United Nations Daily Highlights, 05-09-01

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

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESMAN'S NOON

BRIEFING

BY MARIE OKABE

DEPUTY

SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

Thursday, September 1, 2005

IRAQ: U.N. PROVIDES ASSISTANCE TO BAGHDAD STAMPEDE VICTIMS

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reports that it has begun delivering help to Iraqi groups working on the aftermath of the

bridge collapse in Baghdad, which reportedly killed about 1,000 people.

According to Deputy Special Representative

Steffan De Mistura, UNAMI has delivered emergency oxygen units to nine hospitals in Baghdad plus enough health kits to treat 1,000 people.

De Mistura said the United Nationsis also supplying large amounts of emergency drugs and is organizing special financial support for the families of all the victims.

UNITED NATIONS OFFERS TO HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE

Regarding

Hurricane Katrina, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that it has been in contact with the United States Government.

Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, in a letter to Ambassador John Bolton of the United States, has offered to help in any way possible.

Egeland has also been encouraging donors to contribute to non-governmental organizations active in helping the hurricane victims.

In addition, the UN Staff Union, in both New York and Geneva, is working to raise money for hurricane survivors.

Asked if there were any other plans to help the United States, the Spokeswoman said that the United Nations would like to help in any way possible, but has not been asked to do so by the U.S. Government. If the United States asks for help, she said, the United Nations could dispatch a Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team to the area, as part of its standard response to determine needs.

ANNAN HOLDS MORE TALKS WITH AMBASSADORS ABOUT UN REFORM

Asked about the Secretary-Generals schedule, the Spokeswoman noted that the Secretary-General had interrupted his vacation to to take stock of progress towards the 2005 World Summit, and to support the President of the General Assembly in his efforts to ensure a successful Summit.

He met and addressed on Wednesday with the Core Group on

UN reform, and has been meeting yesterday and today with a broad range of ambassadors about reform and the September

summit.

She added that, on Friday, there may be an announcement of further travel by the Secretary-General.

PROBE INTO KILLING OF LEBANESE EX-PRIME MINISTER NEEDS MORE TIME

Detlev Mehlis, the head of the International Independent Investigation Commission for Lebanon, today spoke to the press in Beirut to say that the investigation has made progress on several fronts.

Mehlis said that the Commission has identified and interviewed five suspects, whose statements are now being reviewed. However, he added, the case is not closed, and the rights of the suspects are being fully preserved.

Mehlis also confirmed that he intends to ask for an extension for the Commission to complete its work.

PHILIPPINES ASSUMES SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENCY

The Philippines takes over the rotating Presidency of the

Security Council for the month of September.

Today, the new Council President, Ambassador Lauro Baja, is holding bilateral meetings with the other Council members to determine the program of work for the coming month.

The Security Council is expected to hold consultations on the program of work tomorrow. After that, Ambassador Baja intends to hold a press conference at UN Headquarters in New York to brief on the Councils work during September.

CHOLERA OUTBREAKS CONTINUE TO THREATEN WEST AFRICA

A West African regional meeting on

cholera, convened by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ended yesterday in Dakar, Senegal.

The meeting agreed that the current West Africa cholera outbreaks are serious, with nearly 500 deaths so far out of over 31,000 reported cases, and figures still rising in many countries.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), response and control efforts are progressing, but are seriously constrained by the lack of resources. WHO is also strengthening surveillance activities, and reports that supplies for case management and water chlorination have been dispatched to some of the countries.

ASIAN TSUNAMI HAD NEGATIVE EFFECT ON APES HABITAT

Fewer than 250 wild Sumatran orangutans may exist in 50 years, their habitat is disappearing, and the devastation of the Asian tsunami has accelerated the rate of destruction.

Those are among the findings

announced today at the launch of the first World Atlas of Great Apes and their Conservation, published by the

UN Environment Programme.

The Atlas provides a country-by-country assessment of the 23 states hosting the wild great apes.

ANNAN MEETS WITH OIL-FOR-FOOD INVESTIGATOR

Asked whether the Secretary-General had met with Paul Volcker, the Spokeswoman said that, as with all individuals about whom statements may be made in the

Independent Inquiry Committees report, the Secretary-General has been given the opportunity to respond to the Committee.

As he has done previously, she said, the Secretary-General has exercised that right, and he met with Volcker this morning.

The Spokeswoman added, in response to a question on when the next report may come out, that the United Nations was expecting it next week.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO ANNOUNCEMENT YET ON ZIMBABWE VISIT: Asked whether Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari may travel to

Zimbabwe, the Spokeswoman said such a trip had been discussed with that countrys Government, but added that she had nothing to announce yet. She said, in response to a question, that she had no new information about a joint appeal being worked on by the UN country team in Zimbabwe and the Government.

AFGHAN CHILDREN TO GET POLIO VACCINATIONS: Some seven million Afghan children under the age of five will be

vaccinated against polio in a three-day campaign, starting on 5 September. Forty thousand people will be involved in the vaccinations and monitoring, which is being supported by the UN Childrens Fund and the World Health Organization.

U.N. AGENCY WORKS TO CURB FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE: The Food and Agriculture Organization today reports that it has signed an agreement with the European Commission for a 4 million program to prevent the entry of foot and mouth disease into European cattle and sheep herds. The program will focus on working with agricultural authorities in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and the Caucasus region.

PEACEKEEPING MISSION WARNS OF UNEXPLODED DEVICES IN COTE DIVOIRE: The UN Operation in Cote dIvoire (UNOCI) has

launched a campaign to make children aware of the dangers of unexploded ordinance left over from the countrys recent war. The program, which involves posters and a two-hour traveling presentation, was begun after an accident killed two children in July in a village in central Cote dIvoire, UNOCI said.