Afghanistan, Occupied Palestinian Territory & Other Topics - Daily Press Briefing (5 March 2024)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Haiti
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-South Sudan/Security Council
-Afghanistan
-Cyprus
-Myanmar
-Climate
-Human Rights Council
-Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
-Senior Personnel Appointment
-Financial Contribution

HAITI
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the escalation of violence in several neighbourhoods in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, has led to some 15,000 people being forced to flee their homes. Most of these people had already been displaced previously.
Despite the security constraints, the UN’s humanitarian partners on the ground have begun to respond to these new displacements by providing food; hygiene and health kits; mattresses, blankets, sheets and lamps.
The World Food Programme and its partners have delivered some 5,500 hot meals to some 3,000 people living in the three new displacement sites, while the International Organization for Migration also started distributing emergency shelter material to more than 300 families.
The humanitarian community in Haiti calls on all sides to put an immediate stop to the violence; to allow safe access to the people in need; and to respect human rights, humanitarian norms and standards.
Some 5.5 million people - nearly half of the country’s population - need humanitarian assistance.
This year’s $674 million Humanitarian Needs Response Plan for Haiti is currently just 2.5 per cent funded, with $17 million.
Tomorrow afternoon, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a private meeting on the situation in Haiti. Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, Maria Isabel Salvador, is expected to brief on the United Nations behalf.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Port-au-Prince. He calls for urgent action, particularly in providing financial support for the non-UN Multinational Security Support mission, to address the pressing security requirements of the Haitian people and prevent the country from plunging further into chaos.
He also calls on the Government of Haiti and other political actors to swiftly agree on the necessary steps to advance the political process towards the restoration of democratic institutions through the holding of elections.

SOUTH SUDAN/SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefed Security Council members on the situation in South Sudan. He underscored that the peace agreement remains the only viable framework to achieve peace and stability in the country.
He also briefed members of the Council on the outcome of his visit to South Sudan and Abyei that took place last month.

AFGHANISTAN
Tomorrow morning the Security Council will hold a meeting on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
Following this meeting, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, is expected to speak with reporters at the Security Council stakeout.

Full highlights:https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=05%20March%202024