Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (26 October 2021)

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Sudan & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (26 October 2021)"
The topics: Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Afghanistan - Ethiopia - Sudan/Security Council - Sudan/Humanitarian - South Sudan - Climate - Secretary-General/Hate Speech - COVAX/Latin America - COVAX/Egypt - Noon Guest Today - Briefings Tomorrow AFGHANISTAN As winter approaches and temperatures drop in Afghanistan, the UN, along with humanitarian partners, are assessing and responding to the humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable Afghans. Humanitarians warn that this year more than 678,000 people have been displaced and are at heightened risk of exposure to the harsh winter conditions. Overall, the humanitarian community aims to reach more than nine million people in need with an integrated winter response. For its part, the International Organization for Migration will provide shelter and non-food items for up to 7,000 people. Humanitarian partners are also selecting beneficiaries, including female-headed households and hundreds of vulnerable families, to receive cash aid and non-food items in Kapisa, Parwan and Daykundi provinces. While donors generously pledged $1.2 billion to the humanitarian response appeal for Afghanistan about six weeks ago, the Flash Appeal, which is seeking $606 million to help more than 11 million people through the end of this year is only 47 per cent funded at $286 million. The UN calls again on Member States to allow the swift and unfettered movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel in and out of Afghanistan, and to provide humanitarian financial exemptions to allow funds to reach aid organizations in the country. ETHIOPIA The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that access to the northern parts of Ethiopia remains challenging. As mentioned previously, people there need urgent humanitarian assistance. In Tigray, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate due to the restrictions imposed on the delivery of humanitarian supplies into the region via the only route, and that is through Afar. That is the Semera-Abala-Mekelle road. Since October 18th, there has been no movement of convoys with humanitarian supplies in the region, since October 18th. A reminder that an estimated 100 trucks with food, non-food items, and fuel are required in Tigray daily to meet critical humanitarian needs. Fuel for the humanitarian response has not entered Tigray since August. Sixteen fuel tankers -each with a capacity of about 45,000 litres- remain idle in Semera. Due to the severe fuel shortages, many humanitarian partners have been forced to significantly reduce or suspend their activities. That includes food deliveries and water trucking. In addition to this, the suspension of the UN’s humanitarian flights that follows last Friday’s incident, also means that much needed cash cannot be transported into Tigray. The humanitarian situation in Afar and Amhara regions is also deteriorating, as conflict expands in multiple locations and causes massive displacements of people, the disruption of livelihoods and food insecurity. Ongoing hostilities are blocking the delivery of humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of people in both regions. SUDAN/SECURITY COUNCIL The Security Council will hold closed consultations at 3 p.m. today on the Sudan. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, will brief the Council from Khartoum. The UN Mission in Sudan continues to encourage all of the parties to de-escalate tensions, maintain the constitutional partnership, and advance the political transition under the provisions of the Constitutional Document. And, the Secretary-General renewed his call this morning for the immediate release of all those who have been detained. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight


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