United Nations Daily Highlights, 04-01-13

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

BY FRED ECKHARD

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS

UN

HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

SECURITY COUNCIL TO HOLD

CONSULTATIONS ON

IRAQ ON

WEDNESDAY

There are no meetings or consultations of the Security Council scheduled for today.

The Security Council has scheduled consultations for 10:30 a.m. tomorrow on a letter from Iraq.

Security

Council President, Chilean Ambassador Heraldo Mumso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; ñoz, told reporters at the stakeout microphone

on Monday afternoon that there had been request from Iraq to meet with the Security Council on Monday, the 19th of January.

AFGHAN REFUGEE SURVIVORS OF BAM QUAKE RETURN HOME;

UNITED NATIONS TO ASSIST FARMERS WHO LOST INFRASTRUCTURE

The recent earthquake in Bam seriously damaged the areas irrigation system and other agricultural infrastructure. That's one of the findings of an initial assessment conducted by the experts from the UNs Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) who are currently touring Bam.

The farming sector provides about a quarter of the employment in the area. Repairing irrigation systems to restore water supply for most affected fruit plantations, and providing support for livestock farmers will be the main focus of FAO's emergency assistance. This project will be funded by the recently launched flash appeal of $31 million.

The UNs refugee agency is repatriating 365 Afghan refugees who had been living in Bam. They left the area last night and were expected to have crossed back into Afghanistan earlier today.

KOSOVO FACES CHOICES ON FUTURE PATH

"Kosovo is at a crossroads and must choose whether to take the high road taken by the new democracies of central and eastern Europe." That was a key theme of a speech given by Harri Holkeri, the Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Kosovo, at an Orthodox new year reception in Pristina today.

Holkeri stressed that the aim of the UN Mission in Kosovo is to help prepare Kosovo resolve its future status and then leave but to get there, efforts must be made across a range of areas. These include that minority communities must feel safe and secure, and returnees must not feel threatened.

FOOD AID NEEDED FOR SUDANESE REFUGEES IN CHAD

UN refugee agency workers in eastern Chad are set to begin pre-registering the first of tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees Thursday in the region bordering Sudan, in preparation for their relocation to a safer camp further inland.

Humanitarian actors in eastern Chad have continued regular aid distributions to the refugees still waiting along the remote and insecure border. The World Food Programme

said it needed $11 million quickly so that it could pre-position food.

Meanwhile, needs in Sudans war-torn region of Darfur were not being met, primarily due to insecurity.

Only 15% of vulnerable people in the area were accessible to humanitarian staff.

BIRD FLU FOUND IN HUMANS IN

VIETNAM

Avian influenza virus strain A, sometimes referred to as bird flu or chicken flu, has been found in humans, according to the World Health Organization.

Lab results received on Sunday confirmed the presence of the potentially fatal virus in humans. The samples were taken from three people admitted to hospital with severe respiratory illness in Hanoi

normally, the flu only infects birds.

WHO says that at present there isnt any evidence that human-to-human transmission of the disease occurred.

WHO is providing support to Vietnamese health authorities in their investigation of the cases and in helping prevent the diseases spread.

ONE CASE OF SARS CONFIRMED IN CHINA

The World Health Organization has received information from Chinas Health Ministry about a man in Guangdong Province who is now considered to be infected with the SARS virus.

That man, WHO was told, has been isolated and is in a stable condition at a hospital, and 24 people who had contact with him have been traced and are reported to be in good condition. He remains the only confirmed SARS case, according to the agency.

WHO also received information that another suspected case, a waitress in Guangdong, is currently stable, while 100 people who had contact with her have shown no medical abnormalities.

BANGLADESH

PRAISED FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN UN PEACEKEEPING

Under-Secretary-General Jean Marie Guéhenno is returning this week from a visit to Asia to encourage countries to contribute more troops to UN peacekeeping missions.

Over the weekend, he visited Bangladesh, which he praised in a press conference on Saturday for its outstanding performance in UN peacekeeping. He especially highlighted the role Bangladeshi peacekeepers have played in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

BRAHIMI TO MEET ANNAN WEDNESDAY: When asked about the Wednesday schedule for former Special Representative for Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi, who arrived in New York on Monday, the Spokesman said Brahimi would meet the Secretary-General tomorrow, and would brief the Security Council on Afghanistan on Thursday. The Spokesman added that Brahimi's meeting with the Secretary-General is considered an "internal meeting" and thus, will not be open to the press.

SUB-REGIONAL DIMENSION OF WEST AFRICAN CONFLICTS CRITICAL TO SIERRA LEONE: Ambassador Daudi Mwakawago of Tanzania, the UN Secretary-Generals newly-appointed Special Representative for Sierra Leone, said upon arrival in Freetown, that the sub-regional dimension of the conflicts in West Africa was critical to Sierra Leone. He added that it will be addressed at all levels and in all quarters.

INDIA,

BANGLADESH

TO START CENSUS OF TIGERS: Bangladesh and India

will jointly start a census of tigers tomorrow, with the support of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The census is among the first activities between the two countries under a cross-border initiative aimed at preserving the worlds largest Mangrove forest, the Sundarbans.

ANNANTO DELIVER FIRST ROBERT BURNS MEMORIAL LECTURE: The Secretary-General will speak this evening on the Brotherhood of Man, as he delivers the Robert Burns Memorial Lecture in the Delegates Dining Room. The lecture is an initiative of the British Executive Service Overseas, which will use funds raised from the event to help send more Scottish volunteers on assignments to share their experiences and skills in developing countries.

Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General

United Nations, S-378

New York, NY 10017

Tel. 212-963-7162 - press/media only

Fax. 212-963-7055

All other inquiries to be addressed to (212)

963-4475 or by e-mail to: inquiries@un.org

United Nations Daily Highlights Directory - Previous Article - Next Article