• In Syria, a circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) outbreak has been confirmed. The virus strain was isolated from two cases of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and one healthy contact, from Deir-Ez-Zor governorate. See the ‘Syrian Arab Republic’ section below for more information.

• The final decision made by the World Health Assembly on 29 May on polio transition planning is now available online. The decision follows extensive discussions by Member States on the need to address the challenge of scaling down the polio programme as eradication comes closer, including the potential impact on achieving and sustaining a polio-free world, on health system programmes and on systems currently supported by polio assets. Delegates welcomed existing efforts to plan for the post-polio world, and stressed the importance of careful, considered and strategic approaches to the transition of polio assets, requesting the Director-General to prepare a detailed transition action plan.

• Summary of newly-reported viruses this week: Syria – two new circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) isolated from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) cases and one cVDPV2 isolated from a healthy contact; and, Pakistan – four new environmental sample positive for wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1).

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The Hon Julie Bishop MP

Media release

9 June 2017

Today I announce that the Australian Government will contribute new funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) to help the global fight to end polio.

We will provide a further $18 million over two years (2019-2020) to contribute to ending polio transmission in the last remaining countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. Australian funding to GPEI will purchase and distribute polio vaccines; support polio surveillance and monitoring; fund immunisation campaigns and strengthen routine immunisation systems.

Through the work of GPEI and donors, including Australia, an estimated 16 million people are active who would have otherwise been paralysed by polio, and the world has saved more than US$27 billion in health costs.

The Australian Government is proud to continue our support to this important global initiative, and this announcement brings Australia's total funding for GPEI to $104 million since 2011.

The world has made great gains in the fight against polio. The incidence of the disease has decreased by more than 99 per cent since 1988, with just five recorded cases of polio so far in 2017.

It is important that this success is continued to the point where there are no new polio cases. If even a single case remains, there is a risk that polio could resurge and spread to countries that are presently polio-free. If we successfully end polio, it will join smallpox as the only human diseases to be permanently eradicated from the world.

Media enquiries

Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500

DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

The refugee crisis is a human crisis: Behind the statistics are people filled with unique life experiences and dreams for the future. They are mothers longing to return home, fathers yearning to work again, children searching for a childhood.

We are witnessing a massive shift of humanity unlike any seen before. More than 65 million people around the world—roughly the population of France—are displaced from their homes. More than 11 million of them are from just five places: Syria, Afghanistan, the Lake Chad basin, South Sudan, and Somalia.

What does it look like for 11 million people to be displaced?

It would be like the entire population of Portugal going homeless. Or everyone in Sweden fleeing and leaving an empty nation behind them. It would be like the state of Georgia slowly draining of every doctor, teacher, engineer and entrepreneur—every person who lived there, plus 1 million more—until there was only barren land left behind.

With your support, Mercy Corps is responding to this crisis with emergency assistance to help refugees meet their urgent needs around the world. Today our refugee response reaches people in more than 20 countries with support like cash, food, water, shelter, youth centers and life skills training.

All refugees have suffered unimaginable loss, whether they are displaced in their own country or seeking safety overseas. Yet they are filled with potential and the strength to triumph over adversity. Their story is our story, because we are all human—and together, we can build a better world.

Read on to learn more about where this crisis is hitting the hardest, and how you can help.

1. Syria: 4.9 million displaced The Syria crisis has accelerated more dramatically than any crisis on earth. After war erupted in March 2011, it took two years for 1 million people to be displaced. Another million were displaced within six months. Now six years on, half the country’s entire population is gone, scattered across the world.

Mercy Corps is one of the largest providers of humanitarian assistance throughout Syria, reaching hundreds of thousands of people per month with urgently needed food, water, blankets and other essential supplies.

We’re also working to reach the millions of Syrian refugees now living in other countries. In a colorful classroom in Jordan’s Za’atari refugee camp, 12-year-old Joury paints a picture of a garden. It’s a place she remembers from Syria, with tall trees that linger in her memory from visits there with her grandmother.

Joury fled Syria with her family four years ago. There is no way to know if she will be able to go home again. At a Mercy Corps youth center in Za’atari, art helps young refugees like her cope with their stress and enjoy being kids again.

“In Syria I wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t know how to draw,” she says. “I learned how to draw at Mercy Corps [youth center program].”

“When I am thinking of anything, I just like to draw it. I feel comfortable when I draw.”

2. Afghanistan: 2.6 million displaced

Years of unemployment, insecurity and political instability have led to a massive migration from Afghanistan. The United Nations estimates that 1,000 Afghans flee their homes every day. Many go to Iran and Pakistan, but huge numbers are crossing into Europe: 20 percent of people who arrived by boat seeking asylum in Europe in 2015 were from Afghanistan.

Mercy Corps is working to build a stronger future within Afghanistan by training farmers to grow better crops, improving economic opportunities for youth, teaching healthy nutrition practices to new mothers, and helping women and girls find better access to financial services and job opportunities.

We’re also helping Afghan refugees while they live away from home. Shakila, 31, fled Afghanistan with her husband and three children, seeking a better life. Now they wait in Greece for a future they’re not sure will ever arrive.

Mercy Corps is providing Shakila with a cash card to buy essentials for her family, while her daughter, Sonia, is in an art workshop at a Mercy Corps youth center.

“I worry about my children,” Shakila says. “They need an education but here they just pass the days without anything. My daughter is depressed. She always stays inside the tent.”

“I'm a little older; I don't need anything. I just need my kids to go to school and have an education and change their future for good things to come.”

3. Lake Chad: 2.6 million displaced

One of the world’s most overlooked crises is happening within west Africa’s Lake Chad basin: More than 2 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. At least 65,000 people in the region are experiencing famine-like conditions and more than 6 million people face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity.

“As we’ve had better access to these areas, the level and urgency of the need we see is horrifying and demands immediate action,” says Iveta Ouvry, Mercy Corps’ country director in Nigeria. “We are working as quickly as possible to expand our ongoing delivery of food vouchers; financial assistance; and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.”

“This is not a crisis that will be solved with one silver-bullet solution. International donors and governments in the region need to respond quickly with short- and long-term solutions, such as directing more resources to address immediate needs and developing policies to tackle the underlying causes of the crisis."

4. South Sudan: 1.5 million displaced

The situation in South Sudan is dire: Approximately 100,000 people are on the brink of starvation and over 5 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian relief in the world's first famine in six years.

Ongoing warfare, flooding and drought continue to worsen what is already a dangerous humanitarian crisis. There are massive needs for clean water, health care, sanitation, food, shelter, and protection across the country, and millions of people now require urgent support to survive.

Angelina feels that struggle deeply. She fled conflict in her village twice looking for a safe place for her family. The last time she fled, her home was burned behind them.

For five days she walked through deep water, floating her children on a plastic tarp until they found refuge on Nyoat Island, where they rely on food assistance and water lilies to survive. Her children leave by canoe every morning at 4 a.m. to go to a local school Mercy Corps supports.

“I set up here because I am tired of running from enemies,” she says. “I decided to come here for two reasons: for fear—I feel safe here—and because I can get water lilies for my kids.”

“I have hope [to find work] but I don’t know what kind of work. If there is an opportunity given and I can provide for my kids, then I will be happy. Even if I have some small seeds, then I can plant a vegetable garden and sell them and get some money.”

5. Somalia: 1 million displaced

Somalia is facing one of the world’s worst emergencies and is at risk of slipping into famine. More than half the country is in need of assistance: The number of people in need has grown from 5 million in September 2015 to over 6.2 million this year.

Drought and ongoing conflict have forced millions of people to flee their villages for life in destitute refugee camps. If drought conditions worsen, hundreds of thousands of children will be at risk of starvation.

Mercy Corps has been working in Somalia since 2005, improving access to food and water, rehabilitating waterways, supporting local markets and providing education and civic opportunities for youth. We are also providing livelihood opportunities, such as cash for work, to increase farm production and enhance the ability of communities to handle shocks like drought.

That support—and a long-term peaceful solution—is critical for people like 22-year-old Hadija. Two seasons of failed rains forced her to leave her village with her two children. Now she waits in a refugee camp, one of 155,000 people in her region whose life has been put on hold.

“In the village we lived from our animals, but they died from the drought,” she says. “The hunger brought us here. Unless things change, we have no hope of going back. We are depending on what relatives and friends give us.

“Tonight we have nothing to eat for my children and myself. We have no hope back at home, we just hope for people who wish us well to take care of us now.”

How you can help

You play an important role in ensuring that these refugees have the support they need. When we work together, we can help even more people feel safe from conflict, stay healthy and forge ahead to a better, stronger future.

• Donate today. Every single contribution helps us provide lifesaving assistance to refugees in crisis around the world.
• Tell your friends. Share this story or go to our Facebook page or Twitter page to post the image and spread the word about the millions who need us.
• Start a campaign. You can turn knowledge into action by **setting up a personal fundraising page** and asking your friends and family to contribute to our efforts to help refugees fleeing conflict.

By Kamila Aliyeva

The three-day Central Asian International Environmental Forum titled “Initiative for Cooperation on Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development in Central Asia” has ended in Ashgabat city, Turkmenistan State News Agency reported.

The event was organized by the State Committee of Turkmenistan for Environmental Protection and Land Resources and the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC).

Scarcity of water resources is among the extremely difficult problems of the [Central Asian] region.

Representatives of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan spoke in favor of applying international water law and international experience of integrated management of shared water resources.

In turn, a representative of Kyrgyzstan proposed to develop economic mechanisms for water use among all the countries of the region in order to avoid risks associated with unbalanced water resources management.

It was emphasized that water issues cannot be considered in isolation from the long-term strategy of ecologically sustainable development of the region.

An opinion that the construction of new hydraulic structures on these waterways should be carried out on the basis of a constructive approach and a compromise in which the interests of other interested states are not infringed was expressed at the event.

Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan and uses water resources in accordance with agreed quotas from four transboundary rivers: the Amu Darya, Tejen, Atrek and Murghab.

Over 3.2 million refugees Turkey continues to host the world’s largest refugee population.

Predominantly out of camp More than 90 per cent of refugees in Turkey live outside of camps in urban and peri-urban areas.

Mostly children and women 70 per cent of refugees in Turkey are children and women.

Working with Partners

• The Government of Turkey leads the refugee response with UNHCR providing direct operational support, capacity building and technical advice to Turkish authorities. As the refugee agency, UNHCR also coordinates the efforts of the UN agencies and partners to support Turkey’s refugee response to avoid duplication and gaps in international assistance. In this role, UNHCR co-leads the Regional Refugee Resilience and Response Plan (3RP) for the Syria crisis with UNDP and the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) with IOM.

Le rapport de la FAO souligne des pertes importantes dues à la perturbation des activités agricoles, à la hausse des prix et au déplacement des moyens d’existence

09 juin 2017, Rome - Selon le dernier rapport de la FAO sur les Perspectives de récolte et la situation alimentaire, les bonnes récoltes agricoles obtenues dans certaines régions du monde ont permis de maintenir les stocks alimentaires mondiaux, mais les crises prolongées et les troubles ont contribué à gonfler les rangs des personnes déplacées et souffrant de la faim ailleurs.

Toujours d'après le rapport, quelques 37 pays, dont 26 en Afrique, ont besoin d'aide alimentaire externe.

Le rapport indique également que les conflits civils sont toujours le principal facteur conduisant à une situation d'insécurité alimentaire grave, comme cela est le cas au Soudan du Sud où sévit la famine, ainsi qu'au Yémen et dans le Nord du Nigéria où il existe un risque élevé de famine localisée. Les mauvaises conditions météorologiques tendent à aggraver le risque de famine en Somalie. Les réfugiés ayant fui les troubles civils dans des pays tels que l'Irak, la Syrie et la République centrafricaine exercent une pression supplémentaire sur les stocks alimentaires des communautés hôtes.

Selon les estimations, près de 5,5 millions de personnes sont en situation d'insécurité alimentaire grave au Soudan du Sud, où les prix du maïs et du sorgho sont quatre fois plus élevés qu'en avril 2016. En Somalie, près de 3,2 millions de personnes ont besoin d'une aide alimentaire et agricole d'urgence, tandis qu'ils sont 17 millions à en avoir besoin au Yémen.

Dans le Nord du Nigéria, 7,1 millions de personnes sont confrontées à une insécurité alimentaire grave, en raison des perturbations provoquées par les conflits, et sans doute davantage seront amenés à connaître une situation moins désastreuse mais feront face à des conditions «stressantes».

Les 37 pays ayant actuellement besoin d'une aide alimentaire extérieure sont: l'Afghanistan, le Burkina Faso, le Burundi, le Cameroun, la République centrafricaine, le Tchad, le Congo, la République populaire démocratique de Corée, la République démocratique du Congo, Djibouti, l'Erythrée, l'Ethiopie, la Guinée, Haïti, l'Irak, le Kenya, le Lesotho, le Libéria, la Libye, Madagascar, le Malawi, le Mali, la Mauritanie, le Mozambique, la Birmanie, le Niger, le Nigéria, le Pakistan, la Sierra Leone, la Somalie, le Soudan du Sud, le Soudan, le Swaziland, la Syrie, l'Ouganda, le Yémen et le Zimbabwe.

L'Afrique australe connaît un rebond alors que l'Afrique de l'est se dessèche

Alors que la production mondiale de céréales a presque atteint un niveau record, les résultats de production sont mitigés à travers le monde. L'Amérique du Sud devrait enregistrer une forte hausse grâce au Brésil et à l'Argentine.

La production régionale en Afrique australe devrait connaître un bond de presque 45 pour cent par rapport à 2016, lorsque les cultures avaient été affectées par le phénomène climatique El Niño, avec des prévisions de récoltes record de maïs en Afrique du Sud et en Zambie. Cela devrait notamment contribuer à réduire l'insécurité alimentaire dans plusieurs pays tels que le Lesotho, le Malawi, le Mozambique, le Swaziland et le Zimbabwe.

Le rapport indique que, d'un point de vue général, la situation des stocks alimentaires dans la région du Sahel est également satisfaisante après deux années consécutives de récoltes exceptionnelles.

L'Afrique de l'est, en revanche, a pâtit des précipitations insuffisantes au début de la saison 2017, des infestations de vers légionnaires d'automne et des conflits locaux. Selon les estimations, de ce fait, 26,5 millions de personnes dans la sous-région devraient avoir besoin d'une aide humanitaire et la situation pourrait s'aggraver davantage d'ici les prochains moins, lors du pic de la saison creuse. Près de 7,8 millions de personnes sont en situation d'insécurité alimentaire en Ethiopie, où la sécheresse a abîmé les cultures et le pâturage dans les régions du sud du pays.

Le rapport note que les prix des céréales au niveau national ont atteint des niveaux exceptionnellement élevés en mai, avec le coût du maïs augmentant de 65 pour cent cette année dans plusieurs régions du Kenya, de la Tanzanie et de l'Ouganda.

Une grave sécheresse au Sri Lanka, suivie de fortes pluies et d'inondations locales à la fin du mois de mai auront probablement pour effet de réduire la production nationale de riz paddy de près d'un tiers par rapport à sa moyenne. Une mission d'évaluation conjointe de la FAO et du PAM, visant à évaluer les perspectives de récoltes et la sécurité alimentaire, a été menée en mars 2017. Il s'agissait également d'évaluer l'impact de la sécheresse. Les résultats devraient être publiés la semaine prochaine.

Selon les prévisions de la FAO, la production de céréales dans les 54 pays à faible revenu et à déficit vivrier (LIFDCs) devrait augmenter d'1,3 pour cent cette année pour atteindre les 480 millions de tonnes, et ce, en raison d'une bonne performance en Inde et d'une relance de la production dans plusieurs pays d'Afrique australe.

Sgt. 1st Class E. L. Craig, TAAC-S Public Affairs

KABUL, Afghanistan (June 8, 2017) — The Danish Peace and Stabilization Foundation, in coordination with Combined Security Transition Command – Afghanistan, is sponsoring a $1.5-million road and drainage improvement project for summer of 2017.

The project is part of the Kandahar Air Wing’s Life Support Area on Kandahar Air Field, which houses flight, ground and maintenance personnel.

Resolute Support’s train, advise, and assist mission has enabled the Afghan Air Force to improve their proficiency in delivering air attacks anywhere in the country. TAA has also improved the Afghan Air Force’s ability to maintain their aircraft and related facilities like those at Kandahar.

“I think we’re actually achieving two goals here,” said Danish Col. Kim Poulsen, defense attaché to Afghanistan. “Our first goal is to be part of building a sustainable Afghan security force. Our second goal now that the Resolute Support commander has asked us to support Afghan success stories, we are helping the Afghan Air Force maintain their LSA and this accomplishes both goals.”

This is not Denmark’s first major contribution to the mission in Afghanistan. Every year Denmark provides medicine and clothing. This year Denmark also plans to sponsor the refurbishment of laundry, kitchen and bathing facilities at the prison in Bagram.

"Denmark has been a long term partner of Afghanistan. We want to see the country succeed. This is why we have been and continue to be engaged both, with support to civilian structures and support to the security forces. A successful Afghan Air Force will ultimately strengthen the Afghan government’s ability to promote the development that this country so desperately needs," said Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, Danish ambassador to Afghanistan.

As Afghanistan continues improving its ability to protect the population through a strong and legitimate military force, it also shows the benefit of the NATO Resolute Support TAA mission. There are currently 100 Danish Soldiers in Afghanistan serving primarily in advisor and force protection roles.

Overview

In 2016, 18,175 refugees were resettled1 to 20 countries in Europe2, a 63% increase compared to 2015.

Between 2000 and 2016, Europe’s proportion of resettlement globally has increased from approximately 5% to more than 10%. However, in Europe as a whole in 2016, only 25 refugees were resettled per million inhabitants.3 In contrast, the United States of America, Canada and Australia combined resettled 445 refugees per million inhabitants, 18 times higher than Europe (these three countries also accounted for 90% of resettlement globally in 2016).

The vast majority of refugees resettled in Europe in 2016 are from Syria (14,705 or 81%), followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Eritrea and Somalia (850 or 5%, 485 or 3%, 405 or 2%, 390 or 2% respectively). In total, 93% of refugees resettled in Europe in 2016 originate from one of these five countries. Contrary to the protracted refugee situations noted above, the resettlement of Syrians only commenced in 2013, increasing significantly in scale in 2016.

The countries in Europe admitting the most refugees via resettlement in 2016 were the UK, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy and Finland (5,180 or 29%, 3,290 or 18%, 1,890 or 10%, 1,420 or 8%, 1,240 or 7%, 1,045 or 6% and 945 or 5% respectively) and in total comprise 83% of the resettlement admissions to Europe.

Half of those individuals resettled in Europe in 2016 were children,4 with the remainder predominately young adults (less than 35 years old). Just over half (51%) of those resettled are male.4 The demographics of all commonly resettled nationalities remain very similar, with two exceptions: a slightly greater percentage of adult Eritreans (62%), and a slightly greater percentage of female Afghans (60%), were resettled.

MAZAR-E-SHARIF - Communities across Afghanistan must find ways to live in peace with each other, said participants at a UN-backed debate in the northern province of Balkh last week.

Some 30 representatives from Balkh’s Provincial Council, Peace Committee and civil society attended the event, which was backed by the Mazar regional office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan to create a forum where Afghan community leaders could strategize about mediating local conflicts in the interest of promoting peace and stability across Balkh and the broader country.

In opening remarks, Peace Council Chair Baz Mohammad Gharibyar noted that Balkh has been resolving disputes through Council intervention. “We’ve solved more than 150 major disputes in Balkh since the establishment of Provincial Peace Council in 2011,” he said. “Almost all of them were solved in a traditional way through local Jirgas with representatives of the conflicting parties.”

Mr Gharibyar went on to highlight the specific strategies used to resolve disputes over land, irrigation and other resources, and stressed that in dealing with the issues, the principles of rule of law must not be compromised.

In the ensuing lively discussion, meeting participants discussed plans to revive their approach to rural disputes in the interest of building peace at the local level, and agreed on an action plan for mediation across the province. They also agreed to UNAMA’s proposal to establish a UN-supported working group consisting of representatives from government and civil society to harmonize efforts in managing conflict.

Balkh is located in Afghanistan’s northern region, with a population estimated at more than one million. Mazar-e-Sharif, which has an international airport, is the province’s capital. Balkh, a mostly rural province, shares international borders with Uzbekistan to the north and Tajikistan to the northeast.

The peace symposium was recorded by local media outlets, and later broadcast by radio and television to an audience estimated at 300,000 in and around Mazar.

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan as a political mission that provides 'good offices' among other key services. 'Good offices' are diplomatic steps that the UN takes publicly and in private, drawing on its independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent national and international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.

UNAMA also promotes coherent development support by the international community; assists the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.

Countries and partners pledge US$ 1.2 billion to protect 450 million children from polio every year

ATLANTA (12 June 2017) – Today, global health leaders gathered at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta to reaffirm their commitment to eradicating polio and pledge US$ 1.2 billion to finance efforts to end the disease.

Thirty years ago, polio paralyzed more than 350,000 children each year in more than 125 countries around the world. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of governments, health workers, donors and the partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership dedicated to ending the disease, the highly contagious virus has now been eliminated in all but three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. There have been only five cases to date in 2017.

However, children remain at risk everywhere until polio is completely stopped. To end the disease for good, government representatives and partners came together to renew their commitment to supporting crucial activities such as vaccination and disease monitoring, which will protect more than 450 million children from polio each year.

“Thanks to the incredible efforts of Rotarians, governments, health workers, partners and donors – including those who have gathered at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta – we are closer than ever to making history,” said Chris Elias, Global Development President, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Chair of the GPEI Polio Oversight Board. “These new commitments will help ensure that we will finish the job.”

In a time of many global challenges and priorities, governments and partners have stepped forward to demonstrate their collective resolve to seeing the second human disease ever eradicated. Major pledges include: US$ 75 million from Canada, US$ 61.4 million from the European Commission, US$ 55 million from Japan, US$ 30 million from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, US$ 30 million from the Dalio Foundation, US$ 25 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, US$ 15 million from an anonymous donor, US$ 13.4 million from Australia, US$ 11.2 million from Germany, US$ 5 million from easyJet, US$ 5 million from Italy and US$ 4 million from the Republic of Korea.

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and John Germ, president of Rotary International, also announced an extension of their partnership in front of more than 20,000 Rotarians. Up to US$ 150 million in funds raised by Rotary members over the next three years will be matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation, resulting in up to US$ 450 million in the next three years for the GPEI. The Gates Foundation pledged a total of US$ 450 million, including this matching agreement.

“The global eradication of polio has been Rotary’s top priority since 1985. Rotary members have been the driving force behind the fight to end polio since its inception,” said John Germ, President of Rotary International. “Their continued commitment to raising funds for eradication – coupled with today’s match by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – makes that impact even greater.”

Today’s funding helps address a US$1.5 billion funding need that will help ensure that the virus is eliminated from these remaining countries and prevented from regaining a foothold anywhere else in the world.

“Constant innovation has been key to improving vaccination coverage and reaching more children with the polio vaccine,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, Acting Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The unrelenting commitment and support of these global leaders will help us do just that—and ultimately end this disease for everyone and forever. CDC remains deeply committed to polio eradication and has contributed US$ 2.28 billion since the beginning of the initiative."

Today’s funding commitments will enable the program to continue to improve performance and overcome challenges to reach every child, including vaccinating children in conflict areas.

“We are, together, truly on the verge of eradicating polio from the planet—but only if we work relentlessly to reach the children we have not yet reached,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake. “We cannot fail to make this last effort. Because if we do not now make history, we will, and should be, judged harshly by history.”

Thanks to efforts to date, polio has been eliminated from some of the most remote and challenging areas in the world. For example, India – once considered the most difficult place in the world to stop the disease – hasn’t reported a case in more than six years. More than 16 million children worldwide are walking today who would otherwise have been paralyzed by this disease, and polio resources in countries around the world are helping advance other national health goals.

“The key to ending polio will be to ensure that millions of health workers – some of whom work in the most challenging environments in the world – are able to reach every child, everywhere in the world,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. “Eradicating polio will be a perpetual gift to coming generations.”

Today’s contributions and the continued commitment of all donors and partners will help end this devastating disease and ensure that the infrastructure and assets used to fight polio lay the foundation for better health outcomes for children everywhere for years to come.

# # #

Note to Editors: Pledge values are expressed in US dollars. Donors include Australia, Canada, the European Commission, Germany, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Accenture Interactive USA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Dalio Foundation, easyJet, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH)/Community Chest of Korea, the New Era Educational and Charitable Foundation, Rotary International, UNICEF Gulf Area Office, UNICEF USA, the United Nations Foundation/Shot@Life, and an anonymous donor. Please click here to view the full list of donors and pledge amounts.

For more information on the global effort to end polio, visit polioeradication.org To view and download photos, visit gatesfoundation.isebox.net/2017-rotary-convention. APPENDIX Additional Stakeholder Remarks • Afghanistan: Hamdullah Mohib, the Ambassador to the United States of America from Afghanistan, said, “We’ve been ramping up our efforts and improving performance nationwide, and will continue to do so until we end the transmission of this disease in our country.”

• Pakistan: His Excellency Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, said, “It takes just two drops of vaccine to protect a child from polio. But it takes hundreds of thousands of health workers to deliver those two drops to more than thirty seven million children in every home across Pakistan during each campaign. We celebrate the extraordinary work of these heroes and heroines and are very proud to be part of the largest public health initiative in history.”

• Canada: “The Government of Canada has been a part of this effort from the very beginning and will not stop until every girl and boy around the world is safe from this disease,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, Canada.

• Japan: “The fight against polio can only be won as a collaborative, global effort,” said Takashi Shinozuka, Consul General of Japan in Atlanta. “As demonstrated by our additional funding for polio, the Government of Japan remains committed to working with the GPEI and other Governments to stop the transmission of polio, protect the lives of children and ensure that polio becomes the second disease in human history ever to be eradicated.”

• The United Arab Emirates: “The UAE is proud to be a leader in the effort to end polio and looks forward to a future in which every child and every country around the world is able to experience the full economic and health benefits of polio eradication,” said Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador to the United States of America from the United Arab Emirates.

• Germany: “Germany has been and will continue to be a strong partner in polio eradication,” said Thomas Silberhorn, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ. “We are very close to achieving our goal, but the last mile is the hardest. We want to prove that we can end a disease today and we want to strengthen health systems to make sure that eradication of polio becomes irreversible.”

• easyJet: “easyJet is proud to be a part of the global fight to end polio,” said Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of our passengers and the efforts of our crew, easyJet is raising vital funds so that, together, we can end polio forever.”

• Republic of Korea: “The Government of Korea is committed to working with governments and polio partners around the world to finish off this disease,” said Mr. Jung Jin-kyu, Director-General for Development Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea

• United States: “Now is not the time to let up,” said Dr. Thomas Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services. “We are in the home stretch of this fight, but the hardest work still lies ahead. The only way we will succeed is by working together, harder and smarter than ever before. We at the Department of Health and Human Services are committed to doing all that we can to support this effort.”

Contact: Rod Curtis Communication Specialist – Polio Eradication Unit, UNICEF +1 917 618 7555 +1 212 326 7552 e: rcurtis@unicef.org

SC/12862

Security Council
7962nd Meeting (AM)

Despite Iraq, Syria Losses, Under-Secretary-General Warns Group Gaining Ground in East Africa, Afghanistan, South-East Asia

While Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) was being hobbled by lost territory and shrinking financial resources, collective efforts must be intensified to finally put an end to the terrorist group’s attacks in the region and beyond and to eradicate its deadly propaganda online, speakers told the Security Council today.

Presenting the Secretary-General’s latest report on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, described recent developments, demonstrating how the terrorist group had been weakened financially and pushed out of areas in Iraq and Syria.

Indeed, Member States were making progress, he said, including by adopting legal frameworks to address financing and foreign fighter threats. In addition, States, the United Nations and international, regional and subregional organizations had continued to strengthen existing tools while developing new ones. He also reminded the Council that the Secretary-General had recommended the establishment of a new office of counter-terrorism, which was currently being considered by the General Assembly.

But, more must be done, he said, as ISIL persisted in making inroads in regions around the world, with affiliates emerging in East Africa, Afghanistan and South-East Asia. Further, monthly financing from the sale of hydrocarbons and extortion still amounted to tens of millions of dollars and ISIL’s online presence continued to inspire attacks worldwide, he said, highlighting the report’s focus on the need to further choke financing, tackle the courage of foreign terrorist fighters and battle the group’s Internet presence.

When the floor opened for discussion, speakers pointed to a range of ways the Council had aimed at doing that, including through resolution 2253 (2015), which expanded the Al-Qaida sanctions framework to include a focus on ISIL. Some speakers, including those from the United States and the Russian Federation, also explained how their efforts had helped to wrest territory from the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.

Council members whose countries had been targeted by terrorist attacks shared their perspectives. The United Kingdom’s representative said such attacks had failed in weakening a common resolve to combat the scourge of terrorism. “We are defeating Da’esh on the ground,” he said, noting gains in Iraq and soon in Raqqa, Syria. “It is only a matter of time before Da’esh loses its capital.” Echoing that theme, France’s delegate stressed that those who sought to destroy freedom and democracy with barbarism would face a formidable battle, one in which the United Nations must play its role.

Others offered new ideas and perspectives, with many expressing support for a three-pronged approach targeting finances, foreign fighter flows and online propaganda, as outlined in the Secretary-General’s report.

Some highlighted specific obstacles to success in that regard. Egypt’s representative noted the challenge transit States faced in their inability to detain, prosecute and extradite suspected foreign terrorist fighters. To remedy that, he requested recommendations from the Secretariat regarding the actions the Council could take to fill that legal gap.

Raising concerns about the ongoing presence of terrorist groups in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia’s representative expressed a more general observation, saying the world had yet to agree on making the fight against terror a common top priority. “We are not there yet,” he said. “This is a case of not putting one’s money where one’s mouth is.”

During the meeting, delegates extended condolences to the people and Government of Iran in the wake of a terrorist attack in Tehran on 8 June.

Also delivering statements today were representatives of Sweden, Uruguay, Japan, Italy, Ukraine, China, Kazakhstan, Senegal and Bolivia.

The meeting began at 10:05 a.m. and ended at 11:52 a.m.

Briefing

JEFFREY FELTMAN, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, presented the latest report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat (document S/2017/467). The report focused on several issues, including ISIL financing, and emphasized that despite military pressure, the terrorist group continued to exist in Mosul and Raqqa, with a view to inspiring its supporters online to mount attacks outside conflict zones, including in Europe.

Noting a decrease in the flow of terrorist fighters and in the overall number of ISIL fighters, he said returnees and their relocation from conflict zones to other regions posed a considerable threat to international security. Turning to financial issues, he said steady income declines in the past 16 months continued, with funds stemming chiefly from sales of hydrocarbons and extortion, which still totalled tens of millions of dollars every month. ISIL’s presence persisted in Libya and West Africa, with affiliates emerging in East Africa, Afghanistan and South-East Asia.

However, efforts to counter those threats had been bolstered, he said, noting the Council’s adoption of related resolutions. Member States, the United Nations and international, regional and subregional organizations continued to strengthen existing tools while developing new ones. Member States were making progress in adopting legal frameworks to address financing and foreign fighter threats. The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate had concluded the second iteration of the Council-mandated All-of-United Nations capacity-building implementation plan to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fights, including 50 projects by 13 entities. Providing updates on other similar efforts, he reminded the Council that the Secretary-General had recommended the establishment of a new office of counter-terrorism, which was currently being considered by the General Assembly.

Statements

MICHELE SISON (United States) said defeating ISIL was a priority, but there was a long road ahead. The United States-led coalition had liberated more than 4 million people in Iraq and Syria and ISIL had not retaken any territory. Highlighting lines of efforts, she said financing, foreign fighters and countering terrorist messaging must be prioritized. For its part, the United States had taken steps to address those three areas while supporting related efforts. Through diplomatic engagement and the implementation of Council resolutions, there had been significant progress. Concerned about rising numbers of foreign terrorist fighters, a challenge that required a truly international approach, she said all countries must enact legislation to strengthen their ability to process related crimes. Battling extremist online messages was also part of her country’s approach. She called on the United Nations to help Member States counter ISIL and prevent the next threat from emerging.

IRINA SCHOULGIN NYONI (Sweden) said that Stockholm had recently been the target of an attack, whose perpetrator was suspected to be either a sympathizer or member of ISIL. Indeed, the terrorist threat in Nordic countries was rising, particularly with regard to foreign terrorist fighters returning from conflict zones. To counter that threat, Sweden had introduced legislation specifically targeting foreign terrorist fighters and returnees. It had also increased inter-agency cooperation and taken steps to ensure that local actors were involved in the effort to prevent terrorism and violent extremism. Sweden was now making an assessment of each returnee, seeking to identify individuals who posed a risk. The Government was adopting mechanisms aimed at safeguarding individuals at risk of radicalization. She also stressed the importance of strengthening the fight against impunity for terrorist acts, including by holding perpetrators and sponsors accountable. All such measures must be carried out in full compliance with international law. It was essential to make every effort to cut off the supply of finance to terrorist organizations. She also noted the multiple roles played by women in relation to terrorism, including those of perpetrator, supporter, facilitator, victim and preventer.

CRISTINA CARRIÓN (Uruguay) said that given the continuing attacks around the world, current counter-terrorism efforts were not enough. Success depended on more and better cooperation to implement initiatives that were in line with international law. Technical and financial assistance must be provided to countries. Prevention initiatives, including those called for by Council resolutions, must be implemented. Channels for dialogue among Governments and non-State actors must advance those efforts to prevent and combat violent extremism.

EVGENY ZAGAYNOV (Russian Federation) said that given the situation on the ground, the Secretary-General’s strategic plans were especially relevant. ISIL continued to use terrorist attacks, including most recently in Iran. While recent Secretary-General’s reports had shown that terrorist financing was dwindling, more must be done to stiffen sanctions mechanisms to financially asphyxiate ISIL. Financing sources remained unchanged, with key sources being hydrocarbon trade and extortion. Oil sales had been halved to $10 million a month, due in part to the Russian Federation’s efforts in the counter-terrorism campaign in Syria. However, the report had failed to mention civilian casualties that had occurred during the liberation of Mosul. ISIL was also increasingly exploiting organ trafficking and migrant smuggling. Noting that terrorists had mastered online nuances, he pointed to related Council resolutions, including one that shaped a framework to combat that development. The threat of sleeper cells and other terrorist manifestations had affected many States.

MATTHEW RYCROFT (United Kingdom) said terrorist attacks had failed in weakening a common resolve to combat the scourge of terrorism. “We are defeating Da’esh on the ground,” he said, noting gains in Iraq and soon in Raqqa, Syria. “It is only a matter of time before Da’esh loses its capital.” Helping people rebuild their lives was the first step, he said, highlighting details of liberated areas. As the threat was evolving, targeted efforts must choke their hold on the ground and online. Among such initiatives was an industry-led forum to remove hateful extremist content online. In addition, Da’esh must be held accountable and victims’ needs must be addressed. “Time is of the essence,” he said. “We must start gathering evidence before it is lost or destroyed on the battlefield.” In closing, he suggested that the Council adopt a resolution related to prosecuting Da’esh for its crimes.

YASUHISA KAWAMURA (Japan) said that while ISIL had experienced military setbacks, foreign terrorist fighters were returning to their countries of origin or relocating to other regions. The threat level had intensified in South-East Asia. Returnees to the region were a significant concern as they had the potential to increase the military capabilities of local terrorist networks. Those relocating from Iraq and Syria, who were not nationals of South-East Asian States, were another source of concern. Japan remained alarmed at ISIL’s evolving tactics, which included diversifying financial sources, disseminating propaganda through social media and exploiting encrypted applications. To respond to those tactics, it would be critical to implement counter-terrorism resolutions, including on aviation security, international judicial cooperation and protection of critical infrastructure. In addition to implementing those texts, Japan had recently enacted laws to prevent terrorists from using bitcoin and virtual currencies. It had also prohibited drones from flying over critical facilities, including nuclear plants. He also stressed the need for financial assistance and greater cooperation in the global response against terrorism.

INIGO LAMBERTINI (Italy) said terrorist threats were increasing and merely blocking sources of revenue was not enough. Promoting a counter-narrative to terrorism was crucial, he added, highlighting the important role of technical assistance and training programmes in affected countries. Combatting trafficking of human beings — a major source of terrorism financing — was of paramount importance. Sound security and cooperation were essential in addressing and countering the phenomenon that had sent thousands to Italy’s shores. Stabilization of liberated areas in Iraq together with reforms of essential public sectors was critical. As for Syria, only a political transition would root out ISIL. Counter-terrorism must remain a strategic priority, he said, expressing support for relevant Security Council resolutions. He also noted the risk of returning foreign terrorist fighters. The most affected countries must receive technical and legal assistance in a timely manner. “We cannot expect to build a clear and effective counter-narrative without a clear record of upholding human rights,” he said. The United Nations must continue to strengthen regional and international responses.

FRANÇOIS DELATTRE (France) said efforts must continue to track down terrorists and prevent them from extending their stranglehold in other regions, with the battle to retake Raqqa being a critical challenge. Beyond military efforts, three areas should be the focus of more and improved initiatives, including financing terrorism, particularly as Da’esh was encountering difficulties in that regard. Their financing sources must be drained, including by tackling anonymity and bolstering cooperation. Foreign fighter flows must be tackled by adopting legislation which pre-empted the risk of potential returnees. That required a honing of detection tools and information-sharing, he said, noting France’s efforts in that regard. Pointing to the “hearts and minds” battle, he said the means of response to online deadly propaganda must be adapted accordingly. Civil society involvement was essential, he said, emphasizing that those who sought to destroy freedom and democracy with barbarism would face a formidable battle, one in which the United Nations must play its role.

TEKEDA ALEMU (Ethiopia) said ISIL continued to inspire attacks outside conflict zones, including in East Africa, where ISIL cells were appearing in Somalia, complicating the challenge of the terrorist threat posed by Al-Qaida-affiliate Al-Shabaab. ISIL had also established a foothold in North Africa and continued to be a threat to that region. Al-Qaida-affiliate Boko Haram was also present, as were organized criminal networks involved in trafficking, all of which were exacerbating the threat posed by ISIL. It was essential to support enhancement of the capacity of countries in the Lake Chad region to combat those threats. The situation in Afghanistan, Yemen and South-East Asia was worrying and must be addressed, targeting areas such as financing, online presence and foreign fighters. Those challenges should compel the United Nations and international, regional and subregional organizations to develop new tools to combat ISIL and their affiliates. The world had yet to agree on making the fight against terror a common top priority. “We are not there yet,” he said. “This is a case of not putting one’s money where one’s mouth is.” Mentioning Italy’s suggestion, he supported the meeting in June on efforts to prevent and combat terrorism in the Horn of Africa region and strengthen cooperation among partners.

VOLODYMYR YELCHENKO (Ukraine) said that the recent terrorist attacks across the world revealed a new threat — to inspire fighters to carry out attacks in their own country on ISIL’s behalf. “These attacks are extremely hard to prevent,” he said, stressing the need to eliminate drivers of radicalization, develop counter-narratives and foster close contacts with local communities. Doing so would go a long way in helping to identify radicalized elements and take necessary steps to disrupt terrorist plots. Despite a significant drop in ISIL’s revenues, the smuggling of natural resources continued. He expressed concern about the lack of information on the effectiveness of neighbouring countries’ efforts to arrest vendors and identify buyers that contributed to financing terrorist activities. Stressing the growing need to ensure wider criminalization of foreign terrorist fighters, he said it was worrying that some States deported those fighters to their countries of origin without informing authorities. Information-sharing was critical. Abuse of asylum systems also continued to pose problems particularly at a time of mass migration.

WU HAITAO (China) said no country could respond to terrorism single-handedly. The international community must work together to identify trends and patterns and enhance its ability to respond to threats. The international community must uphold unified standards and adopt a zero-tolerance approach without exception. Countries concerned had the primary responsibility to fight terrorism. Terrorism must never be associated with any specific religion. The international community must also address regional hotspot issues and support relevant parties in resolving regional conflicts and uprooting the sources of terrorism. Terrorist fighters were spilling over or returning to their countries of origin, he continued, emphasizing the need for all countries to cooperate in order to adequately respond to the threat they posed. Noting that terrorists were raising funds in various ways, he called on the Security Council to enhance financial regulation and crack down on all forms of terrorist financing. It was crucial to suppress use of the internet to recruit terrorists and incite terrorism. The United Nations must play a coordinating role in that regard.

IHAB MOUSTAFA AWAD MOUSTAFA (Egypt) posed several questions: How did foreign terrorist fighters still manage to reach Syria? Which routes did they follow? How did they go from Syria and Iraq to other countries? Noting the challenge faced by transit States in their inability to detain, prosecute and extradite suspected foreign terrorist fighters, he requested recommendations from the Secretariat regarding the actions the Council could take to fill that legal gap. Noting that ISIL’s financial situation had declined over the past 16 months, he requested additional information on its trading in hydrocarbons. “To whom do they sell the petroleum? How is the petroleum transferred from Iraq and Syria to the buyers?” he asked. He also requested information about the related financial transactions. Qatar had paid up to $1 billion to a terrorist group in Iraq to release members of its royal family; that act was a violation of Security Council resolutions. Paying such a sum to a terrorist group would certainly have a negative impact on the ground, he added, asking for the Secretariat’s assessment regarding that matter. The incident should be subject to investigation, he said. He also called on the Council to be mindful of its use of certain language. As for references made to “Islamic extremism”, he said there was no such thing. Islam was a religion that did not involve extremism. There were individuals that used Islam as others used other religions to carry out terrorism and promote terrorist ideology.

BARLYBAY SADYKOV (Kazakhstan) said it was crucial to mobilize the United Nations and all relevant stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations, and international, regional and private banks to consolidate and exchange information on early warning signals, the movements of terrorists and financing of terrorism. It was equally important to take comprehensive steps to shut down the illegal transport of hydrocarbons, as well as the smuggling of artefacts and other valuables from Syria and Iraq. He also called for monitoring progress in implementing resolutions on the protection of critical infrastructure, destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups, and on countering extremist narratives. It was vital to deter the increasing number of terrorist sympathizers, who continued to be lured by false propaganda utilizing sophisticated digital technologies and social media. Military action alone would be ineffective. Online communication with new and inspiring messages must be geared to younger audiences.

GORGUI CISS (Senegal) said significant progress had been achieved against ISIL particularly in Iraq, Syria and Libya. The contribution of the United Nations had been decisive. However, challenges posed by international terrorism remained immense. The attacks reflected the critical need to implement relevant Security Council resolutions and to step up efforts to counter international terrorism. The return of fighters posed a critical threat, he continued, calling for the urgent establishment of peace in countries and regions that had become safe-havens for terrorists. The situation in Libya, the Lake Chad Basin and Somalia remained unstable. Greater efforts were needed to counter terrorism financing, he said, welcoming the pledges of Africa’s intelligence service directors to bolster collaboration. It was important to ensure the protection of critical infrastructure from terrorists. He also called for an investigation on the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

SACHA SERGIO LLORENTTY SOLÍZ (Bolivia), Council President for June, spoke in his national capacity, saying that many speakers today had agreed on how horrible recent attacks had been. Hundreds had lost their lives and many more had been injured. “We are facing a global threat that requires a global response,” he stressed. Noting some of the backsliding cited in the Secretary-General’s report, he expressed concern about ISIL’s use of propaganda to attract sympathizers. The finances which had been somewhat reduced had been compensated with ISIL’s tax on populations under its control. It had also engaged in the pillaging of archaeological sites, selling of women and trafficking of human beings to finance its terrorist attacks. He underscored the need for States to provide humanitarian assistance and adequate support to people fleeing those groups. Bolivia had supported the various opinions expressed during the meeting, particularly the need to stem ISIL’s financing. It was important, however, to recall that the structural causes of terrorism and the rapid rise of ISIL were due in part to interventionist policies of certain States.

For information media. Not an official record.

KABUL - The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) welcomes Under-Secretary-General Ján Kubiš to Kabul today at the start of his two-day visit to the Afghan capital in the interest of completing a Security Council-requested strategic review of UNAMA and its work.

Mr Kubiš, former head of UNAMA, was in Kabul for one week last month conducting a broad range of meetings with national and international stakeholders. In the current two-day visit, he is scheduled to follow up with those stakeholders, in particular President Ashraf Ghani.

The strategic review is scheduled to be submitted to the Security Council in early July 2017. In Resolution 2344 (2017), the UN Security Council requested the strategic review to examine UNAMA’s mandated tasks, priorities and related resources, and to assess the Mission’s efficiency and effectiveness.

UNAMA’s vision is for a stable and prosperous Afghanistan that lives at peace with itself and its neighbours, where the Afghan peoples’ human rights are upheld and basic services are available to all.

The Mission supports efforts to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as work to guarantee the rule of law and accountable governance. It also leads and coordinates the international community’s support of the Government’s priorities to advance peace, governance and development.

More information about UNAMA can be found here: https://unama.unmissions.org/about

KUNDUZ - The advocacy role of young Afghans in working with government to fight corruption, promote women’s equality and bring about sustainable peace was the focus of a radio debate in the northern province of Kunduz this week.

The programme, supported by the Kunduz regional office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was designed to encourage youth participation in public life and help better define the responsibilities of young Afghans in their work with local-level government.

The discussion, which ranged from the fight against corruption to helping women and girls achieve their full potential, was part of a series of outreach activities supporting peace-building efforts in the northeastern provinces of Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan and Badakhshan.

Young Afghans are considered key to resolving long-standing conflict and discrimination in Afghan society. Kunduz, like several other provinces in Afghanistan, has been troubled with armed conflict in recent years. Amid rising tension, the UN and Afghan civil society groups, including youth groups, are seeking ways to move all groups toward a long and sustainable peace process.

Amina Muradi, a member of the Kunduz Youth Parliament, spoke during the discussion about the vital role youth play in society in general. “Young Afghans are the source of change in all social, political and cultural fields in the democratic societies,” she said.

Afghanistan’s Youth Parliament, which consists of three members from each province across the country, was set up to promote leadership skills among young Afghans and to increase awareness about issues ranging from democracy and rule of law to good governance and human rights.

Hamidulla Balooch, a rights activist, noted during the discussion that working for peace does not always result in major achievements. “It could be small positive social change by every individual,” he said. “If you resolve a conflict in your neighborhood, your effort is a step toward building a peaceful environment.”

The recorded debate was later broadcasted via local radio, reaching an audience of around 150,000 residents of Kunduz city and nearby districts.

The security situation in Kunduz has remained tense after the provincial capital was briefly overtaken by the Taliban in late 2015. The capital was attacked again in October 2016. Following the expulsion of the Taliban from Kunduz in October 2015, radio broadcasts resumed in March 2016 thanks in part to several United Nations initiatives.

UNAMA has been supporting Kunduz radio and television through a combination of technical assistance and outreach activities. Following the end of fighting in the city in October 2015, UNAMA supported the people of Kunduz by backing a series of public information programmes via national and provincial radio and television.

UNAMA is mandated to support the Afghan Government and the people of Afghanistan as a political mission that provides 'good offices' among other key services. 'Good offices' are diplomatic steps that the UN takes publicly and in private, drawing on its independence, impartiality and integrity, to prevent national and international disputes from arising, escalating or spreading.

UNAMA also promotes coherent development support by the international community; assists the process of peace and reconciliation; monitors and promotes human rights and the protection of civilians in armed conflict; promotes good governance; and encourages regional cooperation.

Afghanistan has suffered for the last 40 years with conflict and displacement of its people emanating from multiple but distinct sources. From the Soviet invasion to the Taliban regime and through to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) intervention and its aftermath, Afghans have had to face not only the direct impact of armed violence but also waves of internal displacement, migration and refugee return. In 2016 an estimated 400,000 Afghans returned from Iran and 600,000 from Pakistan, many of whom doing so involuntarily. The government of Pakistan has announced recently that all Afghan refugees must leave the country by December 31st 2017, meaning that the world’s largest forced return of refugees will come to a head in the depths of winter. This further increases pressure on a country still in the midst of an ongoing violent conflict that has created up to 1.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Due to issues such as insecurity, lack of land, shelter and employment opportunities it is estimated that up to 40% of these returnees will settle in places other than their place of origin, usually larger cities like Kabul and Herat.

In response to the challenges of an influx of returnees from a variety of ethnic groups arriving into an already conflict vulnerable context, DRC-DDG has established urban service provision hubs in Kabul and Herat, building on existing government resources in these cities. The hubs aim to provide integrated support services such as humanitarian aid, legal and economic advice, mine clearance and risk education, psychosocial support and conflict mitigation. In the short term DDG/DRC expects that vulnerable displaced persons will have improved access to services, which lays the foundation for the longer term goal of addressing structural drivers of instability.

DDG has a program dedicated to Armed Violence Reduction (AVR), in which one of the key areas is Conflict Prevention. We work towards this goal by supporting local and international conflict prevention and resolution efforts through conflict sensitive programming and conflict management training. Line Brylle, AVR advisor at DDG, has recently returned from Afghanistan after delivering mediation training to 140 participants in these hubs; the courses were done in collaboration with and were adapted from the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution (CICR) trainings. Trainees were certified by the Institute on completion of the courses. Participants were mainly internally displaced persons and returnees from different sites in Kabul and Herat, but also included host community members, authorities and personnel from different organizations.

Afghanistan has traditional systems of conflict management that have been practiced for hundreds of years. Shuras (traditional community committees in charge of conflict resolution), community leaders and religious leaders are generally responsible for resolving conflicts at the community level. In the traditional model of conflict mediation in Afghanistan the third party often referred to as the mediator is usually expected to provide opinions and advice, propose solutions or make a final binding judgement to the case. Therefore, the concept of a neutral and impartial mediator, facilitating dialogue between parties, was met with some skepticism when it was first introduced by Line and her team. Throughout the training period however, skepticism lessened considerably as participants learned a new way of approaching conflicts.

The concept that was presented should be seen as an additional, rather than better tool for addressing conflict, and as an option rather than a replacement for traditional methods. The mediation model presented in the trainings aims at, building long term capacity by encouraging parties to find solutions by themselves. This model promotes a process in which solutions found are acceptable and satisfactory to all parties of a conflict while also aiming at restoring or maintaining relationships and collaboration.

Participants expressed a high level of interest in the conflict mediation courses, and upon evaluation most participants showed appreciation of the approach and willingness to use it. However, it was also expressed that although neutral and impartial mediation could be useful in resolving conflicts in Afghanistan, it may be difficult to implement as there are other expectations for the mediator in the traditional model that is widely used and accepted. This shows us that courses should be further adapted to fit local contexts and strengthen existing skills in arbitration and negotiations as well as complementing with alternative approaches.

The courses offer an excellent platform to foster dialogue around the need for sustainable conflict resolution. They also give a better insight into community needs and help us to identify the deeper, structural sources of instability that need to be addressed. Vital to our efforts is the inclusion of women in the courses, whose role in conflict management has traditionally been limited.

The effectiveness of the mediation courses as an additional tool to traditional methods is still to be evaluated, follow up is needed to ascertain whether this approach can be useful and accepted in Afghan communities for resolving conflict. However as part of a broader, integrated development approach this type of training shows great promise as a means of gathering and sharing knowledge, and also normalizing conflict sensitive dialogue between people of many different ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.

13 June 2017 - WHO conducted a training workshop on the use of evaluation protocols for the Early Warning and Response Network (EWARN) – a proactive disease surveillance system used to rapidly detect and react to suspected disease outbreaks in countries affected by humanitarian emergencies. The workshop was conducted in Cairo at WHO’s Regional office of the Eastern Mediterranean from 16 to 18 May 2017 by WHO global EWARN experts in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The aim of the training was to ensure that critical health professionals managing EWARN systems are equipped with the relevant skills and tools to be able to implement and contribute to standardized EWARN evaluations in their respective countries. Participants included EWARN focal points from 11 countries which are presently experiencing humanitarian crises of varying severity, namely Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.

WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region is unique in experiencing a high volume of humanitarian crises across its Member nations, where large sections of the national population have been displaced due to political, security and environmental factors. This has resulted in overcrowded camps and temporary settlements, inadequate food and shelter, destroyed infrastructure, unsafe water, poor sanitation and lack of access to health care which have compounded their difficulties, and have created the ideal environment for disease outbreaks. Under such circumstances, it is essential for countries to have effective EWARN systems for timely detection and response to outbreaks.

EWARN has been implemented in 9 member states that have been affected by humanitarian crisis including Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan. To ensure that these systems are achieving their objectives and operating optimally, it is important to regularly check their integrity and quality of performance.

Although WHO and partners regularly evaluate EWARN systems, methods used were not common across nations. The new evaluation protocol will allow countries to use a standardized approach that can enable a fair comparison of experiences and share lessons learned for enhancing timely detection and management of outbreaks in a crisis-affected country.

13 JUNE 2017 | GENEVA - World Health Organization Director-General elect, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has welcomed contributions and pledges of US$1.2 billion for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The pledges were made at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta, USA which is being attended by 32 000 Rotarians from around the world.

“It is humbling to see again the power of this incredible global partnership to generate funding to fight one of the world’s most horrible and debilitating diseases,” said Dr Tedros.

A proportion of the money pledged will help WHO fund disease surveillance in more than 70 countries and enable it to provide expertise to help countries vaccinate 450 million children per year against polio. The Organization will also provide guidance on vaccination policy and participate in research into vaccine delivery methods, operational tactics and other approaches that can help accelerate eradication.

Thirty years ago, polio paralyzed more than 350,000 children each year in more than 125 countries around the world. Since then, the highly contagious virus has been reduced by more than 99.9%, and eliminated in all but three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

To date, there have only been five cases reported in 2017. However, serious challenges remain in the final steps to eradicate the virus: weak health systems struggle to vaccinate every child to ensure high enough protection within a community, compounded in some places by logistical impediments. These include remote locations, insecurity and even conflict.

“The new pledges show that donors understand the urgent need to support this mission right through to the very end,” added Dr Tedros. “We must finish the job properly to ensure that there is no chance of this terrible disease coming back.”

The eradication effort has been spearheaded by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a public-private partnership led by national governments with five partners – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since its formation in 1988, the partnership has prevented over 16 million cases of polio paralysis.

• Information on polio and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Media contacts

Tarik Jašarević 
WHO Department of Communications
Telephone: +41 22 791 5099
Mobile: +41 79 367 6214
E-mail: jasarevict@who.int

Financing package underscores World Bank commitment to Afghan people in challenging times

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2017—The World Bank today announced a financing package for Afghanistan of more than $500 million to help the country through a difficult phase in its struggle to end poverty and to signal a long-term commitment to the country’s people.

The package will help Afghanistan with refugees, expand private-sector opportunities for the poor, boost the development of five cities, expand electrification, improve food security, and build rural roads. The financing includes grants from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the poorest countries, as well as contributions from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF – managed by the World Bank) and from other partners, including Denmark, Germany and Japan.

“Today’s approval of new grants confirms the World Bank Group’s strong commitment to the people of Afghanistan in helping them overcome the daunting development challenges facing the country,”said Shubham Chaudhuri, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan.“Despite steady and encouraging progress by the government in several areas -- including institutional reforms, revenue generation, provision of basic services in health, education, and rural access sectors -- much more needs to be done to improve economic growth and prosperity.”

The new funding, approved by the Board of Executive Directors, aims to support efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to stimulate growth and ensure service delivery during a time of uncertainty when risks to the economy are significant. The international troop withdrawal, begun in 2011, coupled with political uncertainties, have resulted in a slowdown of economic growth, while government budget pressures are increasing as security threats mount and drive people from their homes.

The six grants of $520 million consist of:

• $205.45 million in additional financing from IDA, donors and the ARTF to the **Citizens’ Charter Afghanistan Project** to support communities with internally displaced persons and returnees from Pakistan;

• $100 million from IDA to the **Inclusive Growth Development Policy Grant** to support reforms that expand access to economic opportunities for the vulnerable and promote private sector development;

• $20 million from IDA to the **Urban Development Support Project** to strengthen urban policy-making in national agencies, and strengthen management and service delivery in five provincial capital cities;

• $60 million from IDA to the **Herat Electrification Project** to provide access to electricity to households, institutions and businesses in selected areas of Herat Province;

• $29.45 million from IDA and donors to the **Afghanistan Strategic Grain Reserve Project** to finance establishing strategic wheat reserves and improve the efficiency of grain storage management;

• The Board also approved restructuring the **Afghanistan Rural Access Project**, which aims to benefit rural communities through access to all-season roads. The approval made it possible for ARTF to provide $105 million in additional financing to the project.    

ANNEX WITH DETAILS ON GRANTS:

The $130 million to the **Citizens’ Charter Afghanistan Project (CCAP)- Additional Financing** approved today will be provided by the IDA’s Emergency Regional Displacement Response Fund. It will extend the Citizens’ Charter service delivery package as well as provide emergency short-term employment opportunities through labor-intensive public works, as well as support for collective action activities beyond public works in communities where internally displaced persons are taking temporary shelter and/or returnees have been resettled by the government. It aims to foster greater social inclusion and protect the ultra-poor/vulnerable in both urban and rural communities. The $205 million project will be financed by the World Bank, a $42 million grant from donors to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), $27.5 million from Germany’s Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KFW), and $5.95 million from the Government of Denmark. The original CCAP, currently under implementation, is a $628 million project that has been financed with $100 million by the IDA grant, $128 million government co-financing, and a $400 million grant from donors through ARTF. The first phase of the project aims to bring infrastructure and social services (including universal drinking water access) for 8.5 million people, in all 34 provinces and four large municipalities.

The $100 million to the **Inclusive Growth Development Policy Grant (DPG)** will assist the government with meeting the development objectives articulated in the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF). Also known as budget support, the DPG will specifically support an ambitious government reform program that aims at expanding access to economic opportunities for the vulnerable and strengthening the policy and regulatory framework for private sector development. This includes reforms in areas such as the policy framework for internal displacement and returnees, land governance, business licensing, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), e-money, and Public-Private Partnerships.

The $20 million to the **Urban Development Support Project** will enable the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing create an enabling policy framework and enhance urban policy-making capacity in relevant agencies at the national level and strengthen city planning, management, and service delivery capacity in five selected provincial capital cities. These cities are Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Khost.

The $60 million to the **Herat Electrification Project** aims to support Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) to provide electricity to some 230,800 households, 1,600 institutions, and businesses in selected areas in Herat Province. More specifically, the project will support investments for (i) building a new 110 kV transmission line and four 110/20 kV substations, and medium and low voltage distribution networks in four districts of Herat Province; (ii) extension, intensification and upgrading the existing grid to provide access to new or improved electricity service to other parts of Herat Province; and piloted construction of solar mini-grids and solar-hybrid mini-grids in villages that are unlikely to obtain grid electricity in less than five years.

The $18 million to the **Afghanistan Strategic Grain Reserve Project** will enable the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock to establish a strategic wheat reserve to be available to Afghan households to meet their needs following any unforeseen emergency situation and improve the efficiency of grain storage management. In addition to the World Bank support, $11.45 million will be provided by the Japan Policy and Human Resources Development Fund. In order to achieve its objective, the project will upgrade two existing storage facilities, build four new large facilities, and establish the required institutional infrastructure to manage the reserve. It is estimated that by end of this five-year project, the overall storage capacity reach 200,000 Metric Tons, that is sufficient for the consumption of two million Afghans for six months.

Under the restructuring of the **Afghanistan Rural Access Project**, the World Bank’s social safeguard policy for cultural heritage, OP 4.11 Physical Culture Resources, has been triggered and will include support to improve accessibility to the Bamyan cultural heritage site.  The new component of Contingency Emergency Response will enable the project to scale up its benefits to a wider range. The project restructure will make it possible for ARTF to provide the additional $105 million grant. The original grant for ARAP was $332 million ($125 million by IDA and $207 million by ARTF). The project has been ongoing since August 2012.

14 June 2017 – Expressing solidarity with Afghan people, in the wake of recent violence in the country, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today underscored the Organization's full commitment to work with the Government and people of the country to build a sustainable and prosperous future for them.

“Peace is the solution […] the international community, the neighbouring countries [and] all those related to the Afghan crisis need to come together and understand that this is a war that has no military solution,” said the Secretary-General, at a press conference in Kabul, where he arrived earlier today.

“We need to have peace,” he added, underscoring that at the same time, the level of humanitarian assistance to the country had to be increased and conditions needed to be created for Afghans to be able to live in dignity.

Since his time as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2005-2015), Mr. Guterres has been paying a solidarity visit to Muslim communities during the holy month of Ramadan, and his visit to Afghanistan was a continuation of his expression of solidarity with them.

While in Kabul, the UN chief met with displaced men and women from the Kapisa province, now living in a settlement on the outskirts of Kabul.

In their interaction, the displaced persons underscored that security remained the prerequisite for their return to their homes and that education, including for women and girls was critical for supporting themselves and their families. They also stressed their need for medical care.

“I have an enormous admiration for the courage and the resilience of the Afghan people, and they were very eloquently demonstrated in my meeting this morning,” noted the UN chief.

The Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with Ashraf Ghani, the President of Afghanistan, as well as the country's Chief Executive Officer, Abdullah Abdullah, where they discussed cooperation between the Organization and the Government of Afghanistan as well as the security situation in the country and the need to better mobilize the international community to counter terrorism.

A snapshot of the latest data, trends, and analysis of migratory flows and protection issues faced by people on the move in and out of Turkey

“Without this hospital, I would have lost my life”

8 June 2017 – 60-year-old Nazo stands at the bedside of his grandson Rahmatullah, 19, who was badly injured by a roadside bomb in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Rahmatullah lost both of his legs in the blast, and received treatment at the Surgical Centre for War Victims run by Emergency, an Italian NGO.

“There is a fight going on everywhere and you can hear gun shots from everywhere. I fear that peace will never come,” Nazo says.

For the past 3 years, WHO has supported the provision of trauma care services in Helmand province through Emergency’s 90-bed Surgical Centre and 6 first aid trauma posts operated by the NGO. Funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) has enabled WHO to support the full operation of the hospital, including the provision of essential medical supplies, equipment and medicines and training health workers on mass casualty management and first aid.

“We do this work to save Afghan lives”

From June 2016 to March 2017, the Emergency Surgical Centre treated over 6500 trauma patients while Emergency’s first aid trauma posts supported by WHO and ECHO stabilized and treated over 10 000 casualties and referred over 500 patients to the main hospital in Lashkar Gah.

Helmand has long been among the provinces most badly affected by conflict.

Nooryali, 28, a police officer from Helmand’s Gereshk district, received treatment at the hospital after his checkpoint was attacked by anti-government elements. He was shot in the chest and sustained serious injuries to his lungs.

After the attack was over, Nooryali’s colleagues brought him into the Emergency hospital for treatment.

“Without this hospital, I would have lost my life,” Nooryali said. “Too many people in Helmand and other parts of Afghanistan die because they cannot access these kinds of hospitals. The Afghan and foreign doctors and staff here are doing a great job, this place feels like a home to me.”

Babu, 60, was injured when a rocket hit her home in volatile Marjah district. She was hospitalized for 7 days and returned for regular check-ups.

“After the blast, I woke up here at this hospital, I don’t know who brought me here then. I’m very happy with the services I received at this hospital, all the staff were looking after me. I wasn’t able to do anything and they supported me with everything,” Babu says.

The lack of trained medical personnel, particularly women, remains a major challenge throughout Afghanistan, especially in the south. Emergency’s international staff focus on extensive on-the-job training, both theoretical and practical, to build the capacity of local staff to effectively stabilize and treat trauma cases.

“Life is very difficult in Helmand, we always live in fear and my family even cannot sleep properly at nights. Sometimes there are many victims who come into this hospital, and we all feel very tired by the end of the day. But we do this work to save Afghan lives,” says Zahra, a nurse at the Emergency Surgical Centre.

Bringing trauma care closer to communities

Many areas suffering from conflict in Helmand lack health facilities, highlighting the need for stronger treatment and referral interventions at the community level. As fighting moves into civilian-populated areas, women and children often bear the brutal consequences.

To address these gaps, through ECHO funding WHO has supported the training of 36 community health workers in Helmand and 306 in other provinces in first aid, stabilization and support during referrals.

In the past year through ECHO funding, WHO supported the establishment of 6 first aid trauma posts in 6 districts in Helmand province. These trauma posts provide life-saving first aid and stabilize trauma victims, and they are connected to Lashkar Gah’s Surgical Centre by a free ambulance service operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Increased needs for specialized trauma care

Intensifying conflict increases the need for specialized trauma care in Helmand and other provinces suffering from the dire consequences of ongoing war. Currently around 4.5 million Afghans live in conflict-affected districts with extremely constrained access to health services.

The number of civilian casualties claimed by the war continues to rise. In 2016, UNAMA documented 11 418 civilian casualties, an overall 3% increase compared to the previous record-high documented in 2015. In the first quarter of 2017, 2181 civilian casualties were documented - 715 dead and 1466 injured.

The provision of life-saving emergency health services to the most vulnerable is among the top priorities in Afghanistan’s 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan. The Health Cluster, led by WHO, continues to strengthen trauma care services around the country, with a focus on so-called “white areas” that are lacking government-run health centres and hospitals.