UN News For the latest news updates and email alerts, visit us at www.un.org/news UN Daily News Issue DH/7556 Wednesday, In the headlines: Half the world lacks access to essential health services UN-backed report Thousands of children need assistance three months after Caribbean hurricanes UNICEF With so much at stake in crisis-torn South Sudan, UN and partners launch $1.72 billion appeal UN peacekeeping chief visits injured Tanzanian blue helmets in DR Congo Electronic waste poses growing risk to environment, human health, UN report warns UN agency helps farmers in Latin America broaden their market horizons United action needed in Central Africa to defuse regional tensions, Security Council told UN stepping up support to diphtheria vaccination campaign for Rohingya children in Bangladesh Half the world lacks access to essential health services UNbacked report Strong primary health care is the lifeblood of every health system and no country can achieve Universal Health Coverage without it. Photo: WHO 13 December At least half of the world's population cannot obtain essential health services, and nearly 100 million people are being pushed into extreme poverty each year due to the out-of-pocket health expenses they must pay, according to a United Nations-backed study. It is completely unacceptable that half the world still lacks coverage for the most essential health services, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in a press release. A solution exists: universal health coverage allows everyone to obtain the health services they need, when and where they need them, without facing financial hardship, Mr. Tedros added. The study, Tracking Universal Health Coverage: 2017 Global Monitoring Report, co-authored by the World Bank and WHO, notes that 800 million people spend at least 10 per cent of their household budgets on health expenses for themselves, a sick child or other family member. For almost 100 million people, these expenses are high enough to push them into extreme poverty, forcing them to survive on just $1.90 or less a day. The report makes clear that if we are serious not just about better health outcomes, but also about ending poverty we must urgently scale up our efforts on universal health coverage, said World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim. Wide gaps exist in the availability of services in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. In other regions, basic health care services such as family planning and infant immunization are becoming more available, but lack of financial protection For information media not an official record
UN Daily News - 2 - makes it difficult for families to pay for these services. Even in more affluent regions such as East Asia, Latin America and Europe, a growing number of people are spending at least 10 per cent of their household budgets on out-of-pocket health expenses. Inequalities in health services are seen not just between, but also within countries: national averages can mask low levels of health service coverage in disadvantaged population groups. Source: World Health Organization In low- and lower-middle income countries, only 17 per cent of mothers and children in the poorest fifth of households received at least six of seven basic maternal and child health interventions, while 74 per cent for the wealthiest fifth of households did so. The report is a key point of discussion at the global Universal Health Coverage Forum 2017, currently taking place in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to Mr. Kim and Mr. Tedros, attendees include heads of State and ministers from over 30 countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will address the Forum on Thursday. Thousands of children need assistance three months after Caribbean hurricanes UNICEF 13 December Three months after two category-5 hurricanes tore through the Caribbean, thousands of children across the region still need support, the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) said on Wednesday. Even before the hurricanes hit, UNICEF was on the ground, working with Governments and local partners to prepare communities and preposition humanitarian supplies for the areas at highest risk said Maria Cristina Perceval, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. These included life-saving supplies that were most needed during the immediate response when access to clean water, shelter and basic social services were scarce, she added. A young boy and his brother sit on a sofa outside their home, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in Grand Turks, Turks and Caicos Islands. Photo: UNICEF/Moreno Gonzalez Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, caused extensive damage to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti and Cuba. Hurricane Maria then wrought additional damage across the region, with UNICEF estimating that together, they left 350,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance. Three months on, UNICEF is still on the ground in these countries and territories, working on programmes to support children and families in rebuilding their lives and returning to a sense of normalcy, she added. However, challenges remain, with many of the most vulnerable families still feeling the effects of the storms. Over 35 per cent of Dominica s children particularly those in shelters are still not enrolled in education activities, while in Antigua and Barbuda many families remain in shelters, unable to return home. Working in collaboration with governments and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF has been providing immediate humanitarian relief and working to ensure longer term recovery and resilience.
UN Daily News - 3 - While life is returning to normal for many, children and families who have lived through these storms will need committed, sustained support to get their homes, communities and lives back on track, maintained Ms. Perceval. UNICEF and its partners are supporting communities through programmes focused on recovery and resilience in Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominica and Haiti. With so much at stake in crisis-torn South Sudan, UN and partners launch $1.72 billion appeal Women in Ganyiel, Unity state, South Sudan, collecting bags of food. The situation in Ganyiel is dire, with thousands of people having fled to the area from famine-stricken Leer and Mayendit counties. Photo: OCHA/Gemma Connell 13 December The United Nations relief wing and the humanitarian community in South Sudan launched on Wednesday a $1.72 billion appeal to assist six million people affected by conflict, displacement and hunger. There is growing need for humanitarian assistance with displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, violence and economic decline taking a toll on the health, safety and livelihoods of people in need, stated Alain Noudéhou, the Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan in a news release issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Today, we are calling for $1.72 billion to continue providing lifesaving assistance and protection for six million people most in need in South Sudan, he said, emphasizing the plan s focus on protecting vulnerable groups, especially women and children. Since the conflict in began in December 2013, about four million people have been forced to flee their homes, including nearly 1.9 million internally displaced and about 2.1 million in neighbouring countries. As the conflict continues in parts of the country, hunger and malnutrition rates have risen and, without early actions, thousands of people in multiple areas risk famine. According to the South Sudan Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, an earlier than normal start of the lean season will result in an estimated 5.1 million people, or 48 per cent of the population, being classified as severely food insecure between January-March 2018. Moreover, nutrition surveys reveal that approximately half of all South Sudanese children under five experience acute malnutrition. Despite these challenges, the South Sudan humanitarian operation continues to reach millions in need across the country. As of end-november, aid organizations had reached more than five million people since the year began. Mr. Noudéhou thanked South Sudan s donors, who contributed over 70 per cent of the plan for 2017 and called on all stakeholders to play their roles in alleviating the suffering. He highlighted the enormity of the challenge and the collective efforts for a rigorous prioritization to ensure the effectiveness of the response. With our collective and coordinated efforts, we will be able to effectively provide much needed assistance to the people in need. Children will remain in school. Many more will survive diseases. Livelihoods and hope will be restored. There is so much at stake, stressed Mr. Noudéhou.
UN Daily News - 4 - UN peacekeeping chief visits injured Tanzanian blue helmets in DR Congo 13 December The head of United Nations peacekeeping operations today thanked individually peacekeepers who fought to hold off an attack on 7 December in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thank you very much for your service. I wish you well, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, told each service member, speaking with them at their bedsides at the Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. At least 14 peacekeepers were killed when a UN Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) Company Operating Base at Semuliki in Beni territory, in DRC's restive eastern North Kivu province, was attacked by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) elements. It was the worst on UN blue helmets in recent history. Mr. Lacroix will meet with families of those killed during a visit to Tanzania later this week. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix meets injured Tanzanian peacekeepers at the Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. Photo: UN Regional Service Centre Entebbe/Sunil Thapa The bodies were repatriated with honours on Monday, and received by Tanzanian defence and military officials. The ADF are suspected in the attack. Secretary-General António Guterres has said that the attack constitutes a war crime. Electronic waste poses growing risk to environment, human health, UN report warns Source: ITU - The Global E-waste Monitor 2017 13 December The growing volume of electronic waste, including discarded products with a battery or plug, such as mobile phones, laptops, televisions, refrigerators and electrical toys, poses a major threat to the environment and human health, the United Nations warned on Wednesday. Environmental protection is one of the three pillars of sustainable development [ ] E-waste management is an urgent issue in today s digitally dependent world, where use of electronic devices is ever increasing, said Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The Global E-Waste Monitor 2017, released by ITU, the UN University (UNU) and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), highlights increasing levels of e-waste and its improper and unsafe treatment and disposal through burning or at dumpsites. In 2016, 44.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste were generated, an increase of 3.3 million metric tonnes, or 8 per cent, from 2014. Experts foresee e-waste increasing a further 17 per cent to 52.2 million metric tonnes by 2021. E-waste contains $55 billion worth of recoverable materials In 2016, only about 20 per cent, or 8.9 million metric tonnes, of all e-waste was recycled.
UN Daily News - 5 - The Global E-waste Monitor serves as a valuable resource for governments developing their necessary management strategies, standards and policies to reduce the adverse health and environmental effects of e-waste, said Mr. Zhao. With 53.6 per cent of global households now having Internet access, national e-waste policies and legislation play an important role governing the actions of stakeholders who are associated with e-waste. Currently 66 per cent of the world population, living in 67 countries, is covered by national e-waste management laws, a significant increase from 44 per cent in 2014. Low recycling rates can have a negative economic impact. In 2016, it was estimated that e-waste contained rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, platinum, palladium and other high value recoverable materials, whose total value is estimated at $55 billion, a figure exceeding the gross domestic product of most countries in the world. UN agency helps farmers in Latin America broaden their market horizons 13 December Improving market access, particularly beyond national borders, for family farmers and small and medium agriculture enterprises in the Latin America and Caribbean region can help boost rural development as well as spur inclusive trade, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said. Bolstering participation in international markets by family farmers and small-scale operations is a fundamental step in making sure the region's food systems are inclusive and contribute to adequate nutrition, said Tania Santivañez, an agricultural and plant protection official at FAO. Farmers grow quinoa in the Andes mountain region in Latin America. FAO Photo strategies. As part of helping small famers in this process, the UN agency has been conducting capacity building and technical assistance programmes to develop their commercial skills and devise appropriate The impact of this work is seen among coffee, quinoa and honey farmers. Nancy Caichug, the in-charge of marketing at Sumak Life Cooperative (which represents about 600 small farmers cultivating quinoa and other cereals) in Ecuador highlighted the benefits. The training increased our opportunity to showcase our products outside of Ecuador, especially in markets that prize their added value, she said. Greater income has in turn allowed the farmers to purchase high-quality seeds and fertilizer and pursue sustainable and environmentally-friendly ways of growing higher-priced organic quinoa. Similarly in Costa Rica, coffee growers are finding new ways to leverage their environmentally-friendly cultivation methods in export markets; while in Argentina, the rising demand has meant individual beekeepers are now working together with other honey farmers, benefitting the entire community. None of us can do it alone so this project requires us to work together, said Alexis Rodriguez from a federation of beekeeping groups, which comprises some 20 cooperatives and about 400 households. The results of efforts by FAO and partners are also evident at a recent international business conference and trade fair in
UN Daily News - 6 - Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where 14 of those who benefited from the capacity building programmes clinched pre-sales contracts worth around $2 million. A guide to exporting To foster and spread the process, FAO together with ALADI, ALADI, an association promoting regional economic integration, has produced a practical guide for small-scale enterprises and family famers interested in exporting their products. The guide aims to provide basic operational blueprints on the goods trade, tips on how to take it across borders and ways to generate sustainable international sales, and tools for selecting appropriate export market targets. United action needed in Central Africa to defuse regional tensions, Security Council told 13 December Despite some positive developments, the overall situation in Central Africa still requires concerted action at all levels to address sociopolitical tensions, economic difficulties and abuses by armed groups, a United Nations envoy for the region said Wednesday. In many countries of the region, tensions remained high, François Louncény Fall, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) and the Secretary General's Special Representative to the region, told the Security Council, stressing that the UN is facilitating the search for a peaceful resolution of regional conflicts. Mr. Fall welcomed advancements in regional integration, particularly the free movement of people in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community zone. UNOCA also supports capacity building in mediation, early warning collaboration with civil society and gender mainstreaming for the secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). François Loucény Fall, Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), briefs the Security Council on the situation in the Central African region. Credit: UN Photo/Rick Bajornas Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon face serious economic difficulties as well as political and social tensions, he said. Cameroon is affected by Boko Haram, the crisis in the Central African Republic or the Anglophone separatist movement, he continued. He said he has encouraged genuine and inclusive dialogue, but warned that prevention efforts must be increased to ensure that current tensions will not deteriorate in the context of the 2018 elections. In the Central African Republic, attacks and grave abuses committed by armed groups, including the recent murder of blue helmets of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission there (MINUSCA) and humanitarian workers, remain a great concern, he said. It is urgent that the peace process be advanced through the implementation of the road map adopted by the African Union, he said. As for Boko Haram, the insurgent group is still capable of perpetrating attacks and horrible abuse in Central Africa, he said, stressing that redoubled efforts by all partners are needed to address the threat. International support is also crucial to implement the conclusions of the recent regional conference organized by the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission. Similarly, international support is needed for the African Union's Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the
UN Daily News - 7 - Lord's Resistance Army, as that group continues abuses against local populations, following the withdrawal of Ugandan and United States forces from its zone of operation. It is important for the AU and troop contributors to quickly agree on the reconfiguration of the regional task force and on an increase of support for the training of the Central African Armed Forces in order to meet the threat. He said that UNOCA continues to focus on efforts to enhance the coherence and coordination of overall UN activities in Central Africa, including collaboration with resident coordinators and country teams to engage national authorities on sensitive political issues as well as on longer term efforts to formulate national and cross border peacebuilding plans, with the support of the Peacebuilding Fund. UN stepping up support to diphtheria vaccination campaign for Rohingya children in Bangladesh UNICEF is on the ground in Bangladesh, immunizing Rohingya refugee children to fight the spread of disease, and delivering lifesaving nutrition to the tens of thousands of children who are malnourished. Photo: UNICEF/Brown 12 December A United Nations-backed campaign to immunize Rohingya children against diphtheria began on Tuesday in Bangladesh, following an outbreak that has resulted in nine deaths in the camps and makeshift settlements hosting these refugees from Myanmar. The outbreak shows a steep rise in cases, an indicator of the extreme vulnerability of children [ ] This calls for immediate action to protect them from this killer disease, said Edouard Beigbeder, the Representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Bangladesh. The Government-led vaccination campaign will cover nearly 255,000 Rohingya children, and are supported by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Recent data from WHO and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) shows 722 probable diphtheria cases, including nine deaths, in the camps and makeshift settlements, between 12 November and 10 December. We are moving quickly to control this diphtheria outbreak before it spins out of control. The vaccines will help protect every Rohingya child in these temporary settlements from falling prey to the deadly disease. Beyond vaccinations, we are helping health workers to clinically manage suspected cases, trace their contacts, and ensure sufficient supplies of medicines," said Navaratnasamy Paranietharan, WHO Representative to Bangladesh. WHO is procuring 2 000 doses of diphtheria anti-toxins to treat diphtheria patients. Nearly 345 doses were hand carried by WHO from India's Delhi to Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. Diphtheria is an infectious respiratory disease caused by a potent toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It spreads through air droplets by coughing or sneezing. Risk factors include crowding, poor hygiene and lack of immunization. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are nearly 860,000 Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar of whom 646,000 have arrived since 25 August. Not only has the pace of new arrivals since 25 August made this the fastest growing refugee crisis in the world, the concentration of refugees in Cox's Bazar is now amongst the densest in the world. Given the overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions, the refugee population is extremely vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Decongesting the sites and settlements is an urgent priority, OCHA said. 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)