitarian community, to strengthen that capacity and to try to respond better to these humanitarian needs, which are unfortunately increasing at this time.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source
“This approach could include a range of options from days or zones of tranquillity, in order to conduct vital vaccination campaigns against polio or other diseases, to more lasting access agreements in areas of conflict. Arrangements of this kind have been possible in other complex emergencies, and could be possible in Afghanistan, too. The situation in Afghanistan requires a closely coordinated approach and close partnership between the Afghan Government and the international community. Humanitarian efforts need to find their proper place in this situation. I hope this Council will support efforts to find new ways to improve our humanitarian response, while the work of stabilizing and rebuilding Afghanistan continues.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source
“There should certainly be scope for reducing further accidental civilian casualties and other problems resulting from the actions of pro-Government military forces and for making their actions more transparent and capable of being accounted for. Civilians need to know clearly where to go for redress. I would also urge a further effort to ensure that international military presences are located as far away as possible from civilian-populated areas. Thirdly, we need to find ways to distinguish better between military and political activities, on the one hand, and humanitarian action, on the other. No matter how difficult, it is important to find opportunities to expand humanitarian space, increase access and reduce the likelihood of attacks on humanitarian actors.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source
“It may seem there is little we can do about the actions of the anti-Government elements, who show little or no regard for civilians and contempt for international humanitarian law and the principles of distinction and proportionality, as the latest bloody attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul showed. Nevertheless, any influence that can be brought to bear would help. The anti-Government groups must not be allowed to believe that they can kill civilians with impunity. In any case, I believe the United Nations, international forces and the Afghan Government need to work together in a renewed effort to reduce the impact of the conflict on civilians.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source
“United Nations agencies and NGOs have hitherto had insufficient security, funding and capacity on the ground to act in some areas, leaving serious gaps that the PRTs understandably have sought to fill. I believe we must do much more to improve the humanitarian response. First, we need to support humanitarian actors in increasing significantly their capacity and in mobilizing additional resources for that purpose. We will work with all partners, notably the Government, to put in place a new humanitarian action plan to that end. We must also build further the Government's own capacity, particularly in disaster risk reduction and disaster management and in internally displaced persons and returnee management. Secondly, we must do more to improve the protection of civilians.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source
“All humanitarian actors in Afghanistan expressed great concern to me about the blurred lines between military and humanitarian activities. Many Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are doing valuable work, such as constructing and repairing roads and bridges. However, when PRTs engage in what they themselves label "humanitarian assistance", that can increase the risks faced by civilian humanitarian personnel, who are working to provide humanitarian assistance in a needs- based and impartial way. I believe strongly that PRTs should only provide relief as a last resort in cases where insecurity prevents civilian humanitarian actors from doing so. It is also preferable that donors, where possible, channel their humanitarian funds through mandated United Nations agencies and NGOs, not through PRTs, to create a more virtuous circle.”
2008-07-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.5930 (2008) · source