United Nations published this video item, entitled “Niger, DRC, Mali & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (2 August 2023)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
-Deputy Secretary-General Travels
-Niger
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Mali
-South Sudan
-Sudan
-Central African Republic
NIGER
In Niger, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and its partners remain committed to delivering assistance to the most vulnerable people in the country.
Humanitarian operations continue uninterrupted, and road movements are possible and have been authorized.
On Monday, the UN humanitarian air service- UNHAS – organized special flights to Diffa, Tahoua, and Agadez to transport staff from the UN and our partners, following authorization previously obtained by the de facto authorities.
Some 4.3 million people in Niger, the vast majority of whom are women and children, need humanitarian aid.
OCHA stresses that all parties must continue to respect humanitarian principles and allow for unhindered access for humanitarian workers to all people in need across the country.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
At a press conference in Kinshasa today, the head of our peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bintou Keita, highlighted the challenges ahead for MONUSCO’s transition, including the significant insecurity that still plagues 13 territories in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, the provinces where the Mission is still present and which require sustained joint action by national security forces and UN peacekeepers.
Ms. Keita described 2024 as the “year of transition”, where the Mission will increasingly transfer its responsibilities, including protecting civilians, to the Government of the DRC. In that regard, MONUSCO is working closely with the authorities to ensure that national capacities meet minimum-security requirements to allow for a responsible drawdown of the Mission. The expertise and resources of the UN family are also being leveraged to help the Government implement national plans to support humanitarian needs and development.
MALI
In Mali, more than 460 peacekeepers from MINUSMA’s Egyptian combat and convoy escort battalion have left the town of Gao in the country’s northern part. For more than a year, they operated in a difficult environment, escorting convoys from Gao to Tessalit via Kidal and Aguelhok, under constant threat from improvised explosive devices by armed groups. Their work contributed to safe passage for logistical convoys and helped to protect civilians.
The departure of the Egyptian contingent was planned before the Security Council resolution that terminated the Mission. But it is a step towards the complete withdrawal of MINUSMA by December 31. In the coming weeks, peacekeepers from the Senegalese, Burkinabe, Ivorian, and Bangladeshi contingents will also leave as the outlying camps of Ogossagou, Goundam, Ber, and Ménaka are closed.
Full highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=02%20August%202023
United Nations YouTube Channel
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