United Nations published this video item, entitled “Pakistan, Mali, Central African Republic & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (31 August 2022)” – below is their description.
Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– Pakistan
– Mali
– Central African Republic
– Syria
– Security Council
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Mikhail Gorbachev
– International Day for People of African Descent
– UNCOPS
PAKISTAN
I’ll start off with an update from Pakistan on the assistance we’ve been providing following the floods that continue to devastate the country and impacting millions and millions of men, women and children in Pakistan.
As part of our emergency response, the UN Refugee agency is providing tents and other relief items from existing stocks in Quetta and Peshawar. The items will be handed over to the national disaster management authority to support their relief operations in the worst impacted areas in Balochistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkwa provinces.
UNHCR colleagues on the ground have also provided assistance to refugees in villages, as well as host communities, with more than 71,000 emergency relief items, including tents, tarpaulins, sanitary products, cooking stoves, blankets, solar lamps and sleeping mats.
Our colleagues at the World Health Organization warn that significant public health threats facing impacted populations, including the risk of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever.
According to government figures, close to 900 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed in Pakistan, leaving millions of people without access to health care and medical treatment.
Working closely with the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, WHO is increasing surveillance for acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, and other communicable diseases, and is also providing essential medicines and medical supplies to functional health treatment centres treating affected communities.
WHO has also diverted mobile medical camps, including those responding to COVID-19, to affected districts, delivered close to two million aqua tabs to ensure access to clean water. They also provided sample collection kits to ensure clinical testing of samples to ensure early detection of infectious diseases. And as you will recall the Secretary-General will be heading to Pakistan next week.
MALI
We have an update from Mali, this time on the health front. Our peacekeeping mission there has announced it will transport 1.5 tons of essential medicines to Gao every week. This is being undertaken at the request of regional authorities that are working to mitigate the impact of a pharmaceutical shortage due to a blockade of the main supply route by terrorist armed groups since May.
The mission is also helping in Douentza town, where Togolese troops have provided medical checks and treatment for 450 community members during a mobile health clinic. In Tin Hama and surrounding villages, where the Mission has stepped-up security measures to protect civilians, the Jordanian Quick [Response] Force has provided medical assistance to local communities and displaced families to help create a safe and secure environment.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
And in the Central African Republic, peacekeepers there conducted 1,325 patrols across the country, including three jointly with the Central African armed forces. Efforts focused on the Bria-Yalinga axis, in the country’s East, to restore calm and enable economic activities, as well as to deter violence against communities around Ndélé, and Bambari. And in Berberati in the country’s western part, the Mission is also providing training in community policing, alongside colleagues from the UN Development Programme.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=31%20August%202022
United Nations YouTube Channel
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