Transition Process in Sudan & other topics- Daily Press Briefing (11 April 2019)

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Daily Press Briefing:
- Sudan
- Libya
- Security Council
- Deputy Secretary-General
- Deputy Secretary-General's Travels
- Iran
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Honour Roll
SUDAN
The Secretary-General continues to follow the developments in Sudan very closely and reiterates his call for calm and utmost restraint by all.
He recalls his previous encouragement and expectation that the democratic aspirations of the Sudanese people will be realized through an appropriate and inclusive transition process.
The Secretary-General reaffirms that the United Nations stands ready to support the Sudanese people as they chart a new way forward.

LIBYA
Our political colleagues say clashes have reportedly further intensified in southern Tripoli, with the fighting in the past 24 hours the heaviest since the outbreak of hostilities. We remain deeply concerned about the well-being of the civilians in and around the areas of clashes, especially amid increasing reports of indiscriminate shelling on built-up areas, leading to an upsurge in displacement and blocking access to emergency services.
Our humanitarian colleagues report that displacement continues to surge from areas affected by the clashes in and around Tripoli. More than 8,000 people have fled the fighting, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
An estimated 650 families have requested relocation to safer areas. However, due to access restrictions, hostilities and the indiscriminate use of weapons, evacuation teams have only been able to respond to 15 per cent of all requests. Further operations continue today.
Families stranded inside conflict areas not only fear for their safety, but are also starting to run out of supplies.
Emergency service providers are operating with great personal risk, with three medical staff reportedly killed and four first responders reportedly injured. Evacuation teams have issued an urgent call for bullet-proof vests and helmets to protect their staff from harm while on duty.
The World Health Organization (WHO), for its part, has deployed emergency medical teams to help hospitals cope with their caseloads and support surgical staff, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
WHO plans to deploy additional emergency teams and supplies to support first-line responders and has activated contingency stocks which were strategically pre-positioned before the fighting began. The agency is also working with partners to support the medical needs of the displaced and migrants.
According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, while most of those displaced by the fighting continue to seek shelter with family members and other hosting arrangements, multiple collective shelters have been set up in the various areas of Tripoli. However, at least two of these shelters had to be evacuated and moved today, as the conflict lines moved too close.
The UN continues to call for a humanitarian truce to allow for the provision of emergency services and the voluntary passage of civilians, including those wounded, from areas of conflict.
As you will have seen that yesterday, the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on his recent trip to Libya. He reiterated his strong appeal for an immediate end to the fighting. The Secretary-General underlined that there is no military solution and that there is an urgent need for the parties to return to a serious political process.
In Tripoli, Special Representative Ghassan Salamé echoed the Secretary-General’s appeal to stop the fighting immediately, stressing that it is high time for the voices of reason to prevail and save Libya from the scourge of a bloody civil war.
The UN Support Mission in Libya continues to work to de-escalate the military situation and support humanitarian assistance efforts. The UN urges all parties to respect the calls for a humanitarian truce to allow civilians caught in the crossfire to move to safer places.
Earlier today, we contradicted a press report out of Nepal saying the Nepalese guard unit in Tripoli was about to leave. They are remaining in Tripoli to protect the UN Mission there. We very much appreciate all their work.
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