Food Security in Malawi & other topics - Daily Briefing (4 March 2019)

Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Malawi
- Syria
- Gaza
- UN Environment Programme
- UNESCO
- International Narcotics Control Board
MALAWI
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, completed his two-day mission to Malawi on Saturday; he met with the President of the country and other senior Government leaders as well as development partners, and heard from Malawians struggling through the current lean season.
Following projections at the end of 2018 showing that 3.3 million people would be severely food insecure between January and March, Mr. Lowcock earlier released US$10 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).

SYRIA
Also, from our humanitarian colleagues, I can tell you that we are concerned by reports of civilian casualties, both due to continued hostilities and unexploded ordinances left behind in the northwestern part of the country.
At least four civilians were reportedly killed, many more injured during shelling in Idleb, Hama and Aleppo governorates in the first three days of March.
Yesterday, two civilians were reportedly killed when an unexploded ordnance went off in north-west Aleppo. The threat of explosive hazards of all kinds remains a major problem and a major concern in Syria, with more than 10 million people estimated to live in contaminated areas. One in two people live at risk of explosive hazards.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues in the country remain gravely concerned about the situation of tens of thousands of civilians who fled the last Da’esh-held areas of Al-Baghouz in rural Deir Ezzour and are now hosted at the Al Hol camp. There are now 54,800 people in the camp, of whom over 90 per cent are women and children.

GAZA
Staying in the region, our humanitarian colleagues warn that, following several days of heavy rainfall and possible flooding, an estimated 300,000 people in 60 communities across Gaza are at risk of displacement due to fragile infrastructure and potential property damage.
The ability of authorities in Gaza to respond to emergencies is limited due to funding shortages, import controls and the ongoing energy crisis and the limited capacity of the Palestinian Civil Defense.
Several mitigation measures have been implemented, including advance clearing of existing drainage systems and the deployment of mobile pumps - many of which were provided by the United Nations - at various hotspots. Flooding monitoring teams have also been deployed.
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