SECRETARY-GENERAL VOICES CONCERN AT CIVILIAN IMPACT OF FIGHTING IN NORTHERN YEMEN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expressing concern about escalating hostilities in the mountains of northern Yemen, where civilians are reported to be trapped in the middle of deadly fighting between Government forces and rebels.

Mr. Ban appeals to all sides in the clashes to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to affected areas, his spokesperson Marie Okabe said today following questions from journalists.

He voiced hope that the situation in northern Yemen would soon be resolved by peaceful means and that the fighting will stop.

The violence has been concentrated in Saada province, which borders Saudi Arabia and is a relatively remote and inaccessible region of Yemen.

The United Nations World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/countries/yem/en/">WHO) has dispatched enough medicines and supplies to treat 200 people who have sustained injuries in the fighting, and plans to send more supplies next week.

WHO reported that it has also sent additional medical staff from its regional office in Cairo to support the emergency health operations in Yemen, while it is teaming up with the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) to coordinate a combined health and nutrition response to the situation.

CIVILIANS PAYING PRICE OF EFFORTS TO THWART DR CONGO ARMED GROUPS, UN ENVOY SAYS

Civilians are bearing the brunt of attempts to dismantle armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the rebels carrying out vicious reprisals and some Government soldiers committing serious human rights abuses, the senior United Nations official to the country told the Security Council today.

Alan Doss, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC (known as MONUC), said in a briefing to Council members that there is growing concern about the humanitarian impact of the efforts to disband the armed groups.

"We take these concerns very seriously and have addressed them with the Government at various levels," he said, citing the deployment of more MONUC resources and personnel to the affected provinces, such as North Kivu, continuing efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence, and increased pressure on the Government to take action against undisciplined soldiers.

MONUC has established 35 military bases in North Kivu, many of which are in very remote areas, where operations against the FDLR [the Forces Démocratiques de Liberation du Rwanda, one of the rebel groups] are ongoing. These bases have allowed for close monitoring of the operations and rapid intervention in a number of instances."

But he warned that the Mission's resources are being stretched thin as it waits for reinforcements to arrive following the Security Council's recent authorization of additional troops to deal with the strife in the DRC's east.

In an op-ed article published in <i>The Washington Times today, Mr. Doss urged the Government to do its utmost to ensure discipline and end impunity within the ranks of its forces, which are known as the FARDC.

"People have to trust in those sent to protect them, and the army needs local cooperation to root out the FDLR," he wrote. But he added that that discipline will not improve unless pay and living conditions are enhanced for Congolese soldiers.

"This means barracks, sufficient food and wages paid in full and on time. Military families need shelter and protection as well… Donor partners must dig deeper to help the Congo deal with this crisis and fund the reforms that can help the army gain the confidence of the people."

Mr. Doss told the Council that he welcomed this week's announcement by the FARDC of a zero tolerance policy towards the perpetrators of criminal acts within its ranks.

He also called for more determined action against FDLR leaders in exile, who have been able to operate from abroad and maintain contacts with their commanders on the ground.

Later, in a press statement, the Council expressed grave concern about the ongoing human rights violations against civilians, particularly the widespread sexual violence and the recruitment and use of child soldiers by rebels groups and some elements of the FARDC.

Council members also encouraged MONUC to continue to monitor the performance and conduct of the army units involved in joint operations against armed groups.
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TOP UN ENVOY HAILS JOINT UGANDAN, CONGOLESE OPERATION AGAINST REBELS

TOP UN ENVOY HAILS JOINT UGANDAN, CONGOLESE OPERATION AGAINST REBELS
New York, Mar 16 2009 1:00PM

As Ugandan troops began withdrawing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) after a three-month joint operation to flush out a notorious rebel group, the United Nations' top envoy in the country praised the cooperative effort, the world body's mission there said today.

Marking the end of Operation Lightening and Thunder, meant to rout the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Alan Doss, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative and head of the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC), warned, however, that the group remained a threat.

"Operations in the current phase are finished but there are more bands [of LRA] still here. There is work to be done above all in the matter of the protection of the civilian population," Mr. Doss said at a ceremony yesterday attended by diplomats, ministers and military of the two countries.

Brutal attacks since last September by the LRA, notorious for abducting children as soldiers and sex slaves, have killed some 900 Congolese and displaced another 150,000.

While UN agencies and their partners are working – with the authorities, military forces in the area and MONUC – to expand humanitarian aid and step up efforts to protect the local population, they are facing several constraints, according to the Organization's humanitarian coordinator, John Holmes.

These include the huge 40,000 square kilometre area where the LRA is hiding, their dispersal into several groups, the difficult terrain and isolated location, chronic lack of infrastructure, and the threat still posed by the rebels, including on major roads.

At yesterday's ceremony, authorities of the DRC armed forces (FARDC) asked MONUC to continue its support in further efforts to clear out the pockets of LRA that remained.

"The Governments of the DRC and Uganda have very generously recognized the support of MONUC to the FARDC during this first phase," Mr. Doss responded.

"Now, it's necessary to turn toward the future and the next operations," he said.
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SRI LANKA CONFLICT CURTAILS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS, WARNS UN AGENCY

SRI LANKA CONFLICT CURTAILS ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS, WARNS UN AGENCY
New York, Feb 24 2009 5:00PM

The ongoing conflict in northern Sri Lanka between the Government and a rebel group is limiting access to health care, putting the lives of tens of thousands of people at risk, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned today.

The agency called for a rapid assessment of health needs, improved preventive and curative care and enhanced coordination among all health partners.

It said that the health sector is understaffed, resulting in reduced health care for many people, while the clashes and population displacement are impacting patient referrals.

It is also feared that high immunization rates will not be maintained and that expectant mothers are not able to access the services they need.

The health sector is asking for $7.4 million – of which the WHO is seeking over $4 million – as part of the Common Humanitarian Action Plan for Sri Lanka to help internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in strife-torn areas.

To date, the sector has been focusing on assisting people in Kilinochi, Mannar, Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu through the delivery of mobile clinics, drugs, medical equipment and bed nets, among other items.

Health awareness campaigns have been carried out and psychosocial and mental health care is also being provided.

"If further measures aren't taken, health care will continue to deteriorate and outbreaks of malaria, dengue, measles and other communicable diseases could occur," WHO said in a statement, also warning of the increased threat of gender-based violence.

Some 250,000 civilians are trapped in northern Sri Lanka, where Government forces are battling the separatists Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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