For updates and e-mail alerts, visit UN NEWS CENTRE at www.un.org/news UN Daily News Issue DH/7086 Tuesday, 2 February 2016 In the headlines: With 4 million Syrian children out of school, $1.4 billion sought by UN to save lost generation As flood of child refugees and migrants into Europe soars, UN calls for enhanced protection Zika virus: UN agencies step up response measures following declaration of public health emergency UN envoy for Syria meets with Government delegation in Geneva Marking end of 2016 Youth Forum, senior UN official says event exceeded expectations Nigeria: Security Council condemns heinous terrorist attack attributed to Boko Haram UN in Central African Republic releases $9 million to respond to urgent needs Senior UN humanitarian official deeply concerned at Israel s administrative detention practices Turkey s Erdogan visits UN regional commission in Latin America and Caribbean With 4 million Syrian children out of school, $1.4 billion sought by UN to save lost generation 2 February - With four million Syrian and host community children in need of education and no let-up in sight in the fighting tearing the country apart, the United Nations and its partners are seeking $1.4 billion at a major conference in London on Thursday to save the current youth generation. The scale of the crisis for children is growing all the time, which is why there are now such fears that Syria is losing a whole generation of its youth, said UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Peter Salama, whose agency is coordinating the No Lost Generation Initiative'. Displaced Syrians receive UNICEF winter clothing kits. Photo: UNICEF/Aho Yousef As a result of all the work being done by partners and donors, education and protection for children are now being prioritized. But what we must see in London is the step-change necessary to bring all children back to learning; to protect those who are at risk of dropping out; expand safe and inclusive learning environments; recruit and train more teachers; improve the quality of education, and support the development of technical, vocational and life skills opportunities for youth. The London conference is being co-hosted by Britain, Germany, Kuwait and Norway, and leaders from more than 30 countries are expected to attend, with the aim of raising new funding to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of those affected by the crisis. Nearly five years into the Syrian war, some four million Syrian and host community children and youth aged 5-17 years are in need of education assistance, including 2.1 million out-of-school children inside Syria and 700,000 Syrian children in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Last year, the combined efforts of Governments and international partners helped more than one million children and youth For information media - not an official record
UN Daily News - 2-2 February 2016 inside Syria benefit from formal or non-formal learning opportunities. But with no political solution in sight to one of the most brutal conflicts the world has seen in decades, the number of children missing out on an education continues to climb. Governments at the London meeting will also be urged to put more pressure on parties to the Syria conflict and those who support them to end attacks on schools and other places of learning, in accordance with international humanitarian law. According to UNICEF, the killing, abduction and arrest of students and teachers has become commonplace, as have arbitrary attacks on schools. About one in four schools cannot be used because they have been damaged, destroyed or are being used as shelters for the internally displaced or for military purposes. The No Lost Generation Initiative was set up in 2013. By the end of 2015 1.2 million children and youth inside Syria benefitted from improved formal and non-formal learning opportunities and more than 650,788 in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey received school supplies or support through cash grants. As flood of child refugees and migrants into Europe soars, UN calls for enhanced protection A boy from Afghanistan receives warm gloves at a UNICEF distribution point in the Winter Reception Transit Center in Slavonski Brod, Croatia. Photo: UNICEF/Vanda Kljajo 2 February - Child protection systems across Europe are completely overwhelmed as the rate of youngsters in the flood of refugees and migrants has soared to one in three compared with one in 10 less than a year ago, the United Nations warned today, calling for strengthened steps to prevent exploitation and abuse. Although there is a great risk of trafficking, so far there has only been anecdotal evidence, UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) spokesperson Sarah Crowe told a news briefing in Geneva, giving the latest update on the situation. For the first time since the start of the crisis, the majority of those crossing from Greece into the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at Gevgelija, nearly 60 per cent, have been children and women, she noted. Germany and Sweden have the most thorough data on the numbers of unaccompanied children who have requested asylum 60,000 and 35,400 respectively. More and more children and women are at risk at sea and need support on land through enhanced protection, health and welfare systems, she said. Effective guardianship programs for children on the move are needed every step of the way and reports of children who are not fully accounted for in these systems are extremely worrying, she stressed. Effective guardianship programmes for children on the move are needed every step of the way. Unaccompanied children are mainly adolescents 15 to 17 years old, coming primarily from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, Ms. Crowe said. In some countries, they are temporarily delayed, get frustrated and tend to move on, as they do not want to be detained in centres. UNICEF has no concrete evidence regarding violence experienced by children and women, Ms. Crowe said. The reunification rate for children lost in transit has been 100 per cent so far and there are no children who are definitively lost. UNICEF is waiting for a green light from the Greek Government to operate fully in Greece, since it now is only present through its national committee, focusing on advocacy and awareness-raising.
UN Daily News - 3-2 February 2016 Zika virus: UN agencies step up response measures following declaration of public health emergency 2 February - Following yesterday s declaration of a public health emergency of international concern regarding the cluster of microcephaly and other neurological disorders in relation to the Zika virus, United Nations agencies today highlighted their actions to support affected communities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Zika virus has spread rapidly and has so far been detected in 25 countries, with a surge in cases of microcephaly particularly in northeastern Brazil. The protocol for diagnosing it starts with measuring the head of a newborn at least one day after birth to see if it is below a certain level. The disease could be responsible for a number of problems, from convulsions to learning disabilities. A UN peacekeeper fumigating mosquitoes in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Haiti s capital Port au Prince. Photo: UN/MINUSTAH/Logan Abassi At a press briefing at UN headquarters in Geneva, Dr. Antony Costello, the Director of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health at WHO, said there are currently two main challenges being tackled. One is that Zika virus [ ] we don t have a commercially available diagnostic test, and further, the test that we do have only detects the virus when it s active, let s say during a period of I think five days, he explained, noting that this means many women could have been exposed to Zika virus and it may not be clear whether they ve had the infection or not. The second problem is that microcephaly is not an absolutely simple diagnosis to make, he added. At the moment there are nearly 4,200 cases reported as suspect from Brazil but a significant proportion of those cases could be discarded if linked to other causes. Dr. Costello also informed reporters that a global response unit has been set up, bringing together all people across WHO in Headquarters and in the regions, to prepare a formal response using the lessons learned during the Ebola crisis. Meanwhile, the UN Children s Fund (UNICEF) is working with governments to mobilize communities to protect themselves from infection. Although there is still no conclusive evidence of the causal link between microcephaly and the Zika virus, there is enough concern to warrant immediate action, said Dr. Heather Papowitz, UNICEF s Senior Advisor for Health Emergencies, in a press release. We need to act fast to provide women and pregnant mothers with the information they need to protect themselves and their babies, and we need to engage with communities on how to stop the mosquito that is carrying and transmitting this virus. According to the agency, simple measures that can help keep people safe include using insect repellent, covering as much of the body as possible with long, light-coloured clothing, removing places where mosquitoes can breed, and putting screens on windows and doors. Pregnant women who think they have been exposed to the virus should seek care by a trained health provider. While the surge in microcephaly has so far only been reported in Brazil, UNICEF is also scaling up its support to other countries in the region and stands ready to support national governments as needed using its network of 24 offices serving 35 countries and territories. It is also launching a nearly $9 million appeal for its programmes to limit the spread of the virus and mitigate its impact on newborns and their families across the region.
UN Daily News - 4-2 February 2016 Turning to how the Zika virus could affect travel, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recalled in a press release that according to WHO there should be no restrictions on travel with the affected areas. The agency stressed that travellers to areas with Zika virus transmission should be provided with up to date advice on potential risks and appropriate measures to reduce the possibility of exposure to mosquito bites. It also said standard WHO recommendations regarding disinfection of aircraft and airports should be implemented. UN envoy for Syria meets with Government delegation in Geneva 2 February - The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria today met with a delegation from the country s Government, one day after meeting with representatives of the opposition High Negotiation Committee (HNC), which he said had officially begun the UN-mediated intra-syrian talks in Geneva. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura is also expected to issue invitations to Syrian women and civil society representatives to contribute to the talks, being held in Geneva between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition. Both women and civil society organisations can provide vital ideas and insight to the talks by presenting the views and recommendations of important segments of Syrian society, Deputy UN Spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters in New York. Delegation from the Syrian Government arrives for the UN-mediated intra-syrian talks in Geneva. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré Mr. de Mistura, heeding the call by many Syrian women to meaningfully be able to contribute to the talks and the guidance provided by Security Council eesolution 2254, has established an independent Women s Advisory Board to the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, he noted. The Advisory Board will allow Syrian women to articulate their concerns and ideas covering all topics discussed during the talks, and present recommendations to the UN Special Envoy for consideration. The Board will initially be composed of a group of 12 women chosen by several Syrian women organizations through their own consultative process. Mr. de Mistura has said the Geneva meetings will start with proximity talks and are expected to last for six months, with Government and opposition delegations sitting in separate rooms and UN officials shuttling between them, with the immediate priorities being a broad ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and halting the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Marking end of 2016 Youth Forum, senior UN official says event exceeded expectations 2 February - Marking the end of the two-day United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Youth Forum, the President of the 54-member body told hundreds of youth leaders that the event exceeded high expectations and that the time is now for young people to get behind global efforts to ensure sustainable development for all. President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Oh Joon. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas We should aim high and we have the potential to reach ambitious goals, Oh Joon said at the Forum s closing ceremony. What else have we learned? The challenges the youth is facing are real, he said. Mr. Oh listed unemployment, poverty, climate change, and inequality as issues needing to be addressed through a cross-cutting and interconnected approach.
UN Daily News - 5-2 February 2016 This being said, solutions exist and there is a need for an inspiring commitment by all stakeholders to drive the 2030 Agenda forward, he stressed, referring to the new set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all UN Member States last September. This year s Youth Forum, an annual event taking place for the fifth time, focused on how young people can support the goals worldwide. ECOSOC s President underlined that youth will play an important role in advocating for the SDGs so that people all over the world know about them. This is a prerequisite to ensure that nobody is left behind, he declared. Meanwhile, a key message that emerged from the forum was the recognition that young people are not only key actors in advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, but they are also directly affected by the challenges the SDGs seek to tackle. One of these challenges is the prevailing employment crisis young people face all across the globe, said Mr. Oh, delivering ECOSOC s President Statement. As President of the Economic and Social Council, I welcome the launch of the UN system s Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth by the ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder, at the opening of our Forum. The 54-member body also highlighted key messages and recommendations that emerged from the Forum. These included not just working for youth, but with youth to promote the SDGs; creating participatory and inclusive political processes for all the diverse voices of youth to be heard; creating not just jobs but decent jobs for young people; and enhancing the quality of education and training for them to meet today s labour market needs. Mr. Oh also highlighted that the level of engagement during this year s Youth Forum has shown that young people are ready to act to implement the SDGs. Nigeria: Security Council condemns heinous terrorist attack attributed to Boko Haram 2 February - Condemning in the strongest terms Saturday s horrific terrorist attacks attributed to Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria, which resulted in a large number of dead and wounded, the United Nations Security Council today called on all States to cooperate in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, the 15-member body said in a press statement, which condemned the attack on Dalori village, in restive Borno state. According media to reports, Boko Haram, armed with machine guns, raided the village on Saturday, leaving more than 50 people dead and wounding dozens more. Girls use their new school supplies during a class in an informal learning centre in a UNICEF-supported safe space for children in the Dalori camp for internally displaced people, in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri in Borno State. Photo: UNICEF/UNI193691/Andrew Esiebo The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice. They stressed that those responsible for these terrorist attacks should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard. It expressed their deep condolences to the families and friends of those killed and injured by these heinous acts and commended regional efforts, including through the Multi-National Joint Task Force, to combat Boko Haram. Reiterating that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever and whenever, and by whomsoever committed, the Council reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, within the framework of international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
UN Daily News - 6-2 February 2016 UN in Central African Republic releases $9 million to respond to urgent needs 2 February - The United Nations announced today that the Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has released $9 million for life-saving assistance to 2.3 million people who need urgent support, including those displaced by violence, returnees, refugees and vulnerable host communities. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the allocation will fund projects that respond to critical and urgent humanitarian needs to improve access to basic services, and contribute to reducing violence in and among communities. Our priority through this CHF funding is to bring life-saving assistance to the people mostly affected by the crisis, said Aurélien Agbénonci, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR, in a press release. In the Central African Republic (CAR), a nurse vaccinates a baby in a village along the Oubangui River, which divides CAR from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Photo: UNICEF/Sebastian Rich This funding will help humanitarian organizations to provide clean water and sanitation, camp management of [internally displaced persons] sites, education, healthcare, food and immediate livelihoods support, nutrition, protection and shelter and non-food items, he added. The inclusion of gender considerations and the mainstreaming of protection in each and every funded project will reportedly be required. It is vitally important that the international community is able to respond rapidly to the most urgent humanitarian needs in CAR, stressed Mr. Agbénonci. Thanks to donors who have contributed to this CHF allocation that allows partners to help alleviate suffering and continue providing live-saving assistance to thousands of displaced people and host families in desperate need. The multi donor funding mechanism CHF was established in 2008 and is managed by OCHA. As of end of January 2016, the Fund had received $ 2.9 million in contributions from Belgium and Sweden. In 2015, a total amount of $24.9 million was funded from the governments of Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Senior UN humanitarian official deeply concerned at Israel s administrative detention practices Palestinian prisoners are being held in Israeli prisons similar to this one. Photo: IRIN 2 February - A senior United Nations humanitarian official today voiced deep concern at the administrative detention of more than 525 Palestinians in Israeli jails and detention centres, including one who has been on hunger strike for over two months. In particular, I am alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating health of Palestinian administrative detainee, Mohammed Al-Qiq, who is on hunger strike in protest against the arbitrary nature of his detention and ill-treatment, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance and Development Aid for the occupied Palestinian territory, Robert Piper said in a statement. After 69 days of hunger strike, Mr. Al-Qiq is in a dangerous state of health and his physicians have informed him of the possibility of irreversible damage. I reiterate the United Nations long-standing position that all administrative detainees Palestinian or Israeli should be charged or released without delay. All allegations of ill-treatment must also be independently and promptly investigated.
UN Daily News - 7-2 February 2016 According to data from Israel Prison Service (IPS), 527 Palestinians, including one woman and five minors were held in administrative detention in IPS facilities at the end of November 2015. Just last month Mr. Piper called for an immediate end to Israeli plans to transfer Bedouin living in the Jerusalem area for a settlement expansion, long recognized as a violation of international law and an obstacle to realizing a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis. Turkey s Erdogan visits UN regional commission in Latin America and Caribbean 2 February - Appealing for international collaboration to cope with the crisis of Syrian refugees and the challenges to peace in the Middle East, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a recent keynote lecture given at the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), that his country would like to broaden its political and trade relationships with the region. The Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left), with ECLAC Executive Secretary Alicia Bárcena. Photo: ECLAC/Carlos Vera The Turkish Head of State arrived in Chile on Sunday, January 31 in the framework of a trip to the region that will extend until February 4, and which will include visits to Peru and Ecuador. He was met yesterday by ECLAC Executive Secretary, Alicia Bárcena. The Chilean Minister of Foreign Relations, Heraldo Muñoz, also participated in the meeting. During her presentation, Ms. Bárcena said the message of the Turkish President towards Latin America and the Caribbean shows that country s willingness to strengthen the understanding with this region. She recalled that Turkey is a founding member of the United Nations and noted that in the region, Turkey is an Observer of the Organization of American States (OAS), of the Pacific Alliance and of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). In addition, it maintains contacts with the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) and with the Caribbean Community (Caricom), and forms part of the bloc called MICTA, along with Mexico, Indonesia, the Korean Republic and Australia. Regarding their trade relationship, exchanges between Turkey and Latin America have multiplied tenfold, rising to almost $10 billion in 2014 from around $1 billion in 2000, Alicia Bárcena said. The Executive Secretary also highlighted the current growth of the Turkish economy, with an expansion above the world average. The ECLAC chief also appreciated that next May, Turkey is preparing to host the first World Humanitarian Summit, with the aim of improving response capabilities and global commitment in this area. During his keynote lecture, the Mr. Erdogan stressed that in the last decade, his country has applied an opening strategy towards Latin America and the Caribbean, where it currently has 13 diplomatic missions compared to the six missions it had in 2009. Moreover, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) had opened offices in Mexico and Colombia to strengthen South-South ties. Within this strategy, he expressed Turkey s interest in becoming a member State of ECLAC. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country is interested in subscribing free trade agreements (FTA) with Latin American and Caribbean countries with the aim of strengthening trade exchanges. Chile was the first country in the region to sign an agreement of this type with Turkey in 2009. The Turkish leader also noted that his country currently hosts more than two million refugees that have fled the war in Syria and asked for the international community s cooperation to confront this humanitarian crisis. On his part, Chilean Minister of Foreign Relations, Heraldo Muñoz, also appreciated Turkey s role as a recipient country of Syrian refugees and said that Chile has offered to receive displaced families by this conflict. 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)