YouSaid · the spoken record

Ramesh Rajasingham

lines on the record: 41
first: 2020-05-14
most recent: 2020-11-25
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“This would be impossible without the extraordinary commitment and endurance of our front-line colleagues, who are overwhelmingly Syrian and are themselves directly affected by the crisis. They are delivering aid under the most difficult of circumstances, at great personal risk. They must be protected.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“So far this year, this has included the delivery of regular food assistance to 5.4 million people; emergency nutrition assistance to 1.5 million pregnant and lactating women and children under age 5; the delivery of essential non-food items such as blankets, plastic sheets and water containers to almost 3 million people; cash transfers of $68 million to 1 million people, including 430,000 Palestine refugees; the initiation of COVID-19 PCR testing capacity in nine laboratories in seven governorates; and the establishment of 34 COVID-19 treatment sites with 1,433 in-patient beds for moderate cases and 303 beds for critical cases. The Syria humanitarian operation collectively reaches an average of 7.4 million people with assistance each month. It is an enormous effort to stave off an even worse situation.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Turning to Rukban, an inter-agency mission visited the Wahah transit centre this month as part of ongoing efforts to facilitate departures for those wishing to leave. Meanwhile, the United Nations remains without access to the 12,000 people at Rukban. While efforts continue to support voluntary departures and to find sustainable arrangements for those who remain, humanitarian assistance must be allowed to get through. My final point is the assistance being provided by humanitarian agencies across Syria.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Gaps in assistance and shortages of medical supplies and personnel are prevalent everywhere. In Dar’a, in the south, the national hospital had 30 doctors pre-crisis but today has only three, with women giving birth in rooms with other patients owing to the lack of beds. Turning to Al-Hol, we are monitoring with concern an increase in the number of violent incidents in the camp. Ensuring the safety and security of residents is a priority, and the responsibility for this resides with the local authorities. Some 64,000 people remain at Al-Hol, more than half of whom are children under the age of 12. Many are unaccompanied; many are suffering high levels of psychological distress. Their situation must be urgently addressed.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“More than 2,000 trucks of United Nations aid have entered through Bab al-Hawa since July, when resolution 2533 (2020) came into effect. Efforts continue to bridge gaps in medical assistance in north-eastern Syria. All 17 hospitals and 106 primary health-care facilities in the north-east have been reached with medical supplies on at least one occasion, through one or more delivery modalities. That includes those that previously depended on United Nations cross- border operations. However, it has been inconsistent access. Gaps continue to be reported, and partners continue to explore all available means of addressing them. But let me be clear: health services are extremely weak across the country and are being stretched to new extremes under the public-health impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“In Aleppo’s Al-Bab subdistrict an estimated 185,000 people continue to face water shortages as water supply from the Ayn Al-Bayda pumping station remains cut off. Water from local wells is of poor quality and only covers around 15 per cent of water needs in the area. My next point is humanitarian access. All United Nations assistance bound for northern Aleppo that previously came through the Bab Al-Salam border crossing point is now being rerouted through Bab Al-Hawa. Road work continues on the main route into northern Aleppo and is scheduled for completion in the coming weeks, before the weather makes such work impossible. A United Nations cross-border mission into Idlib last month saw first-hand the widespread and acute needs of people in that part of Syria. Cross-border assistance continues to respond to those needs.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Our most recent data show an explosive incident recorded roughly every 10 minutes on average. The vast majority of victims — 85 per cent — are boys and men. An explosive ordnance assessment in parts of eastern and western Ghouta has surveyed some 68 hectares since August and identified 63 per cent of that as contaminated. 272 items of explosive ordnance have been located and marked. Survey and clearance are the only solution to the problem of landmines and explosive ordnance in Syria, but this work is not sufficiently funded. The United Nations Mine Action Service requires another $18 million, of which $5 million is urgently needed to launch clearance operations in eastern and western Ghouta. Protecting the infrastructure that is indispensable to civilians’ survival is equally critical.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Over the past two months at least six humanitarian workers have been killed and six others injured in north-western Syria. The risks our humanitarian colleagues are taking every day are simply unacceptable. Humanitarian workers must be able to deliver assistance without fear of attack. Across the country civilians continue to be exposed to additional serious violations and abuses, including arbitrary detention, abduction and extrajudicial execution. Reports continue of kidnappings and killings in the south. We are also seeing an alarming increase in the use of improvised explosive devices. Just yesterday, separate bombings in Al-Bab and Afrin killed eight civilians and injured more than 30, according to preliminary reports. Explosive hazards are having a devastating impact.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“About 1 million of them are severely food insecure — twice as many as last year — and we expect this number to increase. The protection of civilians is my next point. Deputy Special Envoy Matar has already briefed the Security Council on the concerning rise in violence, including in the north-west. Since the ceasefire agreement in March, some 240,000 displaced people have returned to towns and villages in southern Idlib and western Aleppo. Some of these places are now, again, coming under attack. At least eight civilians were reportedly killed, including children, and at least 15 others were injured as a result of shelling and air strikes in the north-west this month. Among those killed were two aid workers on their way to a UNICEF- supported child friendly space, where children can play and rest.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Prices of essentials are at historic levels. The price of subsidized bread, which the poorest and most vulnerable families rely on, doubled last month, while the weight of a bundle was reduced by 15 per cent. The market price of bread increased by 26 per cent between September and October. Diesel went up by 21 per cent; some fresh produce went up by 44 per cent. The price of a national reference food basket increased by 247 per cent since October last year and is now higher than at any point since the World Food Programme started price monitoring in Syria in 2013. What this means, quite simply, is that people are increasingly unable to feed their families. Today, an estimated 9.3 million people in Syria are food insecure — that is 1.4 million more people than a year ago and more than at any other time during the crisis.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“As the weather gets colder over the coming weeks and with continued fuel shortages, we expect that people will, as they did last year, resort to burning anything they can find to try and keep themselves and their children warm, risking tent fires and poisoning from toxic fumes. Our colleagues are working hard to supply vulnerable families across Syria with what they need to get through the winter. I want to thank our donors for continuing to support this life-saving effort. My second point is the economic crisis. The value of the Syrian pound on the informal market is not as volatile as it was over the summer, but has declined steadily over the past month, as Deputy Special Envoy Matar has also noted. It currently trades at around SYP 2,900 to the United States dollar, compared with around SYP 2,300 in October.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“We estimate that more than 3 million people across all of Syria need this type of assistance this winter season. Displaced families are particularly vulnerable, as are communities in elevated areas, such as in parts of rural Damascus. Already, heavy rains are causing flooding in some areas. Hundreds of tents in displacement sites in Idlib and western Aleppo have been damaged or destroyed by floods over the past month. When sites like this flood, the water ruins or washes away what little belongings people have left; it muddies the ground, preventing water trucks and other assistance from getting through; and it causes sewage systems to overflow.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“I will focus today on five areas: first, the situation of displaced people across Syria as winter approaches; secondly, the humanitarian impact of the economic crisis; thirdly, the protection of civilians; fourthly, humanitarian access; and fifthly, the assistance being provided by humanitarian organizations across Syria. There are 6.7 million internally displaced people in Syria. Our assessments show that a third of them lack proper shelter. That means they live in damaged or unfinished buildings, in public spaces like schools or in tents that do not provide sufficient protection from the elements. Winter weather is proving to be incredibly hard for those without adequate shelter, not to mention the very basics like fuel for heating, blankets, warm clothes and shoes.”
2020-11-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1147 (2020) · source
“Food assistance reached 5.4 million people on average each month and, as of July, it is being expanded to reach vulnerable people in COVID-19 quarantine centres. That assistance is all the more critical as food insecurity continues to rise in Syria. It must be sustained. In his briefing to the Council last month, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock highlighted the generous pledges made at the fourth Brussels conference in June. Without those contributions, we would be unable to help people throughout Syria. I join him in urging other donors to contribute and more fairly share the financial burden.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“Support is needed from all parties to help those who still want to leave. Sustainable solutions need to be found for all who remain. Crucially, humanitarian actors must be granted access to the camp to deliver life-saving assistance for civilians in need. Let me conclude with an update on the assistance that we are providing to the civilian population throughout Syria. In the first half of the year, humanitarian operations reached an average of 7.2 million people across the country each month. More than 12 million medical procedures were conducted, and 5.4 million treatment courses provided. Some 3 million people were reached with protection support, such as child protection services, support services related to gender-based violence and mine action support.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“From within Syria, a United Nations inter-agency mission reached Khan Shaykhun and Big Khwein in southern rural Idlib on 28 July. These areas were retaken by Government forces a year ago. The mission found civilian infrastructure severely damaged and basic services lacking. Fewer than 300 families have returned. Work is under way to develop a response plan based on the needs identified by the mission. Turning to Rukban, the humanitarian operation has remained without access to the 12,000 people at the camp since September 2019. Only a few local truck drivers have been able to sporadically deliver basic goods through informal routes, and there remains no access to medical services at the camp. The humanitarian situation has significantly worsened as a result. Another 576 people have left Rukban since March.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“As the Secretary-General notes in his latest report on Syria (S/2020/813), which members received last week, these challenges were foreseen. They have resulted in a more costly, higher risk, less timely and, ultimately, less effective humanitarian response. United Nations agencies are working to mitigate the impact of the reduction to one authorized border crossing. The capacity of the remaining authorized crossing at Bab Al-Hawa needs to be expanded, as does the capacity of crossing points inside Syria. Significant roadworks will need to be completed before the onset of winter weather. Engagement is also under way with parties on the ground to ensure that humanitarian deliveries can cross between Idlib and northern Aleppo unimpeded.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“The group was travelling with local smugglers — a market that has been boosted by the economic downturn and deteriorating security situation in the south, alongside other factors that are pushing increasingly desperate families to take extreme risks. My next point is on access. A United Nations humanitarian delivery to northern rural Aleppo was dispatched via the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing on 28 July. This was the first such delivery since the adoption of resolution 2533 (2020). The convoy took 11 hours to reach its destination, Al-Bab, after multiple delays caused by a lack of approvals from various parties, as well as poor road conditions. Travel time to Al-Bab from the Bab Al-Salam crossing would have been approximately two hours. A subsequent delivery on 21 August was also delayed.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“The contamination of large parts of Syria by explosive hazards adds to the appalling human cost of the active fighting. Each month we see a steady stream of civilian casualties; often these are children killed or injured while playing or picking through rubble. On 12 August, a group of around 70 people, including families with children, walked into an area contaminated with explosive remnants in the area of Nobbol and Zahraa in northern rural Aleppo. They triggered explosions that, in turn, drew fire from armed actors in the area. While some bodies of the victims have been recovered, it is unclear how many were killed.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“My third point is the protection of civilians. The ceasefire in the north-west is largely holding, but it will hardly seem that way for civilians in front-line areas. Hostilities in the north-west have been increasing in July and August, with increased levels of shelling reported by local sources in the front-line areas of the southern Idlib, northern Latakia, northern Hama and western Aleppo governorates. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded at least 10 civilian deaths, including three children, as a result of ground strikes and air strikes in the “de-escalation area” in June and July. Another 30 civilians, including 10 children, were injured during this period. I would recall that, under international humanitarian law, all parties to armed conflict must take constant care to spare civilians.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“The average price of the World Food Programme national reference food basket increased by 3 per cent from June to July, after surging 48 per cent from May to June. These are still unprecedented levels; current food prices are more than twice the level of the previous price surge at the height of the crisis in 2016. One of the impacts of COVID-19 in Syria has been a disruption in some commercial supply chains. Commercial supply chains may also be affected, to varying degrees, by the explosion at the port of Beirut. Let me join the Secretary- General in expressing his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims of this horrific event and in wishing a full recovery to the many thousands of injured, many of whom were Syrian refugees who had been so generously hosted by the Lebanese people.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“Due to the low pumping capacity and a further disruption on 25 August, water has yet to reach Al-Hasakah. In response to the water shortages, humanitarian partners have been delivering an estimated 2,500 cubic metres of water to the area per day. But this is neither a sufficient nor a sustainable solution. I emphasize that parties to the conflict are obliged under international humanitarian law not to render useless objects, such as water installations, that are indispensable for the survival of the civilian population. My second point is the humanitarian impact of the economic downturn. The Syrian pound has stabilized since falling to its lowest-ever recorded informal rate in June. This has also reduced food inflation. Food prices are still rising, but they are doing so at a much slower rate.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“The World Health Organization is leading an interagency technical mission to Al-Hol this week to look at how health coverage at the camp can be improved despite the immense challenges posed by COVID-19 and by the severe staffing and supply shortages, which predate the pandemic. Al-Hol has also been affected by renewed disruptions in water supply from the Allouk water station over the past month. Water supply from Allouk has been interrupted at least 13 times this year, affecting some 460,000 civilians in Al-Hasakah governorate. On 22 August, power supply from the Tishrin dam resumed to the Mabrouka and Darbasiyah electricity stations, after which nine out of 34 boreholes at Allouk started producing water. Technical teams were able to carry out essential repairs at the station on 25 August.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“Both field hospitals at the camp have since resumed operations. Sustained health services are critical at Al-Hol, where the population is already considered highly vulnerable. Between 6 and 10 August, eight children under the age of five died in the camp, from a range of conditions. I join the Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, Imran Riza, in expressing alarm over these deaths and in his assertion that no child should be forced to live under the challenging and potentially dangerous conditions at Al-Hol camp. Of the 65,000 people residing at Al-Hol, the majority, 35,000 children, are under five years of age.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“Of the 2,440 cases confirmed by the Syrian Ministry of Health, the majority cannot be traced to a known source. Rising patient numbers are adding pressure to the fragile health system. Many are reluctant to seek care at medical facilities, leading to more severe complications when they do arrive. Health workers still lack sufficient personal protective equipment and associated supplies. Several health facilities have suspended operations due to capacity issues and to staff contracting the virus. Some are in areas already among the most underserved when it comes to health care. In Al-Hol camp in north-east Syria, 12 health facilities had to suspend operations this month due to staff becoming infected and having to self-isolate, or due to a lack of personal protective equipment.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“I will focus today on five areas: first, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and its impact on health services; secondly, the economic downturn; thirdly, the protection of civilians; fourthly, humanitarian access, which is essential for our operations; and, fifthly, what support humanitarian agencies have been delivering to people across Syria. In his briefing to the Security Council last month, Under-Secretary-General Lowcock (S/2020/758, annex I) warned that the very limited COVID-19 testing in Syria masks the real extent of the outbreak. Reports of health-care facilities filling up and of rising numbers of death notices and burials all seem to indicate that actual cases far exceed official figures. What the official figures do show is that community transmission is widespread.”
2020-08-27 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/866 (2020) · source
“We need bold action to stabilize the economy and soften the blow of measures that may be necessary to protect public health. Such support should include regular foreign-exchange injections and steps to quickly increase quantities of affordable food and other goods in markets across the country. As much as possible, Yemeni migrants should be allowed to continue working abroad. My last point is on progress towards peace. Peace is the best chance Yemen has to contain COVID-19, and we hope the parties will work with the Special Envoy to make it a reality. This is essential not just for public health, but for the sake of millions of Yemenis who, even before this pandemic, were exhausted after five years of a war they had never wanted.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Imports must be paid for in hard currency. A weak Yemeni rial — approximately 600 rial to the United States dollar in the north, and 690 in the south — means fewer people can afford the basic goods they need to survive. The current exchange rate, three times higher than before the crisis, is severely limiting the Government’s ability to finance imports or pay for public services. COVID-19 is poised to make these dynamics even worse. Remittances from abroad — the largest source of foreign exchange in Yemen — are falling, although by how much is difficult to quantify. Yemenis who still have jobs at home often depend on day labour. These workers need daily wages to feed their families, and many will be ill-equipped to restrict movements or comply with similar COVID-19 regulations.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Donors have started to signal support, including a large pledge by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and an announcement of lifeline funding from the United States. However, pledges remain far below what is required, and most still have not been paid. By themselves, pledges cannot save lives We are calling on all donors to pledge generously and pay quickly — ideally before the event on 2 June. We realize aid budgets are shrinking everywhere and greatly appreciate donors’ support. The fourth issue is the economy. Yemen imports almost everything. For the past several months, commercial food imports through Al-Hudaydah and Saleef have been falling. In April, they totalled just 195,000 metric tons — one of the lowest figures to date. Fuel imports rose considerably in the same period, likely due to lower oil prices.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“We are urgently appealing to donors to release funds now to sustain principled aid operations. Agencies estimate they will need up to $2 billion to cover essential activities from June through December. These requirements reflect a tightly prioritized response strategy that will be published later this month. The strategy is based on painstaking work that agencies have done over the last few months to ensure manageable levels of risk in a country where millions of people are acutely vulnerable and need help. On 2 June, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations will host a virtual pledging conference. That event will offer an important opportunity to show civilians that the international community will not abandon them while they still urgently need help.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“The World Health Organization (WHO) recently wrote to the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah authorities in Sana’a to inform them that WHO must progressively reduce its activities due to lack of funding. The COVID-19 rapid response teams that I just mentioned will shut down next month. Therapeutic-feeding centres, which treat the most severely malnourished children, will close by August. In this midst of a pandemic, this is shocking. Preventing disease and feeding sick children are the kinds of programmes that everyone agrees should be protected at all costs. Other essential activities are also at risk. Of 41 major United Nations programmes, 31 will start closing down in the next few weeks if we cannot secure additional funds. That means many more people are likely to die.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“They offer some of the best chances for people to protect themselves against COVID-19. COVID-19-specific activities are also expanding. Thirty-eight hospitals are being equipped to serve as COVID-19 facilities. Rapid response teams are working in every district. Health workers are being trained and essential supplies delivered — including ventilators, tests, reagents and personal-protective items for health workers. Massive quantities of COVID-19 supplies are needed across the country, which is why we are asking everyone to give Yemen the highest priority in COVID-19 global supply chains. However, we desperately need money to pay for these programmes. This brings me to my third point: funding for the aid operation.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Last week, a senior representative of the authorities in Sana’a wrote to the United Nations to highlight the “urgent necessity” of an assessment. We welcome this enthusiasm and are following up to confirm Ansar Allah authorities will indeed facilitate this work without again imposing unnecessary conditions. Despite the enormous challenges our teams are facing, we are doing everything we can to stay, deliver and reach as many people as possible. There are many factors impacting our capacity to deliver aid, including restrictions, lack of funding and measures we are forced to take to mitigate the risks we face. Nonetheless, we are still reaching more than 10 million people every month. These large-scale programmes provide food, water, health care and other services.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“The most urgent priority is to approve 93 pending NGO projects, many of which have been waiting for months and together represent $180 million in donor investments. We also need more effective procedures for future projects and an end to arbitrary movement delays, detentions, harassment and interference in aid operations. Over the past several days, we had an opportunity to remind senior Ansar Allah officials of all the steps required to put in place the same minimum humanitarian conditions expected everywhere else in the world. We will continue to work with them to achieve the quick results we need to create a more enabling environment for humanitarian action. On a separate note, we also continue to call for access to the decaying FSO SAFER oil tanker.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Unfortunately, we also continue to face obstacles to our work that predate the pandemic. In the south, the greatest challenge remains volatility. Rising tensions and renewed clashes are weakening governance and public services, as well as complicating agencies’ ability to plan and implement programmes reliably. Government processes are too cumbersome and at times interfere with the independence of aid. Dozens of non-governmental organization (NGO) projects have waited months for approval in the south, effectively blocking $100 million in donor funding. Visa delays for international staff also remain a concern. In the north, access challenges are even more severe. As we noted last month, the authorities recently made several important improvements, and we appreciate this progress. But more is still needed.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“These issues are essential to fulfilling our duty of care to staff. We have also noted a disturbing increase, mainly in the north, in harassment and incitement against the United Nations. This needlessly makes our work more dangerous and sometimes forces partners to pause activities at the very time they are needed most. We are asking the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah authorities to work with us on these points as a matter of urgency, including with renewed commitments to aid workers’ safety and security. I want to acknowledge the constructive role of Member States in helping to facilitate passenger flights. The Government of Ethiopia has allowed the United Nations Humanitarian Air Service to use Addis Ababa airport for several flights. The Evacuation and Humanitarian Operations Cell in Riyadh has also been helpful.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Truly, this is the time for what the Secretary-General has called “science and solidarity.” Over the years, Yemen has distinguished itself by its generous support for refugees and migrants. The United Nations remains eager to support the Yemeni authorities and communities in upholding that noble tradition as we work with them counter COVID-19 across the country. The second issue is humanitarian access, which is also required under international humanitarian law. We are working with all stakeholders to take appropriate precautions against COVID-19 while maintaining life-saving assistance. But there are several causes for concern. Regular staff rotations are impossible, as aid workers lack predictable access to flights into or out of the country. Nor do we know whether medical evacuations, if required, would be quickly approved.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“On 6 April, armed men threw grenades at the guards of an isolation centre at a hospital in Al Dhale’e. Fear of stigma may also be leading fewer people to seek medical care when they need it. For refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants, stigma is already a grave concern. Reports are growing of refugees and migrants forcibly deported or detained owing to COVID-19 fears. Incitement against these people — many of whom already endured horrific trauma on their journey to Yemen — is rising. I want to echo recent calls by the Secretary-General, the World Health Organization, the International Organization for Migration and others in favour of knowledge and social cohesion over rumour and scapegoating.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“Like the Special Envoy, we hope this will soon translate into a mutual agreement to end all fighting on the ground. Recent clashes in Al-Hudaydah, Ma’rib, Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Abyan, Socotra and elsewhere show we are not there yet. Civilian casualties rose again in April, with 177 civilians killed or injured across the country. In the first quarter of 2020, six attacks on health facilities were reported — a threefold increase from the previous quarter. At least one such attack was reported in April, despite the pandemic. International humanitarian law requires all parties to take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects throughout military operations. COVID-19 makes it all the more critical to respect and protect medical facilities in line with international law. COVID-19 appears to be directly exacerbating protection risks.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“He also urged that the global approach to COVID-19 be transparent, responsive and accountable. Authorities in Yemen are seeking support. We must all work together to confront the virus. That means reporting cases everywhere, keeping people informed, caring for the sick and following expert advice. This approach has flattened the curve in other countries, and it can do the same in Yemen. This is the backdrop against which I will update the Council today on the five overall priorities for the wider humanitarian response: the protection of civilians, humanitarian access and delivery, funding, the economy and progress towards peace. Let us start with protection of civilians. We welcome the coalition’s decision to extend its unilateral ceasefire through the holy month of Ramadan.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source
“In last month’s briefing (see S/2020/313), we reported that Yemen had confirmed only one case of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As of this morning, that figure had jumped to 72 confirmed cases, including 13 deaths. Sixty-two of the cases — more than 85 per cent — were reported in just the last 10 days. Humanitarian agencies have every reason to believe that community transmission is taking place across the country. Official reports are lagging behind actual infections, just as they have in many other places. As in the rest of the world, millions of people in Yemen are deeply frightened at the prospect of an unknown disease ravaging their country. The Secretary- General acknowledged that fear last month, noting that people everywhere “want to know what to do and where to turn for advice”.”
2020-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/411 (2020) · source