UN Daily News Issue DH/6725 Thursday, 28 August 2014

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1 For updates and alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at UN Daily News Issue DH/6725 Thursday, In the headlines: Ban alarmed by dangerous escalation in Ukraine crisis; Security Council holds emergency talks Ban, Security Council deplore detention of UN peacekeepers in Golan UN reports improved humanitarian access to Syria for first time in six months Ebola caseload could exceed 20,000 in course of emergency, UN response roadmap shows In Bali, UN chief stresses role of young people in building peaceful, sustainable future Ban alarmed by dangerous escalation in Ukraine crisis; Security Council holds emergency talks 28 August - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he is alarmed by what seems to be a dangerous escalation in the crisis in Ukraine with reports of intensified fighting in the country south-east near the border with Russia, as the Security Council held emergency talks on the latest developments. The international community cannot allow the situation to escalate further nor can a continuation be allowed of the violence and destruction that the conflict has wrought in eastern Ukraine, Mr. Ban s spokesperson said in a statement. It is reported that the fighting in eastern Ukraine has spread southward, near the border of the Sea of Azov and Russia. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, many being women with children. Photo: UNFPA Ukraine/Olena Kulyk If confirmed, this will mark a dangerous escalation in the Ukrainian crisis, said the statement. Briefing the Security Council on the latest developments, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman said that illegal armed groups operating in the Donetsk region have reportedly intensified their activities over the last two days, spreading violence along Ukraine s southern coast, in the direction of the key strategic port of Mariupol. It has further been reported that several small towns and villages in the area are now in the midst of heavy fighting, while the town of Novoazovsk has been seized by the armed groups. The battle for Lugansk continues, and hostilities in Donetsk in several key strategic areas have been spreading, he added. We cannot ignore the deeply alarming reports of Russian military involvement in this new wave of escalation, he stated. If confirmed, it would constitute a direct contravention of international law and of the UN Charter. He added that the UN has no independent means of verifying this information, and Russia has staunchly rejected these reports. Mr. Feltman, who was in Kyiv last week to consult with Ukrainian officials, said the situation on and around the border between Ukraine and Russia remains a key obstacle to the de-escalation of the situation on the ground as arms and heavy For information media - not an official record

2 UN Daily News weaponry reportedly continue to flow unabated into Ukraine from Russia. There is an urgent need to ensure a secure border between the two countries, with international verification, he stated. He noted the recent statement made by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that the first bilateral consultations between the border guards of Ukraine and Russia are scheduled for 30 August. It is also critical, Mr. Feltman added, that the elections scheduled for 26 October can take place throughout Ukraine and become a unifying and reconciliatory mechanism that will ensure that people throughout the country feel represented in Kyiv. The immediate focus must be to find ways to reverse the dangerous escalation of fighting over the past 48 hours and move quickly away from armed conflict and toward political solutions and dialogue, he stated. Ban, Security Council deplore detention of UN peacekeepers in Golan 28 August - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council today strongly condemned the detention of United Nations peacekeepers serving in the Golan amid increased fighting in the area between Syrian Government forces and armed elements, and demanded their immediate release. A UNDOF base in Golan Heights. Photo: UNDOF Ar Ruwayhinah and Burayqah. The 43 Fijian peacekeepers from the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) were detained by armed elements of the opposition in the vicinity of Al Qunaytirah, according to the world body. Another 81 peacekeepers are currently being restricted to their positions in the vicinity of In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban called for the immediate release of the detained peacekeepers, as well as for the immediate lifting of the restrictions on the movement of the Force. The Security Council made a similar call in a press statement: The members of the Security Council demanded the unconditional and immediate release of all the detained United Nations peacekeepers and called upon all parties to cooperate with UNDOF in good faith to enable it to operate freely and to ensure full security of its personnel. They called on countries with influence to strongly convey to the armed members of the opposition in the UNDOF area of operation to immediately release the peacekeepers. UNDOF peacekeepers were previously detained by armed elements in March and May of 2013 and were released safely. The United Nations is making every effort to secure the release of the detained peacekeepers, and to restore full freedom of movement of the Force throughout its area of operation, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York today. Peacekeepers serving with UNDOF monitor the 1974 disengagement accord between Syria and Israel after their 1973 war. In June, the Security Council extended the mission s mandate until 31 December As of 31 July 2014, there are 1,223 peacekeepers from six countries Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, and the Philippines serving in UNDOF.

3 UN Daily News UN reports improved humanitarian access to Syria for first time in six months 28 August - For the first time in six months, there has been some improvement recently on humanitarian access to Syria, but much more needs to be done by the parties to the conflict to ensure rapid and unhindered access to people in need, a senior United Nations relief official told the Security Council today. The progress in access during the past month has shown that where there is political will, there is a way to improve the situation for millions of civilians in Syria. We must all redouble our efforts until we reach everyone in need with humanitarian assistance, said Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyung-wha Kang. Six months ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 2139 with the aim of pressing the parties to the conflict to abide by basic international legal obligations and to reduce the suffering of ordinary people caught up in the conflict. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyungwha Kang briefs the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria. UN Photo/Loey Felipe Last month, the 15-member body adopted resolution 2165, authorizing cross-border and cross-line access for the UN and its partners to deliver humanitarian aid in Syria without the consent of the State, and establishing a monitoring mechanism for 180 days. We are reaching more people in need in hard-to-reach areas as a result of the adoption of resolution 2165 by this Council, said Ms. Kang, reporting that for the first time in six months, there has been some improvement on humanitarian access. She added the monitoring mechanism is now operational at the three border crossings of Bab al-hawa, Bab al-salam and Al Ramtha. The deployment of monitoring teams to Iraq remains pending due to insecurity in the north-western part of the country, but the situation is constantly being assessed. Access across borders has resulted in broader coverage in hard-to-reach areas in Syria such as Aleppo, Dara, Rural Damascus, Idleb, Quineitra and Lattakia Governorates. The UN has now sent nine shipments to Syria from neighbouring countries pursuant to resolution This included seven shipments from Turkey and two from Jordan. More shipments are planned over the next month in close coordination with the humanitarian team in Damascus, in line with the UN s whole-of-syria approach where cross-line and cross-border access complement each other to maximize our reach to those in need, said Ms. Kang. Despite these developments, much more needs to be done by the parties to ensure that access is rapid, regular, safe, and unhindered, she added, noting that 241,000 people remain under siege. She said administrative hurdles imposed by the Government of Syria continue to hamper the delivery of aid. Governors are still not allowed to approve the delivery of humanitarian assistance in their governorates without first consulting Damascus. In addition, the operational constraints placed on non-governmental organizations have not been removed. Designated terrorist groups, as well as armed opposition groups, continue to block access to the hard-to-reach eastern governorates of Syria. Ms. Kang warned that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Al-Nusra Front are advancing towards the border crossings of Bab al-salam and Bab al-hawa along the main access routes in Syria, and that this could threaten the additional cross-border operations authorized under resolution 2165.

4 UN Daily News On the overall humanitarian situation, she reported that over the past six months, the plight of people in Syria has not reduced but has deepened. The violence and conflict continues unabated, with more deaths of women, children and men. The social and economic fabric of the country has been ripped to shreds, she stated. According to data collected by human rights organizations from various sources, July 2014 was a particularly harrowing month since the start of the conflict for civilians in Syria, with over 1,000 civilian deaths and injuries. In Aleppo Governorate, a marked increase in the indiscriminate use of barrel bombs by the Government was registered in residential neighbourhoods, where civilians, including women and children, with no means to leave, still struggle to survive. The advancement of ISIL into central Syria is taking the violence meted out to unprotected civilians to a new level. The group continues to commit horrific atrocities against those opposing its rule, said Ms. Kang. In Deir-Ez-Zor, for example, community sources report that up to 700 members of the Al-Sheitaat Arab tribe, whom ISIL accused of apostasy, have been killed or kidnapped over the past two weeks, some beheaded or crucified. Reports also indicate that women from the tribe are being sold in markets in Iraq. Now more than ever before, the Council must do all it can to end the conflict and ensure that humanitarian access increases so that we can reach all those who are desperately in need in Syria, Ms. Kang stated. UN humanitarian agencies and our partners are doing everything we can to meet those needs, but, as we have repeatedly said, the solution to this crisis does not rest with us. Ebola caseload could exceed 20,000 in course of emergency, UN response roadmap shows 28 August - The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a roadmap that aims to stop Ebola transmissions within six to nine months, but acknowledges the actual number of cases may be much higher than that currently reported and the total caseload could exceed 20,000 over the course of the emergency. Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, told a news conference in Geneva: What we are seeing today in contrast to previous Ebola outbreaks [are] multiple hotspots within these countries, not a single remote forested area, the kind of environments in which it has been tackled in the past. And then not just multiple hotspots within one country, but international disease, and it is now, as you know, really a multinational effort, three countries, heavily affected. A health worker checks a blood sample for Ebola at Kenema government hospital, Sierra Leone. Photo: IRIN/Tommy Trenchard According to the Ebola response roadmap launched by Dr. Aylward, the key milestones are to reverse the trend in new cases and infected areas within three months, stop transmission in capital cities and major ports, and stop all residual transmission with 6 to 9 months. The roadmap responds to the urgent need to dramatically scale up the international response, WHO said in a statement. Nearly 40 per cent of the total number of reported cases have occurred within the past three weeks. The $490 million indicative budget for the roadmap presents a consolidated view of the estimated global resources required over the next six months by national governments, WHO, some UN agencies and other partners for the health response to stop Ebola transmission, according to the 27-page document issued by the Geneva-based UN health agency. Priority is being given to needs for treatment and management centres, social mobilization, and safe burials, it said.

5 UN Daily News The latest official number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases in Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone stands at 3,069, with over 1,552 deaths, making this the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded, WHO says. An unprecedented number of health care workers have also been infected and died due to this outbreak. According to the latest West African update, the overall case fatality rate is 52 per cent. It ranges from 42 per cent in Sierra Leone to 66 per cent in Guinea. A separate outbreak of Ebola virus disease, which is not related to the outbreak in West Africa, was laboratory-confirmed on 26 August in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In that update, WHO reiterated that it does not recommend any travel or trade restrictions be applied except in cases where individuals have been confirmed or are suspected of being infected with EVD or where individuals have had contact with cases of EVD. The WHO roadmap issued today assumes that in many areas of intense transmission the actual number of cases may be 2-4 fold higher than that currently reported. It acknowledges that the aggregate case load of EVD could exceed 20,000 over the course of this emergency. The plan recognizes that a number of currently unaffected countries could be exposed to EVD (Ebola Virus Disease), but assumes that the emergency application of the standard control strategies will stop any new transmission within 8 weeks of the index case. The roadmap was based on comments received from a large number of partners, including health officials in the affected countries, the African Union, development banks, other UN agencies, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and countries providing direct financial support, WHO said. A situation reports map is expected to begin this week containing hotspots and hot zones, present epidemiological data showing how the outbreak is evolving over time, and communicate what is known about the location of treatment facilities and laboratories, together with data needed to support other elements of the roadmap. Today s Ebola response roadmap covers the health dimensions of the international response. These dimensions include key potential bottlenecks requiring international coordination, such as the supply of personal protective equipment, disinfectants, and body bags. The roadmap will be complemented by the development of a separate UN-wide operational platform that brings in the skills and capacities of other agencies, including assets in the areas of logistics and transportation. The UN-wide platform aims to facilitate the delivery of essential services, such as food and other provisions, water supply and sanitation, and primary health care. WHO also said today that it continues to monitor for reports of rumoured or suspected cases from countries around the world and systematic verification of these cases is ongoing. Countries are encouraged to continue engaging in active surveillance and preparedness activities, the healthy agency recommended. Dr. Margaret Chan, the WHO Director-General, and Dr. David Nabarro, the UN System Coordinator for Ebola who just completed a visit to the affected countries, are expected to be at UN Headquarters in New York next week, a UN spokesperson said.

6 UN Daily News In Bali, UN chief stresses role of young people in building peaceful, sustainable future 28 August - Addressing a youth forum in Bali, Indonesia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the role of young people in building a peaceful, sustainable future and encouraged them to be solid global citizens and leaders of today. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) addresses the closing ceremony of the Youth Event organized by the Government of Indonesia and the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Bali. UN Photo/Evan Schneider The United Nations is doing everything possible to encourage a global mobilization of youth, Mr. Ban said in his remarks to the closing ceremony of the Youth Event organized by the Government of Indonesia and the Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). We know that we cannot succeed in our ambitious goal to build a peaceful, sustainable future without young leaders. He went on to say: Some people say youth are leaders of tomorrow. But I look at you and see leaders of today. Young people are concerned about issues such as decent jobs, human rights and a clean environment, Mr. Ban noted. We hear these concerns. We are resolved to respond. The Secretary-General reminded participants that they are part of the largest generation of youth in history. You have unprecedented powers to network. You are connecting about issues that matter in our world today. Injustice. Discrimination. Human rights abuses. And our collective responsibility to end the discourse of hate and foster human solidarity. On Friday, Mr. Ban will address the 6th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations which brings together government officials, business representatives, faith leaders, media professionals and young people from around the world to exchange ideas about advancing mutual interests across religions and cultures. While in Bali, he met today with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. They discussed the recent elections in Indonesia, the situation in the Middle East, Myanmar and Iraq, as well as the partnership between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)