Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Secretary-General/Travels
-Deputy Secretary-General/Travels
-Sudan/Humanitarian
-South Sudan
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Yemen
-Ukraine
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-International Day Against Nuclear Tests
**Secretary-General/Travels
The Secretary-General is in Dili, in Timor-Leste today, where earlier today he met with Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão.
In a joint press encounter, the Secretary-General said that Timor-Leste won the battle for independence, and it won the battle for democracy, and that as Secretary-General of the UN, he is proud that the UN stood by the people of Timor-Leste in the struggle for independence and in the consolidation of democracy.
However, he added that the country now must win the battle for development and that the United Nations stands ready by the people to support them and the Government in this effort.
The Secretary-General also visited the Timorese Resistance Archive and Museum, where he saw an exhibit on the role of women in the resistance. He later took part in a panel discussion with both the President, Ramos-Horta, and the Prime Minister, Xanana Gusmão.
Tomorrow, he will address the national parliament and attend the official ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation. From there, he will head to Singapore and then on to China.
**Deputy Secretary-General/Travels
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Port Sudan. She just finished her day there.
Ms. Mohammed was accompanied by Ramtane Lamamra, the Personal Envoy for Sudan, as well as the Resident Coordinator for Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, and senior officials from the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Refuge Agency (UNHCR), and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). They met with displaced persons, the UN team, as well as with a number of government officials of Sudan. All this was done in Port Sudan. The visit was aimed at highlighting the humanitarian crisis ongoing in the country.
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General and her team will head to Adré in Chad, which is the border point from which the UN has been getting some humanitarian aid into Sudan.
**Sudan/Humanitarian
On Sudan, we have an update first on the floods triggered by the collapse of the Arba’at dam near Port Sudan that took place last Sunday.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that there has been extensive damage to, among other things, the freshwater pipeline that supplies the city of Port Sudan. Local authorities also report that some 5 million cubic meters of silt have been released downstream, severely impacting agriculture and water supplies in surrounding areas.
Urgent needs for people affected by the dam burst include food, include shelter and household items. We, along with our partners, are mobilized and have been distributing emergency assistance.
OCHA warns that the damage to the dam has had a serious direct impact that will continue to affect the fresh water supply in Port Sudan for the months to come.
Full Highlights: www.un.org/sg/...
20 окт 2024
