YouSaid · the spoken record

Lowcock

lines on the record: 570
first: 2017-09-27
most recent: 2021-06-15
sittings or episodes: 46
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

“Today I reiterate the importance of sustaining the Russia-Turkey agreement, and I remind the Council that a large-scale military operation in Idlib would have catastrophic humanitarian implications. Last month the Council extended the authorization for the cross-border relief operation into Idlib. Hundreds of thousands of people are reached each month with lifesaving assistance through our cross- border operations. We must continue to be able to provide food, medicine, tents, critical winter supplies and other help. Forty-two thousand people remain stranded in Rukban, along the Syria-Jordan border. Conditions in that informal settlement have continued to deteriorate since the most recent humanitarian convoy to the area, from 3 to 8 November. Eight infants have reportedly died since last month.”
2019-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8454 (2019) · source
“The weather has been difficult for people in Idlib, where the risk of military escalation continues to loom. Over the second half of last year, I frequently highlighted our growing concerns about the plight of 3 million people in Idlib and neighbouring areas in north-west Syria, where civilians simply have nowhere else to flee should there be a full-scale military incursion into the area. The September agreement between Russia and Turkey was followed by a significant decrease in ground fighting and air strikes. However, January saw an increase in fighting among non-State armed groups, placing civilians at risk and resulting in injury and death.”
2019-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8454 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: The people of Syria are suffering a cold, hard winter, with freezing temperatures, snowfall and heavy rain resulting in flooding, which is destroying shelters and forcing tens of thousands more people to move. Millions are living under tents or tarpaulins or in damaged buildings, with no power or heating. There are severe shortages of all the basics - from blankets to baby milk to bandages. Since late last year, the United Nations and its partners have been raising funds to support Syrians across the country with vital winter items, including plastic sheeting to reinforce shelters, stoves and heating fuel, blankets, jackets and winter clothes. We have raised $81 million, which has allowed us to help 1.2 million people. Continued support is critical to ensuring that all those in need can be reached.”
2019-01-30 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8454 (2019) · source
“Given that we expect that the funds generously provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2018 to be fully spent by the end of March, that new pledge is extremely important. We are counting on all our donors to announce more generous funding at the February event. The important progress we have seen on the political track, which Martin has just briefed the Council on, deserves our full and continuing support, but it does not of itself feed a single starving child. Millions of Yemenis are looking to us for assistance and protection, and we need to see more and faster progress on all the humanitarian elements of the Council's resolution to make any practical difference to their lives.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“As humanitarian operations expand this year in response to the deterioration in the situation we have seen, especially over the past six months, humanitarian agencies will obviously need even more money. The 2019 humanitarian response plan will be finalized in the next few weeks, and I expect it will require approximately $4 billion - half of which will be just for emergency food assistance. On 26 February, the Secretary-General will convene a high-level pledging conference in Geneva, co-hosted by the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland. In late November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced that they would contribute an additional $500 million to combat hunger in Yemen in 2019.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“In November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced $70 million in funding to UNICEF to cover teachers' allowances. Arrangements have now been agreed to deliver these payments, and they are expected to begin shortly. That should benefit millions of Yemeni children. Martin's team, with the support of the Resident Coordinator, expects to convene discussions on the economy and strengthening the Central Bank soon. I hope that will quickly lead to practical and sustained improvements. The third humanitarian point is your call, Mr. President, on the international community to consider additional funding for the 2019 United Nations-coordinated humanitarian response plan. We raised $2.4 billion last year, or 83 per cent of what we required.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“It is also more than twice pre-conflict levels. Without intervention, the International Monetary Fund estimates that the exchange rate is likely to slide to more than 700 rial to the dollar this year. As the Council is aware, because Yemen imports nearly all its food, fuel and medicines, this would be devastating for millions of people. Foreign currency injections from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been extremely helpful in strengthening the rial since October. But as I discussed with the Prime Minister in Aden, we need regular, predictable injections such as this that will sustainably keep the exchange rate at an affordable level. The resolution also points out that paying pensions and civil-servant salaries across the country is another key element of strengthening the economy.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“I also sent a follow- up letter to the president of the Ansar Allah Supreme Political Council last month. A constructive dialogue is continuing through the Humanitarian Coordinator, and I remain hopeful that the de facto authorities and the Government of Yemen will act quickly to fulfil the strong commitments to humanitarian action that I received. The second humanitarian point in resolution 2451 (2018) relates to the economy. The resolution calls on the parties to strengthen the economy and the Central Bank, and to pay pensions and civil-servant salaries. The Yemeni rial is again losing value, with the exchange rate now hovering around 520 rial to the dollar. That is, of course, better than the 800-plus rial rate we saw several months ago, but significantly worse than last month's 450-rial rate.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Severe congestion at Aden port also remains a problem. Despite some recent progress, the WFP still has nearly 500 containers stuck in Aden port. In some cases, they have had to reroute cargo via Salalah, in Oman, and then overland into Yemen, at considerably greater cost and risk. I hope that the Government of Yemen, the de facto authorities and other stakeholders will take all steps necessary to ensure the smooth, unimpeded flow of commercial and humanitarian imports through all Yemeni ports, as required by resolution 2451 (2018). This should include the reopening of Ras Isa port, which has been closed since June 2017. As I told the Council last month (see S/PV.8424), I raised all these access issues with those I met in Sana'a and in Aden in November.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“We hope that this is a sign of rising commercial confidence following the Stockholm agreement, but, of course, it makes a difference only if those requests are then agreed. While the situation on fuel imports improved and more ships sought to reach the ports, commercial food imports in December plummeted to just 163,000 metric tons, which in fact is the lowest figure recorded since the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen began monitoring, in July 2016. This is deeply concerning in an environment where a serious threat of famine persists. Overall, average monthly commercial food imports are now 25 per cent lower than they were a year ago. Ongoing import restrictions also mean that no commercial containerized cargo has entered Al-Hudaydah port for more than a year.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Taken together, these developments are delaying and interrupting critical humanitarian programmes. But solutions can be agreed. Just today we received confirmation that 56 new visas would be granted to United Nations staff; that is an important step in the right direction. The resolution also calls for impediments to commercial imports to be lifted. In December, commercial fuel imports through Al-Hudaydah and Saleef were higher than at any time since August 2017, although they remain below estimated requirements. This is a significant improvement, and we hope that fuel imports will continue to increase in the coming months. The number of clearance requests to enter Al-Hudaydah and Saleef ports also more than doubled in December compared with the previous month.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“We are also concerned by administrative restrictions being imposed on international non-governmental organizations as they renew their operating agreements, as well as ongoing challenges with monitoring. Restrictions are also being tightened on specific types of programming, including protection and support for victims of sexual and gender-based violence. Protection work is urgently needed in Yemen, where, to cite one example, verified reports of grave violations of children's rights, including killings, maiming and recruitment to military service, increased by nearly 25 per cent in the last year. Continuing delays and unacceptable preconditions for the planned medical air bridge from Sana'a airport also mean that thousands of people with medical conditions for which treatment is unavailable in northern Yemen are condemned to suffer.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Following the Stockholm agreement, an immediate objective was to regain access to the Red Sea Mills and several humanitarian warehouses in Al-Hudaydah. This has not yet happened, but needs to happen quickly. Enough grain for 3.5 million people has now been sitting unused, possibly spoiling, for nearly four months in the Red Sea Mills. Unfortunately, over the last six weeks, the de facto authorities have blocked humanitarian supplies travelling from areas under their control to Government- held areas. They have also recently informed humanitarian agencies that 72 hours' notice is required ahead of any movements, instead of the usual 48 hours.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“It is also important to note that the Sana'a problem itself was identified through existing monitoring mechanisms and that the WFP, with support from the Humanitarian Coordinator, has acted decisively. They and the de facto authorities are having intensive, constructive discussions on the way forward, and we are optimistic that the right measures will be in place before the next round of distributions is slated to begin. Steps to improve targeting and delivery mechanisms are being taken as we speak. Resolution 2451 (2018) sets out three main points related to humanitarian issues. I would like to update the Council on where we stand on those today. The first point is access. The humanitarian scale-up that Yemenis need will not be possible if aid workers and supplies cannot travel safely and freely to where they are needed.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“We take this extremely seriously; parties to conflict must not misappropriate relief items destined for civilians in need. Because we are committed to an effective response, we had already contracted independent third-party monitors last autumn. In their first report, they found that 95 per cent of intended food-aid beneficiaries contacted across the country confirmed that they were indeed receiving food aid. In some cases, rations were not always complete. These gaps could potentially be due to funding or access constraints, or other problems. More detailed independent monitoring of this sort is currently under way. It would not surprise me if problems were to emerge in other parts of the country. But we will always act to find solutions when that happens.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Humanitarian agencies continue to roll back cholera, to improve living conditions for displaced families in collective centres and informal camps, and to do everything possible to mitigate hunger and malnutrition for the 240,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity i at the phase 5 level of the Integrated Phase Classification. Agencies are also preparing for large-scale returns to Al-Hudaydah as and when conditions allow. Altogether, operations in Yemen this year will, if funding is available, reach 15 million people - about half the population. None of this is problem-free. On 31 December, the WFP issued a statement seeking action from the de facto authorities over diversion of food aid from seven distribution sites in Sana'a. We know that aid diversion and attempted diversion are risks in all conflict settings.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“More than 3.3 million people have been displaced, over 600,000 of them in the past 12 months. Only half of health facilities are fully functioning. Hundreds of thousands of people got sick last year because of poor sanitation and water-borne diseases, including cholera. Needs have intensified across all sectors. Millions of Yemenis are hungrier, sicker and more vulnerable now than they were a year ago. Humanitarian agencies, though, are scaling up to meet these needs. In December, the World Food Programme (WFP) reached 9.5 million people with emergency food assistance; that is a record number. In the next few months, the WFP will expand operations to reach 12 million people a month, including the 10 million most at risk of famine and 2 million acutely vulnerable internally displaced persons.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: The Stockholm Agreement and resolution 2451 (2018) are already having an impact. Reports from humanitarian agencies in Al-Hudaydah indicate that civilians are a little more confident and a little less afraid that they will be victims of air strikes or caught in crossfire as they go about their lives. But, as Mr. Griffiths just said, it is very early days, and we must do everything we can to support the Stockholm Agreement. We must keep reminding the parties that international humanitarian law must be respected in all locations and at all times. I cannot yet report to the Council that the wider humanitarian situation in Yemen is any better. It remains catastrophic. More than 24 million people now need humanitarian assistance - 80 per cent of the population. They include nearly 10 million people just a step away from famine.”
2019-01-09 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8441 (2019) · source
“Our collective assessment is that the good news we heard this week has not yet had any material impact on the millions of people who need assistance. Access, the economy and resources are major priorities. The lesson is twofold - progress is absolutely possible but we need much more of it right now. So, I again ask for practical and political support from the Council in the five areas I have outlined.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“That would be a boost to our fund raising, and we hope that it will jump-start contributions from other countries. On 26 February, the Secretary-General will convene a high-level pledging conference in Geneva, co-hosted by the Governments of Switzerland and Sweden. The fifth area is the most important, and that is for the parties to continue to engage seriously with Martin's process, including implementing the agreements reached in Sweden. The five points I have been emphasizing are, to remind the Council, a package and not a menu. We need more action on all of them. Notwithstanding the good news from Sweden, there is a long way to go. Earlier today, I chaired another detailed discussion on Yemen with the heads of all the key United Nations and other operational humanitarian agencies.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“To ensure that all the food, medicine, household items and other supplies, as well as the aid workers, reach their destinations quickly and safely, our logistics programme must also be financed to expand significantly. That will all require a lot more money. The 2019 United Nations humanitarian response plan is costed ay $4 billion; about half of that is for emergency food assistance. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recently pledged to provide another $500 million for humanitarian aid in Yemen. That is on top of their joint contribution of $930 million to the United Nations appeal this year. Our understanding is that most of this new money will be channelled through next year's United Nations coordinated humanitarian response plan.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Otherwise, what we will see is that recent progress, which is improving some people's ability to buy food and other essential goods, will simply be lost again. The fourth area is funding for the United Nations response plan. Agencies are moving now to expand operations. We believe that next year we will need to feed 12 million people every month, including 10 million severely food-insecure people and 2 million displaced people in acute need. That figure of 12 million is a 50 per cent increase over this year. In total, we plan to assist 15 million people - that is half the population. That includes programmes to roll back cholera and water-borne diseases, address malnutrition and improve living conditions for the most vulnerable displaced people.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“But a dollar still costs more than twice as many rials as it did before the current conflict, and research indicates that the exchange rate needs to come down to about 440 rial to the dollar before it will have a wider impact on people's ability to afford food and other essential goods. To achieve that, as well as to finance imports, pay salaries and pensions and meet minimum costs reliably, the Government of Yemen is going to need billions of dollars in external support for its budget in 2019. Again, I had constructive discussions with the Prime Minister on that. We are seeing some progress in paying pensions and payment of some civil servant salaries on both sides. However, as yesterday's statement of the International Monetary Fund made clear, we need more decisions and more sustained action in a similar vein.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“I am following up on the assurances that I was given. In all my conversations in Yemen, I also sought commitments from all parties to ensure that fighters stay away from hospitals and other civilian sites and that no armed forces recruit children. Greater commitment is needed on all sides for the protection of civilians, especially women and girls, in this crisis. The third area is stabilizing the economy. Foreign currency injections over the past two months from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been effective in stabilizing the exchange rate, financing imports of essential goods and starting to pay pensions and civil servant salaries. At present, the Yemeni rial is trading at just over 500 to the dollar, which represents a marked appreciation compared to a few weeks ago.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“In Sana'a, I raised my serious concerns about the restrictions and bureaucratic impediments that humanitarian organizations face, including delays in visas, customs and the registration of non-governmental organizations and unacceptable interference with humanitarian operations. I raised those issues with senior representatives of the de facto authorities, including the President of the Supreme Political Council. Those were constructive discussions, but I have since heard worrying reports that a raft of new restrictions has been introduced, especially for protection activities. Some of those restrictions have come from local authorities and not from the Sana'a level. Based on the firm assurances I received during my visit, I hope that de facto authorities in Sana'a will move quickly to lift those and other restrictions.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Because of all that, enough food to feed nearly 3.5 million people for a month has now sat useless in a warehouse for more than three months. I discussed the issue both with the operators of the mills in Sana'a and with coalition authorities in Riyadh, but as of today we have no idea if the Red Sea Mills can still operate or how much of the donor-funded grain inside has been damaged or spoiled. The Red Sea Mills are just one site among a very large number of mills, silos and warehouses located in and around Al-Hudaydah. If those sites are hit or damaged, aid operations could very quickly grind to a halt. That is one reason why the progress Martin has described concerning Al-Hudaydah is so important, and why we must all do everything we can to make sure that it translates into action.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“As an immediate step, we want to see the release ofsome 1,400 containers belonging to the World Food Programme that have been stuck at Aden port for months. The Red Sea Mills in Al-Hudaydah, which I have talked about repeatedly over the past three months, are an instructive example. Access to the mills has been impossible since fighting escalated around them in September. Fighters have regularly impinged upon the compound, and the site has been repeatedly struck by mortar fire. Early last month, the mills came under the control of Government-backed forces, but access since then has been hampered by difficulties in moving across front lines and concerns that the area - potentially including the entrance to the mills - may have been mined.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“In November, food imports through the ports of Al-Hudaydah and Saleef, where most food enters the country, rose by 15 per cent, although the total quantity remained below what was needed. We also call on the Government to lift restrictions on fuel imports, which are needed to power hospital generators and keep water networks running and for other critical tasks across the country. Those restrictions are currently blocking over 70,000 tons of fuel from entering Al-Hudaydah port. I had a constructive discussion with the Prime Minister on that, and I hope to see positive action soon. Operations at Aden port, where congestion has been a severe problem, have also started to improve after the Government instructed port authorities to accelerate processing times following my discussions with the Prime Minster. We hope that trend continues.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“In the past week, nearly 450 conflict incidents were reported across Yemen, about a third of them in Al-Hudaydah. The agreement on Al-Hudaydah that Martin just described brings us closer to a real cessation. As the details are being worked out, we continue to call for a full cessation of hostilities across the country. The second point is to protect the supply of food and essential goods and to facilitate aid operations. That means keeping all the ports open, easing entry and movement restrictions, protecting humanitarian supplies and facilitating aid workers in doing their jobs. Restrictions on humanitarian access are a serious and growing problem. I had a useful discussion in Aden with the Prime Minister on imports. Last month, the Government of Yemen lifted restrictions on food imports introduced through Decree 75.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“If there is any good news in the IPC report, it is that humanitarian assistance - especially food aid or money to buy food - is having a major impact. It shows that millions of Yemenis are less hungry than they would be without aid. The IPC also tells us what areas and which people are worst affected. The United Nations and partners are rushing now to reach those people and prevent the catastrophe from spreading. We will also do more survey work on an ongoing basis so we can spot the most vulnerable before it is too late. Since October, I have been seeking the Council's support for five measures to prevent famine from taking hold. Those five steps are more urgent than ever. So where do we stand on them today? The first is a cessation of hostilities. Up to now, we have seen only a reduction in fighting in some areas, not a full cessation.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Nearly a quarter of a million Yemenis are literally on the brink of starvation. The IPC is also clear that the war is the primary cause of this crisis. It is no coincidence that two-thirds of the people most at risk of starvation live in Hajjah, Al-Hudaydah, Sa'ada and Taiz. They are the places where the violence has been most intense this year. As we have told the Council before, the economic crisis is also playing a major role. Yemenis' livelihoods and access to income have been decimated, and agricultural production has fallen by nearly a third. Those developments have left millions of more Yemenis unable to afford food and other essential goods, and food prices are 150 per cent higher than they were before the crisis.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Data was collected in 330 of Yemen's 333 districts, analysed and scrutinized by multiple organizations and reviewed by independent Headquarters experts before publication. The results decisively confirm Yemen's descent toward famine. Even for experienced aid workers, the numbers are shocking. More than 20 million Yemenis - two- thirds of the population - are now food insecure. Ten million of them are severely food insecure - more than twice the number of four years ago. More than half the districts across the country have slipped into emergency conditions - nearly 60 per cent more than last year. For the first time, the IPC document refers to what are called "Phase 5" conditions in Yemen. The technical term for Phase 5 is "catastrophe". It is characterized by extreme food gaps, very high malnutrition rates and excess mortality.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Council members have just heard Martin Griffiths describe the progress made this week in Sweden. For the first time in a long time, we can see a sign that perhaps things might start to get a bit better, but the people I met see no tangible improvement yet. This week's success must not lead to complacency; in fact; it must do the opposite. Commitments must be implemented. Working towards peace must be accelerated. In the meantime, millions of Yemenis still desperately need assistance and protection. We have recently had further confirmation of just how bad the situation has become. Last week, a consortium of agencies published the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis for Yemen. Their report is the most detailed, rigorous food security survey ever conducted in the country.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: A fortnight ago in Yemen, I got a glimpse of what life is like in the world's worst humanitarian crisis. I talked to families that had fled violence raging in their communities, some of them had been living for years under a plastic sheet. I met young mothers who had rushed desperately malnourished children to hospitals. For some, it was their second, third or even fourth visit, because their families could not afford the food or medicine to keep them well once they had been discharged. So, I can confirm again what humanitarian agencies have known for a long time. A terrible tragedy is unfolding in Yemen and it is getting worse. Millions of people are starving, sick and desperate. They have one message for the world - this war needs to stop.”
2018-12-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8424 (2018) · source
“Thirdly, there must be support to ensure that approval for the next humanitarian convoy to Rukban is immediately granted and that secure access is provided to the makeshift settlement. Fourthly, we must be able to enjoy the Council's ongoing support so we can further build on our efforts to ensure quality access, through which we can carry out additional needs assessments, deliver to all areas where needs are most severe, and monitor the impact of our interventions. Fifthly, we must provide financing for our current humanitarian response plan. Donors have provided more than $2.1 billion this year, but the plan remains only two-thirds funded.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“The full implementation of those requests will remain an important focus of our work as we move into 2019, recognizing that other issues may also arise as the situation evolves. First, with the adoption of resolution 2449 (2018), important progress has been made, but we must see access continue without impediment. Secondly, while we have seen the continued implementation of the agreement between Russia and Turkey in the north- west, it is critical that it be sustained with respect for civilians and civilian infrastructure, and that there be an end to the current hostilities. A full military onslaught on Idlib and the surrounding areas must be avoided at all costs.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“We are making progress in many of those areas. The United Nations is reaching many places, with more than 550 missions over the past three months to assess, deliver or monitor the delivery of assistance. We are also working on expanding our field presence in governorates outside Damascus to enhance our ability to engage with communities, assess needs, deliver assistance and monitor impact. We continue to engage with all parties to the conflict, including the Government of Syria, at multiple levels to negotiate access and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need. I will report to the Council on our progress in improving access in the months ahead. Let me conclude by recalling the five requests I made to the Council two months ago (see S/PV.8384).”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“Aid has reached 40 per cent of those locations, including through a blanket agreement for access to northern rural Horns and southern Hama. However, sustained access to too many areas remains limited and some areas are still not accessible at all. Improving our response is not only about reaching more people, although that is part of it. We are also increasingly focused on further improving the quality of our access and programming. What do we mean by quality in humanitarian assistance? First, assistance must be based on an assessment of needs. Secondly, it means being able to monitor and evaluate our impact, including by directly engaging with the people we are trying to help. Thirdly, it involves ensuring protection for the most vulnerable and sustaining our reach month after month, based on the needs identified.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“From January to September, humanitarian organizations operating from inside Syria have been reaching an average of 3.2 million people every month. A key priority has been addressing the needs of the most vulnerable in locations that have seen shifts in control. Some 1.6 million people live in areas that have changed control since the beginning of the year. Some areas have suffered for years under siege, have been impacted by intense military activity prior to changing control or have seen no resumption of basic services since changing control. Up to one-third ofthose people are living in areas categorized by the United Nations as hard-to-reach, where the United Nations and its partners do not have a sustained presence and, as a result, humanitarian needs are particularly severe.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“We will make additional efforts to strengthen the monitoring of the distribution in the next convoy. We will send a bigger team, and we plan to accompany the assistance from the offloading point to the distribution points inside the makeshift settlement to oversee the actual distributions and to conduct post- distribution monitoring. My message to all concerned parties is therefore simple. I ask them to provide the authorizations, facilitation letters and all the necessary security guarantees for the convoy to proceed without delay or impediment. Sustaining and scaling up the response is also critical in other parts of the country, including in areas under the control of the Government, where we now estimate that 8.7 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“The deployment of our convoy in early November has shown that where there is a political will, humanitarian organizations can mobilize quickly and provide help to those in need. I once again thank all who were involved in that. We need to build on that first delivery with a second convoy later this month to provide food, water, hygiene and sanitation support, and medical and nutrition items, as well as blankets, mattresses and other essential non-food items to help protect people during the winter. A second convoy will also allow us to carry out further vaccinations and speak to people about their plans as we look towards more sustainable solutions. I want to assure the Council that the first delivery was effective. We monitored the delivery of aid inside the camp for three days.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“Freedom of movement is heavily restricted. Some 9,000 people have been able to flee since September, but they continue to find themselves in harm's way, living in difficult conditions and with extremely limited access to basic assistance and services. The most recent aid to reach displaced people in the area was in October. The most recent humanitarian mission to the area had to turn back when its vehicles came under attack and one aid worker was shot. After receiving treatment, he is now in stable condition, but the civilians in the area continue to suffer without the basic support that they need. I also remain very concerned about the more than 40,000 people in Rukban, where we continue to receive reports of civilian suffering and death.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“Should there be a further escalation of violence, the needs would quickly overwhelm the ability of humanitarian agencies to respond. The parties to the conflict must take care to spare the civilian population, while at the same time taking all possible measures to see that the violence in Idlib ends and that the humanitarian catastrophe the Secretary-General has warned of does not come to pass. Humanitarian organizations estimate that up to 6,000 people remain trapped in areas under the control of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, east of the Euphrates, in Deir ez-Zor governorate. Civilians continue to suffer, as a result of both ground fighting and air strikes. On 29 November, air strikes reportedly hit a field hospital in the area, killing and injuring scores of civilians, including women, children and medical staff.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“In late November, a mortar struck a primary school in Jarjanaz town just as students were leaving, killing four boys and two girls and injuring ten other children. Insecurity continues and incidents affecting civilians continue to be reported every day. The recent hostilities have reportedly forced nearly 15,000 people to flee their homes for neighbouring villages, with many people living in the open, without adequate shelter, during the cold winter months. They join the many thousands already living in tents or under plastic sheeting. The United Nations and non-governmental organizations continue to respond to ensure that those in need get help, but fighting and displacement make the situation more difficult and the population more vulnerable. Idlib remains on the edge of a humanitarian disaster.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“Mr. Lowcock: Let me begin today by thanking Council members for their decision just now to adopt resolution 2449 (2018). Cross-border aid provides a critical lifeline to millions of Syrians who cannot be supported through any other means. The Council has done its part; we will now do ours to sustain aid in a way that is as effective and accountable as possible. The situation in the north-west of Syria, where some 3 million people remain dependent on humanitarian cross-border operations, is very challenging. While a pause in air strikes has had a meaningful impact on the lives ofpeople there, shelling and fighting in the areas in and around the demilitarized zone continue to result in civilian death and injury and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
2018-12-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8423 (2018) · source
“The Secretary- General plans to convene a high-level conference on Yemen with a focus on the 2019 humanitarian response plan in February. My fifth request called on all belligerents to work with the Special Envoy to end the conflict, and I will not repeat Martin's comprehensive account of where the process stands. I echo his calls to move quickly towards confidence-building measures and consultations, and from there to resume full negotiations. Council members have just heard Martin confirm his support for my five requests. I want to emphasize that those five requests need to be seen as a package. Substantial new action is needed on all of them if massive loss oflife in a terrible famine is to be avoided. I am therefore again seeking Council members' individual and collective support - both practical and political - on those five areas.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“My fourth request was for an increase funding and support to the aid operation. This year, we are extremely grateful to all our donors for providing $2.3 billion so far to the 2018 United Nations coordinated humanitarian response plan. That is nearly 80 per cent of the requirements we estimated at the beginning of the year. Given developments over the past few months, we are now discussing additional funding for this year with donors. I hope decisions on that will be taken by the relevant donors very soon. Given the increase in needs, as a result of the intensified fighting and the further recent collapse of the economy, I can say that next year's response plan will be substantially larger. I will announce the precise amount shortly.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“We need a continuing, large-scale flow of foreign exchange into the market to finance adequate levels of imports and to support the currency at a level that will make food and other commodity prices affordable. Regarding salary payments, I welcomed the news in my last briefing that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would provide $70 million to cover allowances for 135,000 teachers. We see that as a best practice, and discussions with potential donors on replicating it for health and sanitation workers, as well as for pensioners, are at an advanced stage. Several weeks ago, the Houthi authorities in Sana'a also released some of the backlog in civil servant salaries. We hope that will be a first step towards the resumption of regular salary payments across the country.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“At the same time, we must recall that the exchange rate before the conflict escalated four years ago was 215 rial to the dollar, so it still costs more than three times as many rials to buy a dollar than it did before the conflict escalated. In the past year alone, the rial has lost nearly 50 per cent of its value. It is also important to note that applications to access Central Bank credit against the Saudi deposit have exceeded the available funds - a sign that traders are eager to maintain the flow of essential imports if they have access to adequate capital. Those developments demonstrate that foreign exchange injections are enormously effective in this environment.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source
“My third request was for the provision of support for the Yemeni economy by injecting foreign exchange and paying salaries and pensions. Those measures will protect against famine by boosting people's ability to purchase food and other essential goods and by supporting traders in keeping commercial imports flowing. In October, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia deposited $200 million in the Central Bank of Yemen to strengthen the Yemeni rial. That welcome move has helped to bring the exchange rate down from a peak of about 800 rial to the United States dollar in early October, to about 670 rial to the dollar today. It has also helped to finance imports of food and other essential commodities. Some reports also indicate that that deposit may be helping to lower food prices slightly. Those are important improvements.”
2018-11-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8404 (2018) · source