YouSaid · the spoken record

Mueller

lines on the record: 261
first: 2017-07-27
most recent: 2020-02-27
sittings or episodes: 20
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

“Some 23 civilians were reportedly killed in little more than 24 hours, with many more wounded. Medical personnel and facilities have also suffered. OHCHR confirmed that, on 4 and 6 November, a total of four separate health-care facilities in Idlib were affected by hostilities. At least three medical personnel were reported injured, and medical activities were interrupted. At the same time, the listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham continues to harass and intimidate health-care services providers and other civilians in areas under its control. Across north-west Syria, civilians live the consequences of the continued violence. Humanitarian networks report that hostilities have displaced up to 60,000 people in Idlib in recent weeks.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“Syrian Government forces and their allies continue to shell and conduct air strikes on areas under the control of non-State armed groups, including listed terrorist entities, in Idlib and Aleppo. For their part, non-State armed groups have escalated attacks against areas controlled by Government forces in southern Idlib and Aleppo. Civilians on both sides of the front line suffer the consequences. On 20 November, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that a missile reportedly fired from Government-held territory hit the Qah al-Qadim camp in Idlib. At least 16 people were allegedly killed, and 30 more were injured. The following day, on 21 November, ground-based attacks on several neighbourhoods of the Government-held city of Aleppo reportedly killed seven children and injured 29 others.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“Ms. Mueller: With the end of 2019 approaching, I am afraid that the humanitarian situation for the people in many parts of Syria is worse than when the year began. The most recent report of the Secretary-General (S/2019/949) provides updates about many concerning developments. I would like to touch on a few of these developments today and highlight the ongoing humanitarian efforts aimed at assisting people in need. I will also speak to the continued importance of cross- border humanitarian operations, and I will conclude by highlighting several trends that may increasingly shape the humanitarian outlook in Syria during the year ahead. To begin with, in north-west Syria, the situation remains alarming.”
2019-12-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8694 (2019) · source
“It is essential to keep supplies of fuel and other essential commodities flowing. Under-Secretary-General Lowcock was in the region this week and had positive discussions with the Government of Yemen on the fuel issue and the economy. The fifth and final priority is the need for progress towards a political solution and, ultimately, peace. We all agree that Yemen needs a political solution if the crisis is ever to end. Members also just heard Special Envoy Griffiths summarize several very encouraging developments in that regard. We welcome those steps and join millions of Yemenis in hoping that they are a sign of even more progress to come.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“We continue to call for a regular programme of foreign exchange injection into Yemen's economy to stabilize the exchange rate and help make goods and services affordable. Last month we also updated the Council on the impact of severe fuel shortages following the strict enforcement of Government regulations on commercial fuel imports. Fuel is essential to transport food to markets, pump drinking water and power sanitation systems. Shortages have eased considerably since then, and fuel prices have come down, although rural areas are taking longer to rebound. As members just heard from Special Envoy Griffiths, the parties have also worked closely with his Office to design a mechanism that will allow adequate fuel supplies to enter all ports, including Al-Hudaydah. We commend the flexibility of all stakeholders on this critical issue.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“With the humanitarian response plan now more than 70 per cent funded, the aid operation is on a much stronger financial footing than it was several months ago. We are grateful to all donors for their continuing support. The fourth priority is the economy, which is a key driver of humanitarian needs. Yemen imports almost everything, including food, fuel and medicine. That means the exchange rate makes an enormous difference to people's lives and their ability to access the goods they need to survive. The rate is currently fluctuating between 540 and 575 rial to the United States dollar. That is better than the 595 rate last month, but still more than twice as high as the pre-crisis level.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“We continue to seek a faster and more streamlined approach to Government processes to approve humanitarian projects, as well as to expedite humanitarian cargo arriving at the Port of Aden. The third point I want to highlight is funding for the humanitarian response plan. As the Council heard last month from Under-Secretary-General Lowcock (see S/PV.8642), new funding since September from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the United States, among others, has enabled agencies to reopen suspended programmes. That means that children are once again receiving regular vaccines, health-care centres are receiving supplies and malnutrition treatment centres are getting back to work.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“Although some forward steps have been taken after continuous engagement, the humanitarian operating environment in the north remains extremely constrained. As we begin to think about next year's humanitarian response plan and our ability to raise money for it, we sincerely hope that Ansar Allah authorities will listen and change course in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law. On a separate note, we also hope that Ansar Allah will allow the long-planned United Nations assessment of the FSO SAFER oil tanker to take place. The FSO SAFER tanker continues to pose a serious risk of environmental and humanitarian disaster in the Red Sea - and such a disaster is avoidable. Our assessment team remains ready to deploy within three weeks. Access challenges in Government-controlled areas are ofa different nature.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“Ansar Allah authorities are also continuing their campaign to coerce humanitarian partners into working under conditions that, if accepted, would contradict humanitarian principles and almost certainly result in loss of funding and programmes closing down. We have also seen an alarming increase in Violence and harassment targeting humanitarian workers in areas controlled by Ansar Allah. Over the past three months, there have been 60 separate incidents of attacks, intimidation, detention and other forms of mistreatment of humanitarian staff. In several cases, the looting of relief supplies and occupation of humanitarian premises have disrupted critical deliveries of aid and services. The very serious issues I have just outlined have all been directly, clearly and repeatedly raised with Ansar Allah.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“Although some projects were approved recently, Ansar Allah authorities are still blocking or delaying half of all NGO projects in areas under their control. Needs assessment and monitoring are frequently blocked as well. In several cases, United Nations and NGO staff have been forced out of Yemen, often without cause. All types of humanitarian movements in the north, including deliveries oflife-saving assistance, are routinely blocked. Even when movements have been authorized, partners may still face arbitrary refusals or delays at checkpoints. Ansar Allah-affiliated authorities also frequently seek to interfere in humanitarian operations, including attempts to influence the selection of beneficiaries or implementing partners.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“Yet humanitarian access remains an enormous challenge in Yemen, particularly in areas controlled by Ansar Allah. There were recently some limited improvements - for example, Ansar Allah authorities have allowed more non-governmental organization (NGO) projects to start over the past few weeks, and we have heard assurances on several other issues. But, despite those assurances, Ansar Allah authorities continue to enforce an increasing number of restrictive regulations on humanitarian action. Those restrictions regularly hinder assistance for millions of people. Although partners are still able to deliver aid, doing so requires constant engagement at all levels, often resulting in unacceptable delays for people who need the help.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“The war has not spared migrants and asylum seekers either. Casualties in the Sa'ada attack earlier this week, for example, included Ethiopian and Somali nationals. Their plight is now getting more attention. Despite those and other incidents, there are also some signs of progress. There were fewer civilian casualties in October than any other month this year, while September was the year's deadliest month for civilians. We hope that the violence will continue to decrease. We continue to call on the parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure. The second area of priority action is the obligation of all parties to facilitate humanitarian relief.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“It is a miracle that no one on the hospital grounds was killed or injured in the attack, which occurred when patients and medical staff were inside the compound. Over the past month, we have also seen reports of fishermen killed by air strikes. Shells have fallen on civilian homes and sites hosting displaced families. Landmines and other explosives have also killed and injured civilians. These events occur with a regularity that should alarm all of us. It is not only Yemenis who suffer. Migrants and asylum-seekers, mainly from the Horn of Africa, continue to arrive in Yemen. The International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 160,000 migrants will arrive in Yemen this year. They face appalling levels of abuse, including rape, torture and economic exploitation by human traffickers.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“First, I will review compliance with international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians. Every month, the Council hears examples of the devastation the war has brought to civilians and civilian infrastructure. Attacks continue to cause civilian harm across the country. Two days ago, artillery shells struck a market in Sa'ada. Initial reports indicated that that attack killed and injured dozens of civilians. Two weeks ago, an attack in Taiz governorate badly damaged a hospital in the town of Al-Mukha. That was the only medical facility providing free emergency surgical care in the area. Its closure deprived local communities of access to those services until the hospital reopened just a few days ago.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“Ms. Mueller: Every month in Yemen, some 250 humanitarian partners work with the United Nations to assist 13 million people in the country. We are delivering the world's largest humanitarian operation in an extremely challenging environment, in which things seem to be relentlessly getting worse. That is why humanitarians have consistently advocated action on five priorities: first, respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians; secondly, unhindered humanitarian access; thirdly, funding for the humanitarian response plan; fourthly, support for the economy; and fifthly, progress towards a political solution. If fully implemented, these steps would immediately and significantly reduce people's suffering and help set the stage for lasting peace. I would like to review where these five priorities stand today.”
2019-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8672 (2019) · source
“While millions ofpeople in Syria need humanitarian assistance, their primary need is to be spared hostilities and to have political solutions that end the violence, allowing people to begin to rebuild their lives in safety and in dignity. I will conclude this briefing by reiterating our three key points: protect civilians and civilian infrastructure; ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to all civilians in need, including across borders; and cease hostilities and de-escalate the situation in north- eastern and north-western Syria.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“In the past two months, humanitarian agencies have provided assistance, including food, to more than 4 million people in need. More than 1.3 million health and medical treatments were provided to people throughout the country during the same period. Despite these efforts and after months of intensified needs, stocks are running low and gaps have emerged and remain to be addressed. People in north-western and north-eastern Syria are dependent on aid organizations to meet their basic needs. Without further funding, the availability of aid will be reduced. The 2019 humanitarian response plan for Syria is funded at 45 per cent, or $1.48 billion, 10 months into the year. Donors have been generous, but more support is urgently needed; without it, partners will not be able to scale up their operations and respond to new and existing needs.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Meanwhile, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent strive to continue assisting those most in need inside the camp. One woman and her 7-year- old child who required urgent surgery were evacuated to Horns on 22 October to ensure that they received care. As the cold months approach, many in Rukban continue to request support to leave. Since late March, some 18,300 people have left Rukban, but thousands remain in the area and need support until alternatives are found. In the face ofthese difficult operational challenges, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver aid to millions across Syria. Through the first half of this year, the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations reached about 6.3 million people in need on average each month.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“The United Nations does not have an alternative method of delivery that could match the timeliness or reach, and it therefore remains critical that resolution 2165 (2014) be extended for another year. I would now like to speak about Rukban. The situation for people in this camp on the Syrian-Jordanian border remains critical. Following the mission that delivered aid to 15,000 people in early September, a second joint mission by the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in late September provided additional aid and supported the voluntary departure of 329 people to collective shelters in Homs. Another mission to provide transport to those who want to leave is planned to depart shortly, pending security guarantees by all parties.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Tens of thousands more have received other services and support, such as winter clothing, household items, clean water, shelter, emergency nutrition and protection services. The Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator visited the border region between Turkey and Syria earlier this month to assess the relief operation. He noted that the human cost of failing to renew the Security Council's decision to authorize United Nations and partner cross-border operations would be immense. If United Nations cross-border deliveries were to be halted, civilian suffering would increase, potentially leading to greater displacement, including to neighbouring countries.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Although the academic year began in September, many school-age children are deprived of education because of overcrowded learning facilities in the receiving communities, the heavy damage sustained by schools, the use of schools to house displaced people, and the lack of learning supplies and materials. Humanitarian organizations have scaled up cross- border operations from Turkey to meet rising needs in Idlib. Recent months have seen the highest number of trucks passing through the United Nations Monitoring Mechanism for the Syrian Arab Republic cross-border operations in Bab Al-Hawa and Bab Al-Salam since their inception in 2014. Food aid has nearly doubled in 2019, from reaching 560,000 civilians in the month of January to reaching 1.1 million in September through this cross-border operation.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“We remain extremely concerned about the impact a further escalation of fighting might have on civilians, including further mass displacement for those forced to flee and the communities receiving them. More than 400,000 people were already displaced between May and September and are now sheltering in camps and informal sites in Idlib and Aleppo governorates. Most are in densely populated areas in the north, close to the Turkish border. Some people are still in the open air, without adequate shelter, and many will struggle to survive in colder temperatures.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“I should now like to turn to the situation in the north-west. Approximately 3 million people live in extremely difficult conditions in the Idlib de-escalation area in north-western Syria. We must also ensure that the situation there receives the attention and priority it deserves. Approximately 2.1 million people depend on humanitarian aid and 1.6 million are displaced, many having been forced to move multiple times in search of safety. The hostilities in the north-west have subsided following the announcement ofa ceasefire on 30 August, but worrying signs of insecurity remain. There have, however, been recent reports of an uptick in hostilities. Between 18 and 20 October, the highest number of attacks since the start of the ceasefire agreement was reported, mostly affecting the southern parts of Idlib.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“We have provided regular updates on the situation in the camp, where approximately 68,600 people reside, 94 per cent of them women and children, and 55 per cent of the children are under 12 years of age. Their situation is desperate. As the Secretary-General has noted, Member States bear primary responsibility for their own nationals, and policies and actions that lead to statelessness should be avoided. Humanitarian organizations are monitoring how the evolving situation throughout the north-east might impact the civilian population in the camp. Despite a reduced presence, humanitarian actors continue to provide critical humanitarian services. However, more support is needed to ensure that adequate protection and humanitarian assistance can be provided over the coming weeks and months.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“As the situation evolves, a critical challenge facing humanitarian actors is the need to scale operations from within Syria. To achieve this, we will need all parties to facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access via land and air routes to transport humanitarian supplies along with an expansion of humanitarian capacity in the north-east. United Nations leadership on the ground is working with all relevant parties to achieve this. The Syria Humanitarian Fund, supported by 16 donors, is planning a $15-million allocation for the north-east. Replenishing the Fund will be critical. Keeping our focus on north-eastern Syria, I should like to say a few words about Al-Hol camp.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Following the United Nations engagement with the Government of Turkey, a technical team comprising Syrian Arab Red Crescent and local water and electricity department technicians was able to access the Allouk water station, which provides water to over 400,000 people across Hasakah, and to temporarily restore the water flow after it was put out of service in the hostilities. They also restored electricity in Ras Al-Ayn. These are significant achievements but no substitute for sustained services, which can be ensured only if the parties take all feasible precautions to avoid civilian harm and ultimately put an end to the hostilities. Continued access to the facilities will be necessary to keep them functioning in the coming days and weeks. Hundreds of thousands of civilians depend on them.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Safe water, sanitation and hygiene efforts continue and the polio campaign is ongoing, with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, together with the International Organization for Migration, is supporting people arriving in Iraq with shelter, core relief items and protection services. There have also been efforts to ensure that stocks are in place to scale up as needed. The World Food Programme is ensuring that there is food on hand for approximately 500,000 people for one month. In Qamishli, the World Health Organization is pre-positioned 314,000 medical treatments, including trauma kits that will be distributed to medical facilities in the area.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Some have had to temporarily limit or suspend operations due to the deteriorating security situation and concerns about access because of new parties gaining control of the areas where they operate. Organizations operating cross-border from Iraq nevertheless continue to provide humanitarian assistance, including trauma care, support to health services and sustaining water supplies. While national staff continue to work tirelessly to assist those in need, their capacity is stretched. To meet immediate needs, the United Nations has, since 9 October, provided food to more than 286,000 people across Hasakah and Raqqa governorates as well as 10 tons of medicine to Qamishli national hospital. Winter supplies are being provided to the most vulnerable.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Of the 3 million people in the north-east, 1.8 million were already in need of some form of humanitarian assistance even before the recent developments. About 710,000 people have been displaced. Prior to the escalation, the United Nations and its partners were reaching 1.25 million people on average every month with lifesaving assistance such as food, shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene and health care. Humanitarian actors continue to deliver, despite facing serious challenges on the ground, including hostilities and an unpredictable security environment. Many organizations work cross-border from Iraq. They have had to evacuate or relocate international staff.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“In the past two weeks, almost 180,000 people, including nearly 80,000 children, have fled south from the border areas between Turkey and Syria. People must be allowed to seek safety and move freely. Most are sheltering with friends and family, while others are in displacement camps or collective shelters. Given the fact that fighting has subsided in some areas in recent days, some of those displaced have started to return. More than 10,000 people have fled to Iraq since the start of the military operations in the north-east. The United Nations remains deeply concerned about the prospects of further hostilities along the Turkish- Syrian border and the impact on civilians, including further displacements. The latest surge in hostilities in north-eastern Syria compounds an already dire humanitarian situation.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access must be allowed so that United Nations and other humanitarian organizations can carry out their critical work. Since the beginning of military operations by the Turkish armed forces and allied non-State armed groups in north-eastern Syria earlier this month, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has received concerning reports of civilian casualties and damage to critical civilian infrastructure. The military operation has severely impacted the humanitarian situation. The United Nations has received assurances from the Government of Turkey that every effort is being made to ensure the protection of civilians and the infrastructure on which they rely. The hostilities have triggered large-scale population movements.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“Ms. Mueller: The humanitarian situation in Syria has seen some significant changes since I briefed the Council in September (see S/PV.8622). My briefing today will focus on three operational areas: first, the deeply concerning and rapidly unfolding situation in north-eastern Syria; secondly, the continuing crisis in north-western Syria; and thirdly, an update on Rukban. I will also give an outlook for the coming weeks. The Secretary-General has expressed his grave concerns about the escalation of the conflict in the north- east and emphasized that any military operation must fully respect international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian law. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected.”
2019-10-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8645 (2019) · source
“In recent weeks, the fragile ceasefire has brought into focus an outlook that, for the Security Council, should be all too familiar. Further fighting will endanger and displace thousands of civilians. Further displacement will create even more needs. Further needs will stretch humanitarians who are already at their limit. The world is watching in the hope that a more humane outlook for Syria will be created, one where civilians are safe, needs are addressed and humanitarians are protected.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Indeed, incidents have been recorded across Syria since the end of August. On 8 September, in Deir ez- Zor, an unexploded ordnance reportedly killed a man while he was checking on his house in the district of Abu Kamal. Days earlier, in northern rural Aleppo, two separate landmine explosions reportedly caused multiple casualties. On 1 September, a landmine reportedly injured 11 people, including five women and three children, in western rural Dara'a governorate. The indiscriminate nature of unexploded ordnance makes it a shared challenge. I support standing calls on all parties to the conflict to allow the clearance of unexploded ordnance, to safely conduct risk-education efforts and to ensure respect and safety for the humanitarian staff conducting clearance activities. I want to return to north-west Syria to conclude my briefing.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Importantly, we know that the most vulnerable families are the least able to cope with such pressures. Such conditions only heighten the importance of ongoing efforts to support the more than 6.5 million people estimated to need food and livelihood support. On a monthly basis, humanitarian organizations deliver food assistance to 4.4 million people in need. It is important to stress that this assistance is provided based on assessed needs; almost 75 per cent of that food assistance reaches districts identified with the most severe needs. The second dynamic that I would like to highlight is the threat posed by unexploded ordnance. Civilians in Syria face a chronic danger, even in areas where fighting has subsided. More than 10 million people in Syria are estimated to live in contaminated areas.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“I would like to take a step back from those urgent humanitarian situations, which we brief the Council about on a routine basis, to highlight two cross-cutting dynamics affecting civilians across Syria. The first is food insecurity. Earlier this month, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reported greater harvests in Syria compared to last year. Wheat production, for instance, is estimated at 2.2 million tonnes, up from 1.2 million in 2018. Even if the overall production remains a fraction of pre-crisis levels, an improved agricultural outlook is hopeful news. At the same time, families in Syria face even greater challenges in making ends meet. Food prices have gradually increased nationwide over the past 12 to 14 months, just as the value of their currency has gone down.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Failure to do so now can place children at risk of future radicalization, which will only make future action more difficult. Still in north-east Syria, in Deir ez-Zor governorate, humanitarian actors are increasingly concerned about new access challenges. On 13 September, the Syrian Democratic Forces reportedly closed all crossing points to areas under the Government of Syria until further notice, forcing civilians to resort to more dangerous informal crossings and interfering in humanitarian operations. Unimpeded humanitarian access remains essential to ensuring that the estimated 1.2 million people in need across north-east Syria have access to essential services and assistance.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Despite those efforts, the situation in Al-Hol remains extremely challenging and seemingly without an imminent solution. Children comprise two-thirds of the camp population. Many of them have been exposed to extreme violence and trauma under the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Insecurity and violence continue to be reported inside the camp. Many households face uncertainties about their future and remain concerned about the fate of missing male family members. In that regard, solutions for foreign nationals need to be urgently found so as not to prolong their conditions. We call yet again on all Member States to take the measures necessary to ensure that their nationals are repatriated for rehabilitation and reintegration or prosecution, as appropriate, in line with international law and standards.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“We have frequently reported to the Council about the desperate situation in Al-Hol camp. As of early September, some 68,600 individuals were residing in the camp, 94 per cent of whom were women and children. Humanitarian organizations continue to seek ways to improve camp facilities, particularly in the water and sanitation conditions and the availability of health care. Their efforts have contributed to a decrease in reported illnesses in recent weeks. Negotiations continue with camp administrators to ensure sustained humanitarian access to civilians in need, particularly in the camp's annex, where third-country nationals are accommodated. If agreed, humanitarian organizations are prepared to provide around-the-clock health services, which are currently restricted to daylight hours.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“The work to support people in Rukban is not over. United Nations-SARC teams are preparing for the next phase of their plan, which is to assist up to 6,000 people who have expressed the Wish to depart Rukban for areas under Government control. Such an operation depends on the continued cooperation of all parties to facilitate the United Nations-SARC teams in supporting the voluntary departure of civilians from Rukban, in a safe, well-informed and dignified manner. The relevant parties will also need to make further efforts to find solutions for the population staying in Rukban, in consultation with them. On a related note, I welcome the arrival of Mr. Imran Riza, the new United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, who presented his credentials to the Syrian Government on Monday.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“On 11 September, ateam comprised of20 United Nations staff and 170 staff and volunteers from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) completed a six-day mission to Rukban, delivering food and nutrition assistance for approximately 15,000 internally displaced persons. That joint mission was the second United Nations- SARC convoy in 2019 to reach the remote area with humanitarian assistance. The mission was not without difficulties. Access to people in the area depended on extensive coordination with community leaders, armed groups and multiple Member States, including the Syrian Arab Republic, the Russian Federation, the United States and Jordan. Tensions on the ground were high. Moreover, the teams found that conditions have gradually deteriorated in the past months, with reports that several children have died of preventable causes.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“The renewal of resolution 2165 (2014) later this year will be crucial to sustaining the ongoing support to millions of people in need and to respond to further needs in the months ahead. As members of the Council are aware, on 13 September the Secretary-General announced the establishment of an internal, independent United Nations Headquarters Board of Inquiry to investigate a series of incidents that have occurred in north- west Syria. The board will commence its work on 30 September to ascertain the facts of specific incidents of concern and report to the Secretary-General about its conclusions. We stand ready to support the Board in its inquiry. I have some developments to report about another intractable humanitarian situation in the Rukban area.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Humanitarian organizations are already planning how to help people in need before temperatures drop and inclement weather arrives. Humanitarians estimate that an additional $68.4 million is required to address expected winterization, shelter and non-food item needs. Continued donor support is essential to maintain the current humanitarian response, but also to scale up operations to meet the expected needs across north-west Syria in the months ahead. Humanitarian efforts to assist civilians in need across north-west Syria depend on more than just financial support. As the Under-Secretary-General stressed last month, the people in Idlib are reached exclusively through the cross-border operation. On a monthly basis, more than 1.6 million people in need receive some form of assistance.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“In addition to the needs of those displaced, host communities are becoming increasingly strained, leading to additional demands on overstretched humanitarian assistance. Needs in these areas are considerable across all sectors: food and non-food, water and sanitation, health, education and protection. The shelter situation is of particular concern. Increased demand and short supply mean that many families are unable to afford rents in urban areas. A survey earlier this month found that about 600,000 people live in tents, camps and sites for internally displaced persons. Humanitarian partners report that in the absence of viable alternatives, families in some areas resort to living out in the open. Following months of intensive fighting, the outlook in north-west Syria remains uncertain. We know, though, that winter is coming.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Ground forces have continued to exchange shelling in southern Idlib and eastern Latakia, and air strikes were reported in central and northern Idlib over the past week. At the same time, the listed terrorist group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham and other non-State armed groups continue to harass, intimidate and coerce civilians, including medical workers. The humanitarian situation remains alarming. An estimated 400,000 people fled their homes in north- west Syria in the period from May to August. Many of those people have been displaced multiple times, both prior to and during the current military escalation. These displacements follow familiar patterns, with civilians largely moving northward, away from conflict-affected areas, to already densely populated areas in northern Idlib.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“Ms. Mueller: There have been several notable developments in Syria since the Under-Secretary- General briefed the Council three weeks ago about the humanitarian situation (see S/PV.8609). I wanted to start today with an update about north-west Syria. On 30 August, the Russian Federation announced a unilateral ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation area, which the Government of Syria later confirmed. Reports indicate a decline in the fighting compared with the period since late April, when the military escalation began. It is critical that this much-needed respite for civilians continue, unimpeded humanitarian access be facilitated to all civilians in need and the protected status of civilian infrastructure be respected. Worrying signs ofinsecurity are, however, present.”
2019-09-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8622 (2019) · source
“At the same time, we understand that the Government is considering new regulations on commercial fuel imports. Fuel is essential to running generators, distributing food to markets and carrying out many other activities. Its availability is also a key determinant for the prices of food, water and other essentials. The use of any mechanism to regulate those imports risks worsening the humanitarian situation. The final point is peace. Only a political solution in Yemen can sustainably address the country's enormous humanitarian crisis. The Council recognized that important link in resolution 2451 (2018). We call on all stakeholders to support the Special Envoy's efforts to end the conflict as swiftly as possible. Peace is needed now more than ever.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“United Nations agencies commissioned eight internal audits this year, and three more are planned. The fourth point is the economy - a key driver of humanitarian needs that is getting worse. Yemen's currency is again losing value, sinking to YRI600 to the dollar, versus YRI215 before the crisis. A recent report by the International Monetary Fund predicts further depreciation, with inflation rates up to 45 per cent. That means prices of food, fuel and other essentials - almost all of which must be imported - will rise even higher for ordinary Yemenis. Many people already cannot afford current prices. In the past, substantial injections offoreign exchange through the Central Bank of Yemen have stabilized the exchange rate. We hope Yemen's partners will again provide that support.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“This comes after we doubled food aid in areas with the worst hunger and expanded other programmes. Without funding, we will lose this initial progress and the risk of famine will again intensify. And we also know that the United Nations and our partners are uniquely placed to deliver positive results. Our programmes reach all 333 districts across Yemen. Our nationwide presence and relationships enable us to assist people in all locations based strictly on their needs. Independent third-party monitoring confirms that the overwhelming majority of our aid goes where it is supposed to. When concerns emerge, we act. The Council saw this in June when the WFP suspended food aid in Sana'a over diversion concerns, which have now been addressed. Individual agencies also maintain rigorous internal controls.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“As an immediate consequence, more than 23,000 babies suffering from severe malnutrition - babies whose lives could otherwise be saved - will risk death. This is a tragedy because we know that, with adequate resources, we can save millions of lives and reduce people's suffering. We know that we can roll back cholera because we did it last year. A smart, highly effective cholera response saw new cases plummet from 1 million in 2017 to 380,000 in 2018. But new cases have already exceeded halfa million this year. We have also recorded more than 800 deaths, more than five times as many as we saw in the same period last year. We also know we can prevent famine, because we are doing it right now. A new assessment has found that the risk of famine, although still very serious, might be receding in some places.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source