South Sudan, Iran, Syria & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (15 December 2021)

The United Nations of Earth reporting on this issue: "South Sudan, Iran, Syria & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (15 December 2021)"
The topics: Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: - Security Council - Iran - Syria - Afghanistan/Humanitarian - Afghanistan - Haiti - COVAX/Nicaragua - Hybrid Briefing Tomorrow SECURITY COUNCIL The Security Council met this morning on South Sudan. Briefing Council members in person, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Nicholas Haysom, said there has been both progress and reduced momentum in advancing the Revitalized Peace Agreement in the country. He pointed to positive developments, such as the fifth National Governors Forum late last month, which marked the first high-level meeting of all members of government since the signing of the peace agreement in 2014. But Mr. Haysom said that, while the steps taken so far in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement are welcome, they are not sufficient if the peace process is to be sustained. He stressed the need for progress to be made regarding next year’s elections and on the constitution and he expressed concern over the restrictions on civic space. Also addressing Council members today was Wafaa Saeed, the Director of the Coordination Division in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. She said that the people of South Sudan have faced the highest levels of food insecurity since independence in 2011 and the renewed conflict, which began in 2013. She said that, between April and July 2021, 7.2 million people were estimated to be at a crisis phase, of which 2.4 million are at emergency phase. IRAN Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed the Security Council yesterday afternoon on Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). She reiterated the Secretary-General’s point that there is simply no viable alternative to the full and effective implementation of that Plan of Action. In this regard, together with the Secretary-General, Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo appealed to the United States to lift or waive its sanctions as outlined in the Plan and extend the waivers regarding the trade in oil with Iran. She also called on Iran to reverse the steps it has taken that are not consistent with its nuclear-related commitments under the Plan. SYRIA Turning to Syria, an estimated 3.4 million people need humanitarian assistance in the north-west. Ongoing conflict in some areas, the economic crisis, COVID-19 and difficult winter conditions are increasing needs. All response modalities are needed to assist people in need. Aid must also be delivered in a more sustainable manner. The UN has an operational plan to send regular and predictable deliveries of assistance from areas under Government of Syria control across conflict lines to reach the north-west. Two convoys of 14 trucks each have already moved assistance cross-line to a warehouse in Idlib. Distribution of the cross-line aid is expected to begin in the second half of December. Cross-line convoys, even if deployed regularly, cannot replicate the size and scope of the cross-border operation. They are, however, an important complement to the massive cross-border operation, offering another avenue for aid to be delivered to people in need in north-west Syria. Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=15%20December%202021


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