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Good afternoon everyone, we're.
About welcome at the Policy Rights here in Depictions Media Radio. I'm your host, Michael Cloggs. Okay, let's start this off with UH Donald Trump and his tariffs and UH. According to BBC UH the UH, US President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping set of new tariffs targeting countries that export products to the United States. The announcement includes a significant thirty four percent tariff on imports from China and a twenty percent tariff on goods from euro from the
European Union. The White House stated that the tariffs are designed to the reciprocal, aiming to address what it views as unfair trade practices, to which I some of the trade agreements that are in place today as he is currently in office are were the same trade agreements that were in place at the time he left office, because he set them up. Now, all of a sudden, they are unfair. But he was the one who signed a
lot of these trade agreements. President Biden, while he was in office, he did a lot to build up the commerce within the United States so that he could lower the unemployment rate, increase the income to the American families, so that they could participate in the trade agreements that were set up by the previous administration, which was Donald Trump's. Now, all of a sudden, Donald Trump is saying they're unfair trade practices. I don't know. Something just isn't right there. Okay.
So with that being said, Mark Carney, while he is on the campaign trail, because we are going to be heading into election April twenty eighth here in Canada, make sure you go out and vote. Make sure you cast that vote, because you need to be heard. This is an important election. It could mean the difference between hey,
living well or struggling, depending on who you choose. If depending on who you choose, depending on who you decide it's going to be an Ottawa, depends on what type of way we are going to be seen in the world. Do we want to be seen as another white supremacy, laughing as a joke as the United States is being seen right now, or do we want to see as
something prominent and trying not to influence you. But hey, Mark Carney is talking about building up Canada and mister Povy at the other side of of what he's saying. He he's saying a lot of the exact same things that Donald Trump was saying when he was campaigning for president. Something to think about we have we're coming to that choice. Make sure you cast the vote. Mister Carney is said in response to Donald Trump did nothing is off the table.
As in response to the tariffs, they they don't want to this way. Mister Carney does not want to see the tariffs, he doesn't want to see the trade war. But he is willing to defend Canada. He is willing to defend the Canada's workers, and he is willing to go to bat for Canada on the world scene and build new trade agreements that those who want to reciprocate the goodwill that Canada always puts forth into the world. Okay, so let's move on in with that which is on
the global scene. We should talk about NATO, and we're gonna hear from Mark Root, the Secretary General of NATO, as he talks about some things, some issues with NATO and what is happening in the world, support for Ukraine, and he talks about a the billions and billions of euros that are being donated to help Ukraine as they
are up against a very tough enemy. That he also mentions a very important anniversary and anniversary that this should have never happened, as they discovered camps in Bukharev that where Ukrainian people were being tortured inhumane acts, and with that it is causing it is, it is some of the causes that we're seeing seeing today that Russia still wants to quote unquote keep Ukraine under its thumb. Vladimir Putin doesn't even want to recognize Baltimore U Zelensky as
the president of Ukraine. He says he's a false president and was put there by Western powers by election fixing. There is there's a lot a lot going on, and the fighting itself needs to come to end, and some sort of long, last, longing peace needs to be put in place. Mister Putin said in some statements a few days ago that he would like to put a infim government in there that is controlled by Russia so that
mister Zelensky could be removed from power. I guess the lasting that Ukraine really, the people of Ukraine really need, as I've heard from sources, is another puppet government. Mister Root is going to commend Donald Trump and his team for efforts that they have put forward to bring a long lasting peace. There's a caveat to that, I would say, because if that long lasting piece means that Donald Trump's administration gets to control the minerals and mining rates in Ukraine,
that could be a serious problems. As we saw when when he attempted to bully mister Zelensky in the White House that that was definitely on the table. That was a tool that they were talking about.
So we'll.
See how all this pans out. Going back to democracy, we would like to it's it's time to congratulate Wisconsin on their victory over the over Donald Trump. I can't see Republicans because he isn't really a Republican. He's his own thing.
That they in.
The election that they had for certain judge seats and send the seats that they did manage to come out victorious over uh Elon Musk having putting millions of millions of dollars into campaigns there to try to come up with a victory and take over that state. Okay, so we're back to the global scene again with the world field program, and we're going to hear a report on the Democratic Republic of the Congo as what is happening
there for human rights. And part of this report is going is going to discuss the tens of millions of people who are at risk for starvation and how funding cuts to the WHO and the WFP are actually affecting their efforts. That this from the United Nations website. The WF is prioritizing countries with the greatest needs and sketching food rations at the front lines while we are doing
everything possible to reduce the operational costs. Make no mistake, we are facing a funding cliff with life threatening consequences. And that was from Nia dash the gash Karma as she is the assistant executive director for the partners and Innovation.
So some of what we saw humanitarian aid cuts that were done by the US d O G e a k. A Elon Musk saying that some things needed to be cut out, that they were excessive spending and things like that or having devastating results in other parts of the world. This is what happens when you put in place a wealthmonger instead of a person who understands diplomacy. And humanity. And this is where the United States is heading and or has headed. They are there, that's exactly where they are.
They rather see the White House would rather see money than human their prosperity of the human race. And we need to send a clear and definitive message back that situations like this that are happening with the World Food Program, that they can't distribute the food that they need to because of budget cuts, operational cuts, donation cuts, and that being handcuffed because they just don't have the funding to get the job done as best as they should be
able to. That we need to send a clear and definitive message back to global leaders that this is unacceptable. So with that being said, we're going to hear first from the the WFP on the uh Dominic Democratic Republic of the Congo, and then we are going to hear after that a human rights statement from the United Nations Human Rights Office.
Excellent, the hi to both of you, Well, thank you so much for joining us, and thank you to those of you who are in the room. So, as we mentioned a little bit earlier today, there's a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Analysis, better known as the IPC report that was published earlier today on the Democratic Republic
of the Congo. So we're very pleased today to have someone that you know very well, that you've seen very often here Jean Martebauer, whom you have seen in his previous role many times as country director for WFP and Haiti. He's now in Rome and he's the Director of Food Security and Nutrition and Analysis still of course at the World Food And we also have Shelley Tackrel who is WFP spokesperson in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and
she is joining us from Kinshasa. Jean Marte I think we will be able to see you on the big screen over here. Let me give you the floor first.
Hi, Stefaniely, thank you. You cut out at the end there, but I think it's it's over to me. Good afternoon everyone. I'd like to take a few minutes to talk you through the highlights of the latest IPC release for the Democratic Republic of Congo. What's of note is that this new data shows how this conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is affecting food security in the country. The data shows that twenty seven point seven million people
in the DRC are facing acute food insecurity. This is an unprecedented level. This is the highest level on record that we've seen in the country. We've been monitoring food security in the DRC with the IPC system since two thousand and eight, and this is the highest number we have ever.
Then one second, if you don't mind, and I apologize for interrupting, but here in the room, we're hearing We're hearing some other sound. Is there somebody maybe that is not muted on the zoom. I don't know if our technical colleagues can check. They're telling me to wait a second, just wave at me when we can resume. Sorry about that. It should be fixed very shortly.
Of the East.
Go ahead of the IPC, showing that they are a subset of the population with very very high needs. The factors that have contributed to making this crisis what it is are, of course displacement. It's been conflict, but it's also been the economic impacts of the situation. This has moved quite quickly in the past few months. Since December, we've seen these accelerated displacement in the east of d r C. We've seen a disruption to trade and markets. Banks in the East of dr C have been closed.
That's causing a liquidity crisis. That's having an impact on commodity prices. It's having an impact on people's ability to survive and to implement their livelihoods. The insecurity is also affecting farming in the east of the DRC. So the situation is bad now, it could possibly get worse.
So to.
Give you the highlights again, twenty seven point seven million people in IBC Phases three and four in DRC, three point nine million in Phase four. The problem is concentrated in the east of the DRC. The IDP population, the internally displaced population, is quite affected and we've seen an increase of two point five million people since the last time we did an IPC in the DRC. I'd like to hand it over to my colleague Shelley and kinshasa over to you. Shelley, so much.
Tramata, Yeah, pretty bleak picture. I'm talking to you from Kishasa, the capital. I have spent time in Goma and it's really hard to basically understand the fact that this isn't also a new crisis. This has been going on for decades. Others will tell you that, you know, they are now having to sell what little they have to find food. Many will go without food to feed their children. They're
forced into malnutrition, higher risk of disease and mortality. Let's not forget that we already have cases of empos more than eighty thousand and cholera more than seven thousand. Crime has reached an alarming level. We have seen that security has just paralyzed the local economy and as Gen Martin mentioned, you know, banks are shuttered, shops are shuttered, and you know this has had a massive knock on effects on the local population who are just also living in this
climate of fear, of deep uncertainty. And although some schools have resumed activities, it's super irregular. Food prices have gone up, everything from maize, flower, cazava, cooking oil all up by nearly forty percent since December last year. The cost of fuel supply chains are tough for us. We've been able to resume some operations in parts of North and South Kivu, and just to give you a snapshot, we've been able to reach six hundred thousand people so far in twenty
twenty five. Don't forget we're almost four months into this year and in December alone, in twenty twenty four we were reaching one point eight million. So this is having a massive effect on the humanitarian need to get to people when you've got such alarming numbers that the IPC is showing us today. And I just want to give you just finally, you know, a couple of a couple of thoughts. Let's not forget this country is one of the world's most fertile. It only, however, has ten million
of eighty min an arable land that's cultivated. Fifty percent of Africa's water resources are here. You fly over the country, you say, you see the congo basa, you see you know, you see fertility, you see things growing. But despite the fact that we've got enough resources to feed the people here and beyond in Africa, we could export food, we could really help the local economy. But it's a combination
of efforts of factors. The conflict, food prices, fuel prices, poor infrastructure, tarmac roads has just basically pushed these people further and further into hunger. And you know that potential has just been unexploited. I just want to leave you with a couple of quotes from people that we've met just recently Blinda left Goma two weeks ago. She's now back in Missisi Province in North Kivu. She said, I'm struggling to settle down because i don't have anything, and
everything I had has gone. I've got to restart. Piece is my number one priority. It would allow me to continue farming, which would allow me to cover our needs and the needs of our family. And then Sifa, who's now back in Sake. She told us, many of our houses have been burned. This is the most pressing concern. We returned home. We've got nothing. My home is burnt down, my land is just destroyed. I'm living with my mother, and I still don't even know where my husband is.
He fled and the conflict has left many of us, you know, almost like widows. We just don't know where our families are. We've lost many men and many husbands. So I'll just pause there.
Thank you, Thank you so much to both of you. Let us open here for some questions. I'll give the floor first to Gabrielle.
Hello.
This is Gabriel Alexander from Aldasera English. Thank you so much for the very important and timely briefing. Excuse me two questions and sobering, I should say as well, two questions for Shelley. I just wanted to confirm some numbers that you gave to make sure I heard them correctly. You said in December of last year you were able to reach one point eight million people, and so far through today of twenty twenty five, all this year, it's six hundred thousand. Did I hear that correctly?
You did, indeed, And just bearing in mind that twenty fifth of January is when Gomer was seized, and then it was about three weeks later that Bukavu fell, So there was a whole period.
Of real.
Insecurity where we weren't able to get on the ground. The safety of our staff was first and foremost. We also had warehouses that were looted almost five We had a vast number of stocks that were taken. So we've had to really do a couple of things, get stuff to safety, think about when we can resume operations in a safe and timely manner. And we were really only able to get going towards the end of February. So that's where we're seeing figures. Yes, you know, we'd like
to be able to get up to higher numbers. A month. But we're going to have to do this, you know, one day at a time, one step at a time, because of security restrictions, because of funding, and just because of you know, just the humanitarian challenges that we are facing right now in the eastern side of Congo.
There's a lot of challenges right now in and around Goma. There's probably could spend an hour talking about them all, but can you tell us about the top one from your perspective, that's really hindering your work.
So the airport's been closed since January, Goma Airport and as you can imagine, that has for us, as you Mu Panetarian workers. We need to get in, We need to be on the ground. We need to make sure it's not just for WFP, but we operate the United Nations Humanitarian Air Services for all of NGOs. And the NGOs want us back, you know, they want the U went back. They need us to kind of continue to help, you know, really rally and rally that support. We need
to be there. We need to be there for the people. The banks have been shut. That causes some massive liquidity crisis. People you go to a market, they can't even afford you know, a banana or you know, a kind of
can of water. You know, people have lost their livelihoods, and you know, as this is encroached further into the urban center as well, and you know, just just to talk about Goma, whereas you would have had up until December, camps, makeshift camps and circling Goma and then twenty kilometers away camps of a million people. People told to go home, go back to you, go back to your villages. You know we're not. This is the M twenty three, the armed groups. You know we're not. We're not putting up
with the camps anymore. So off they had to go. And where are they going? They don't know, they don't know what they're turning up to. And these people have been multiply displaced over years. You'll meet people who went to Uganda, came back, they went to Sake, they then went to Goms. They're now go they've gone back to Tsake. So it's really tough for these returneys, it's really and they've lived through trauma and they tell us how much more do I have to live through?
Kerrie, same stuff.
Hi, Carrie Notton from radiol and Lamonde. Thank you Shelley for telling us so many details, because it's hard for us also to have a good accounting on what's happening in the ground. I have a question for Jean Martin, because Joe Martin, in your previous role, I interviewed you when you were in Aiti, and I remember it was a Satain type of problem. You were in a very fertile country where you have a lot of crops. You were talking about dozens of thousands of mangoes which were
rotting in haitis and et cetera. So I guess it's a very frustrating solution, but I remember also that in it you managed to put in place some solutions and some tactics. Are you managed to harvesting on these solutions and tactics and are you able to already implement them in RDC or the airport being closed? It really is the number one blockage, as you just told Gabrielle.
So I'll give you.
An initial answer and Shelley will help us with the situation on the ground in the RC. But I can tell you that unfortunately the situation is too common. The number one cause for acute food and security worldwide is conflict weldwide, you've got three hundred and forty three million.
People who are facing a cute food and security.
Sixty percent of them are in fragile contexts, places like the DRC, places like Haiti where there is a potential for agriculture, but where violence unfortunately disrupts markets and throws people into a situation of vulnerability. This is again what hunger is like in our day and age over to Shelley for the details about DRC.
Indeed, and you know, beyond the emergency, you know, I can absolutely, you know, rest assured. You know where we want to We want to be helped to support farmers. We want to be able to support women. We want to get them the skills that they need to run their businesses, to have better market practices, to be able
to kind of get their produce to markets. But you know what, when you haven't got a bank that you can go to, when you can't get money out and you just don't know, you don't even know if you can kind of feed feed your kids. Yes, what we will continue to do, and we do this with FAO as well, is to kind of encourage kitchen farms, you know where we can do school feeding but all this is is just it's a tiny portion of what this
emergency is right now. And if you don't have peace, if you don't have peace on the table, if you don't have a cease fire, if you don't just call a sensation to all of this, it's those people that will continue to suffer.
Questions in the room. No, So then thank you so much to both of you for joining us. The full report, as you know, is available online. So thank you to Jean Martin Bauer, who's the Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Program, and also to Shelley Thackrol, who is the WFP spokesperson in the DRC, and she spoke to us from Kinchassa, and Jehan Martin spoke to us from Rome and Italy. Thank you so much to both of you, and thanks to you for being here in the room.
Thank you, Stephanie, thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Mister President Distinguish, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Corporation in the Field of Human Rights, Mister Santiago Corsuera, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Human Rights Technical Corporation aims to empower rights holders and duty bearers. It engages national actors in finding solutions to human rights challenges they face, and it unleashes the power of international
corporation and dialogue. I'd like to share first a few examples with you on how the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights over this reporting period has responded to requests for technical corporation at country levels in partnership with member states, national human rights institutions, civil society actors and the UN system. Technical cooperation facilitates the implementation of
recommendations from U and Human Rights mechanisms. In Tajikistan, following recommendations from Human Rights Mechanisms, ORTHR contributed to improving the legislative framework concerning freedom of the press, rights of persons with disabilities and the rights of individuals deprived of their liberty. This included assistance in drafting a new media law, organizing a roundtable with parliamentarians and media to discuss social network regulation.
Technical corporation also strengthens national human rights institutions and contributes to aligning national laws and policies with international human rights law. In Madagascar, Kenya and Togo, the Office partnered with the Organisa Nasonal de la FRANCOFONI to bring together NHRIs to exchange best practices. The office also supported NHRIs, including in Greece, New Zealand, Slovenia and Sweden, to prepare submissions to the
Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. In Ecuador, OATHR provided technical assistance for the establishment of Ecuador's national Mechanism on monitoring, reporting, and follow up on recommendations of human rights mechanisms. This included the development of a human rights information system called Siderechos, designed to monitor and report on
progress in implementation of human rights recommendations. Technical corporation advances gender equality and has the potential to empower women in Cambodia. In collaboration with UN system partners, OATHR supported development of the National Social Protection Policy Framework Vision twenty thirty to ensure that the policy takes into account human rights and labor standards, including the principles of gender equality, particularly those
working in the informal economy. In South Africa, OATHR supported efforts to address gender based violence and improve the health system to respect sexual and re productive rights of women. This included collaboration with the South African government in adopting laws and policies to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable and gaging activities and initiatives to ensure redress for
victims of forced sterilization. Technical cooperation also serves to align human rights efforts with broader goals of sustainable development, ensuring that progress in human rights contributes directly to the attainment of the SDGs. In Jordan, otch I worked with the Resident Coordinator and the Economic and Social Council of Jordan
to prioritize human rights in public finance policies. This included developing a policy brief which highlights the importance of maximizing resources to invest in economic, social, and cultural rights and reposition public expenditure to prioritize people's needs and rights. These efforts contributed to evidence based policy dialog at the municipal level on the role of public finance and fiscal decentralization
in addressing inequalities and advancing human rights. Technical corporation also contributes to preventing action to mitigate negative impact negative human rights impacts of crises. In the Pacific, OATHR worked with the UN country team to advise the Government of Vanuatu on incorporating a human rights based approach in its response
to climate related disasters. This included measures to ensure that climate change and disaster reduction policies are gender responsive and involved the participation of women, persons with disabilities, and youth
in decision making processes related to climate change. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, OATHR has been involved in initiatives to ensure the protection of personal data and privacy rights, particularly emphasizing the importance of human rights in the development and deployment of digital technologies and technical corporation promotes inclusive dialogue and participation among all national stakeholders. In a Malawi, OATHR worked with the unc UN country team to facilitate a national
platform for dialogue on business and human rights. And in Lebanon, OATHR worked with security services to support human rights data collection related to juveniles, domestic violence and human trafficking and to establish a complaints mechanism and a committee to manit conditions.
Before I conclude on this item, I just wanted to say that those of you who listened to this morning's discussion on South Sudan and others would have heard how the Ambassador of South Sudan clearly stated that in post conflict situations, human rights technical corporation is key in supporting rule of law institutions and in supporting the implementation of any peace agreement. At the same time, one of OURNDEO speakers said that in the absence of political will, technical
assistance processes are largely futile. Well, I think the truth lies somewhere in between. From our perspective, both perspectives have a value, but I should say that I remain firmly convinced that human Rights Technical Corporation is a critical potential driver not only for generating this political will that we need, but secondly for addressing root causes that pave the way for peace and thirdly to build social cohesion and dialogue
amongst national actors. In conclusion, allow me to thank the members or the members of the Board of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Corporation for their commitment and guidance. We're also indebted to all of those all of you who have contributed resources to the Voluntary Fund for Technical Corporation, to the UPI Trust Fund, but also to the Voluntary Technical Assistance Fund to support the participation of LDCs and SIDS.
I thank you for your attention and for your continued collaboration, and I want to.
Thank Melissa for her immense patients.
If we could put her up on the screen.
There you are, Melissa.
Thank you for taking the time to join us US and we are happy to be joined by Melissa Leehin who is I mentioned the World Food Programs.
Head of communication in Yangoon.
So we will leave you to make some opening remarks and then take take some questions.
Okay, thanks Steph.
Yeah, I just wanted to share a few updates from me and mar just about the impact of the earthquake that hit on Friday. What we know is that as of today, almost three thousand are dead and thousands more injured and missing, and the devastation.
Is really alarming.
Colleagues are reporting buildings turned to rubble, homes destroyed, and significant damage to roads and bridges and other infrastructure. Electricity supplies are still down in many places and PHAM communication is patchy at best. And added to this the destruction of hospitals and a lack of clean water.
And all of this.
Before the earthquake, the humanitarian needs and MIMI were already huge.
We know that twenty million people were in need of humanitarian.
Support, fifteen million facing food insecurity, and more than three and a half million people displaced by the conflict over the past four years.
So the earthquake on Friday has made a bad situation really so much worse.
And while people are resilient after years of conflict and successive disasters, many have little or nothing to fall back on. In twenty twenty three, there was Cyclomocha last year, major floods, and now this earthquake, and that's all against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and displacement. So after the earthquake, a state of emergency was declared across six states and regions. Among the worst affected a Mandalay, Napi, Door Shan and Sigayone.
And what we're seeing is that the effect of the earthquake is largely concert traded in the Northwest dry Zone, and this is an area that was already suffering with chronic poverty, ongoing conflict, and frequent displacement.
And in fact, a majority of displacement over the past.
Four years has been in Sagine, where more than one point two million people were already displaced prior to the earthquake. So in response to this pretty grim picture, the UN and international community is responding. Just forty eight hours after the earthquake hit, the World Food Program was delivering emergency food supplies to people in Napidoor.
That was on Sunday.
On Monday, teams started to provide food and cash assistance in Shan and Segine, and today distributions of emergency food from WFP started in Mandalay and the teams that are saying that the scenes in Mandalay are deeply concerning. People are sleeping outside. If they're lucky, they have maybe a sheet or a tart for cover, and some have nothing.
In one of the worst parts of the city, WFP team said that almost every house had been destroyed either by the earthquake or a major fire that followed in that area.
So people are anxious and afraid.
Even if buildings are standing, many don't want to return home for fear of collapse after shocks are still a regular occurrence.
One woman, she's seventy seven. She told WFP that before the earthquake.
She'd been earning a living selling boiled water in the market, and the sale she earned gave her about seventy cents a day, and after the earthquake, her shelter is gone, her livelihood is gone, and she has just no capacity to rebuild. And she said the shaking had gone, but the fear remained. And it's this kind of story and desperate situation. It just is being seen across Mandola, across all.
The areas in which WFP is responding.
The initial focus for WFP and other UN agencies working together is to address obviously the most pressing needs, that's food, shelter, clean water. As a first step, today, WFP has reached more than fifteen thousand people with emergency food. We've been distributing ready to eat rations that can sustain people through the coming week, and from there we'll start to scale up.
The response even further.
We plan to assist eight hundred and fifty thousand people with basic food and cash rations in April. But the needs really are huge and support is needed. That support includes an end to the conflict, free and unimpeded humanitarian access and also the resources to meet the needs, and all three of those things are critical.
For a WFP. We have food in our warehouses across the country.
We've been delivering humanitarian assistance across the past four years. So we have food there, but we still need the funds to cover the cost of moving that food to earthquake hit areas and distributing it. And there's also a big need for resources for a cash assistance so that people can cover those basic needs, whether that's food, shelter, water, medical supplies. And this kind of assistance can also be
a catalyst for reviving markets, which is important. So overall, WFP estimates at least twenty million dollars will be needed just for our part of the earthquake response, and likely across the whole response it will be obviously much higher.
And still that's really only part of the picture.
Just a few weeks ago, as you may be aware, WFP was forced to drastically scale down it's regular humanitarian assistance in ME and Ma, and we announced that we had to cut plan support for more than one million people. Those cuts were in response to existing funding gaps, and those gaps remain, and yet now the humanitarian needs are even bigger again. So the earthquake, it's really calm at a at the worst possible time for people in ME and MA, and really it's.
Critical for the international community to bring.
The resources and support necessary to this situation so that people here can get through this latest crisis. So I'll stop there and I'm happy if anyone has any questions about the response and about the situation.
Thank you very much, Melissa. We are now going to open the floor for questions. Edi, please go go ahead.
Thank you very much on behalf of the United Nations Correspondence Association for doing this briefing. So my name is Edith Letterer from the Associated Press. Can you tell us whether any un AID agency or any NGOs have actually gotten into the opposition held areas to assess damage in especially Shan and Sagan.
So what we know is the initial focus is on the urban area of Mandalay, which is where the brand to the kind of epicenter of the impact is, but our teams are doing needs assessments all over. We've had w PE teams in different parts of the country, Shan, Sagaiine working over the past four years and they're working at the local level to access areas and people that need support wherever they are, so that work is continuing.
As humanitarians, we coordinate our efforts with anyone on the ground that we need to that is required so that our humanitarian support can get through, so that continues. I mean, it is a very challenging situation on the ground, as I'm sure you're aware, it's very complex, different groups in control of different areas. So for WFP and other humanitarian partners, we take the same approach as we have been, just doing what we can and to get access to people that need our help.
In those areas not controlled by the government. I'm sorry, what have they what have they seen in those areas not controlled by the government.
I think across all areas, regardless of control, the needs are the same that the earthquake I guess did not discriminate in terms of who has control, so the damage is very much the same. Obviously, the response currently is quite focused on Mandalay, which is an urban area, but for sure there's needs in the more rural areas and it is a challenge to just build up a clear picture of those needs given the lack of communication access at the moment, as well as electricity and road access.
So it is taking time to really get a clear picture of.
The needs across all areas, but that work is continuing and for now we expect that in the coming weeks we'll have a more full picture. And while those assessments are happening, we continue to deliver assistance across.
All the areas.
Thank you so much, and so it's Pamela folk. Can you hear US news and World Report?
Thank you?
First two minor questions. One is all the aid from you and other agencies and governments getting in? Is the military stopping any aid or diverting any aid? And the second is the heavy machinery that's needed to find people that are trapped. Is that getting in and are the countries that would usually send it sending it?
Thank you?
So I can't speak fully to that.
For World Food Program, our resources food we have that in the country. We procure rice and pulses locally. We have those food supplies in our warehouses and that's what we're distributing. So that's our focus. We are seeing reports of international rescue crews coming in and also the lack of machinery. I can't speak to what attempts they have been to kind of increase access to that heavy machinery for rescue efforts.
For us, the focus is on the response and the immediate needs.
So different humanitarian partners, I guess are working across the different aspects of the response, so I can speak.
To the food.
Part of the response and those meeting those urgent needs, but beyond that, we have the food resources in the country now it's just a challenge of having the funds to move them where.
We need to.
Follow up. Just is it is any food aid being blocked going anywhere?
So far, no reports of that from our teams.
The response is in its very early days, forty eight hours after we were there responding with food assistance in Napidor and then Saga.
And Shan now Mandalay.
So today there's been no challenges for us. But we're as I mentioned, we've reached fifteen thousand people so far. The plan is to reach eight hundred and fifty thousand, and the operating environment is complex. That has been the case for the past four years. We've been delivering assistance for the past four year. Is responding to people displaced by conflict. So I expect those challenges will continue and our teams will continue to work.
At the local level to navigate that complexity.
Joseph Klein, Canada Free Press. Two questions. First, to what extent, if any has WFP in terms of delivery experienced an e looting of his supplies. And secondly, you mentioned funding
gaps even prior to the earthquake. I want to know to what extent could you say that might have been exacerbated by the drastic cuts in US AID funding and programs by the Trump administration, or whether the funding gap is reflective of a larger, more global problem in terms of not supplying enough money for the pay for the needs that you are trying to meet.
Maybe I'll answer your second question first, but yeah, I think we're seeing a global trend in humanitarian resources perhaps shifting to other things, and the overall numbers of funds, the amount of funds is decreasing, and at the same time, humanitarian needs are increasing me and MA, and as you've heard in the briefing, in many other parts.
Of the world the needs are huge.
So kind of year by year the needs are increasing and it seems like humanitarian support is decreasing, so we're having to do more with less and.
Also looking for.
Other ways to support our humanitarian responses through individual support through corporate funds.
So it's a global situation and one that we're concerned about.
Given the increasing needs and in terms of looting, we did have experience last year. There's some changing conflict dynamics on the ground, so WFP we lost access to some of our warehouses, so we have not as WFP have not been able to get back to those locations to independently verify. But there's been reports of looting and damage to those warehouses, so certainly that's a function and of operating in this conflict context.
We don't always have control of what's.
Going on around us, so our humanitarian staff they're really at the front lines and access can change at any given time, depending on on the conflict and the security situation on the ground.
Yes, excuse me, Evelyn Leopold, I'm a short fun for journalists. Are the UN staff regarded with any suspicion that they might be helping the opposition to the government? Do you have to watch it? And secondly to follow up on Joe's is there any American aid coming in? Because USA did have a program there until what two weeks ago?
Yeah, for our colleagues, it's a challenging situation for them. I mean, what I've seen in my past three years here is that they're really kind of living through the crisis and trying to respond to it. The things that we're seeing play out conflict, displacement, impact of the earthquake that affects our WFP staff and humanitarians in the same way, we had colleagues lose houses following the earthquake, and then they.
Were back at work delivering support.
The same as true after you know, families displaced or homes damaged as a result of conflict. So there's always that tension there and challenge for people working in these difficult circumstances for sure.
But again the.
Approach and the way forward is to remain neutral and independent, so.
We don't get involved in political conflicts.
We make sure that our systems goes directly to the people in need, either directly from WFP or through our partners, our community based organizations.
Or NGO partners that we work with. So in that way, we.
Maintain those humanitarian principles despite the challenges.
UH And on the sorry your second question, it's only follow up.
On the question of whether any US aid might have been cut off that that you were counting on that might have adversely affected your programs.
The US has has been a long partner of WFP in Me and MA, and we hope that that support will continue. Obviously there's been a pause to funds, but as I said before, that's.
Only part of the challenge.
It's not just there, but globally humanitarian support has has declined. So together that means, you know, overall the picture is more challenge in terms of funding and the needs are increasing. I mean, if we look at just this earthquake, as I mentioned before, that already twenty million people needed humanitarian assistance.
WFP was assisting.
But even our plans, with the funds that we did have, that we did anticipate, we expected to be able to reach one million people each year. So that's far short of the needs. So really it's a it is a global challenge that really needs addressing, given the increasing needs.
In Me and mar and elsewhere.
BREMI am and there's something all right, can you hear me?
Now?
Yeah?
I just wanted you to make sure that famous poetic road to Mando Lay is now open.
Is that true?
Yeah?
Today, today and yesterday our teams have been we've been deploying staff to Mandalay.
We previously in the past four years were.
Delivering humanitarian assistance in areas like sagainin and Shan, but.
In Mandalay and urban area, we had not been delivering regular humanitarian assistants, so we've.
Quickly deployed a team there and more staff have joined them to support our response efforts. So the roads are damaged, Colleagues from our supply chain team are doing road assessments and transport assessments. So certainly we're seeing that repairs have
started on some of the roads. Some of the electricity supplies are starting to come back, but certainly travel times are longer, and it's definitely challenging to move food around the country to these locations given the damage that has occurred.
Please go ahead.
Hello, Hi, it's Eric Peters with a killed on news Japanese media. So I know it's not your area, but the spokesperson mentioned earlier the amount of urban search and rescue teams in the country, and it seemed like it was a little low. Do you know if any more are coming, and if you had a number and a second, if you could provide some more examples, like anecdotes or specific examples of some obstacles you're facing for eight access.
Sure, I can't speak to the search and rescue aspect. I know just from the reports here that we're seeing different teams, especially from the Asian region, coming into support, but I'm not sure of any other plans on that front.
I mean, the challenges remain, as I said, conflict and access.
Those have been challenges for the past four years, and those are likely to remain challenges unless there's an end to the conflict and unless unimpeded humanitarian access is available to us. So those remain, as well as the funding situation.
So those three things together, if there's solutions on any and all of those fronts, then obviously it dramatically reduces the need for humanitarian assistance, for one, but it also makes it easier that humanitarian actors can respond in the ways that are necessary.
Very much, do we have Do we have any further questions? If not, I would like to say think to our guest today, Miss Melissa Lee Haying, thank you very much for your time.
Thanks, thank you, thank you, and good afternoon. On Thursday and Friday, Natal four ministers will meet to discuss pressing security issues as we continue planning for our summit in the Hague. We will focus on strengthening our collective events. It is the foundation on which Native was built, and it remains our number one priority. We will also meet with our key partners to bring the European Union and
our partners in the Pacific. We gather at a particularly crucial time for our shared security, which challenge is too great for any of us to bear alone. This week marks a grim aniversary when the world discovered the strategy of Butcha. I visited in July twenty twenty two and spoke with some of those who survived. We will never forget that devastation. Three years sins the liberation of Bucha,
Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine. I command President Trump for breaking the deadlock, and I fully support the efforts undertaken by the US to bring this terrible war to a just and lasting end, as well as the efforts of the UK, France and others to contribute to ensuring a lasting piece when the time comes. Natal Allies continue our support to Ukraine. In the first three months
of this year. Allies have already pledged more than twenty billion euros in security assistance for twenty twenty five, and our command in Riisbaanda continues to coordinate the delivery of security assistance and training for Ukraine. The threat we face from Russia remains, and Russia continues to work clothes with China, Iran and North Korea in ways that not only harm Ukraine but pose risks across the Alliance and around the world.
We see these and other actors working to destabilize our societies with thebotage to undersee infrastructure, cyber attacks, assassination attempts, and more. We live in a dangerous world, and in the face of these and other challenges, we must build a stronger, a fairer, and more lethal natal That's why ministers are here this week to ensure we are aligned and actively working towards our common goal. We stand together, deploying and exercising to ensure we are ready and able.
We're grateful to the men and women of our armed forces for the service they provide every day, and very very reminded of the risks of that service again this week, having threatingly lost for brave American soldiers during training in Lithuania, we are profoundly grateful for their service. Our deepest condolences
go to their families, friends, and fellow soldiers. We mourn their loss and take heart in the outstanding solidarity we saw during the search and rescue operation with Americans and Lithuanians, Balls and Estonians working should to shoulder around the clock. This is the true spirit of the Alliance and in that spirit we have important work to take forward. We are building a more capable alliance by investing in what we need to counter the threats we face, and we
are making major progress. Many allies are stepping up their spending in ways we haven't seen in Deck, and I expect more announcements to follow. This is critical. Ministers will talk about how to ensure we can continue this trend. We will also discuss how we can produce more on both sides of the Atlantic and make it easier to work together, exchange, innov it and partner in ways that
benefit us all. This is not only a topic for allies, but one that we will discuss with our in the Pacific partners, with Ukraine and with the EO Hybrid representative Kaya Kalas, who will join us on both days. Our partners make an essential contribution to our shared security, sharing insights, experience and expertise. When we meet in the NATO Ukraine Council tomorrow evening, we will hear from Minister andre Civa.
We will update us the current situation in Ukraine as well as his perspectives on the process towards a just and lasting piece. All of this and more will contribute to the new chapter for NATO that we will start in the Hague in June. Our priorities are clear. You're building a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance. That's what we need to secure our future. And with that, I'm ready to take your questions.
All right, let's start over here, second row, all the way on my.
Left, Secretary General Andrew Gray from Reuters. As you know, the European Union has set itself the goal of being able to defend itself by twenty thirty. Is that a realistic and wise target to set well.
We are working together with the EU in in a very close corporation on the white paper other issues, and what we have to make sure of is that we cannot only defend Natro charity today but also in five years time. It means more spending. It means more defense production. That means for NATO that we will work on the
standard setting on the capabilities. It means for our European partners that they have to work on getting the internal market going, for example when it comes to defense industrial production. So we have a clear division of labor here and I think that's very positive.
All right, gentlemen in the fore throw in the center.
Thank you, Thomas kotchkavkan put diagamin it seem could afternoon. Two questions please. The first one, The Washington Post published a story recently that refers to an internet guidance by the Pentagon that basically says everything to be prepared for a major war with China, and that also says that in the event that American troops are bound by such a war or the threat of such a war, Europe
could not rely on troop reinforcements from the US. Which indications do you have for such scenarios and what does it mean for the defense plans of the alliance? Question number one? Question number two completely unrelated. Foreign ministers are meeting formally here and they will meet informally in Ontaria at least that's the plan for now. With the arrest of the leading opposition politician of hundreds of people protesting
among them, not among them. But additionally, as Swedish journalists, do you think it's a good idea to be hosted by Turkey for such an informal meeting in May. Thank you.
I think with your second question that that is an important meeting, that is is important that it is informal and Turkey has offered to host it. When it comes to your first question, clearly what we need to do is to make sure that we have everything it takes
to defend our euro Atlantic area. And we also know that threats are manifold also outside your Atlantic area, and that means that when it comes to the US, but also to other NATRO allies and for the Alliance as a whole, that we have to be aware of what is happening in the Pacific. That's the reason why we
have that close corporation. And that will also mean that it is understandable also for the US that over time they want to focus more and we're also on that part of the world, and it is only logical for the Europeans to step up either more. There are no plans to withdraw or whatever. We know that the US is completely committed to NATAL but I think it is an all our interests that we are able to keep this whole planet stable. For NATO to focus of course
very much on your Atlantic area. But as I said, together with the US at thirty two, to be very much aware that the threats are not only limited to the Russians. We see the Chinese building up, we see what's happening in around, we see what's happening in North Korea, and that's why Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealands will join us.
All right, blonde woman with the red glasses.
In the center, beautiful glass, good descriptions.
Thank you Ellison. You're in Assumer News Agency Interfox Ukraine. Next week here in NATO HQ, the meeting of the Coalition of Buildings will take place. So my question is for you, Secretary General, what kind of role do you see for NATO playing in this coalition? Is it only to provide the facilities for meeting or it can be something more. Thank you well.
I've myself in participating in some of these meetings in London and tries in Paris, because I'm traveling next week. The Deputy Secretary General will participate in the meeting here and we are there to advise but also to hint at the implications of certain plans and what that means. For the defense of nature territory, so that's important. So we are there an advisory role and also very much explaining the implications of decisions will be be taken.
All right, and then just in front of arena, the gentleman.
In the blue suit, Good afternoon. I want to ask about john military exercises up at twenty twenty two will take place in Belarus. Our sources in Belarus and armies says that for this exercises, system or rational and tactical nuclear weapons will be sent to Belarus from Russian They say, is that nuclear weapon not yet in Belarus? Do you see nuclear weapon in Belarus?
And or.
They are not?
Still there? Is there risk that the Russian Army will stay in Belarus after the exercises like it was in me inter twenty twenty two.
I have no information to share with you on that. We know that these type of exercises take place regularly, but you were asking some more specific questions concerning those exercises and I've no new information to share at this moment.
All right, Let's see the gentleman in the brown jacket.
Here, This is Mohammed.
Ality had noted a remorce with the fresh hoothy attacks in the Red Sea.
And concerns the re emergency of ices in the region.
How does NATO assess these emerging threats and how does NAT to work with its southern partners to including the EA, to face such threats.
Thank you now.
Of course we've worked together in the Anti Dash Coalition, which was hosted here the last time, I think it was in December last year. Then, of course, as NATO, we are active in Iraq, helping Iraq to build up its own its own armed forces and also their own justice department and the security forces in Iraq through the NATO Mission in Iraq, and we have a close cooperation
with many of our partners in the southern neighborhood. We had a very successful meeting of the North Atlantic Council with seven ambassadors from Algeria and Egypt and other countries in Mauritania and others only I think it was two or three weeks ago, so we followed that closely, and obviously is outside NATO territory, but of course there is a clear interest, all right, gentlemen here in the swatter.
Generally the President you've been talking about putt In and about Russia, Western balcons are again in focus and can choices from Oslovirginia, Sarajevo. Sarajevo. The president of Republicla Dotica recently a few days ago met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin. Given that an arrest warrant has been issued for Dock in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with an international warrant pending Interpose decision, how does NATO view this meeting in
the context of original stability and second question? Additionally, how do you seize dodic stated position that police of Republic Kaservska would prevent his arrest in Bosdi and Herzegovina.
Clearly it is in the first place to the Bossi and Herzegonian presidency, the three member presidency to take charge of the country, as I explained to them again when I visited now three weeks ago. I know some of them are somewhat irritated this role of the High Representative mister Schmeat, and of course other aspects of the data and agreement. But in the end, if they take console of the country, the three of them, then they really rule the country, and that is my urge for NATO.
I've made very clear we cannot accept a security vacanm in in Boston and actor Corena. We don't want any destabilization there. And of course when it comes to Dodic, the President of Republic Askapska and all the court orders and everything happening there, we expect him to yeah, to basically accept when the independent judiciary is ruling, that he accepts that and that he then behaves accordingly.
M h.
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