Malaysia/Covid-19, Syria, Myanmar & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (2 August 2021)

United Nations published this video item, entitled “Malaysia/Covid-19, Syria, Myanmar & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (2 August 2021)” – below is their description.

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

Highlights:

– Ethiopia 

– Myanmar  

– Central African Republic 

– Syria 

– Malaysia/Covid-19 

– Resident Coordinator / Uruguay 

– World Breastfeeding Week  

– Financial Contributions 

MALAYSIA/COVID-19

From Malaysia, the UN team there, led by Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner, continues to support authorities to roll out the COVID-19 national vaccination plan.

The UN team is helping authorities prepare for the vaccination of undocumented people, refugees and asylum-seekers. This includes technical and advocacy support to prepare specific guidelines. UNHCR is helping to gather data on refugee populations, while we are also working on outreach and mapping of vulnerable groups.

The UN team has also been working on risk communication and community engagement in various languages, as well as on outreach programmes and hotlines to increase access to information about vaccines. This includes a website that is tailored to support refugees, asylum-seekers and organizations supporting refugees.

Our team on the ground is also supporting authorities in tracking public sentiment to help tackle rumours and misinformation.

SYRIA

The Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, over the weekend, said he is following with great concern the developments in southwest Syria. He is actively in contact with relevant parties to ensure that violence ceases and he is calling on all to de-escalate.  

In a statement over the weekend, Mr. Pedersen stressed to all that the principle of the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law must be upheld.  The Special Envoy emphasized the humanitarian dimension of the situation, recalling the messages he received from people in Daraa stating they did not want to leave their homes.  

The Special Envoy said this uptick in tension in the southwest reiterates the need for all in Syria to agree on a nationwide ceasefire, in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

MYANMAR

From Myanmar, the UN team has reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of the country in their pursuit for democracy, peace, human rights and the rule of law, six months after the Myanmar military seized control over the democratically elected government.

Since February 1st, at least 930 people – many of them women and children – have been killed at the hands of security forces, while thousands more have been injured.

At least 3,000 people remain under detention – this includes politicians, authors, human rights defenders, teachers, health care workers, civil servants, journalists, monks, celebrities, and ordinary citizens.

The protracted crisis has impacted humanitarian access to people in need, as well as education, health, and the fight against COVID-19. It has also, of course, affected the basic rights of the people of Myanmar to express themselves and have a government that represents them.

For their part, the UN Population Fund and UN Women in Myanmar have warned that the compounded political and health crisis, coupled with an intensification of fighting, is putting more women and girls this year at risk. They also said that the deteriorating socio-economic situation means that hundreds of thousands more people now are in need of humanitarian aid.

Since February 1st, women and girls have been at the frontlines as leaders of civil society organizations, civil servants, activists, journalists, artists and influencers, exercising their fundamental rights to express their hopes for the future of the country.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=02%20August%202021

United Nations YouTube Channel

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