Haiti, Afghanistan, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (17 August 2021)

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "Haiti, Afghanistan, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (17 August 2021)"
The topics: Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Haiti - Afghanistan - Security Council - Ethiopia - Lebanon - Mozambique - COVAX HAITI In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General said that he stands in solidarity with the people of Haiti at this difficult time. The earthquake has destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, as well as hospitals and schools, churches, bridges and roads. The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed expressed her support directly to Prime Minister Ariel Henry yesterday. The UN team on the ground is working with the Government to help ensure humanitarian aid and personnel can reach people in need. UN agencies and partners are mobilizing resources and personnel in support of the Government response. Staff from the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams are on their way to support coordination and assessments. The UN has allocated $8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to provide essential health care, clean water, emergency shelter and sanitation for all impacted people. Today relief convoys reached affected communities in Les Cayes, Jérémie and Nippes. The UN will continue to scale up its responses to the hardest-hit areas even as Tropical Storm Grace hit Haiti with a threat of heavy rainfall and flash floods. As assessments reveal the level of suffering, the scale of humanitarian need in Haiti continues to grow. The Secretary-General calls on all Member States to mobilize efforts to support the country in averting a humanitarian disaster. His message to the people of Haiti is: you are not alone. We will stand by your side and support you every step of the way out of this crisis. Just to give you a bit more details. UN Humanitarian Air Service flights are supporting the delivery of supplies and medical staff. Government and UN officials negotiated humanitarian access for two relief convoys to pass through the main road linking the capital, Port-au-Prince, to the country’s southern peninsula, which had been blocked by gangs for months. Additional convoys will follow. Of particular concern is the dire health situation, as several hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, while those still operating are completely overwhelmed, lacking sufficient personnel and medical supplies. Despite the storm weakening into a depression, there is still a threat of getting more than 10 inches of rain over the areas worst hit by the earthquake. AFGHANISTAN In a statement released today, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, stressed that the UN in the country reiterates its commitment to stay and deliver aid to millions of people in the country. The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator said that while the situation is highly complex, humanitarian agencies are committed to supporting vulnerable people in Afghanistan who need us now more than ever. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) noted that humanitarians require safe and unimpeded access for inter-agency assessments in the field for new displacement, conflict, floods, gender issues and protection monitoring to determine needs and immediate response requirements. Despite the complex situation, programmes in many areas are continuing, such as mobile health clinics, education, and we continue to implement our plan to reach 16 million people in need. Also today, the UN Human Rights office called on the international community to extend all possible support to those who may be at imminent risk. The UN Human Rights office called on the Taliban to demonstrate - through their actions, not just their words - that the fears for the safety of so many people from so many different walks of life are being addressed. And the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has released a non-return advisory for Afghanistan, calling for a bar on forced returns of Afghan nationals, including asylum seekers who have had their claims rejected. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight


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