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UN Daily News Thursday, 4 May 2017

Issue DH/7402

In the headlines: • UN envoy commends plan to setup de-escalation zones as ‘promising positive step’

• Peace, human security at forefront of UN global

• UN health agency to examine lower-cost

‘biosimilar’ drugs to expand access to cancer treatment

• In Ethiopia, UN rights chief urges authorities for

intercultural dialogue forum

greater freedoms, especially space for critical voices

• Importance of broad financing for sustainable forest management highlighted at UN forum

• Nigeria: UN report details ‘grave violations’ against

• Displaced civilians in South Sudan’s Upper Nile at

• In Bogota, Security Council pledges support to

• Myanmar: Displaced Rohingya at risk of ‘re-

• ‘Blue helmet’ killed in attack on UN Mission camp in

• World food prices dip for third straight month, dip

children by Boko Haram

victimization’ warns UN refugee agency

Colombia’s efforts to implement peace process Timbuktu, Mali

risk of further violence, UN rights chief warns

projected for grains – UN

• Europe: 24,600 refugee children 'in limbo' at risk of mental distress, UNICEF warns

UN envoy commends plan to setup de-escalation zones as ‘promising positive step’ 4 May – Following today’s signing of a deal to setup so-called ‘deescalation zones’ in Syria, the United Nations envoy for the war-torn country praised the agreement and said its success could bolster the path towards peace talks. “Today in Astana I think we have been able to witness an important, promising and positive step in the right direction in the process of de-escalation of the conflict,” said Staffan de Mistura, who witnessed today’s signing.

A boy cycles past the rubble of a destroyed house in Qara, where fighting erupted in 2014, dragging the town into the brutal Syrian conflict. Photo: UNHCR/Qusai Alazroni

He is in Astana as an observer to the latest round of the Astana talks aimed to bolster the ceasefire regime brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran in late December 2016.

“The hard work of Iran, Russian Federation, Turkey and the presence at the senior level of the United States of America and of Jordan has produced something that we believe as a UN is a very significant, and in my opinion – our opinion – is a promising step,” Mr. de Mistura also noted. While details of the de-escalation agreement between the three guarantor parties have not been made public, expectations

For information media not an official record

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have been raised that it will lead to greater humanitarian access for the 6.3 million Syrians still living in the country. Speaking to journalists today, Mr. de Mistura said that “if and when” the de-escalation agreement becomes concrete, it would be “conducive and helping” the intra-Syrian discussions. “We hope it is going to be concrete in the next two weeks for the resumption of the Geneva talks,” the UN envoy said. The intra-Syrian talks taking place in Geneva, held in parallel to the Astana talks, aim for a political solution to the six-year conflict. The discussions are guided by UN Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), focusing on matters of governance, a schedule and process to draft a new constitution and the holding of elections as the basis for a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned process to end the conflict. The last round wrapped up in March. In addition to today’s agreement, Mr. de Mistura said that the three guarantor countries, plus Jordan and US, have been discussing humanitarian demining in Syria and the issue of detainees, missing people and abductees. “Both areas have not been yet formally finalized but we believe is being almost finalized, we believe, in imminent discussions. This is also a very good development. Conclusion: this is an important day,” said Mr. de Mistura.

Peace, human security at forefront of UN global intercultural dialogue forum 4 May – The integration of migrants in cities, countering the rise of violent extremism, as well as youth radicalization on the Internet are just some of the issues being discussed at a United Nations conference opening on Friday in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Fourth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan in partnership with the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), will provide an opportunity to examine effective responses to challenges facing human security, including massive migration, violent extremism and conflicts. Night time view of Baku, Azerbaijan. Photo: Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Azerbaijan

The Forum brings together heads of government and ministers, representatives of intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, policy-makers, cultural professionals, journalists and civil society activists under the theme ‘Advancing Intercultural Dialogue – New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development.’ Speaking to UN News, Nadia Al-Nashif, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences, said the Baku Forum has a “very strong vision and resonates deeply with UNESCO’s mandate to build peace in the minds of men and women.” “The world has become a very complicated place,” she noted. “We are looking at huge innovations in technology but at the same time, we are facing increased tensions, a result of the lack of general trust that stems from how much insecurity there is in the world.” Ms. Al-Nashif said the UN intercultural dialogue is a platform for people to debate the notion of coexistence and what that means in regards to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that seeks to “promote norms for social justice, advocate for social inclusion, integration, acceptance, and not just tolerance but empathy.” UNESCO is hosting 13 sessions at the Forum, showcasing the agency’s diverse work on intercultural dialogue to address issues such as the integration of migrants in cities, countering violent extremism as well as the growth of youth

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radicalization on the Internet. “This is not just an academic forum where we are just preaching to the converted,” underscored Ms. Al-Nashif. “We bring our UNESCO Chairs but also the focal points from cities and local authorities.” The Organization has been developing tools to help cities cope better with the flow of migrants into cities. A ministerial forum on culture and tourism is also scheduled to be held on the margins of the Baku Forum. Furthermore, a number of its products will be launched on Friday, among them a research publication entitled “Interculturalism at a crossroads, comparative perspectives on concepts, policies and practices” an initiative by the UNESCO Chairs in Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue; and two innovative online platforms: an e-Learning platform on intercultural competences financed with the support of Azerbaijan and another on the Muslim-Arab Legacy in the West. “What the Baku Forum and UNESCO is doing,” Ms Al-Nashif said, “is finding a common access where we continue to engage, to inform scientific evidence for why it doesn’t make sense to be racist, why discrimination hurts socially and economically as well.” Ahead of the Forum, the network of the UNESCO Silk Road Online Platform met at the Baku Congress Centre today, to examine progress made in its 2016-2018 Action Plan.

Importance of broad financing for sustainable forest management highlighted at UN forum 4 May – A United Nations meeting on sustainable management of forests today discussed the importance of mobilizing resources from a diverse range of actors to ensure broad ownership as well as to advance the overall sustainable development agenda. “By far the greatest source of forest financing has been – and will continue to be – from commercial private sector investments in sustainable forest management,” Manoel Sobral Filho, the Director of the UN Forum on Forests secretariat, said in a briefing on the importance of diversifying resources. In the UN Strategic Plan for Forests, agreed earlier this year, UN Member States stressed the importance of partnerships of philanthropic organizations, foundations, as well as public-private and other multi-stakeholder entities in scaling up resources for sustainable forest management and as well as the plan’s own implementation. A worker at a planted forest in Viet Nam transports seedlings. Photo: FAO/Joan Manuel Baliellas

The Strategic Plan also provides a framework for forest-related contributions to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on climate change and a number of other international instruments, commitments and goals. In addition to these direct links, importance of ensuring sustainable forest management was also recognized in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda – one of the key constituents of the 2030 Agenda – given the importance of forests for efforts to combat hunger and malnutrition as well as for its larger environmental benefits. In his briefing today, Mr. Filho further informed the meeting of funding received from resources allocated for sustainable forest management initiatives, as well as the activities of the Global Forest Financing Facilitation Network, one of the five main components of the post-2015 International Arrangement on Forests. Some key functions of the Network include mobilizing and supporting new and additional financial resources, and UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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promoting effective use of existing financial resources for sustainable forest management. The briefing was followed by a panel discussion that was attended, among others, by officials from the Ford Foundation and the World Bank. Penny Davies, Programme Officer for Equitable Development, Ford Foundation, said the organization planned to disburse $1 billion over the next 10 years into private funds promoting “social and environmental justice” activities, she described two specific streams of forest-related investment financing: first, sustainable agriculture that did not clear natural forests and included some protection of forests; and second, sustainable forest management and community-based forest management. “However, we are finding it difficult to place [that financing],” she said, due to a number of constraints that made those investments too difficult to justify, including: “incoherent spatial mapping” and uncertain land tenure, where investments could be contested by several parties; conflict, which could cause delays in the Foundation’s projects or cause the withdrawal of its partners; and the fact that the Ford Foundation’s private finance is insufficient in the face of government subsidies to unsustainable forest and agricultural management, that incentivizes forest clearance. The UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) is a high-level intergovernmental policy forum that includes UN Member States, Permanent Observers as well as regional organizations and groups. Its current (twelfth) session concludes tomorrow, 5 May.

Nigeria: UN report details ‘grave violations’ against children by Boko Haram 4 May – Children in north-east Nigeria continue to be brutalized as a result of Boko Haram’s insurgency in the region and the ensuing conflict, a first-of-its-kind United Nations report has concluded. “With tactics including widespread recruitment and use, abductions, sexual violence, attacks on schools and the increasing use of children in so-called ‘suicide’ attacks, Boko Haram has inflicted unspeakable horror upon the children of Nigeria’s north-east and neighbouring countries,” said Virginia Gamba, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, in a press release from her Office. The report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Nigeria documents the impact on children of the severe deterioration of the security and humanitarian situation in the country between January 2013 and December 2016.

Dada, 15 years-old, and her daughter, Hussaina, 2 years-old, at home in a host community shelter in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria. on March 1, 2017. Dada was 12 years-old when Boko Haram took her and an older sister. Photo: UNICEF/Ashley Gilbertson VII

Violations committed by Boko Haram During the reporting period, attacks by Boko Haram on communities and confrontations between the group and security forces resulted in at least 3,900 children killed and 7,300 more maimed. Suicide attacks became the second leading cause of child casualties, accounting for over one thousand deaths and 2,100 injuries during the reporting period. The UN verified the use of 90 children for suicide bombings in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, the majority of whom were girls. The UN verified the recruitment and use of 1,650 children. Testimonies from children separated from Boko Haram indicate that many were abducted, but that others joined the group due to financial incentives, peer pressure, familial ties and for ideological reasons. In some instances, parents gave up their children to obtain security guarantees or for economic gain.

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The children were used in direct hostilities, for planting improvised explosive devices, to burn schools or houses and in a variety of support roles. Schools have been targets of choice for Boko Haram and the UN estimates that 1,500 were destroyed since 2014, with at least 1,280 casualties among teachers and students. Response to Boko Haram also raises concerns The response to Boko Haram’s insurgency also generated protection concerns, including allegations of extra judicial killings. The UN documented the recruitment and use of 228 children, including some as young as nine by the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), created in Borno state to assist the Nigerian Security Forces. Children were used mainly for intelligence-related purposes, in search operations, night patrols, for crowd control and to guard posts. She urged all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law and to ensure civilians are protected during armed clashes.

In Bogota, Security Council pledges support to Colombia’s efforts to implement peace process 4 May – In Colombia to acknowledge and to witness first-hand both the progress and the challenges of carrying out the aims of a hard-won peace deal, a delegation from the United Nations Security Council today met President Juan Manuel Santos and applauded the country as an example for overcoming difficulties and setbacks to bring to an end more than a half a century of conflict. Speaking to reporters in Bogota, Elbio Rosselli, of Uruguay, which holds the Council’s presidency for the month, said that "with the process of pacification of Colombia, the American continent is the only region of the world in which there is no active conflict." President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of Colombia (right), greets Ambassador Elbio Roselli, President of the Security Council for the month of May, in the Colombian capital Bogotá. Photo: UN Mission/Juan Manuel Barrero Bueno

"We thank you for the example you are giving. These processes are never linear, they have ups and downs, they may have setbacks but what matters is to maintain the effort. This Security Council is committed to providing the support that Colombians want and

deserve, "said Mr. Rosselli. In early October 2016, Colombian voters narrowly rejected the historic peace accord between the Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP). That deal was the culmination of four years of talks hosted in Havana, Cuba, between the two sides, and which led to a cessation of hostilities and agreements on key issues such as political participation, land rights, illicit drugs and victims' rights and transitional justice. The two sides signed a new agreement in late November 2016. The Council delegation also met with Chancellor María Ángela Holguín, Ambassador María Emma Mejía, and the postconflict cabinet. The Council gave a clear message of support to the implementation of the peace process in Colombia. In his remarks to the press, president Santos said: "I want to highlight the way the United Nations has helped us to manage the cease-fire. More than 2,670 lives have been saved so far in the peace process."

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United Kingdom Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, co-leader of the visit with Uruguay, highlighted the full support of the Security Council and the international community to make the peace process a reality. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for Colombians, make sure that all the parties fulfil all of the commitments and finally the peace that your country deserves will be a reality, from which there cannot be a turning back," said Ambassador Rycroft. Before leaving New York, Mr. Rosselli noted that it is time for the Council to make contact with all parties in the process, in order to see how the UN is helping and can continue to do so. The visit follows a recent announcement by the UN Mission in Colombia that it hopes to receive 60 percent of all FARC-EP arms. Mr. Rosselli also said that the Council not only wants to recognize the importance in relation to the Colombian ceasefire and the laying down of arms, but also inform itself about the substantive part. Late September last year representatives of the Government of Colombia, as well as members from the FARC-EP and international observers from the UN mission in the country started working together at the joint Monitoring and Verification Mechanism headquarters in Bogota. Verification of the bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Colombia is part of the Mechanisms task, and according to the UN Mission in the South American country, they also have been planning and coordinating logistics for the regional offices and the zones where the separation of forces has been taking place. Earlier this year UN News reported that at eight regional and 26 local sites, FARC-EP and Government members, along with 350 UN observers, have been working together to verify the parties' commitments towards the ceasefire and cessation of hostilities. The UN Mission in Colombia reported today that to-date they have received and stored a thousand weapons from FARCEP combatants. The combatants are currently in camps established for their transition and reintegration into civilian life, but also to ensure the safety of the civilian population and of FARC-EP and Public Force members.

‘Blue helmet’ killed in attack on UN Mission camp in Timbuktu, Mali 4 May – A United Nations peacekeeper from Liberia was killed and nine others injured when their camp came under attack in the Malian city of Timbuktu, the UN Integrated Mission in the country, known as MINUSMA, has reported. According to MINUSMA, eight among the injured were evacuated to capital Bamako for treatment.

An aerial photograph of the area on the outskirts of Timbuktu, Mali. Photo: MINUSMA/Marco Dormino

“[We] condemn in the strongest terms this cowardly and ignoble attack on the camp and personnel,” said MINUSMA in the news release (in French), underscoring the need to identify those responsible for the attack and to bring them to justice.

Some six mortar shells or rockets hit the camp at around 13:15 local time, yesterday, 3 May. The projectiles also caused some material damage, the full extent of which has not been established yet. MINUSMA added that defences at the camp have been strengthened and air assets have been deployed to reconnoitre the UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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area were the shots originated. The UN Mission also informed that no civilian personnel were deployed at the camp. Also in the news release, MINUSMA extended sincere condolences to the family of the peacekeeper who was killed and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.

UN health agency to examine lower-cost ‘biosimilar’ drugs to expand access to cancer treatment 4 May – As a step towards making some of the most expensive treatments for cancer more widely available in low- and middleincome countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today that it will launch a pilot project for prequalifying so-called “biosimilars,” or lower cost drugs. Biotherapeutic medicines, which are produced from biological sources, such as cells rather than synthesised chemicals, are important treatments for some cancers and other non-communicable diseases. Like generic medicines, biosimilars, which are usually manufactured by other companies once the product’s original patent has expired, can be much less expensive versions of innovator biotherapeutics. A Sri Lankan expert, trained at the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf, Austria, checking the iodine-131 dose to be given to thyroid cancer patients at the Nuclear Medicine Unit in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Photo: IAEA

“Innovator biotherapeutic products are often too expensive for many countries, so biosimilars are a good opportunity to expand access and support countries to regulate and use these medicines,” said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Assistant Director General for Health Systems and Innovation, in a press statement. In September, the UN health agency will invite manufacturers to submit applications for prequalification of biosimilar versions of two products in the WHO Essential Medicines List: rituximab (for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia), and trastuzumab (to treat breast cancer).

The decision comes after a two-day meeting in Geneva between WHO, national regulators, pharmaceutical industry groups, patient and civil society groups, payers and policymakers to discuss ways to increase access to biotherapeutic medicines. WHO also plans to explore options for prequalifying insulin. “Biosimilars could be game-changers for access to medicines for certain complex conditions,” said Dr. Suzanne Hill, WHO’s Director of Essential Medicines and Health Products. “But they need to be regulated appropriately to ensure therapeutic value and patient safety.” According to WHO, if it finds that biosimilars submitted for prequalification are comparable in terms of quality, safety and efficacy to originator products, it will list the medications and become eligible for procurement by UN agencies. As many low- and middle-income countries rely on WHO prequalification before buying medicines, an additional benefit could be to increase competition and further reduce the price of medicines. WHO will also review its 2009 Guidelines on the evaluation of similar biotherapeutic products to ensure that WHO’s guidance to national regulatory authorities reflects recent evidence and experience. Increased use of biosimilars will also require patients and their physicians to understand and trust that the benefits of this type of medicine substantially outweigh any risks. WHO will be looking to countries with positive experience of biosimilars and partners for support in educating prescribers and patients on their benefits and in advocating for greater awareness of biosimilars. In addition, WHO will advocate for fairer prices for all biotherapeutics to ensure that these treatments can truly benefit UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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public health. This will include support to countries to develop price-setting strategies that foster sustainable markets to deliver treatments to patients, savings to payers and incentives to producers to keep manufacturing the medicines needed.

In Ethiopia, UN rights chief urges authorities for greater freedoms, especially space for critical voices 4 May – Speaking to the press during his mission to Ethiopia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights today highlighted the need for greater and freer civic space, with “broader latitude for the contributions of critical or dissenting views” to decision-making in the country. “All governments need to be held to the mark by independent media and the vital action of civil society and human rights defenders,” High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said at a press conference in the capital, Addis Ababa. “I am convinced the Ethiopian Government will find its most important and productive investment will be in the rights of the people, which build strong and safe societies.”

High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein (centre) addresses a press conference in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Photo: UN/Ahunna Eziakonwa

In his remarks, the UN rights chief hailed the contributions of the Horn of Africa country ranging from its contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts as well as its commitment to protect the human rights of its people as illustrated by its accession to a number of human rights treaties and their reflection in the Ethiopian constitution. He also expressed that the work of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission was heartening and called on the Government to continue further steps to grant the body more independence. However, speaking on the unrest in the country in November 2015 and August 2016, and the response of the security forces, Mr. Zeid urged the authorities to allow access to UN human rights officials to visit the affected region and establish the facts. “The extremely large number of arrests – over 26,000 – suggests it is unlikely rule of law guarantees have been observed in every case. I believe my staff ought to be given access to the affected areas, and I renew my request,” he added, noting that he would continue to follow-up on the case. The High Commissioner also spoke on the importance of economic, social and cultural rights and stressed that progress on these rights would translate into civil and political rights advances. He also offered his support and that of his Office, OHCHR, to the Government and the people of Ethiopia in confronting the challenges posed by the drought plaguing large parts of the region. During his visit, High Commissioner Zeid met with a number of senior Ethiopian officials, including the Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, Ministers, legislators, and human rights officials and defenders. Also, while in Ethiopia, the UN top human rights official signed a Memorandum of Intent with the Government to strengthen OHCHR Regional Office in Addis Ababa programmes on capacity building for stakeholders across the region, including Ethiopia. During his mission, Mr. Zeid also met with Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, and other senior African Union (AU) officials, with whom he discussed human rights priorities with the AU, as the regional bloc’s new leadership develops its vision and frameworks for impact across the continent.

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Displaced civilians in South Sudan’s Upper Nile at risk of further violence, UN rights chief warns 4 May – The United Nations human rights chief today urged the Government of South Sudan to halt any further military offensives towards Aburoc in the Upper Nile region. “Civilians in Aburoc are at serious and imminent risk of gross human rights violations, inter-ethnic violence and re-displacement,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. He said these people fleeing from towns like Tonga and Kodok were forced to walk through the bush for up to 150 kilometres in searing temperatures. Many reportedly died along the way, but the rest ended up in Aburoc where they face grave violence and shortages of food, water and healthcare.

Access to safe water is vital for thousands of civilians sheltering in and around Aburoc, South Sudan. Photo: OCHA/Gemma Connell

“These are women, children and men at the mercy of military commanders, on both sides of the political divide, who have consistently shown little or no regard for the protection of civilians,” he added. Despite the August 2015 peace agreement, South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival forces – the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing former First Vice-President Riek Machar. Aburoc, a town on the west bank of the River Nile, holds between 35,000 and 50,000 people, most of whom arrived in recent weeks after SPLA attacks on areas to the south. Civilians in Aburoc now find themselves in areas controlled by the opposition armed group, facing a military offensive by the Government forces. The High Commissioner urged the Government to adhere to the pledges made by President Kiir on 25 March, when he committed to declare a unilateral ceasefire, and to work towards political engagement to bring the conflict to an end. Mr. Zeid called on all parties to the conflict to comply with international humanitarian law, including taking all feasible precautions to prevent civilian casualties. He also called on the Government to grant the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) access to Aburoc and Kodok, and to ensure that humanitarian agencies are able to deliver crucial aid to the internally displaced population.

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Myanmar: Displaced Rohingya at risk of ‘re-victimization’ warns UN refugee agency 4 May – The tens of thousands of members of Myanmar’s Rohingya community who fled inter-communal violence in north of the country and sought refuge in Bangladesh remain highly vulnerable and risk being “re-victimized even in exile” unless urgent action is taken, a senior United Nations refugee protection official has warned. According to Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates, as of February, some 74,000 Rohingya members were living in camps and makeshift sites in Bangladesh, many in need of adequate shelter before the rainy season starts.

Rohingya refugees, displaced by violence in Myanmar, at a camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh. (File) Photo: UNHCR/Saiful Huq Omi

“Without proper support, they also face risks such as child labour, gender-based violence and trafficking,” said Shinji Kubo, UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, in a news release issued by the Office.

While Rohingya displacement has persisted for decades, it made headlines last October when attacks on border posts in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine province triggered a security clearance operation that drove an estimated 43,000 civilians into neighbouring Bangladesh by the year’s end. In a report (issued in February) into the violence, the UN human rights wing (OHCHR) had documented mass gangrape, killings, including that of babies and young children, brutal beatings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations by Myanmar’s security forces. Many witnesses and victims interviewed by OHCHR had also described being taunted while they were being beaten, raped or rounded up, such as being told “you are Bangladeshis and you should go back” or “What can your Allah do for you? See what we can do?” Inter-communal violence, economic hardship driving desperation The latest findings released by UNHCR in its new report on mixed movements in south-east Asia indicate that more than 168,000 Rohingya members could have fled Myanmar in the last five years. The total number of Rohingya refugees in the region and those internally displaced is estimated at 420,000 and 120,000 respectively. Prior to the recent violence, Malaysia was the preferred destination for many Rohingya. Between 2012 and 2015, an estimated 112,500 of them risked their lives on smuggler’s boats in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in the hope of reaching Malaysia, with hopes of finding work in the informal sector. Those who made this difficult sea journey ranged from individuals fleeing the 2012 inter-communal violence in Rakhine to those who grew increasingly desperate amid restrictions back home on their freedom of movement and access to services and livelihoods. However, after regional Governments increased action against maritime smuggling networks in 2015, the route has been disrupted, with no confirmed boat arrivals in Malaysia last year. Furthermore, among those who tried to reach Malaysia overland in 2016, more than 100 – about half of them Rohingya – were reportedly arrested in Myanmar and Thailand. The UNHCR report also explores other routes taken by the Rohingya, including to India via Bangladesh. It notes a steady UN News Centre • www.un.org/news

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but slowing stream of arrivals since 2012 numbering at least 13,000 people. “Looking at the declining arrival numbers in India, it is safe to assume that this overland route has not replaced the maritime one,” said Keane Shum of UNHCR’s Regional Mixed Movements Monitoring Unit. “Compared to those who went to Malaysia by sea, the Rohingya in India travelled in larger family units and chose the route as it was cheaper and safer.” Young women, girls at particular risk In addition to analyzing displacement patterns, the report also looked at the situation of Rohingya women and girls in Malaysia, India and Indonesia, using a snapshot of some 85 women and girls. The findings revealed that majority among them were married young (at 16 or 17) and gave birth at an average age of 18. Almost a third of them reported facing domestic violence and many said that while they would like to earn their own income, only a few were doing so despite having skills. Those in India appeared to be more literate and educated, and were more likely to have chosen their own husbands. In contrast, those in Malaysia were more likely to have married someone chosen by their families or by brokers or agents. On its part, the UN agency has been working with host countries on temporary stay and protection of Rohingya refugees, including supporting them to access basic services and legal work to help them become more self-reliant until longer-term solutions are found as well as advocating with the Myanmar authorities for the full resumption of humanitarian access to vulnerable people in northern Rakhine state. “We stand ready to support Government efforts to promote co-existence and address issues related to citizenship,” said UNHCR.

World food prices dip for third straight month, dip projected for grains – UN 4 May – Food prices in April fell from the previous month led by lower sugar prices, the United Nations food agency today reported. The Food and Agricultural Agency's (FAO) Food Price Index – which measures the monthly change in international prices for cereals, vegetable oils, dairy, meat and sugar – averaged 168 points in April. The figure is “down 1.8 per cent from March although remaining 10 percent higher than a year earlier,” according to FAO.

Harvesting wheat near the West Bank town of Tammun. Photo: FAO/Marco Longari

The Sugar Price Index is down 9.1 per cent due to large export supplies from Brazil and a continued weak global import demand. Oil fell 3.9 per cent, pushed by weakening demand for palm oil and expectations of bumper soy harvests and planting in South and North

America. Dairy also fell, about 3.3 per cent, while meat prices rose 1.7 per cent, led by a strong domestic demand for pork in the European Union and increased sale in China. FAO today also updated its global cereal production forecasts for 2017, projecting a likely 0.4 per cent annual decline despite stocks remaining close to their record high opening levels.

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The Cereal Supply and Demand Brief is expecting a drop in the in the cereal stocks-to-use ratio in 2017/18 to 25.8 per cent, “still a comfortably high figure in historical terms but slightly below the current season's level,” the UN agency said.

Europe: 24,600 refugee children 'in limbo' at risk of mental distress, UNICEF warns 4 May – Nearly 75,000 refugees and migrants, including an estimated 24,600 children, currently stranded in Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Western Balkans are at risk of psychosocial distress caused by living in a protracted state of limbo, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned today. “We are seeing single mothers and children stranded in Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria who have not seen their husbands and fathers for months or even years,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe.

An 8 year-old refugee from the Syria, in her family’s shelter in Pikpa Village, an open refugee camp run by volunteers outside of Mytilini, Lesvos, Greece. Photo: UNICEF/Gilbertson VII Photo

“The family reunification process is slow, and its outcome uncertain and it is this uncertainty which can cause significant emotional distress and anxiety for children and families, setting them back for years to come,” she added.

In many cases, adult males are the first family members to make the trip to Europe, with the rest of the family following later. Most stranded asylum seekers do not know whether or when they will be permitted to move forward. The situation is particularly acute for single mothers and children stuck in Greece or the Balkans waiting for reunification with family members in other EU countries. But with the 2016 border closures and implementation of the EU-Turkey statement, other family members are being held up in transit countries from where they must apply for family reunification with their loved ones – a process that typically takes between 10 months and two years. UNICEF and its partners in Greece are monitoring mental health and general depression among single mothers and children waiting for family reunification and providing psychosocial support. “Keeping families together is the best way to ensure that children are protected, which is why the family reunification process for refugee and migrant children is so important,” said Ms. Khan. “With the number of those stranded continuing to rise, it is incumbent on member states to alleviate procedural bottlenecks so that families can get back together as quickly as possible.” Most of the family reunification requests originate from children and separated family members stranded in Greece, but because of the caseload and involvement of destination countries, the process can be painstakingly slow. In 2016, nearly 5,000 family reunification requests, out of which 700 from unaccompanied and separated children, were made from Greece, with only 1,107 successful applicants having reached their destination country by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the number of refugees and migrants stranded in Greece, Hungary and the Western Balkans continues to grow – increasing by around 60 per cent over the past year from 47,000 in March 2016 to nearly 80,000 at the end of April.

The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)