YouSaid · the spoken record

Obrien

lines on the record: 875
first: 2010-06-29
most recent: 2017-08-30
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

“For all three of those situations, as well as for north-east Nigeria, an immediate injection of funds, plus safe and unimpeded access, are required to enable partners to avert a catastrophe; otherwise, many people will predictably die from hunger, livelihoods will be lost and political gains, which have been hard-won over the last few years, will be reversed. To be precise, we need $4.4 billion by July - and that is a detailed cost, not a negotiating number. Before I visited all those countries, I was in Oslo, where the Governments of Norway, Germany and Nigeria, in partnership with the United Nations, organized a humanitarian conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad region. Ten million seven hundred thousand million people need humanitarian assistance and protection, including 7.1 million people who are severely food insecure.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“However, humanitarian partners now have a larger footprint, mature cash programming, better data through assessments, better controls on resources and vetting of partners, as well as stronger partnership with Government authorities. The Government recently declared the drought a national disaster and is taking steps to work with humanitarian partners to ensure a coordinated response. To be clear, we can avert a famine in Somalia. We have a committed new President who has been clear, a humanitarian and resilience track record and a detailed plan. We are ready despite the incredible risks and dangers. We have local and international leadership. We have a lot of access. And now we need the international community, gathered here, as well as donor agencies and nations, to invest in Somalia. It is lifesaving but we do need those huge funds now.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“Al-Shabaab, Government forces and other militia also continue to block major supply routes to towns in 29 of the 42 districts in southern and central Somalia. That has restricted access to markets, basic commodities and services, and is severely disrupting livelihoods. Blockades and double taxation bar farmers from transporting their grains. It is critical that Somali forces and those of the African Union Mission in Somalia secure vital road access to enable both lifesaving aid and longer term recovery. A lot of hope is placed in the new Government. The current indicators mirror the tragic picture of 2011, when Somalia last suffered a famine. It should be noted that by the time the famine was recognized in 2011, half of the 260,000 people who died in the famine had already died. That is important for points I will make shortly.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“We visited Baidoa with the Secretary-General, on his first field mission since he took office. We met with displaced people going through ordeals none of us could imagine. We visited the regional hospital where children and adults are desperately fighting to survive diarrhoea, cholera and malnutrition. Again, as if proof were needed, it was clear that between malnutrition and death there is always disease. Large parts of southern and central Somalia remain under the control or influence of Al-Shabaab, and the security situation is volatile. Last year, some 165 violent incidents - an 18 per cent increase compared to 2015 - directly impacted humanitarian work and resulted in the deaths of 14 aid workers.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“InSomalia,morethanhalfthepopulation-6.2million people - need humanitarian and protection assistance, including 2.9 million who are at risk of famine and require immediate assistance to save or sustain their lives. Close to 1 million children under the age of 5 will be acutely malnourished this year. In the past two months alone, nearly 160,000 people have been displaced due to severe drought conditions, adding to the already 1.1 million people who live in appalling conditions around the country. What I saw and heard during my visit to Somalia was distressing - women and children walk for weeks in search of food and water. They have lost their livestock, water sources have dried up and they have nothing left to survive on. With everything lost, women, boys, girls and men now move to urban centres.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“Their harrowing stories are only a few among thousands who have suffered a similar fate across the country. Humanitarians are delivering. Last year, partners reached more than 5.1 million people with assistance. However, active hostilities, access denials and bureaucratic impediments continue to curtail their efforts to reach people who desperately need help. Aid workers have been killed. Humanitarian compounds and supplies have been attacked, looted and occupied by armed actors. Recently, humanitarians had to leave one of the famine-affected counties because of fighting. Assurances by senior Government officials of unconditional access and no bureaucratic impediments now need to be turned into action on the ground.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“More than 1 million children are estimated to be acutely malnourished across the country, including 270,000 children who face the imminent risk of death should they not be reached in time with assistance. Meanwhile, the cholera outbreak that began in June 2016 has spread to more locations. I travelled to GanyieI, in Unity state, where people have fled from the horrors of famine and conflict. I saw the impact humanitarians can have in alleviating suffering. I met an elderly woman with her malnourished grandson receiving treatment. I listened to women who fled fighting, wading through waist-high swamps with their children, to receive food and medicine. Some of those women have experienced the most appalling acts of sexual violence - which continues to be used as a weapon of war.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“For 2017, the Yemen humanitarian response plan asks for $2.1 billion to assist 12 million people in need across all 22 governorates. Turning to South Sudan, which I visited on 4 and 5 March, the situation is worse than it has ever been. The famine in South Sudan is man-made. Parties to the conflict are parties to the famine - as are those not intervening to make the violence stop. More than 7.5 million people need assistance, up by 1.4 million from last year. About 3.4 million people are displaced, ofwhich almost 200,000 have fled South Sudan since January alone. A localized famine was declared for Leer and Mayendit on 20 February, an area where violence and insecurity have compromised humanitarian access for years.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“I continue to reiterate the same message to all: it is only a political solution that will ultimately end human suffering and bring stability to the region. And at this stage, only a combined response with the private sector can avert a famine. Commercial imports must be allowed to resume through all entry points in Yemen, including, and especially, Hudaydah port, which must be kept open and expanded. With access and funding, humanitarian workers will do more, but they are not the long-term solution to the growing crisis. As I just mentioned, a ministerial-level pledging event for the humanitarian response in Yemen for 2017 will take place in Geneva on 25 April. The Secretary- General will chair the event, co-hosted by the Foreign Ministers of Sweden and Switzerland, to advocate for more resources and access.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“But we managed to use that experience to enable us to clear the way to reach people inside Taiz city with the first humanitarian truck delivery, bringing eight tons of essential medicines on the city road from Ibb to Taiz, since August 2016. We will leave no stone unturned in order to find alternative routes. We must prevail, because so many lives depend on us, the full range of the humanitarian family. For 2017, the humanitarian community requires $2.1 billion in order to reach 12 million people in Yemen with lifesaving assistance and protection. Only 6 per cent of that funding has been received so far. An international ministeria-level pledging event is scheduled for 25 April, but the situation is so dire that I ask donors to give urgently now. All contributions and pledges made starting 1 January will be counted at that event.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“Already, the humanitarian suffering that we are seeing in Yemen today is caused by the parties and proxies, and if they do not change their behaviour immediately, they will have to be held accountable for the inevitable famine, unnecessary deaths and associated increase in suffering that will follow. Despite the almost impossible and terrifying conditions, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are not deterred and are stepping up to meet the humanitarian needs across the country. In February alone, 4.9 million people received food assistance. We continue to negotiate access and make modest gains. For instance, despite assurances from all the parties of safe passage to Taiz city, I and my team were denied access and had to retreat a short distance to safety when we came under gunfire.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“All of them told me three things - they are hungry, they are sick and they need peace so that they can return home. I travelled to Aden on the first United Nations humanitarian flight and met the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister ofthe Republic onemen. I also met with the senior leadership of the Houthi and General People's Congress authorities in Sana'a. I discussed the humanitarian situation and the importance of preventing a famine, better respecting international humanitarian law and protecting civilians. I demanded full, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. All my counterparts promised to facilitate sustained access and to respect international humanitarian law. Yet all parties to the conflict are arbitrarily denying sustained humanitarian access and are politicizing aid.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“I saw first-hand the effects of losing home and livelihood - malnourishment, hunger and squalid living conditions in destroyed schools, unfinished apartments and wet concrete basements. In the past two months alone, more than 48,000 people have fled fighting, mines and improvised explosive devices in Mokha town and the surrounding fields alone. I met countless malnourished and sick children. My small team met a girl who had been displaced to Ibb who still had shrapnel wounds in her leg, while her brother was deeply traumatized. I was introduced to a 13-year-old girl who had fled Taiz city, left in charge of her seven siblings. I spoke with families living in a ruined school who had been displaced to Aden when their homes were destroyed by air strikes.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“However, in the following remarks I will focus on my other visits over the past 16 days. I turn first to Yemen. The humanitarian crisis there is already the largest in the world, and the Yemeni people now face the spectre of famine. Today, two thirds of the population - 18.8 million people - need assistance, while more than 7 million are hungry and do not know where their next meal will come from. That is 3 million more than in January. As the fighting in Yemen continues and escalates, displacement increases. With health facilities destroyed or damaged, diseases are sweeping through the country. I spoke with people in Aden, Ibb, Sana'a and from Taiz. They told me horrific stories of displacement, of escaping unspeakable violence and destruction in Mokha and Taiz city in Taiz governorate.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“Mr. O'Brien: I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and all the Security Council members, for inviting me to brief the Council on my visit in recent days to countries facing, or at risk of, famine - Yemen, South Sudan and Somalia. I will also briefly discuss the outcome of the Oslo Humanitarian Conference on Nigeria and the Lake Chad Region. Ihave also been to the Somali region of Ethiopia and visited northern Kenya, where pastoralists are the worst affected by the terrible drought in that part of the African continent. More than 2.7 million Kenyans are now food-insecure, a number likely to reach 4 million by April. In collaboration with the Government of Kenya, the United Nations will soon launch an appeal for $200 million to provide urgent lifesaving assistance and protection.”
2017-03-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7897 (2017) · source
“A genuine political commitment to peace will be needed if 2017 is to offer any different prospect than the death and destruction of the past six years. Millions of battered and beleaguered women, men and children depend on meaningful action and constructive engagement by the Syrian parties and their allies, starting tomorrow at the intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, to assure Syrians that an end to the conflict may finally be within reach.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“One year later, numbers rose to more than 4,882 trucks and last year, in 2016, 6,587 trucks were inspected, of which 1,278 trucks crossed the border point of Ar-Ramtha, 495 trucks entered Syria via Bab al-Salam, and 4,814 trucks via Bab al-Hawa. I would also like to specifically point out that the bulk of our humanitarian response has been implemented by a vast panoply of non-governmental organization partners on the ground. They must be protected at all times and under all circumstances. Let me conclude, ifI may, by saying this. The eyes of all Syria and the eyes of all the world are looking to Geneva. As has been stated so many times already, there is no humanitarian or military solution to this conflict.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Let me also reiterate that cross-border assistance from Turkey and Jordan continues to represent a core element ofthe humanitarian response. This is especially important since the needs are growing as local agreements are sending more people to the north, as well as to some locations in southern Syria - locations which are already strained by the current IDP population, with 900,000 IDPs in Idlib governorate alone, for example. Consequently, the United Nations and its partners' cross-border deliveries have steadily increased since the adoption of resolution 2165 (2014) in July 2014. That same year, 624 trucks were inspected before crossing the border into Syria, of which 172 trucks crossed into Syria via Ar-Ramtha, Jordan, and 120 trucks via Bab al-Salam, Turkey, and 332 trucks via Bab al-Hawa, Turkey.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“What we need are timely approvals and simplified approval procedures. In this regard, and in response to the request of the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in early January, as well as sustained advocacy at the level of the Humanitarian Task Force, we received commitments on the part of the Government of Syria that procedures for cross-line convoys would be simplified. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent was to now act as the main entry point for the facilitation of convoys with Government entities. We are now waiting to receive the final proposed procedural changes in writing for review. We sincerely hope that these changes will effectively address some of the bureaucratic bottlenecks that have caused the many delays in the past.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“I call on all parties to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian workers and assets at all times, in line with their responsibilities under international humanitarian law. I once again urge all Member States with influence to ensure that a zero or near-zero implementation rate does not occur again in the weeks and months to come, whether that is because of administrative, security or operational constraints. The United Nations and its partners are ready and capable of delivering humanitarian assistance in challenging conditions to 300,000 people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas per week, in addition to regular programming supporting millions. We must be given the chance to do so, as the lives of many depend upon regular and unimpeded deliveries of humanitarian assistance.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“On its way back to the warehouse, several trucks filled with humanitarian supplies were diverted by civilians and unknown armed elements to a Government-controlled area. The drivers and trucks were temporarily detained and some drivers were reportedly roughed up, but have since been released, but without their humanitarian supplies. Everyone, I am pleased to say, is safe and accounted for. I condemn this incident in the strongest possible terms and I am shocked at the blatant disregard for the protection of humanitarian workers and humanitarian assets. The United Nations will continue to try to reach the 50,000 people in need in Al-Waer with multisectoral assistance, as soon as conditions allow.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“And so far, in February, only two convoys have been able to deploy - to Talbiseh on 5 February delivering aid to 84,000, and to Ar-Rastan on 12 February with assistance to 107,500 people. Insecurity has also forced the United Nations to abort two convoys in as many days to Al-Waer just this past week. Some 50,000 civilians in Al-Waer are facing ever-worsening humanitarian conditions and have not received humanitarian assistance for 117 days. On 19 February, the loaded convoy was forced to turn around owing to the security situation on the ground, including an incident in which a person was injured owing to a shot by a sniper. On 20 February, prior to reaching Al-Waer, the loaded the convoy was unable to proceed owing to ongoing shelling and sporadic fire.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“During the second half of 2016, inter-agency convoys were only allowed to proceed during the last 10 working days of the month, and those convoys that did deploy had medical items routinely removed. In fact, 67 of the 99 inter-agency cross-line convoys in 2016 had a significant number of medical items removed. As previously stated, in December last year, only one convoy was deployed throughout that month, to Khan al-Shih reaching 6,000 people, despite the fact that the United Nations had received initial approvals to reach almost 800,000 people in hard-to-reach and besieged locations. Similarly, in January, only a single convoy could be deployed, delivering aid to 40,000 people in Mu'addamiyah al-Sham.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“The lack of safe, unimpeded and sustained access remains, however, the greatest obstacle to reaching people in need in besieged and hard-to-reach areas. The cumulative reach of humanitarian actors to besieged and hard-to-reach areas through inter-agency convoys and airdrops increased from 620,000 in 2015 to more than 3.3 million in 2016. Yet, despite this considerable improvement, humanitarian actors are all too seldom able to deliver life-saving assistance and protection services in a timely, effective, sustainable and strictly needs-based basis. A review ofinter-agency cross-border convoys in 2016 showed that a lack of predictable access prevented the implementation of two-thirds of the requests initially approved by the Government of Syria. These were primarily due to administrative, security and operational constraints.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Heavy flooding would likely have catastrophic humanitarian consequences in downstream areas, submerging huge swathes of agricultural land, and affecting hundreds of thousands ofpeople who already face critical problems in meeting their immediate needs. And as fighting moves into urban areas, there is grave concern that there will be a significant increase in civilian casualties. In recognition of the fact that civilians trapped in areas controlled by listed terrorist groups are already facing human rights abuses and humanitarian suffering, efforts to retake such areas must be undertaken with the utmost care for the plight of the many hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped in those locations. As we all know, the United Nations and its implementing partners reach millions of Syrians via regular and cross-border programming each month.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“As various parties pick up the pace to enter Al-Raqqa and Al-Bab, and as ISIL retreats, bridges, water systems and other elements of civilian infrastructure are being attacked and destroyed. Syria's Tabgah dam on the Euphrates River is a strategic facility that holds about 14 billion cubic metres of water for drinking and irrigation purposes and produces about 2.5 billion kilowatts of electricity a year. Such a facility must be protected from the effects of the ongoing conflict in the eastern and northern regions, where any damage or misuse of the dam could potentially cause significant flooding across Raqqa and even as far as Deir ez- Zor, should the dam fail.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“I continue to be gravely concerned about the fact that military operations against ISIL continue to result in civilian suffering. In recent weeks, for example, air strikes and fighting around both Al-Raqqa and Al-Bab have resulted in numerous civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, as well as displacements. To date, the United Nations has received reports of approximately 300 civilians killed, mainly owing to air strikes and improvised explosive devices. Civilians have also been subjected to gunfire, with ISIL fighters shooting at civilians who try to leave towards areas controlled by non-State armed groups and, in some cases, non-State armed groups shooting at civilians who appear to have been mistaken for ISIL elements.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“The situation is compounded by the tit-for-tat arrangement between the four towns, which encumbers humanitarian access by imposing painstaking negotiations that are rooted in political and opportunistic considerations rather than humanitarian principles and obligations. Five people have died in Madaya and Kafraya in the past few days, among them a mother who died while giving birth. Another 80 people must be urgently evacuated if their lives are to be saved. They and others are in dire need and cannot wait any longer. I truly hope that the members of the Council and of the newly established joint group will manage to unlock this horrific gridlock on the four towns and compel the parties on the ground to enable immediate humanitarian assistance, including medical evacuations, without any further delay.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“More are likely to be displaced in the coming days if the violence continues. The displacements put further strain on a population already deeply affected by the conflict. In addition, ongoing movements into Idlib and the western Aleppo countryside, owing to evacuations and local agreements, are increasing the humanitarian needs in many of these locations. In the besieged four towns of Al-Zabadani, Al-Fuah, Kafraya and Madaya, which were last reached on 28 November, the situation is catastrophic, with more than 64,000 civilians trapped in a cycle of daily violence and deprivation, where malnutrition and the lack of proper medical care persist.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“In Idlib, infighting between the Al-Nusra Front, also known as Jabhat Fateh Al-Sham, and non-Nusra groups has resulted in restricted humanitarian programming and civilian movement. On 24 January, United Nations assistance through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing point was suspended for a day as a result of increased insecurity, and humanitarian actors restricted their programming for most of the last week of January, affecting 2 million people in Idlib governorate, including 900,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). To the south, the Ar-Ramtha border crossing point has been suspended since 13 February, owing to the intensified attacks in and around Dar'a city. Fighting in the south has also displaced more than 10,000 people from Dar'a city, many of whom have moved to farms and villages south-east of the city.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Many staff of non-governmental organizations were unable to flee before the Jaysh Khalid Bin Al-Walid advance and have now gone radio silent in those villages. Attacks have also taken place elsewhere in Dar'a governorate, with air strikes reportedly hitting six medical centres and health points on 15 February in Saida, Yadouda, Naima, Nasib, Al-Jiza, and Al-Ghana Al-Sharkia, causing severe damage to facilities and putting some of them out of service. The Al-Balad field hospital in Dar'a also appears to have been hit by an air strike and put out of service. Owing to the increase in fighting in Rif Damascus, Idlib, Dar'a and other governorates, humanitarian access to some of those areas has been further limited.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“On 19 February, Jaysh Khalid Bin Al-Walid, an affiliate of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), commenced an attack on Free Syrian Army positions on three fronts, looking to break out of the Yarmouk valley. Since the morning of 19 February, it has taken over Tseel, which has an estimated population of 34,000, Jlein and Masaken Jlein, with a combined population of 9,200, and Edoin, with a population of 4,900. Most of the residents of those villages are now reported to be under curfew, limiting their ability to flee. Along with Free Syrian Army affiliates, Jaysh Khalid Bin Al-Walid has reportedly beheaded at least one local council leader in the areas it has newly taken over.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“The shelling also affected Al-Bir hospital, the only semi-functioning medical centre in besieged Al-Waer, as well as the civil defence centre and the ambulance centre, which resulted in the death of a first-aid worker. Life in Al-Waer, which the United Nations has not been able to reach since 26 October, is becoming increasingly dire, with tens of thousands of people in need of immediate humanitarian assistance after suffering under numerous reported air strikes in recent weeks. To the south, a substantial increase in conflict around Dar'a city was recorded on 12 February. As a precaution, all schools and universities, in both Government areas and those controlled by non-State armed groups, have been temporarily closed owing to the heavy clashes, aerial bombardment, and artillery shelling.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Earlier this month, the Government of Syria and the Russian Federation announced the opening of several corridors for civilians wishing to leave eastern Ghouta, one of which is through the Al-Wafedin camp. We are monitoring the situation closely, but we are concerned that the situation in eastern Ghouta may become even more tense in the coming period, should military operations increase. We are also gravely concerned about the situation in the Al-Waer neighbourhood of the city of Homs, which has been exposed to heavy aerial bombing and artillery shelling in recent days, reportedly resulting in more than 20 civilian casualties, many ofthem children.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“As we move ahead in 2017 towards what I hope will be a year that brings positive change to Syria, we must continue to remember just how much has been lost and the abyss from which Syria will have to emerge. Let me say that even if a political agreement were to be found tomorrow - which, of course, we all wholeheartedly desire - humanitarian needs will remain critical for months, if not years, to come. I therefore cannot emphasize strongly enough my support for all efforts to see the guns fall silent. I am, however, concerned about ongoing significant attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure that are being conducted with seeming impunity. They include bombardments and air strikes in Idlib and Dar'a, and besieged locations in the eastern Ghouta area, most notably in Duma, Harasta, Zamalka, Jobar and Arbin.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Moreover, with the war entering its sixth year, 5.82 million children and young people, from preschool to secondary-school age, including more than 118,000 Palestinian refugee children, are in need of education assistance inside Syria. An estimated 1.75 million children, or almost one third of school-age children between 5 and 17 years old, are out of school. A further 1.35 million are at risk of dropping out. Syria's formal education system has lost a total of 150,000 education personnel and seen 7,400 schools - one in three in the country - damaged, destroyed or otherwise made inaccessible. Owing to severe poverty, parents and caregivers can no longer consider their children's education a priority, with ever-increasing numbers having to remain out of school in order to support their households.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Recruitment - very often through indoctrination, abduction, arrest and coercion e has been widespread in all areas, with 90 per cent of the 217 surveyed subdistricts in Syria reporting its occurrence. The lack ofeconomic and educational opportunities, the experiences of violence, displacement, profound distress, family loss and the deprivation ofpsychosocial needs - such as a sense of purpose, control and significance - have all been major drivers of vulnerability. Child labour, owing to the widespread devastation of livelihoods and family separation, was reported in 82 per cent of surveyed subdistricts across the country, including its most dangerous and hazardous forms, namely, begging, smuggling, scavenging, recruitment and the use of children in the conflict and illicit activities.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“In 2016, the rate of displacement continued unabated, with an average of over 5,000 people displaced per day between January and December, some more than once. Over half of all Syrians have been forced from their homes since 2011, 6.3 million of whom are internally displaced. More than 4.9 million have registered as refugees in neighbouring countries, and nearly 1.2 million Syrians have applied for asylum in Europe. The children caught up in this war have fared the worst. They have been killed and maimed, lost parents to the violence, suffered physical and psychological trauma, been forced into early marriages, and fallen years behind in school.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Nearly 85 per cent of Syrians live in poverty, with more than two-thirds of the population living in either extreme or abject poverty. Over 12.8 million people in Syria require health assistance, and more than 7 million are food-insecure amidst rising prices and food shortages. Households spend up to a quarter of their income just on water. Total wheat production in 2016 was 1.3 million metric tons, a reduction of 45 per cent relative to 2015, and 63 per cent relative to pre-crisis levels. The destruction of essential infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, the devaluation of the currency, the impact of sanctions, rising food prices, the shortages of food and electricity, as well as a lack of clean water, have exacted a high toll on the majority of Syrian families and communities throughout the country.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“Mr. O'Brien: As this is my first time before the Council since the very sad and sudden news of the passing of the former Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, I want to convey my deep respect and sympathies to his family, to the Russian people and the Government, and to all his diplomatic colleagues. Three years ago to the day, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2139 (2014). Next month we will mark a grim anniversary - six years of war that have devastated a nation, its people and its children. Syrians have seen their country reduced to rubble and their loved ones killed and injured. The majority of the population - some 13.5 million people - are in dire need of protection and humanitarian assistance.”
2017-02-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7888 (2017) · source
“In addition, the suspension of social payments by the Government has severely affected hundreds of thousands of displaced people. I am alarmed about the turn that this conflict has taken and about the increasing toll it has on the civilian population. As the humanitarian situation in Ukraine deteriorates, increasing numbers of people are at risk and in need - their resilience eroded and their hope fading. The inability to reach a political solution to this crisis is resulting in further civilian casualties, damage to critical infrastructure and more human suffering. This suffering will continue until this conflict comes to an end once and for all.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“Few partners are officially allowed to operate in those areas and, on 25 November 2016, the international NGO People in Need 4 the last international NGO to have access - was summarily ejected from Donetsk non-Government controlled areas, depriving 140,000 people of immediate lifesaving assistance. The United Nations repeats its appeal to all parties to guarantee secure and unimpeded access for United Nations and humanitarian partners to all people in need, wherever they may be. Finally, Government-imposed bureaucratic impediments, particularly in relation to the ban on commercial trade and the importation of food and medicines across the contact line, remain a serious constraint to alleviating the humanitarian crisis.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“That is the reality for so many civilians caught in this conflict, trapped by the fighting with minimal shelter, critical services cut-off and in desperate need of assistance and building repair materials to prevent death or injury by either the violence or the elements. While some humanitarian response efforts continue, since July 2015 the de facto authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk have imposed undue bureaucratic restrictions that are severely affecting humanitarian access. That is in contradiction to their commitments under article 7 of the Minsk full package of measures, as well as their responsibilities under international humanitarian law.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“When I visited Luhansk and Donetskjust over a year ago, I met an octogenarian woman living in one room in the bombed-out ruins of her house, whose son had been killed in the cracked remains of what was once her front door when he just happened to be visiting to check on her safety and a bomb came down on him - an innocent non-combatant nipping back in the lunch hour from his market store. While tending to her rambling rose bush growing up the charred remains of her house, she told me of her unconscionable grief, of the cold she endures and that she would only light a camp fire during the night, as she was afraid that any smoke during the day would allow others to target her location. It was truly heartbreaking.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“This latest escalation in Violence is exacerbating the ongoing needs of an estimated 3.8 million civilians who continue to bear the brunt of this protracted conflict and who require various degrees of humanitarian assistance. There are 700,000 more people in need this year as compared to those identified in the 2016 humanitarian response plan. More than 60 per cent of those in need - approximately 2.3 million people - reside in non-Government controlled areas. Furthermore, over 70 per cent of people in need are the elderly, women and children. Those demographic groups are particularly vulnerable and must be accessed immediately with lifesaving assistance and protection interventions.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“If hostilities continue, we may also face a serious environmental crisis. Damage to the phenol plant near the village ofNovgorodske means that waste chemicals, including deadly sulfuric acid and formaldehyde, are now at critical levels. Leakage into the surrounding land and the Seversky Donets River would have disastrous humanitarian consequences in a highly industrialized part of Europe. Similarly, there is a real risk at present that damage to water facilities could have further deadly consequences for the population living in the surrounding areas, with the potential leak of chlorine gas, which is routinely stored at such facilities.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“I welcome yesterday's statement of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk, which called for not only strict adherence to a full and comprehensive cessation of fire but also the facilitation of humanitarian efforts aimed at the restoration of water, electricity and heating supplies, including through the repair of infrastructure. I also acknowledge the efforts of the Government of Ukraine and the de facto authorities to provide critical heating and water for those most at risk, but I highlight that that is not enough. On 31 January, the Government of Ukraine appealed to international organizations to prepare to support civilian evacuees from Avdiivka should it be necessary. The United Nations and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) stand ready to lend their support.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“A repair team has managed to fix some power lines, thereby managing to preserve the city's heating systems and avoid a major catastrophe. Elsewhere, the 500,000 inhabitants of Mariupol are now reliant on a backup reservoir after the water main on which the city depends developed a massive leak. It will take several days - once hostilities are over - to ensure the area is demined and heavy machinery can access the area to carry out repairs. Unfortunately, shelling could be heard again last night in Donetsk and in other areas along the contact line.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“For example, two technical teams sent to repair infrastructure were promised a ceasefire for a few hours on 1 February in order to carry out their work, but were subjected to small-arms fire in non-government controlled areas and, as a result, were forced to abandon their work. A similar incident took place earlier today. The arrival of powerful generators on 31 January in Avdiivka provided some temporary respite to 17,000 people, including 2,500 children, but that is not sufficient. Unless repairs are made, the power that keeps the heating system functioning in Avdiivka cannot be fully restored. The result could be displacement on a large scale. Avdiivka is not alone. Approximately 1 million people in non-government controlled areas in Donetsk city were without water or heating for 24 hours following the shelling.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source
“For civilians living on both sides of the front line, that means they are not only traumatized, living a precarious and dangerous existence, but damage to critical services is making survival an issue. We are also concerned about the reported presence of heavy weapons in urban areas, which further heightens the risk to civilians' lives. For example, critical water and electricity systems in Avdiivka, a front-line town in Government-controlled areas, were damaged by the the recent violence on 29 and 30 January. The United Nations and other humanitarian partners joined a Government-led assessment team to the town on 1 February, and are working to ensure that critical needs are met in support of the Government. That is not without risk.”
2017-02-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7876 (2017) · source