Middle East & other topics - Daily Briefing (11 February 2020)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. - Middle East - Syria - Yemen - Libya - Peacekeeping - Coronavirus - Ebola - DPRK - Burkina Faso - DR Congo - SG Girls Education MIDDLE EAST The Secretary-General opened today’s Security Council meeting on the Middle East, and he expressed a deep sense of concern as we witness growing tensions and instability around the globe, particularly in the Middle East. The Secretary-General said the position of the United Nations has been defined by resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly, by which the Secretariat is bound. He added that the UN remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements and realizing the vision of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security with recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines. Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East also briefed the Council, adding that in the days since the proposal was unveiled, we have unfortunately witnessed some violent incidents throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in and around Gaza. He said that further escalation or provocations should be a concerning development. They could complicate the situation on the ground and would serve only those who seek to radicalize people and undermine efforts to achieve peace. All must show restraint and clearly and unequivocally condemn violence wherever it occurs, the Special Coordinator said. SYRIA Since December, nearly 700,000 people have been forcibly displaced in Idlib and surrounding areas in the north-west of Syria, most of these are women and children. This is the largest number of people displaced in a single period since the Syrian crisis began almost nine years ago. Most civilians attempting to get out of harm’s way are settling in already overcrowded areas near the Syria-Turkey border. Many families are reportedly seeking shelter in makeshift camps and unfinished buildings. The temperature in some parts of Idlib has now dipped to -11 degrees Centigrade, making living conditions for people in camps and unfinished structures even more unbearable. Several more hospitals and health care centres across Idlib and Aleppo governorates have reportedly shut, suspended or reduced operations due to hostilities. Schools in Idlib and the countryside have also reportedly been closed, until further notice, and that’s impacting 160,000 students in 278 schools. A massive humanitarian operation is underway and this month alone, more than 230 trucks carrying life-saving assistance have been sent into north-west Syria through the Bab al-Hawa and the Bab al-Salam border crossings as authorized by the Security Council. The trucks have carried food, shelter material, water, sanitation and hygiene as well as nutrition assistance for over 440,000 people in urgent need. This is in addition to the 1,227 trucks sent across the border in January. YEMEN Lise Grande, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, said that clashes that hit and badly damaged two hospitals in Marib on 7 February were a completely unacceptable breach of international humanitarian law. She said it was terrible that facilities upon which thousands of people depend to survive have been badly damaged. Ms. Grande said the health sector has been hit very hard during the war. Preventing further damage and helping to rebuild it are some of our highest priorities. LIBYA In Cairo on 9 and 10 February, 28 Libyan economic experts gathered for the second round of talks under the Libyan Economic and Financial Track, one of the three intra-Libyan tracks that the UN Support Mission in Libya is organizing - along with the military and political. Representatives from across the Libyan political and geographical spectrum participated in the meeting, in addition to representatives of the main Libyan financial and economic institutions, as well as sector specialists and academic experts. Participants agreed on the Terms of Reference for the Libyan Expert Economic Commission as well as its mechanisms. They also agreed that Libya’s prolonged institutional fragmentation and divergent policies were negatively impacting the economy, particularly the banking sector. Given the country’s worsening economic crisis, including the latest halt in oil production, the participants concluded that the Commission was needed to work on issues of immediate concern until a unified government is established. Full Highlights: http://bit.ly/39pix0F