United Nations published this video item, entitled “Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Ukraine & other topics – Daily Briefing (16 June 2021)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Secretary-General/Press Stakeout
– Democratic Republic of The Congo
– Myanmar
– Sri Lanka
– Ukraine
– Haiti
– Covid-19/Africa
– UN Office of Counter Terrorism
– International Day of Family Remittances
– Financial Contribution
MYANMAR
From Myanmar, the UN team there said today that they remain deeply concerned about increasing numbers of people being displaced by clashes in Kayah State, in the country’s east.
In southeastern Myanmar, the UN team says that more than 160,000 people have been internally displaced since the military takeover of the Government on February 1st. This includes more than 100,000 people who have fled their homes in Kayah State following fighting between the Myanmar military and the Karenni People’s Defence Force.
Nearly 20,000 people are living in displacement sites in Chin State in western Myanmar following the start of clashes last month. Thousands more people have been displaced across Kachin and Shan States as well.
SRI LANKA
From Sri Lanka, the Resident Coordinator, Hanaa Singer, today facilitated the rapid deployment of three environmental experts and others to assist with hazardous and noxious substances, marine litter, and environmental impact assessment work related to the wreck of the MV X-Press Pearl cargo ship off the Sri Lankan coast last month. That was done together with the UN Environment Programme’s Regional Director and with the support of the European Union.
That wreck has resulted in what is reportedly one of the country’s potentially worst environmental disasters.
Continued UN assistance also includes the provision of specialized protective equipment, technical assistance for incidence management, contingency planning and simulations, and coordination support.
UKRAINE
Turning to eastern Ukraine, where seven years of active fighting have had profound effects on more than five million people in Donetska and Luhanska. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that civilian casualties increased in the first months of 2021, mainly due to mines and explosive remnants of war. Between 1 February and 30 April, 12 civilians were killed and 25 injured. Hostilities in April almost reached levels witnessed before the July 2020 ceasefire.
Civilian infrastructure, including educational, water and sanitation facilities, and powerlines close to the “contact line” also continued to be targeted.
According to OCHA, over the last weeks, the delivery of humanitarian aid and access to non-Government-controlled areas has improved but remains limited and highly politicized. On 10 June, four UN agencies were granted permission to operate, in order to implement humanitarian projects in the non-Government-controlled part of Luhanska Oblast.
Some 3.4 million people require humanitarian assistance and protection in eastern Ukraine. Aid agencies need $168 million to provide education, food security and livelihood support, as well as health and other urgent assistance to 1.9 million of the most vulnerable people. The aid appeal is just 16 per cent funded.
Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=16%20June%202021
United Nations YouTube Channel
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