UN Daily News. UN Envoy for Yemen announces cessation of hostilities and start date for peace talks. In the headlines:

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1 For updates and alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at UN Daily News Issue DH/7122 Wednesday, In the headlines: UN Envoy for Yemen announces cessation of hostilities and start date for peace talks Progress made on humanitarian track for Syria, UN advisor reports Diplomatic Quartet to prepare report to lay ground for Israel-Palestine talks UN envoy World Meteorological Day: as extreme weather becomes 'the new normal,' UN urges bold climate action Senior UN official warns of dire consequences for millions of Iraqis due to funding shortfalls DR Congo at 'critical juncture,' amid rising political tensions UN envoy tells Security Council UN Envoy for Yemen announces cessation of hostilities and start date for peace talks 23 March Following extensive consultations with Yemeni leaders and regional partners, the United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen today announced that parties to the conflict have agreed to a nationwide cessation of hostilities beginning at midnight on 10 April, in advance of the upcoming round of peace talks, scheduled on 18 April in Kuwait. I have previously emphasized that only a political solution and inclusive peace process will ensure a future of reconciliation and peace in the country, said the Secretary-General's Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, at a press briefing in New York. Girls fetching water in Mawyah district, Taiz. This role often falls on the shoulders of girls and young women, often at the expense of their education. Credit: OCHA One year on into the conflict, the UN estimates that tens of thousands of Yemenis have been killed or injured, one in 10 are displaced and nearly the entire population is in urgent need of aid. The talks aim to reach a comprehensive agreement, which will end the conflict and allow the resumption of inclusive political dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) and other relevant UN [Security Council] resolutions, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed said. The face-to-face negotiations will provide a mechanism for a return to a peaceful and orderly transition based on the [Gulf Cooperation Council] Initiative and National Dialogue outcomes, he added. Five main areas of the peace talks The envoy further explained that the talks will focus on five main areas; he has asked the parties to present concept papers on each of them by 3 April. 1. the withdrawal of militias and armed groups For information media - not an official record

2 UN Daily News the handover of heavy weapons to the State 3. interim security arrangements 4. the restoration of state institutions and the resumption of inclusive political dialogue 5. the creation of a special committee for prisoners and detainees To help Yemen preserve economic stability during this crisis, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed has also pursued agreements which seek to preserve the functioning of key state institutions, such as the Central Bank, on which the Yemeni people depend. Preserving their functioning helps current service delivery to those who are in dire need, and will also facilitate a more expedient and efficient economic recovery after an agreement, he noted. The upcoming cessation of hostilities must also seek to ensure that the parties allow safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies to all affected governorates, as well as the increased flow of commercial shipments in the coming weeks, he underscored. Humanitarian breakthrough Meanwhile, calling it a breakthrough, the UN refugee agency today reported that earlier this week, 13 trucks managed to deliver blankets, mattresses, and other badly needed emergency relief items to Yemen's Taiz governorate. It was the first time a convoy from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) made it through all the way from Aden to Taizz, which is located in the highlands of country's southwest. Dispatched in coordination with the Government of Yemen's High Relief Committee, it arrived on Sunday in Mashra'a Wa Hadnan, a district immediately south of the embattled Taizz city centre. Distribution is reportedly starting this week for 500 displaced people, others who have returned to Taiz, plus local families who have been affected by the conflict. Meanwhile, another 13 trucks are on their way to nearby Sabir Al Mawadim district and will be distributed among another 500 families. In Mashra'a Wa Hadnan, the situation is now calm according to the UN, and some displaced families have been returning to their homes, while fighting persists on the eastern part of Sabir Al Mawadim. The two districts host over 7,500 displaced people. It is the first time that assistance has been delivered there using the direct route from Aden, said UNHCR Representative in Yemen, Johannes van der Klaauw, in a press release. The wider governorate of Taizz hosts 555,048 internally displaced people, the biggest concentration in the country and equal to almost a quarter of the 2.4 million total Yemen-wide, he added. Progress made on humanitarian track for Syria, UN advisor reports 23 March The advisor to the United Nations envoy on Syria today reported further progress in the humanitarian relief efforts in that conflict-battered country, including with more areas reached, medical kits getting through checkpoints, and children being vaccinated. Briefing the media in Geneva, Jan Egeland, the Special Advisor to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, said that humanitarian convoys have already reached or got verbal Government consent to reach most of the 18 besieged areas, except Darayya and Douma. Families evacuated from East Ghouta, Syria, congregate in the courtyard of the Dahit Qudsayya collective shelter for basic aid. Photo: OCHA/Josephine Guerrero Last night, an inter-agency convoy of UN, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Syrian Arab Red Crescent arrived in Al Houla in Homs, for the first time since last October, he said. Also, a convoy reached the Orem area in western Aleppo over the weekend. We are now up to 384,000 people reached since the beginning of the year via inter-agency convoys in hard-to-reach areas,

3 UN Daily News besieged areas, and other priority cross-line areas, he said. With verbal permissions having just been issued for eight or nine of the 11 areas UN requested for April, that number is expected to double in the coming weeks, he added. He also reported that medical kits went through to Al Houla after extensive negotiations. But surgical material was again taken off the convoys. It is a war zone; civilians and others need surgical help, he said. Turning to the vaccination campaign, he said vaccinating children is symbolically important in a conflict, and especially in a peace effort. There is nothing more symbolic than children being able to resume school and being vaccinated against diseases, he said, noting that one million children in hard-to-reach and besieged areas will be vaccinated by the end of April through the facilitation of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Air drops are expected to start in days and weeks over Deir ez-zor, where 200,000 civilians, mostly women and children, are waiting for relief aid, he said. Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported today that it has continued humanitarian operations in Yalda for the sixth consecutive week. A medical team comprised of two medical officers, two nurses and one assistant pharmacist was deployed for the fourth time since February, when the UN agency was allowed to resume operations to support vulnerable civilians from Yarmouk, Yalda, Babila and Beit Saham. The medical team reportedly treated 253 patients today, including 114 women and 78 children, for a range of non-communicable and other common diseases. Diplomatic Quartet to prepare report to lay ground for Israel- Palestine talks UN envoy 23 March The United Nations envoy for the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict today unveiled a plan by the diplomatic Quartet comprising the UN, Russia, the United States and the European Union to produce a report that would help create a political environment for the two sides to resume peace negotiations. Speaking at a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York, Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the Quartet, in its last principals meeting in Munich, decided to compile a report that will examine impediments to a twostate solution and recommend the way forward. The work has already started and the Quartet is seeking inputs from both sides and other stakeholders, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, to produce a good assessment, he said, expressing hope that the report, to be concluded in a few months, will inform the international opinion and consolidate consensus on a two-state solution as the only viable option. Nickolay Mladenov, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process briefs journalists at Headquarters. UN Photo/Loey Felipe Turning to the reconstruction of Gaza, he said that since the end of hostilities in 2014, the UN engaged both sides in putting together a mechanism to allow the import of building materials. This has begun to see visible results. Now 100,000 families have access to construction materials to repair and rebuild their homes, and 9,000 jobs have been created. It is now vital to move forward with key infrastructure projects, namely those related to access to fresh water and electricity, he said. Efforts must continue to remove Gaza blockages imposed by Israel in order to allow imports and exports so that economic activities can restart in the strip. He noted, however, that only 35 per cent of the $3.5 billion pledged at the 2014 Cairo conference has been disbursed, urging

4 UN Daily News donors to make good on their commitment. Mr. Mladenov said that tomorrow, he will brief the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East and hold an informal consultation with Member States on the reconstruction of Gaza. World Meteorological Day: as extreme weather becomes 'the new normal,' UN urges bold climate action 23 March Observing the World Meteorological Day, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today that extreme weather events are becoming the new normal and bold climate action is needed to face the future now. Only by responding decisively to the climate challenge can we avoid the worst impacts of climate change and lay the foundations of a world of peace, prosperity and opportunity for all, the UN chief said in a message on the Day. Martin Delingon's bathes near his house on July 13, 2014, that was among those in the Philippines crushed by this ship that was swept ashore by typhoon Haiyan's storm surge. Photo: Dominic Chavez/World Bank The window of opportunity for limiting global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius the threshold set under the Paris Agreement adopted last December is narrow and rapidly shrinking, Mr. Ban warned, noting that the effects of a warming planet will be felt by all, including rising sea levels, and extreme weather events, which are becoming the new normal. Next month, on 22 April, world leaders will gather in New York to sign the Paris Agreement. But, even before the Agreement comes into force, every country, every business and every citizen has a role to play in combating climate change and building a sustainable future for this and future generations, he said. Message from World Meteorological Organization Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said in his message that today the Earth is already one degree Celsius hotter than at the start of the twentieth century, indicative of this year's theme of the Day: 'Hotter, drier, wetter: face the future.' Climate change is affecting our natural and human environment. Our emissions of greenhouse gases continue to rise, and the temperature of the lower atmosphere and the ocean is increasing, he said, adding: The international community has unanimously recognized the need for bold action. Citing the Paris Agreement to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below two degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, he stressed that WMO and the national meteorological and hydrological services are playing an essential role in building climate-resilient societies. Health risks related to heat can be reduced through multi-hazard early warning systems that provide timely alerts to decision-makers, health services and the general public, he said, also underscoring the need to improve access to scientific knowledge and share best practices for coping with drought. The WMO community will continue to support countries in pursuing sustainable development and tackling climate change by providing the best possible science and operational services for weather, climate, hydrology, oceans and the environment. According to the WMO Statement on the Status of the Climate in 2015, the year made history, with shattered temperature records, intense heatwaves, exceptional rainfall, devastating drought and unusual tropical cyclone activity. Our planet is sending a powerful message to world leaders to sign and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change

5 UN Daily News and cut greenhouse gases now before we pass the point of no return, Mr. Taalas said earlier this week in a press release, emphasizing that the worst-case scenarios can be averted by taking urgent and far-reaching measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Senior UN official warns of dire consequences for millions of Iraqis due to funding shortfalls 23 March Returning from a visit to Iraq, a senior United Nations relief official today drew attention to the worsening situation for more than 10 million people in need, and to the urgency to mobilize more funding for the humanitarian response. As the conflict expands and grows more complex, millions of people in Iraq are in increasingly dire need for international assistance," warned John Ging, the Director of Operations of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). John Ging, Operations Director for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) visits displaced families from Sinjar, living in informal settlements in Erbil. Photo: OCHA/Bahaa Elias According to the UN, two years of instability and insecurity have had a devastating effect on all aspects of life in Iraq. Iraqi people continue to face immense humanitarian challenges, including widespread displacement, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and difficulty in accessing humanitarian assistance. Over 3.3 million people have been displaced by violent conflict since January Mr. Ging also highlighted that Iraq is among the most deadly countries in the world for civilians, with thousands injured and killed by explosive weapons and other conflict-related methods each year. Last year, more than 7,500 people were killed and nearly 15,000 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict. In Baghdad, Mr. Ging visited the Takia site for internally displaced persons (IDP) and met with families forced from their homes, most from Anbar and Salah al-din governorates. Among those he met were a class of teenage girls from Ramadi whose families fled the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in April last year. I was struck by the enormous courage and positive energy of these girls who have endured such trauma and yet are so inspiring in their commitment to their studies with such a strong belief in a better future," he said. In Erbil, Mr. Ging met with displaced families that had fled violence in Mosul, the Ninewa Plains and Sinjar and are now living in informal sites, including a former chicken farm. In meetings with officials from both the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, Mr. Ging complimented them for their generosity. "Communities across Iraq have shown exemplary solidarity with the displaced. The Kurdistan Region alone is hosting more than one million displaced people. However, they have limited resources which are nearing exhaustion. More funding is urgently required from the international community - otherwise people are facing a disaster". The UN official also complimented humanitarian organizations for their outstanding work under the leadership of Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country. "Iraq is one of the most complex and dangerous environments for aid workers and their courage and dedication is truly inspiring," he said. Thanking donors for their generosity, Mr. Ging made an urgent appeal for additional funding for life saving supplies and medicine. The Humanitarian Response Plan for 2016 prepared by the UN and its partners is a highly-prioritized appeal. Despite this, there is a $731 million shortfall in the current response plan, which is only 15 per cent funded. Meanwhile, he reminded parties involved in military operations to ensure the protection of civilians and the preservation of

6 UN Daily News civilian infrastructure in accordance with international humanitarian law. "The protection of innocent civilians must be top priority not just in rhetoric, but most importantly in action," he said. DR Congo at 'critical juncture,' amid rising political tensions UN envoy tells Security Council 23 March The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is at a critical juncture, with rising political tensions ahead of elections which could lead to violence if left unaddressed, the top United Nations official in the country warned the Security Council today, while highlighting key issues for consideration as it renews the UN's mandate there. 'Credible and meaningful political dialogue' First, credible and meaningful political dialogue is needed to overcome the impasse in the electoral process, said Maman Sidikou, the Head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), referring to presidential and legislative elections scheduled for November of this year. A strong message on the need for political consensus and an agreed, sustainable way forward will be important, while also emphasizing the link between a credible electoral process and upholding fundamental human rights, he added. Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Maman S. Sidikou addresses the Security Council. UN Photo/Manuel Elias One month ago, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was in the DRC meeting with President Joseph Kabila, other senior Government officials, and representatives from civil society; he called on them to engage in constructive talks, putting the interest of the population at the centre of the debate. 'Neutralizing armed groups' Second, I am optimistic that we can capitalize on the spirit of enhanced cooperation with the Government to make early progress on the priority armed groups through improved cooperation between the Mission, the Government and the FARDC [the Armed Forces of the DRC], and with the support of other partners, Mr. Sidikou continued. He noted that neutralizing armed groups goes beyond military operations and requires enhanced efforts to extend State authority and find durable solutions for former combatants. Reducing MONUSCO military personnel Meanwhile, the UN official underlined that he counts on the Security Council's support to reduce an additional 1,700 military personnel from MONUSCO, in line with the Secretary-General's recommendation. The recommendation takes into account the Mission's plans to transform the Force and measures to address inefficiencies. Based on projected capability and efficiency gains from the Force transformation, it was assessed that a further reduction of MONUSCO military personnel may be envisaged without compromising the Mission's ability to implement its mandate to protect civilians, including through the neutralization of armed groups, Mr. Sidikou stressed. He further insisted that the recommendation should be viewed as a concrete step forward in facilitating the strategic dialogue between the Mission and the Government with a view to achieving a common goal: the gradual and progressive exit of MONUSCO that preserves the gains and investments made so far. Nationally-led disarmament and reintegration process Finally, he said military pressure will only lead to sustainable outcomes if there is an effective, well-planned nationally-led disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process that ensures ex-combatants are processed back into their communities or to their countries of origin, while also ensuring that hazardous war materials are removed and stabilization efforts are intensified.

7 UN Daily News The Government has begun planning for the reinsertion and reintegration of thousands of demobilized ex-combatants in their home communities. These efforts are to be commended and built upon, he said. In addition to these considerations for the Council, Mr. Sidikou underlined his priority to fully implement MONUSCO's 'zero tolerance' policy against sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA). The Mission has reviewed its overall strategy and introduced a new mechanism to ensure greater opportunity to report SEA, and a comprehensive network of response and assistance for victims, he told the Council. Under my leadership, MONUSCO will take all possible steps to prevent SEA, punish those responsible to the maximum extent possible, and address the needs of victims. 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)