Human Rights Council & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (7 March 2019)

Briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Daily Noon Briefing:
- Deputy Secretary-General,
- Yemen,
- Syria,
- Ethiopia,
- International Labour Organisation,
- UNICEF,
- UNDP,
- Food and Agricultural Organization
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, today addressed the 40th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, and she saluted the Council for its outstanding contribution for human rights and, in particular, for Agenda 2030.  
She said she wanted to reinforce the rock-solid commitment to delivering on people’s rights and wellbeing through implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.  
The Deputy Secretary-General said that the 2030 Agenda is a People’s Agenda which commits all of us to put people first and realize a more equitable and sustainable world – a world where no one is left behind.  And she added that human rights are core to the 2030 Agenda. But, as the Secretary-General has warned, we are off track to achieving the 2030 Agenda. She said that we are falling behind in achieving the promise to ‘leave no one behind’. 
YEMEN
Our colleagues in Yemen are alarmed by the military activities in Hajour and the humanitarian consequences resulting from a continuation of violence on the civilians.  We call on the parties to exercise restraint and to refrain from any acts that lead to further escalation.
Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says that civilians continue to pay a high price in the conflict in Yemen. On average, almost 100 civilian deaths or injuries were recorded each week in 2018.
According to the Civilian Impact Monitoring Report for 2018, more than 4,800 civilian deaths and injuries were reported over the course of the year, resulting in an average of 93 civilian casualties per week.
SYRIA
Today, the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) completed an interagency convoy delivering humanitarian assistance to meet the urgent needs of 50,000 people in Menbij area and surrounding areas in northwest Aleppo Governorate. 
A total of 37 trucks carried 862 metric tonnes of food and other items, education materials, nutrition and medical supplies that the Red Crescent will distribute in the coming days. Female-headed households, people living with disabilities and those living in informal settlements – all considered particularly vulnerable – will be prioritized in the distribution. The food supplies for 50,000 people are expected to last for approximately 30 days, while the medical supplies will treat more than 80,000 people.
Menbij and surrounding areas have witnessed periods of heightened hostilities and large-scale displacement throughout the Syria crisis. Humanitarian response has been limited in the area, and despite a gradual cessation in hostilities in the past two years, needs remain high.
The United Nations calls for safe, sustained and unimpeded access to Menbij to facilitate the regular delivery of assistance and services to meet the needs of the population.
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