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UN Daily News
Tuesday, 29 March 2016

Issue DH/7125

In the headlines:
UN declares Ebola public health emergency over;

New UN-Arab League agreement aims to prevent

One in 10 Syrian refugees will need resettling, UN

Honouring past victims, senior UN officials call for

In Tunisia, Ban stresses importance of youth

UN chief welcomes signing by Sudanese

Hunger and ongoing insecurity forcing South

From anger to laughter: what happens when three

Yemen's children 'locked in a vicious cycle of

Senior UN official in Libya condemns reported

urges 'high vigilance' against flare-ups

agency warns ahead of conference

employment in sustainable development

Sudanese to flee country, UN agency reports

violence, loss and uncertainty,' UN warns

conflict-related sexual violence

modern forms of slavery to be tackled

Government of African Union roadmap agreement

top comedians walk into the UN?

executions, killings by armed groups

UN declares Ebola public health emergency over; urges 'high

vigilance' against flare-ups
29 March The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO)
today said West Africa's Ebola outbreak no longer constitutes an
international public health threat, declaring the 20-month global
emergency response over but stressing that a high level of vigilance
must be maintained.
The Emergency Committee convened by WHO Director-General
Margaret Chan concluded at its ninth meeting that the Ebola
situation in West Africa no longer constitutes a public health
emergency of international concern and that the temporary
recommendations adopted in response should now be terminated.
A teacher is preparing a bucket with water to use for hand washing.
After being kept closed for three months due to the Ebola outbreak,
schools across Guinea reopened on 19 January 2015. Photo:
UNMEER/Martine Perret

I have accepted the Committee's advice, Ms. Chan said, noting

however that a high level of vigilance and response capacity must be
maintained to ensure the ability of the countries to prevent Ebola
infections and to rapidly detect and respond to flare-ups in the future.

Each of the recent flare-ups was immediately and effectively contained.

Ebola response capacity in West Africa is strong, she said, stressing that the three most-affected countries Guinea,
Liberia, and Sierra Leone now have the world's largest pool of expertise in responding to Ebola.

For information media not an official record

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29 March 2016

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WHO has kept hundreds of its own experienced staff in the three countries, ready to contribute to the kind of emergency
response needed to quickly interrupt transmission chains, and for the first time in any Ebola outbreak, response teams have
access to vaccination as a powerful containment tool, she added.
With the number of cases now much smaller, WHO's laboratory partners are able to sequence viruses from individual
patients. Sequence data on individual viruses back up the epidemiological detective work needed to define the source of
transmission chains with great precision.
The Committee experts supported WHO's view that more small clusters of cases can be expected, but concluded that
existing national and international response capacity is sufficient to contain new clusters of cases quickly, and the likelihood
of international spread by air travel is extremely low, she said.
Ebola killed more than 11,000 people since its outbreak in December 2013.

One in 10 Syrian refugees will need resettling, UN agency

warns ahead of conference
29 March Supporting refugees is a global responsibility that must
be widely shared, the UN refugee agency stressed today ahead of a
one-day high-level conference it is hosting in Geneva tomorrow,
focused on refugees from Syria and the need for generating a
substantial increase in resettlement and other answers for their plight.
"Refugees fleeing conflict and violence and arriving in Europe carry
an important message: addressing their plight cannot only be the task
of countries and communities that are close to wars. It is a global
responsibility that must be widely shared until peace prevails again,"
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said in a press
release.
"Giving at least some Syrian refugees an opportunity to move on to
better lives, and relieving the burden on countries hosting millions of
refugees are important gestures of solidarity. Let us not miss this
opportunity," Mr. Grandi added.

Syrian children, including one who is barefoot, stand atop the muddy
ground in the Bab Al Salame camp for internally displaced persons,
near the border with Turkey, in Aleppo Governorate. Photo:
UNICEF/UNI156534/Diffidenti

The conference is one of several key events in 2016 focused on Syria's refugees. It follows February's London
Conference on Syria, dealing with the financial dimensions of the humanitarian challenge posed by the more than 13.5
million people in need inside Syria and the 4.8 million refugees in the surrounding region, along with the needs of
communities in host countries. Tomorrow's gathering is also in the run up to September's summit on refugees taking place
at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) underlined that the focus of tomorrow's meeting is on the
need for expanded, multi-year programmes of resettlement and other forms of humanitarian admission, including countries
that until now have not been involved in such initiatives.
The agency also stressed that resettlement is not the only aim other such pathways include humanitarian transfer or visas,
private sponsorship, medical evacuation, family reunion, academic scholarship, and apprenticeships or labour schemes. The
event will also showcase innovative approaches, new partnerships, and successful case studies, and is being presented as an
opportunity for governments around the world to be part of finding solutions for Syrian refugees.
Representatives from some 92 countries, 10 inter-governmental organizations, nine UN agencies and 24 non-government
organizations are expected. Speakers will include the High Commissioner Grandi and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon,
as well as representatives from key refugee-hosting governments.
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29 March 2016

Some pledges of additional resettlement and other humanitarian admission places are expected to be announced tomorrow.
Given the complex international context and with Syria's conflict continuing, UNHCR said additional places will be needed
over the coming months and years, in particular to address the needs of the most vulnerable refugees and to relieve pressure
on Syria's neighbours.
In line with refugee situations elsewhere, UNHCR estimates that as many as 10 per cent of Syria's 4.8 million refugees fall
into this category, and that well over 450,000 places will be needed before the end of 2018.
Meanwhile, in connection with tomorrow's conference, the Campaign Director of Avaaz, Alice Jay, will today be handing
over a petition to Mr. Grandi carrying over 1.2 million signatures in support of refugees. The petition, collected since last
summer calls for increased resettlement and reunification of families alongside financial support to countries on the frontline
of the crisis.
Avaaz, meaning 'voice,' is a global citizens' movement which campaigns in 15 languages on six continents. A selection of
photographs and messages of 'Refugees Welcome' from 23,000 Avaaz members around the world will be shared on a screen
outside the conference hall tomorrow.

In Tunisia, Ban stresses importance of youth employment in

sustainable development
29 March Speaking at a national conference on employment in
Tunisia, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called
on the international community to help the North African country
create new businesses and fund active labour market programmes for
young people.
He emphasized that when young men and women are excluded from
decent work, they could become susceptible to extremist discourse,
and youth unemployment seriously hinders the sustainable
development and growth of a country.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses participants at the

National Conference on Employment in Tunis, Tunisia. : UN
Photo/Mark Garten

There are two areas in particular where I see an opportunity for

international support here in Tunisia, he said, underscoring that at 30
per cent, the youth unemployment rate in North Africa remains the
highest of all regions of the world, with 200,000 young Tunisians
jobless.

First, there is a mismatch between the number of graduates and the number of suitable jobs. This will require targeted
policies to help young people build careers for future growth and prosperity. Investment in new businesses is crucial,
together with a reduction in cumbersome bureaucratic procedures, and an increase in women's participation in the labour
force, Mr. Ban said.
Second, active labour market programmes, targeting young graduates in particular, can be funded by public sector financing
and resources from development partners. Trade unions, employers' organizations and the private sector can help by
empowering young people and engaging with youth-led organizations, he added, welcoming the establishment of an
employment fund to support such programmes.
For the United Nations, creating decent jobs through sustainable development is a top priority, he said, noting that Goal 8
of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted last September by UN Member States, stresses the
importance of employment and decent work in promoting growth and achieving other social and environmental goals.
Given that half the world's people are under 25, he appointed Ahmad Alhendawi as the first-ever UN envoy for youth to
work with all UN agencies and programmes in every country and improve the coordination of policies for young people,
Mr. Ban said.
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The UN now has a System-wide Action Plan on Youth, which includes a focus on employment and entrepreneurship.
Last month, the UN launched an even more relevant programme: the Global Initiative for Decent Jobs for Youth, a
partnership between governments, the UN system, businesses, academic institutions, youth organizations and other groups
to scale up action to create new opportunities and avenues for quality employment in the global economy.
And here in Tunisia, UN agencies have set up a Youth Advisory Board to make our programmes more responsive to the
needs and priorities of young people.
The Secretary-General will be in Geneva on Wednesday, 30 March, to open the high-level meeting on global responsibility
sharing for Syrian refugees.

Hunger and ongoing insecurity forcing South Sudanese to flee

country, UN agency reports
29 March Growing food insecurity is causing more and more South
Sudanese to flee into Sudan, the United Nations refugee agency today,
urging more funding for clean water, sanitation and health services,
food and shelter.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
said some 38,000 people have fled north over the border to
neighbouring East and South Darfur since the end of January,
particularly from the growing unrest in the north-western states of
Northern Bahr El Ghazal and Warrap.
The majority crossed into East Darfur, where an average of 500 South
Sudanese or 100 households had been arriving per day rising to
over 150 households last week, according to UN officials.

An internally displaced woman seeking refuge from the ongoing

violence in the swamps of Unity state, cooks her last supply of
sorghum. Photo: FAO South Sudan

The situation could quickly worsen as the nutrition situation in Upper

Nile, Warrap, and Northern Bahr Ghazal grows increasingly serious, the agency said in a statement.
The arrivals are reaching Sudan in poor condition, according to the Government of Sudan's Humanitarian Aid Commission.
In addition to food, water and basic relief items, they need protection from sexual and gender-based violence, and many
children have been separated from their families.
UNHCR is working with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to respond to the needs, and
is also advocating for direct access to East Darfur to support the response.
The UN agency has expressed concern about the 2016 South Sudan Regional Refugee Response Plan (RRRP) that covers
the refugee programmes in the neighbouring countries, run by UNHCR and 39 partners. The Plan, which requires $1.3
billion is only three per cent funded.
In South Darfur, over 2,000 people were registered in Beliel Camp located in the village of that name, and which has hosted
internally displaced persons in Darfur.
The South Sudanese coming to the camp have faced insecurity en route to the camp, according to UNHCR, and many are
sick and in need of medical attention.
These groups are part of 2.8 million people throughout South Sudan who are officially classified as facing a food insecurity
crisis or emergency, according to Fewsnet, the global body mandated to monitor such situations.
The food insecurity is worsened by the ongoing fighting in the country, which started in December 2013 for political
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29 March 2016

reasons, and which has since forced 2.3 million people to flee their homes.

Yemen's children 'locked in a vicious cycle of violence, loss and

uncertainty,' UN warns
29 March Six children are killed or injured every day and children
as young as 10 years old are recruited to fight in conflict-torn Yemen,
according to a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) report,
which also underscored that child recruitment has risen exponentially
during the fighting and that the country is at risk of becoming a failed
State.
The report, Children on the Brink, highlights the heavy toll that the
violence in Yemen is having on children and the deterioration in an
already precarious humanitarian situation.

A six-year-old boy gets water from this water point in Musaik, a

neighbourhood of Sana'a. Photo: OCHA/Charlotte Cans

UNICEF verified more than 1,560 incidents of grave violations again

children in Yemen. As a result, more than 900 children were killed
and more than 1,300 were injured in the past year alone. On average,
at least six children have been killed or injured every day.

These numbers are almost seven times higher than the whole of 2014, the report notes. With more than 50 verified attacks
on schools, children were also killed while attending school or on their way to or from school. These numbers represent the
tip of the iceberg as they only indicate the cases that UNICEF was able to verify.
Children are paying the highest price for a conflict not of their making, UNICEF Country Representative Julien Harneis
said in a press release. They have been killed or maimed across the country and are no longer safe anywhere in Yemen.
Even playing or sleeping has become dangerous.
Recruitment of children in fighting
As the war escalates, the recruitment and use of children in the fighting continues to increase, the report warns. Children are
taking up much more active roles in the fighting, such as manning checkpoints and carrying weapons. In the past year,
UNICEF verified 848 cases of child recruitment; parties to the conflict have recruited children as young as 10 years old into
the fighting.
The latest data shows that 63 health facilities have been attacked or damaged and most have reported severe shortages in
medical equipment, supplies and personnel, along with sporadic electricity.
Deaths from lack of medical services
UNICEF also estimates that nearly 10,000 additional deaths from preventable diseases may have occurred among children
under five years old in the past year as a result of the decline in critical health services including immunization and the
treatment of diarrhoea and pneumonia. This figure is in addition to the nearly 40,000 children who die every year in Yemen
before their fifth birthday.
Nearly 10 million children or 80 per cent of the country's total population of children are now in need of urgent
humanitarian assistance. More than two million children face the threat of diarrhoeal diseases and 320,000 are at risk of
severe acute malnutrition.
We need to speed up the delivery of humanitarian assistance and continue to save lives as well as children's dreams of
growing up and acquiring an education, Harneis said. It's a race against time.
To date, UNICEF has received only 18 per cent of its $180 million funding requirements for 2016.

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29 March 2016

UNICEF reiterates its call on all parties to the conflict to put an end to the fighting in Yemen and reach a political
settlement.
Yemen was already a fragile state due to decades of underdevelopment and intermittent conflicts, said Peter Salama,
UNICEF's Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa. Sadly, children always bear the brunt. Without an end
to the war, the country now risks becoming a failed state, with far-reaching and long-term consequences for children and
their families.

New UN-Arab League agreement aims to prevent conflictrelated sexual violence

29 March The United Nations and the League of Arab States today
signed an agreement to strengthen collaboration on prevention of
conflict-related sexual violence in the Arab region.
The agreement was signed in Cairo, Egypt, by the UN Special
Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa
Bangura, and Nabil el-Araby, Secretary-General of the League of the
Arab States. It is meant to form the foundation on which to mobilize
political commitment and collaborate in combatting rape and other
instances of conflict-related sexual violence, particularly in Iraq,
Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen
In Cairo, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict,
Zainab Hawa Bangura (left), and Nabil el-Araby, Secretary-General
of the League of the Arab States (right), sign agreement of
cooperation. Photo: Manel Stambouli

This framework of cooperation gives us a platform to join and

reinforce our efforts, and together build a comprehensive response in
the security, justice and service sectors, said Special Representative
Bangura, who is also a UN Under-Secretary-General.

That will include deeper information sharing and analysis, training and capacity building, and providing medical and
psychosocial services to survivors and their families, according to a press release from the Office of the Special
Representative.
The agreement also cites the role of civil society, as well as religious and traditional leaders to help shift the stigma of
sexual violence from the victims to the perpetrators and to ensure that survivors and the potential children they bear as a
result of the crimes, are accepted back into their communities, the Office said.
Ultimately it is my hope that the focused engagement of the Arab League will catalyze greater national leadership,
ownership and responsibility among its member countries to protect vulnerable women, children and men from sexual
violence, Mrs. Bangura added.
While in Egypt, the UN Special Representative met with Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, whose title of Grand Imam of Al Azhar
makes him one of the highest authorities in Sunni Islamic thought.
During their meeting, Mrs. Bangura received assurance of the Sheikh's commitment to speaking out against conflict-related
sexual violence, particularly in the context of acts by extremist groups such as ISIL and Boko Haram, according to the press
release.
This is an affront to the most sacred and fundamental tenets of Islam as a religion of peace and tolerance, Mrs. Bangura
said, referring to what she calls perverting of Islam by groups that attempt to give religious justification for sexual slavery
and other acts of violence against women and girls.

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29 March 2016

Honouring past victims, senior UN officials call for modern

forms of slavery to be tackled
29 March Observing the International Day of Remembrance
of the Victims of Slavery, senior United Nations officials today
reflected on past horrors, and warned that the world must also
confront current and modern challenges posed by the many forms and
manifestations of slavery.
On this day, we honour the memory of millions of Africans forcibly
removed from their families, villages and homelands over hundreds of
years, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told delegates at
the General Assembly commemorative meeting.
This important Day also directs a spotlight on racism, sadly still
prevailing in today's societies. It is seen in untold acts of violence,
discrimination, bias and prejudice all over the world. And it is
shamefully represented by the millions of people still living in
situations of servitude and slavery worldwide, he added.
Details from the permanent memorial in acknowledgement of the
tragedy and in consideration of the legacy of slavery and the transAtlantic slave trade. UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz

Mr. Eliasson said forced labour, bonded labour, child labour, human trafficking and forced prostitution are serious human
rights violations rooted in a glaring lack of respect and regard for fellow human beings, advising that the global
community's battle cry must be a life of dignity for all enough is enough.
The theme of this year's commemoration is 'Remember Slavery: Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African
Diaspora and its Roots.'
Also speaking at the event, the President of the 70th session of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, said it is a timely
theme as it draws attention to the vibrant African culture and traditions that have enriched life in countries once involved in
the slave trade and how the African Diaspora continues to enhance many aspects of daily life in countries around the world.
He recalled that in 2007, the General Assembly adopted a resolution to create a permanent memorial to remember the
victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade and to acknowledge the tragedy and enduring consequences of the
enslavement of African peoples.
This memorial The Ark of Return occupies a prominent place at UN Headquarters on the visitors' plaza. Mr.
Lykketoft described it as crucial in educating and informing current and future generations about the causes, consequences
and lessons of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General Eliasson also highlighted that last year, the UN launched the International Decade
of People of African Descent and that the UN Remember Slavery Programme is reaching out to young and old alike to
create awareness, promote understanding and change attitudes.
On this Day, I ask all Member States, and civil society, to commit to make sure that all people of African descent enjoy
equal access to education, employment, health care, development and other vital opportunities, he declared.
It is long overdue for us to break the chains that have denied so many equality, and the protection of their human rights,
under the law and in practice, he insisted.

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29 March 2016

UN chief welcomes signing by Sudanese Government of African

Union roadmap agreement
29 March United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has
welcomed the African Union's latest initiative to accelerate progress
towards ending the fighting in Darfur, South Kordofan and the Blue
Nile states.
In a statement from his spokesperson, the Secretary-General noted
that the initiative would bring together the Sudanese Government, the
National Umma Party, Sudan People's Liberation Movement/North,
Justice and Equality Movement and Sudan Liberation
Movement/Minni Minawi to reach an agreement on a cessation of
hostilities, humanitarian access and assistance and an inclusive
national dialogue process.
Women and children displaced from Jebel Marra, in North Darfur,
due to fighting, take shelter in the Tawilla new arrivals site. Photo:
OCHA

The agreement was brokered by the African Union High-level

Implementation Panel (AUHIP) for Sudan and South Sudan, which is
chaired by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

Following a three-day meeting on 21 March in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Government of Sudan and Mr. Mbeki signed the
agreement; the opposition parties did not.
In the statement, Mr. Ban called on the Government to fully abide with the Agreement and urged the other parties to sign
it.
This would constitute a valuable step towards ending the war, providing assistance to communities in need and enhancing
the environment for an inclusive national dialogue, Mr. Ban said.
Fighting between the Government and the different parties in those regions restarted in 2011, around the time that South
Sudan voted for independence.

From anger to laughter: what happens when three top

comedians walk into the UN?
29 March What happens when three top comedians leave their
Hollywood comfort-zone and walk into the United Nations to talk
climate change and sustainability?
You'll hear the comical results on the latest episode of UN Radio's
podcast series, The Lid Is On.

Voice actors from The Angry Birds Movie discuss the International
Day of Happiness and climate issues. Left to right: Josh Gad, Maya
Rudolph, Carlos Macias (UN Radio), Jason Sudeikis and Dianne Penn
(UN Radio). Photo: UN Radio

Self-described chuckleheads, Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, and Maya

Rudolph, are well-known to moviegoers and television audiences in
the United States. But what's not so well known is their commitment
to join in the UN campaign for mitigating the harmful effects of
climate change, and promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development.

The trio were at UN Headquarters in the middle of March to help

young people step up their actions to address climate change, in
partnership with Angry Birds. With perfect timing, it was also an event in honour of the International Day of Happiness.

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All three star in The Angry Birds Movie which will be released in May, and they were on hand at the UN to help 'Red,' the
main character from the movie and the iconic Angry Birds mobile game become an Honorary Ambassador for Green, in
a special ceremony with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
In between their official events, the comedy stars took time to sit down in the UN Radio studio with producer Dianne Penn,
to talk about the power of laughter to change minds, and make light of a very serious subject: preserving the planet for
future generations.
"This interview was definitely a deviation from the ones we normally do, said Ms. Penn. Getting the chance to talk about
climate issues but with three of the funniest people ever was certainly unusual but enjoyable!"

Senior UN official in Libya condemns reported executions,

killings by armed groups
29 March The top United Nations official in Libya today
condemned recent reported executions and killings of civilians in the
northern part of the country and called for the responsible to be held
to account.
I remind all parties to the conflict in Libya that torture, the execution
of prisoners and direct or indiscriminate attacks against civilians are
prohibited under international humanitarian and human rights Law,
said said Martin Kobler, who is the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya
(UNSMIL).
In a statement issued by UNSMIL, Mr. Kobler expresses sympathy
and condolences to the families of the bereaved and to those injured.

Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya

(UNSMIL) Martin Kobler. UN Photo/Manuel Elas

According to reports, armed groups in Warshafana executed six men on 24 March, after abducting them from their homes.
In addition, at least seven civilians, including three children, were killed during armed conflict in the area which includes alTewibya and al-Zawiya.
Warshafana has been the site of considerable fighting and destruction in recent years. It is located south of the capital,
Tripoli.

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)