Governance :: Security Council

Joint Letter to UN Security Council on Participation and Transparency
17 April 2020 – New York
To: The President of the Security Council, H.E. Mr. José Singer Weisinger
Excellency,
We, the undersigned civil society organisations, write to you as human rights, humanitarian, development and peacebuilding organisations that actively and regularly contribute to the work of the UN Security Council. We write to you at this time to raise concerns around the transparency of the work of the Security Council and obstacles to the effective participation of civil society in its work due to recent changes to the working methods of the Council in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement by Council members on procedures for its meetings and adoptions during China’s presidency in March was a vital step forward to ensure the work of the Security Council continued in an unprecedented and challenging time. We welcome further efforts by the Dominican Republic, as President of the Council in April, to increase transparency including through the practice of publishing the Informal Plan of VTC of the Security Council, allowing a live webcast of the relevant briefers moderated by the President of the Council during “Open VTCs”, and of striving to publish press elements following Council sessions.

However, there continue to be significant challenges to ensuring transparency and meaningful participation of civil society in the Council’s work. We were disappointed, for example, that it took nearly a month following the WHO’s declaration of a pandemic for the Security Council to invite the Secretary General to brief and that it was decided that the briefing would be held behind closed doors, despite requests from other Member States to keep it open. Civil society access to the Council has also considerably shrunk as a result of the new working methods.

As civil society organisations working on every area on the Security Council’s agenda, we bring dedicated expertise and experience that we believe is vital to complement the work of States and UN agencies, and critical to ensuring a more effective and accountable Security Council. This is particularly crucial as the COVID-19 pandemic affects every person in the world in distinct ways.

As organisations working at global, national and local levels often in partnership with grassroots organisations and with communities affected by many of the situations and issues on the Council’s agenda, it is critical that the voices of those we serve and whose rights we fight for, including women, girls and boys, persons with disabilities, the displaced, and those most marginalised, are elevated and heard at the global level, particularly during these trying times.

We thus urge the Council to implement, urgently and as a minimum standard, the following steps:
:: Find a solution to broadcast Open VTCs live as a matter of urgency.
:: As an interim measure, while a live broadcast is not possible for technical reasons, effectively publish online the statements of all Council members and briefers for all open meetings.
:: Ensure closed meetings are reserved for closed consultations or meetings that would have otherwise been held in private and not used arbitrarily to reduce the transparency or visibility of the Council’s work.
:: Actively invite civil society organisations to brief during Open VTCs, fulfilling the Council’s expressed commitment in line with numerous Resolutions like UNSCR 2242 (2015), and take all necessary steps to enable their safe and meaningful participation while temporary working methods are in place.
:: Actively and meaningfully consult with civil society on any further decisions regarding working methods of the Security Council.

We offer you our full support and cooperation in seeking to address these issues and efforts to increase transparency during your Presidency in the month of April.

Sincerely,
ACT Alliance
Action Against Hunger (ACF)
Amnesty International
CARE International
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC)
ChildFund
Concern Worldwide US
Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P)
Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Humanity & Inclusion (HI)
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
Lutheran World Federation
Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
Oxfam
PAX
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Save the Children
The Global Justice Center (GJC)
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Methodist Women
War Child
Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict
Women’s Refugee Commission
World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP)
World Vision

COVID-19 :: Middle East

ICRC: COVID-19: Middle East faces health crisis, socio-economic earthquake
16-04-2020 | Statement
“The Middle East is today facing the twin threats of potential mass virus outbreaks in conflict zones and looming socio-economic upheaval. Both crises could have severe humanitarian consequences.

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to be a global socio-economic earthquake. It will be felt acutely in the region’s conflict zones, where millions are already coping with little or no healthcare, food, water and electricity, lost livelihoods, rising prices and destroyed infrastructure.

Deep humanitarian needs will worsen and new ones will emerge if the international community doesn’t factor socio-economic aftershocks into our response. Authorities and local responders must be supported now to ensure people’s lives, livelihoods and food security are protected later.

Much-needed public health measures like lockdowns and curfews already make it difficult or impossible for many people to provide for themselves and their families. Small shops are shuttered. Cafes sit empty. Street vendors have lost their passing trade. The switch to online working could see many left behind. Over time, levels of hunger, malnutrition and chronic illness and stress linked to economic problems could soar.

Across the Middle East, many people are already living a hand-to-mouth existence, struggling to survive and rebuild their lives against vast odds. In Syria, seeing children the same age as my own playing in camps is a humbling experience. They are some of the millions of people we help access clean water every day. In Iraq, mothers and widows told me what our support for their small businesses meant to their families. Such support will be more important than ever in the coming months as we face this pandemic together.

With our Red Cross Red Crescent partners, we are doing our best to help the region’s most vulnerable people and bolster efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. In Yemen, our life-saving support to hospitals, clinics and dialysis centers now includes help with their COVID-19 prevention preparations. In Syria and Iraq, we are helping prisons with their anti-infection measures. Water trucking support to camps, displacement shelters and places of detention ensures people have clean water to wash in. Hygiene kits for displaced people and detainees include soap and shampoo.

More broadly, our water and sanitation services, energy provision, food and household distributions and micro-economic initiatives need to continue and increase where possible, reinforcing support to fragile systems and serving basic needs that may be overshadowed in the pandemic. Right now in Yemen, we have teams out on field trips registering people who need aid. Across the region, we want to increase our support in coming months, especially to people who may be particularly affected like low-income workers, women heading households, farmers and people with disabilities.

We’ve changed the way we work to keep staff and the people we help safe, using physical distancing during distributions, wearing protective equipment and changing how certain aid and cash transfers are delivered, for example. We will continue to adapt and to innovate. We will increase our assistance to the people who need it most, working with our Red Cross Red Crescent partners and the tens of thousands of volunteers who go out every day to help their communities across the Middle East, through the pandemic and beyond it.”

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Examples of ICRC’s COVID-19 response in the Middle East
Syria: Donating hygiene kits for detainees, as well as preventative equipment and materials like disinfectant, gloves, goggles and gowns to central prisons under the Ministry of Interior; preventative measures in the ICRC-Syrian Arab Red Crescent field hospital in Al Hol camp; hygiene kits to reach 750,000 internally displaced people over next three months.

Iraq: Donating protective equipment and materials like disinfectant, gloves, goggles, gowns to health facilities and places of detention across the country. To date, donated to 18 primary health care centres, two hospitals and 15 physical rehabilitation centres, as well as 27 places of detention housing more than 45,000 detainees.

Yemen: Training, preventive information and material distributed to supported hospitals, primary health care centres and dialysis centers, alongside ongoing support to these facilities; public information campaign including audio spots on COVID prevention measures.

Gaza: Donated 20,000 masks and other protective materials to Palestinian Red Crescent Society; supporting authorities’ quarantine efforts with donations of blankets, mattresses and hygiene kits. Supplying infrared thermometers to screen suspected cases and other medical equipment.

Lebanon: Supporting the main COVID-19 testing and treatment facility in country, Rafic Hariri University Hospital, to boost response and bed capacity; working with detaining authorities in Roumieh prison to upgrade facilities and set up isolation block for suspected and confirmed cases.

Jordan: Provided hygiene and protective equipment for places of detention and correctional facilities; cash transfer programmes for Syrian refugees continues with preventative measures.

Iran: The ICRC has donated CHF 500,000 to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, which is leading the response to and providing services in several areas including disinfection of prisons, screening and treatment of patients, public information campaigns and livelihood support to affected vulnerable people.

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Existing Humanitarian needs and ICRC response in Middle East
:: Half of all medical facilities in Syria and Yemen are not functioning.
:: Three of ICRC’s five biggest humanitarian operations in 2019 were in Middle East – Syria, Yemen and Iraq
:: In these three countries alone, almost 40 million people need humanitarian aid
:: ICRC provides water and sanitation support to authorities across the region – Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank and Lebanon
:: ICRC’s provided food assistance to two million people in the Middle East in 2019.

COVID-19 :: Equity, Human Rights

Call for a Coordinated, Equitable, and Human Rights-based Global Response to COVID-19
World Federation of Public Health Associations
Friday, 17 April 2020
WFPHA has signed Call for Global Action Plan on COVID-19. The undersigned 99 organizations and 40 individuals call upon heads of state and government of G20 countries to ensure a robust, coordinated global response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that is humane, equitable, based in the universality of human rights, and meets the needs of countries and people who are most vulnerable and have the fewest resources…

3. Maximize supply and share health resources globally, equitably and based on need
Higher-income countries have insufficient necessary medical supplies and equipment, yet shortfalls in lower-income countries are far greater still, with a lack of personal protective equipment putting large numbers of health workers at preventable risk, and causing countless avoidable COVID-19 patient deaths. We therefore call upon your governments to:
:: Use the full authorities under your law to demand the utmost efforts of manufacturers to maximize
:: Support WHO in developing a global pool of intellectual property rights for technologies for preventing, detecting, controlling, and treating the COVID-19 pandemic, to make the intellectual property needed to manufacture these technologies and secure their regulator approval freely accessible or available through licensing at reasonable and affordable terms, as proposed by the government of Costa Rica
:: Implement your 26 March 2020 commitment to ensure medical supplies are widely available at affordable prices, on an equitable basis, where most needed, and as quickly as possible, through all necessary actions, which may include:
:: Supporting WHO in developing guidelines to determine where supplies and equipment should be distributed based on these principles; supporting WHO in developing a platform to facilitate needs-based, equitable distribution; and adhering to WHO guidelines
:: Agreeing to donate a significant proportion of any procurements of these supplies and equipment available to WHO, for it to distribute equitably, based on need
. Regularly, publicly report on how you are meeting your 26 March 2020 commitment
. For countries past the peak of their epidemics, or with sufficient levels of supplies and equipment,
share not presently needed supplies and equipment based on the same principles of need and
equity

4. Distribute therapies and vaccines equitably, based on need
Once developed, COVID-19 therapies and vaccines for COVID-19 must also be distributed equitably, based on need, and not on where they are manufactured or what country can pay the most. We therefore call upon your governments to:
:: Work with WHO to develop a plan for manufacturing and distributing any COVID-19 vaccines globally, equitably, based on need, and free at the point of use; and commit to following this plan
:: Immediately provide the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations the $2 billion it requires to support developing a vaccine
:: Require any vaccines developed with public funding to be available to governments and international organizations at affordable prices…

Signatories at title link above

COVID-19:: World Bank Action

World Bank Group to Launch New Multi-donor Trust Fund to Help Countries Prepare for Disease Outbreaks
WASHINGTON, April 17, 2020 —- Given the urgency for stronger global health security and the need to help developing countries get better prepared for disease outbreaks, the World Bank Group is planning to establish a new Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund (HEPRF). This new fund will complement, and be in addition to, the up to $160 billion of financing the World Bank Group will provide over the next 15 months to support COVID-19 measures that will help countries respond to immediate health consequences of the pandemic and bolster economic recovery.

The HEPRF will provide incentives to low-income countries to increase investments in health preparedness and support the immediate COVID-19 response. In doing so, the HEPRF will help to guide critical health security investments now and in years to come. Specifically, the fund will:
:: Provide incentives to IDA-eligible countries to increase investments in preparedness, for example, by offering co-financing grants that encourage the use of their IDA allocations for better health emergency prevention, detection and response.
:: Enable low-income countries to quickly and effectively respond to major disease outbreaks at an early stage, complementary to IDA’s Crisis Response Window. It will also support other countries and territories that do not have access to financing such as IDA countries in arrears and non-creditworthy IBRD countries.

Japan has expressed its intention to become the founding donor of the new Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund, which is now open for contributions from all donor countries. The World Bank and Japan are encouraging other donor countries to make contributions to this fund to help low income countries with the greatest needs prepare for and respond to major disease outbreaks.

“The new Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund will be another tool in the World Bank’s COVID-19 response and longer-term health preparedness agenda to support low-income countries, as well as the most vulnerable communities, including refugees,” said Annette Dixon, Vice President for Human Development at the World Bank. “We are thankful to the Government of Japan for their leadership in health security and encourage other donors to join us.”

As part of the World Bank’s trust fund reform, the new Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Multi-Donor Fund will anchor the Umbrella Program for Health Security. The objective of this umbrella is to help countries develop strong public health capacity, including preparedness, disease surveillance, laboratory and diagnostic capacity, health human resources, as well as emergency response operations.

COVID-19 :: Freedoms, Force

COVID-19 security measures no excuse for excessive use of force, say UN Special Rapporteurs
GENEVA (17 April 2020) – UN Human rights experts* have expressed grave concern at the multiplication of accounts of police killings and other acts of violence within the context of COVID-19 emergency measures.

“We are alarmed at the rise of reports of killings and other instances of excessive use of force targeting in particular people living in vulnerable situations,” said the Special Rapporteurs.

“Persons in vulnerable situations such as people living in poverty and those living in slums, homeless persons, minorities, individuals in detention, women and children victims of domestic violence, migrants and refugees, trans women and all those who defend their rights, are already affected disproportionately by the virus. No-visitor policies in nursing homes and home care exacerbate the risk of violence, maltreatment, abuse and neglect of older persons and others living in institutions.”

“All these people who are often disproportionately affected by the virus, because of their precarious conditions of existence, should not be victimized further because of state of emergency measures.”

The experts reminded governments and law enforcement agencies that the prohibition against arbitrary deprivation of life, torture and other ill-treatment, is absolute and non-derogable at all times.

“Even during states of emergency, the use of force remains guided by the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality and precaution. They demand that the use of force and of firearms must be avoided, and that all possible non-violent means must be exhausted before resorting to violent ones.”

Law enforcement agencies, the experts recalled, should only use force when strictly necessary. Lethal force should only be used to protect against an imminent risk to life and even then, reasonable precautions must always be taken to prevent loss of life.

“Breaking a curfew, or any restriction on freedom of movement, cannot justify resorting to excessive use of force by the police; under no circumstances should it lead to the use of lethal force.”

The experts insist that further precautions to protect the right to life and dignity should be taken in view of the fact that so many people have no home in which to remain confined, or live in dense and promiscuous conditions, and do not have the means by which to sustain their families under isolation.

“You can’t stay home if you don’t have one. You can’t remain confined if you don’t have what you need to feed your family,” the human rights experts noted. “How do you ‘physically distance’ in an urban slum? How do you eat or drink when you are a daily-wage labourer and need to go out every day to earn the money to do so?”

“In addition, given the high number of reported COVID-19 infections among police officers, police interactions may represent an additional source of risk of infection for populations already in vulnerable situations that must not be disregarded in the deployment and use of police authority.”

The experts called on governments to devise specific measures to mitigate the disproportionate effects that emergency measures may have on groups in vulnerable situations, and to protect them.

“It is important that law enforcement agencies take into account the local context, the needs and vulnerabilities of particular groups of people, and exercise caution when resorting to the use of force to see to it that it is necessary and proportionate,” they said. “For millions of people, emergency measures can be a more direct threat to their life, livelihood, and dignity than even the virus itself. There are other ways to police than force first.”

“We recommend discussion, instruction, consultation and community engagement – as operating principles for the police, when implementing emergency measures. This is what international law demands because it is what protection of human rights in a time of contagion requires,” the experts concluded.

COVID-19 :: WHO

No Time to Cut World Health Organization Funding, Secretary-General Stresses, as Member States Battle against Vast COVID-19 Impact
14 April 2020 SG/SM/20045
As I said on 8 April:  “The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most dangerous challenges this world has faced in our lifetime.  It is above all a human crisis with severe health and socioeconomic consequences.  The World Health Organization (WHO), with thousands of its staff, is on the front lines, supporting Member States and their societies, especially the most vulnerable among them, with guidance, training, equipment and concrete life-saving services as they fight the virus.

“It is my belief that the World Health Organization must be supported, as it is absolutely critical to the world’s efforts to win the war against COVID-19.  This virus is unprecedented in our lifetime and requires an unprecedented response.  Obviously, in such conditions, it is possible that the same facts have had different readings by different entities.  Once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic, there must be a time to look back fully to understand how such a disease emerged and spread its devastation so quickly across the globe, and how all those involved reacted to the crisis.  The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future.  But, now is not that time.”

As it is not that time, it is also not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.

As I have said before, now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.

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Financial Times, 16 April 2020
Opinion – Editorial Board
The WHO should be bolstered, not crippled
Suspending US funding to global health body is grossly irresponsible 
A global pandemic demands a global response. The only international body that can provide that response is the World Health Organization. It is the WHO’s job to track the spread of coronavirus, to share information and advice about best practice, and to help co-ordinate the international response to a common threat to humanity. To cut the WHO off at the knees during the biggest global health emergency for a century is, therefore, grossly irresponsible. Yet that is precisely what Donald Trump’s administration has done, by suspending US funding for the WHO.

As it struggles with this pandemic, the WHO needs more money, not less. It is a sorry state of affairs that the Gates Foundation, a private organisation, is the second-largest donor to the WHO, after the US, and that the Rotarians donate considerably more money to the organisation than the People’s Republic of China.

The fact that the Trump administration is behaving recklessly does not mean that the WHO’s behaviour over coronavirus has been beyond reproach. Far from it. On January 14, the WHO tweeted that there was no “clear evidence of human-to-human transmission” of the coronavirus — an incautious piece of reassurance that echoed the line being taken by the Chinese government. On January 30, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO’s director-general, praised China for “setting a new standard for outbreak control” — despite the fact that China had intimidated and silenced doctors who had raised the alarm about the pandemic, and initially refused the WHO’s own requests to send observers to Hubei province, where the outbreak began.

Yet weaknesses in the WHO’s response pale in comparison with Mr Trump’s own complacency. As late as February 24, more than a month after the first Covid-19 case had emerged in America, Mr Trump was tweeting that the disease was “very much under control in the US” and urging people to buy into the stock market. The fact that the president is now rounding on the WHO looks like a transparent effort to deflect attention from his own weak response.
Like any UN agency, the WHO needs the support and co-operation of its members. Securing that co-operation is a particularly difficult task when the world’s two most powerful countries — the US and China — are both run by nationalistic presidents, hypersensitive to any slight to their dignity. Mr Tedros’s early praise for China now looks ill-advised. But it was an understandable error, given that the WHO badly needed China’s co-operation.

The real problem was the Chinese government, not the WHO. China’s initial failure to be open about events in Wuhan has been compounded by its obsession with preventing recognition of Taiwan. Yet, despite close links to the mainland, Taiwan has done an admirable job in containing the pandemic and was among the first to warn of human-to-human transmission.
However, if a secretive China exerts excessive influence over the WHO, the answer is not for the US to withdraw. The real solution is for western powers — above all the US and the EU — to work together to improve the organisation. Instead, the Trump administration has treated both the UN and the EU as deeply suspect, belittling and ignoring them. Washington’s neglect and western disunity have allowed the Chinese government greatly to expand its influence within UN agencies.

Restoring US and western influence in those agencies is a key task. But it must wait for calmer times. Right now, the WHO needs to be allowed to get on with its job. The US threat of crippling cuts in its funding must be withdrawn.

Milestones :: Perspectives :: Research

COVID-10 :: Impacts

More than 117 million children at risk of missing out on measles vaccines, as COVID-19 surges
Statement by the Measles & Rubella Initiative: American Red Cross, U.S. CDC, UNICEF, UN Foundation and WHO
ATLANTA/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 14 April 2020: “As COVID-19 continues to spread globally, over 117 million children in 37 countries may miss out on receiving life-saving measles vaccine. Measles immunization campaigns in 24 countries have already been delayed; more will be postponed.

“During this challenging period, the Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI) expresses solidarity with families, communities, governments and emergency responders and joins our global immunization and health partners, including those within Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in our collective focus and fight against the threat of COVID-19. The pandemic sweeping the globe requires a coordinated effort and commitment of resources to ensure frontline health workers around the world are protected, as they face and respond to this new threat. At the same time, we must also champion efforts to protect essential immunization services, now and for the future.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines endorsed by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization — to help countries to sustain immunization activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines recommend that governments temporarily pause preventive immunization campaigns where there is no active outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease. M&RI partners, which include the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation and WHO, strongly agree with these recommendations. We also urge countries to continue routine immunization services, while ensuring the safety of communities and health workers. The recommendations also ask governments to undertake a careful risk-benefit analysis when deciding whether to delay vaccination campaigns in response to outbreaks, with the possibility of postponement where risks of COVID-19 transmission are deemed unacceptably high.

“If the difficult choice to pause vaccination is made due to the spread of COVID-19, we urge leaders to intensify efforts to track unvaccinated children, so that the most vulnerable populations can be provided with measles vaccines as soon as it becomes possible to do so. While we know there will be many demands on health systems and frontline workers during and beyond the threat of COVID-19, delivering all immunization services, including measles vaccines, is essential to saving lives that would otherwise be lost to vaccine-preventable diseases.

“The M&RI supports the need to protect communities and health workers from COVID-19 through a pause of mass campaigns, where risks of the disease are high. However, this should not mean that children permanently miss out. Urgent efforts must be taken now at local, national, regional and global levels to prepare to close the immunity gaps that the measles virus will exploit, by ensuring that vaccines are available and that they reach children and vulnerable populations, as quickly as possible, to keep them safe.

“Despite having a safe and effective vaccine for over 50 years, measles cases surged over recent years and claimed more than 140,000 lives in 2018, mostly of children and babies – all of which were preventable. Against this already dangerous backdrop, preventive and responsive measles vaccination campaigns have now been paused or postponed in 24 countries to help avert further spread of COVID-19. Campaigns expected to take place later in 2020 in an additional 13 countries may not be implemented. Together, more than 117 million children in 37 countries, many of whom live in regions with ongoing measles outbreaks, could be impacted by the suspension of scheduled immunization activities. This staggering number does not include the number of infants that may not be vaccinated because of the effect of COVID-19 on routine immunization services.  Children younger than 12 months of age are more likely to die from measles complications, and if the circulation of measles virus is not stopped, their risk of exposure to measles will increase daily.  

“The M&RI salutes the heroism of health and emergency workers across the globe, and we recognize the vital role they play in delivering clear, trusted information, as well as preventive and supportive care within their communities. We must invest in health workers and ensure they are protected from infection and empowered as part of sustainable and functioning primary health systems. They are the first line of defense against global epidemics. We also recognize the role of parents and caregivers in ensuring their children are vaccinated by following physical distancing recommendations in line with national guidance. Finally, we call on countries and local leaders to implement effective communication strategies to engage communities, ensure supply and demand for vaccination remains strong, and help assure a healthy life for every child especially in this challenging time.”

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Editor’s Note:
We certainly recognize the velocity of global developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have concentrated the most current key reports just below, COVID-19 announcements, analysis and commentary will be found throughout this issue, in all sections.
Beyond the considerable continuing coverage in the global general media, the WHO’s authoritative guidance is available here:
:: Daily WHO situation reports here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
:: WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) daily press briefings here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/press-briefings

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Situation report – 88 [WHO]

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
17 April 2020
[Excerpts]
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
Globally
2 074 529 confirmed (82 967)
139 378 deaths (8493)

European Region
1 050 871 confirmed (37 778)
93 480 deaths (4163)

Region of the Americas
743 607 confirmed (36 486)
33 028 deaths (2783)

Western Pacific Region
127 595 confirmed (2024)
5558 deaths (1319)

Eastern Mediterranean Region
115 824 confirmed (4392)
5662 deaths (130)

South-East Asia Region
23 560 confirmed (1770)
1051 deaths (61)

African Region
12 360 confirmed (517)
586 deaths (36)

WHO RISK ASSESSMENT
Global Level – Very High

HIGHLIGHTS
:: No new country/territory/area reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
:: Globally, the number of reported confirmed cases exceeded 2 million.

:: WHO has released public health guidance for social and religious practices and gatherings during Ramadan. The guidance also offers advice to strengthen mental and physical wellbeing as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The guidance is available here.

:: WHO has released guidance on considerations in adjusting public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19. This document is intended for national authorities and decision makers in countries that have introduced large scale public health and social measures. It offers guidance for adjusting public health and social measures, while managing the risk of a resurgence of cases. The guidance is available here.

:: The Chinese authorities have informed WHO that as cases have declined in China and the strain on the healthcare system has eased, a multisectoral team was established in late March 2020 to perform a comprehensive review of COVID-19 data in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Information from a variety of sources was reviewed, leading to duplicate cases being removed and missed cases added. Following this review, the total number of cases in Wuhan increased by 325 and the total number of deaths increased by 1290.

:: As of 11 April 2020, 167 countries, territories and areas have implemented additional health measures that significantly interfere with international traffic.

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Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 88: 14 April 2020
[Excerpts]
Situation Update WHO Health Emergencies Programme Page 2
Two new confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) were reported in Beni Health Zone on 10 and 12 April (Figure 1). Both cases passed away in the community after visiting several healthcare facilities. Prior to this, the last person who was confirmed to have EVD in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tested negative twice and was discharged from a treatment centre on 3 March 2020.
Specimens from the two cases were sent to the Institut de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB) in Katwa and Kinshasa for genetic sequencing in order to support surveillance teams in the investigation of the source of infection and to determine whether these two cases were linked to a known chain of transmission. A total of 213 contacts of these cases have been registered, 116 of whom were followed on 12 April 2020, and 90 were vaccinated. On 9 April, two new probable cases were validated.
Active outbreak response activities continue, including retrospective and prospective surveillance, pathogen detection, and clinical management activities in previously affected areas, in addition to alert validation, supporting appropriate care and rapid diagnosis of suspected cases, building partnerships with community members to strengthen investigation of EVD deaths in communities, and strategically transitioning activities.

…Conclusion
The newly confirmed cases in Beni Health Zone 40 days into the 42-day count down period to the end of the outbreak are unfortunate but not unexpected. The WHO criteria for end of the outbreak includes a 42-day period when we expect to identify cases within undetected chains of transmission. Thorough investigation of yet-to-be-identified cases and probable cases should be conducted in order to tackle this new chain of transmission. Outbreak response teams continue to face insecurity in affected areas, which makes the ongoing surveillance and response activities particularly challenging. This development reinforces the importance of continued vigilance and the maintenance of strengthened surveillance activities, rapid detection and response capacities in affected areas. It is also important that response activities for other local and global emergencies, including COVID-19 synergize and enhance, not detract from, EVD surveillance and response efforts.

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Congo Records Five New Ebola Cases, Shelves Declaration of End to Epidemic
Five new Ebola infections have been recorded in eastern Congo since last week in a new flare-up just as the government was about to declare an end to the deadly epidemic, the World Health Organization said on Friday.
By Reuters
New York Times, Africa, Apr 17, 2020

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Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 15 April 2020
:: The GPEI will continue to make available the plans and guidance documents regarding the impact of COVID-19 on polio eradication on this page.

Summary of new viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Afghanistan: eight cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Pakistan: three WPV1 cases and five WPV1 positive environmental samples
:: Niger: one cVDPV2 case
:: Ghana: four cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Malaysia: one cVDPV1 positive environmental sample
:: Côte d’Ivoire: one cVDPV2 positive environmental sample

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WHO Grade 3 Emergencies [to 18 Apr 2020]

Democratic Republic of the Congo
:: Ebola Outbreak in DRC 88: 14 April 2020
[See Ebola above for detail]

Mozambique
:: World Health Organization: 28 cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Mozambique 14 April 2020

Nigeria – No new digest announcements identified
Somalia – No new digest announcements identified
South Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Syrian Arab Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

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WHO Grade 2 Emergencies [to 18 Apr 2020]
Angola
:: COVID-19 accelerated response caravan begins countrywide operation 17 April 2020

Afghanistan – No new digest announcements identified
Burkina Faso [in French] – No new digest announcements identified
Burundi – No new digest announcements identified
Cameroon – No new digest announcements identified
Central African Republic – No new digest announcements identified
Ethiopia – No new digest announcements identified
HIV in Pakistan – No new digest announcements identified
Iran – No new digest announcements identified
Iraq – No new digest announcements identified
Libya – No new digest announcements identified
Malawi – No new digest announcements identified
Measles in Europe – No new digest announcements identified
MERS-CoV – No new digest announcements identified
Myanmar – No new digest announcements identified
Niger – No new digest announcements identified
occupied Palestinian territory – No new digest announcements identified
Sudan – No new digest announcements identified
Ukraine – No new digest announcements identified
Zimbabwe – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

WHO Grade 1 Emergencies [to 18 Apr 2020]

Chad – No new digest announcements identified
Djibouti – No new digest announcements identified
Kenya – No new digest announcements identified
Mali – No new digest announcements identified
Namibia – viral hepatitis – No new digest announcements identified
Tanzania – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

UN OCHA – L3 Emergencies
The UN and its humanitarian partners are currently responding to three ‘L3’ emergencies. This is the global humanitarian system’s classification for the response to the most severe, large-scale humanitarian crises. 
Syrian Arab Republic
:: Recent Developments in Northwest Syria – Situation Report No. 12 – As of 17 April 2020
. Immense humanitarian needs remain for people in northwest Syria despite a relatively calm security situation under the current ceasefire. Further scale-up is needed as the COVID-19 pandemic intensifies people’s needs and hampers response efforts. Urgent emergency needs are increasingly being exacerbated by needs associated with those of people in longer-term displacement.
. To date, no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in northwest Syria. Humanitarian response efforts continue to focus on preparedness and response planning to minimise potential impact of COVID-19 on communities and on humanitarian partners.
:: Syrian Arab Republic: COVID-19 Update No. 06 – 17 April 2020
Number of people confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to have COVID-19: 38 (including two fatalities, five recovered)

Yemen – No new digest announcements identified

::::::

UN OCHA – Corporate Emergencies
When the USG/ERC declares a Corporate Emergency Response, all OCHA offices, branches and sections provide their full support to response activities both at HQ and in the field.
CYCLONE IDAI and Kenneth – No new digest announcements identified
EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DRC – No new digest announcements identified

::::::
::::::

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 11 April 2020 :: Number 312

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF:The Sentinel_ period ending 11 Apr 2020

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

COVID-19 :: United Nations Response

World Faces ‘Gravest Test’ since Founding of United Nations, Secretary-General Tells Security Council, Calling for Unity to Address COVID-19 Pandemic
9 April 2020 SG/SM/20041
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council on the COVID-19 pandemic, in New York, today:
Thank you for convening this important discussion. The world faces its gravest test since the founding of this Organization. Every country is now grappling with or poised to suffer the devastating consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: the tens of thousands of lost lives; the broken families; the overwhelmed hospitals; the overworked essential workers.

We are all struggling to absorb the unfolding shock: the jobs that have disappeared and businesses that have suffered; the fundamental and drastic shift to our daily lives; and the fear that the worst is still yet to come, especially in the developing world and countries already battered by armed conflict.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, its implications are much more far-reaching. We are already seeing its ruinous social and economic impacts, as Governments around the world struggle to find the most effective responses to rising unemployment and the economic downturn. But, the pandemic also poses a significant threat to the maintenance of international peace and security — potentially leading to an increase in social unrest and violence that would greatly undermine our ability to fight the disease.

My concerns are many and widespread, but let me identify eight risks that are particularly pressing.

First, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to further erode trust in public institutions, particularly if citizens perceive that their authorities mishandled the response or are not transparent on the scope of the crisis.

Second, the economic fallout of this crisis could create major stressors, particularly in fragile societies, less developed countries and those in transition. Economic instability will have particularly devastating impacts for women, who make up the vast majority of those sectors worst affected. The large numbers of female-headed households in conflict settings are especially vulnerable to economic shocks.

Third, the postponement of elections or referenda, or the decision to proceed with a vote – even with mitigation measures – can create political tensions and undermine legitimacy. Such decisions are best made following broad consultation aimed at consensus. This is not a time for political opportunism.

Fourth, in some conflict settings, the uncertainty created by the pandemic may create incentives for some actors to promote further division and turmoil. This could lead to an escalation of violence and possibly devastating miscalculations, which could further entrench ongoing wars and complicate efforts to fight the pandemic.

Fifth, the threat of terrorism remains alive. Terrorist groups may see a window of opportunity to strike while the attention of most Governments is turned towards the pandemic. The situation in the Sahel, where people face the double scourge of the virus and escalating terrorism, is of particular concern.

Sixth, the weaknesses and lack of preparedness exposed by this pandemic provide a window onto how a bioterrorist attack might unfold and may increase its risks. Non-State groups could gain access to virulent strains that could pose similar devastation to societies around the globe.

Seventh, the crisis has hindered international, regional and national conflict resolution efforts, exactly when they are needed most. Many peace processes have stalled as the world responds to COVID-19. Our good offices and mediation engagements have felt the impact. Restrictions on movement may continue to affect the work of various confidence-based mechanisms, as well as our ability to engage in crisis diplomacy to de-escalate potential conflicts.

Eighth, the pandemic is triggering or exacerbating various human rights challenges. We are seeing stigma, hate speech, and white supremacists and other extremists seeking to exploit the situation. We are witnessing discrimination in accessing health services. Refugees and internally displaced persons are particularly vulnerable. And there are growing manifestations of authoritarianism, including limits on the media, civic space and freedom of expression.

Recognizing the unprecedented challenge we face, on 23 March I called for an immediate global ceasefire. I urged all warring parties to silence the guns in order to help create conditions for the delivery of aid, open up space for diplomacy and bring hope to places among the most vulnerable to the pandemic.

I have been encouraged by the support that my call has received around the globe, from Heads of State and Government to regional partners, civil society activists and religious leaders. From South America to Africa and from the Middle East to Asia we have seen conflict parties take some initial steps to end violence and fight the pandemic.

Still, we must remain cautious, as any gains are fragile and easily reversible, as conflicts have festered for years, distrust is deep, and there are many spoilers. Moving from good intentions to implementation will require a concerted international effort. And in many of the most critical situations, we have seen no let-up in fighting, and some conflicts have even intensified.

My special representatives and envoys will continue to engage with conflict actors to help make sure that ceasefires are implemented and that they pave the way towards lasting political solutions. I also welcome efforts being made by other mediation actors. Despite the difficulties of convening parties for direct talks, we are using digital tools where we can to open and maintain channels of communication and to de-escalate crises…

…The humanitarian community, for its part, has mobilized swiftly in response to the crisis in close cooperation with the World Health Organization. Two weeks ago, I launched the COVID-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan, focusing on needs in countries already facing a humanitarian crisis. The Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated $75 million, and, as of two days ago, the Plan had received $396.5 million.

I wish to highlight three priority areas where further support and action are needed.

First, ensuring humanitarian access and opening corridors for the safe and timely movement of goods and personnel.

Second, mobilizing strong and flexible funding for the COVID-19 Response Plan and existing humanitarian appeals. Resources for one should not replace or divert from the other.

Third, protecting the most vulnerable populations and those least able to protect themselves. International humanitarian, human rights and refugee law continue to apply, even – and especially – in challenging times like these.

The engagement of the Security Council will be critical to mitigate the peace and security implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, a signal of unity and resolve from the Council would count for a lot at this anxious time. We all recall the crucial role the Council played in marshalling the international community’s response to the security implications of the HIV/AIDS crisis and the Ebola outbreak.

To prevail against the pandemic today, we will need to work together. That means heightened solidarity. And it means having the necessary resources. The financial situation of the United Nations remains perilous, and we have only enough cash to fund peacekeeping operations through the end of June and limited capacity to pay troop- and police-contributing countries.

This is the fight of a generation — and the raison d’être of the United Nations itself. I offer condolences to all countries for their losses from the disease, and reiterate my commitment to working with all of you to meet this all-encompassing test.
Thank you.

COVID-19 Violence Against Children

Joint Leader’s statement – Violence against children: A hidden crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic
8 April 2020 Statement
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact across the world. Efforts to contain the coronavirus are vital to the health of the world’s population, but they are also exposing children to increased risk of violence – including maltreatment, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

As leaders of organisations committed to ending violence against children, we come together in solidarity to share our deep concern, call for action and pledge our support to protect children from violence and reduce the impact of COVID-19 on children in every country and community.

A third of the global population is on COVID-19 lockdown, and school closures have impacted more than 1.5 billion children. Movement restrictions, loss of income, isolation, overcrowding and high levels of stress and anxiety are increasing the likelihood that children experience and observe physical, psychological and sexual abuse at home – particularly those children already living in violent or dysfunctional family situations. And while online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, it is also increasing their exposure to cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation.

The situation is aggravated by children’s lack of access to schoolfriends, teachers, social workers and the safe space and services that schools provide. The most vulnerable children – including refugees, migrants, and children who are internally displaced, deprived of liberty, living without parental care, living on the street and in urban slums, with disabilities, and living in conflict-affected areas – are a particular concern. For many, growing economic vulnerability will increase the threat of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking.

We must act now. Together, we call on governments, the international community and leaders in every sector to urgently respond with a united effort to protect children from the heightened risk of violence, exploitation and abuse as part of the broader response to COVID-19.

Governments have a central role to play. They must ensure that COVID-19 prevention and response plans integrate age appropriate and gender sensitive measures to protect all children from violence, neglect and abuse. Child protection services and workers must be designated as essential and resourced accordingly.

Working with and supporting governments, our collective response must include: maintaining essential health and social welfare services, including mental health and psychosocial support; providing child protection case management and emergency alternative care arrangements; ensuring social protection for the most vulnerable children and households; continuing care and protection for children in institutions; and communicating with and engaging parents, caregivers and children themselves with evidence-based information and advice. National helplines, school counsellors and other child-friendly reporting mechanisms enable children in distress to reach out for help, and must be adapted to the challenges of COVID-19.

Given the heightened risks of online harms, technology companies and telecoms providers must do everything they can to keep children safe online. This includes providing access to cost-free child helplines, age-appropriate services and safe e-education platforms – and using their platforms to share child online safety advice. They must also do more to detect and stop harmful activity against children online, including grooming and the creation and distribution of child sexual abuse images and videos.
As global organisations working to end violence against children, we will continue to advocate for and invest in effective child protection solutions. We will collectively develop and share technical resources and guidance for policymakers, practitioners, parents, caregivers and children themselves. And we will support the courageous health, child protection and humanitarian professionals working around the clock to keep children safe during these unprecedented times.

In recent years, the global community has made significant gains in protecting children from violence. We must not allow those gains to be lost during the current turmoil. We must do all we can to keep children safe now. And we must plan ahead together, so that once the immediate health crisis is over, we can get back on track towards the goal of ending all forms of violence, abuse and neglect of children

Signatories image at title link above

Migrants, Refugees

Joint statement by IRC, MMC and DRC
The Danish Refugee Council, the International Rescue Committee and the Mixed Migration Center call for governments and local authorities to protect the lives of all, regardless of status, and to ensure all migrants and refugees are equally included in all phases of the emergency response to COVID-19.
10.04.20
The journey along the Central Mediterranean Route is a highly dangerous one that many migrants and refugees undertake to seek safety, security and a better future.

In 2019, thousands of lives were lost along this route at sea and in the desert. As governments are shutting borders and limiting cross-border movements to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, migrants and refugees have found themselves de facto left behind.

Some find themselves abandoned at borders by smugglers, others in need of international protection are denied access to safe countries, and thousands of others are stuck in limbo or in crowded and unhygienic detention facilities in Libya, Niger, and Mali.

As humanitarian agencies working with refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in countries along the route – Libya, Niger and Mali – we are calling for governments and local authorities to protect the lives of all, regardless of status, and to ensure all migrants and refugees are equally included in all phases of the emergency response.

To ensure an effective response to COVID-19 while adhering to obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, governments must safeguard access to asylum and respect the principle of non-refoulement.

Migrants and refugees in need of international protection should never be returned. It is imperative that governments do not misemploy extraordinary measures to contain the spread of the pandemic in order to evade their accountability and responsibility towards people in need of protection.
Libya, Niger and Mali have already reported a number of COVID-19 cases.

In these fragile countries, health care systems are weak and response capacities are limited. Migrants and refugees have limited access to existing services; this health emergency will further limit the support they receive.

Moreover, thousands of migrants, refugees and the communities hosting them live in poor conditions in overcrowded ghettos or in detention facilities, which puts them at high risk of exposure. There are still approximately 1,500 migrants and refugees in Libya’s official detention centers living with poor hygiene conditions, limited food and at risk of abuse, rape, forced labor and trafficking.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, and in line with international human rights standards, detained migrants and refugees must be urgently released. Authorities must ensure their safety and include all migrants and refugees in appropriate preparedness and prevention measures while long-term solutions are sought.

“Despite the COVID-19 preventive measures authorities have put in place and in the midst of escalating violence, our partners are continuing to provide emergency and primary medical assistance to migrants and refugees in health clinics around Tripoli. Meanwhile, our IRC team in Niger has adapted to a remote approach providing case management support by phone, and our DRC team has developed a mixed approach combining remote modalities in Bamako, where most COVID-19 cases are reported, with continued field engagement in other areas such as Mopti and Gao. In all locations, our teams maintain continued communication with community focal points by phone. Now more than ever we need to stand in solidarity with people at risk and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to the people we serve who would otherwise become even more ‘invisible’ ”, says Hara Caracostas, Head of the Central Mediterranean Mixed Migration Consortium.

An increasing number of people evacuated from Libya to Niger since 2017 remain forgotten as they await European countries to deliver on their resettlement pledges. Thus far, 18% of the total pledges have been met.

Many others, including those who are forcibly expelled from Algeria, are stranded in transit centers and across Niger due to the COVID-19 pandemic as their only option to go back home, through Voluntary Humanitarian Returns, have been indefinitely postponed as borders remain closed.
Those who wish to get back, should be able to reach their homes and agencies together with governments must look into viable options to make this happen.

In this respect, we are calling on:
:: UNSC and other states with influence to work with the parties to the conflict in Libya to secure a cessation of hostilities and press parties to agree to a ceasefire, in line with the UN Secretary-General’s global ceasefire call.

:: Governments of Libya, Niger and Mali to preserve unimpeded humanitarian access and facilitate movements of essential staff. This enables humanitarian and other relevant organisations to provide emergency health assistance and support to local health systems in order to respond to the needs of all refugees and migrants, as well as vulnerable host communities, during the COVID 19 emergency.

:: All governments along the Central Mediterranean Route to uphold respect for fundamental principles of international human rights and refugee law, including the principle of non-refoulement.
To this end:
A. The immediate orderly release of migrants and refugees from detention must be guaranteed while long-term alternatives to detention are sought; meanwhile, alternative accommodation should be provided to ensure their safety and protection.
B. In cases where the quarantine of migrants and refugees is enforced, such as in Niger, this must be carried out in a dignified and safe manner; this includes guaranteeing that the spaces used are not crowded, provide decent sanitary conditions and access to basic services.
C. Interceptions at sea must stop and those already disembarked in Libya must not be brought to detention facilities. Migrants should be released in conditions that allow them to apply appropriate COVID-19 prevention measures and have access to much needed humanitarian assistance.

:: Governments of Libya, Niger and Mali and all humanitarian actors engaged in the COVID-19 response to consistently adopt a conflict sensitive approach to this emergency. This will ensure actions taken do not cause nor fuel intra/inter-communal tensions, due to heightened risks of stigma, discrimination linked to the spread of the virus. Sensible, transparent and factual communication with all communities affected will be key in this matter.

:: Donors to guarantee flexibility of funds to implementing partners, including UN agencies and INGOs, especially in countries along migratory and displacement routes. Donors must urgently put flexible funding behind multilateral UN efforts – a good first step is the UN’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) for COVID-19 – serving the most vulnerable, and ensuring refugees, women and other groups are not left behind. At least 30% of this funding should be directed to frontline NGOs, already positioned to scale up in local communities. More funding must also be made available depending on the needs and reflecting the evolution of the crisis and needs on the ground. No funds should be redirected from equally critical sectors in order to fill in current and future gaps.

EMERGENCIES

Coronavirus [COVID-19]
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Editor’s Note:
We certainly recognize the velocity of global developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have concentrated the most current key reports just below, COVID-19 announcements, analysis and commentary will be found throughout this issue, in all sections.
Beyond the considerable continuing coverage in the global general media, the WHO’s authoritative guidance is available here:
:: Daily WHO situation reports here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports
:: WHO Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) daily press briefings here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/media-resources/press-briefings

:::::

Situation report – 81 [WHO]

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
10 April 2020
[Excerpts]
SITUATION IN NUMBERS
Globally
1 521 252 confirmed (85 054)
92 798 deaths (7277)

European Region
799 696 confirmed (40 035)
66 213 deaths (4697)

Region of the Americas
493 173 confirmed (38 463)
17 038 deaths (2264)

Western Pacific Region
117 247 confirmed (1395)
3978 deaths (34)

Eastern Mediterranean Region
88 657 confirmed (3307)
4607 deaths (148)

South-East Asia Region
12 978 confirmed (1402)
569 deaths (101)

African Region
8789 confirmed (452)
382 deaths (33)

WHO RISK ASSESSMENT
Global Level – Very High

HIGHLIGHTS
:: No new country/territory/area reported cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

:: Dr. Bruce Aylward, Special Adviser to WHO’s Director-General, speaking of his recent mission to Spain at a press briefing yesterday, highlighted the need for countries to understand that the virus can overwhelm even the most robust health systems, resulting in the need to entirely reconfigure health sectors in response. Find more about Dr. Aylward’s recent fact-finding mission to Spain here.

: OpenWHO, a web-based learning platform, has launched a new online course Introduction to Go.Data – Field data collection, chains of transmission and contact follow-up. The Go.Data tool supports outbreak investigation, focusing on field data collection, contact tracing and visualisation of chains of transmission. It is available to WHO staff around the world, Member States and partners. For more information, please see here.

:: As the number of cases continues to climb in Europe, two new WHO tools launched today will help health planners in the European Region prepare for the rapidly increasing number of patients with COVID-19 requiring acute and intensive care in hospitals. For more details, please see here.

::::::
::::::

Emergencies

Ebola – DRC+
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Ebola Outbreak in DRC 87: 07 April 2020
[Excerpts]
Situation Update WHO Health Emergencies Programme Page 2
Since 17 February, there have been no new cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported from Democratic Republic of the Congo. This is a positive sign; however, there is still a high risk of re-emergence of EVD, and challenges related to limited resources, continued insecurity, population displacement in previous hotspots and limited access to some affected communities. It is essential to maintain surveillance and response activities…

…Conclusion
Given the challenges related to continued insecurity and population displacement in previous hotspots and potential shortages of resources required to carry out response activities amid other local and global emergencies, there remains a high risk of re-emergence of EVD in the period leading up to the declaration of the end of the outbreak, as well as for several months following that declaration. In order to mitigate the risk of re-emergence, it is critical to maintain surveillance and rapid detection and response capacities, prioritize survivor care, and maintain cooperative relationships with survivors’ associations.

::::::

New Ebola case confirmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
10 April 2020 News release
A new case of Ebola virus disease was confirmed today in the city of Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
“While not welcome news, this is an event we anticipated. We kept response teams in Beni and other high risk areas for precisely this reason,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General…
…The news of the confirmed case came minutes after the conclusion of a meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Ebola in DRC. The Emergency Committee will reconvene next week in order to re-evaluate their recommendations in light of this new information…

Emergencies

POLIO
Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)

Polio this week as of 08 April 2020
Summary of new viruses this week (AFP cases and ES positives):
:: Pakistan: one WPV1 case and 16 WPV1 positive environmental samples
:: Ghana: three cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
:: Central African Republic – one cVDPV2 case
:: Burkina Faso: two cVDPV2 cases
:: Côte d’Ivoire: one cVDPV2 case and two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples

::::::

Statement of the Twenty-Fourth IHR Emergency Committee
8 April 2020 Statement
The Twenty-fourth meeting of the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) on the international spread of poliovirus was convened by the Director General on 26 March 2020 with committee members only attending via teleconference, supported by the WHO Secretariat…
Reports were received from Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia, Ghana, Pakistan, and Philippines.
The Emergency Committee reviewed the data on wild poliovirus (WPV1) and circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).  The WHO Secretariat presented a report of progress for affected IHR States Parties subject to Temporary Recommendations.

Wild poliovirus
The Committee remains gravely concerned by the significant increase in WPV1 cases globally in 2019 and 2020, with 175 cases in 2019 compared to 33 in 2018, and already 32 cases as at 17 March 2020, compared to six for the same period in 2019, with no significant success yet in reversing this trend…

Vaccine derived poliovirus (VDPV)
The multiple circulating VDPV (cVDPV) outbreaks in four WHO regions (African, Eastern Mediterranean, South-east Asian and Western Pacific Regions) are very concerning, with two new countries reporting outbreaks since the last meeting (Malaysia and Burkina Faso).  Unlike historical experience, cross border spread of cVDPV2 has become quite common, with recent spread from Angola to DR Congo and Zambia, and from Chad and CAR to Cameroon, and from Ghana to Burkina Faso.  In addition, local emergences attributable to mOPV2 use have recently occurred in Togo, Chad and Ethiopia.
The Committee noted that the GPEI has published a strategy to address cVDPV2 outbreaks but was extremely concerned that the monovalent OPV2 stockpile was still depleted.  The Committee strongly supports the development and proposed Emergency Use Listing of the novel OPV2 vaccine which should become available mid-2020, and which it is hoped will result in no or very little seeding of further outbreaks.

Impact of COVID-19
The Committee noted the very recent policy guidance of the GPEI:
:: GPEI recommendations for countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document summarizes the recommendations from the Polio Oversight Board meeting on 24 March 2020 which calls for postponement of both preventive and outbreak response campaigns, while ensuring surveillance and nOPV2 development and roll out plans continue in full.
:: The COVID-19 Polio programme continuity plan. The operational guide was developed in collaboration with the regional polio eradication teams and the GPEI Partners to ensure essential GPEI functions continue, polio programme personnel and staff are kept safe, and to plan for a fast and effective resumption of polio eradication activities including supplementary immunization activities as soon as the public health situation with COVID-19 allows.
The Committee is extremely concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the risk of heightened transmission of polio and consequently the potential for international spread and significant reversal of polio eradication.     

Conclusion
The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of international spread of poliovirus remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and recommended the extension of Temporary Recommendations for a further three months.  However noting that some if not many international borders are closed to prevent  international spread of COVID-19, State Parties may not currently be able to enforce the Temporary Recommendations in all places. The Committee strongly urges countries subject to these recommendations to maintain a high state of readiness to implement them as soon as possible ensuring the continued safety of travelers as well as health professionals .  The Committee recognizes the concerns regarding the lengthy duration of the polio PHEIC, but concludes that the current situation is extraordinary, with clear ongoing risk of international spread and ongoing need for coordinated international response…

…Based on the current situation regarding WPV1 and cVDPV, and the reports provided by affected countries, the Director-General accepted the Committee’s assessment and on 7 April 2020 determined that the situation relating to poliovirus continues to constitute a PHEIC, with respect to WPV1 and cVDPV.  The Director-General endorsed the Committee’s recommendations for countries meeting the definition for ‘States infected with WPV1, cVDPV1 or cVDPV3 with potential risk for international spread’, ‘States infected with cVDPV2 with potential risk for international spread’ and for ‘States no longer infected by WPV1 or cVDPV, but which remain vulnerable to re-infection by WPV or cVDPV’ and extended the Temporary Recommendations under the IHR to reduce the risk of the international spread of poliovirus, effective 7 April 2020.

The Sentinel

Human Rights Action :: Humanitarian Response :: Health :: Education :: Heritage Stewardship ::
Sustainable Development
__________________________________________________
Week ending 4 April 2020 :: Number 311

This weekly digest is intended to aggregate and distill key content from a broad spectrum of practice domains and organization types including key agencies/IGOs, NGOs, governments, academic and research institutions, consortia and collaborations, foundations, and commercial organizations. We also monitor a spectrum of peer-reviewed journals and general media channels. The Sentinel’s geographic scope is global/regional but selected country-level content is included. We recognize that this spectrum/scope yields an indicative and not an exhaustive product. Comments and suggestions should be directed to:

David R. Curry
Editor
GE2P2 Global Foundation – Governance, Evidence, Ethics, Policy, Practice
david.r.curry@ge2p2center.net

PDF:The Sentinel_ period ending 4 Apr 2020

Contents
:: Week in Review  [See selected posts just below]
:: Key Agency/IGO/Governments Watch – Selected Updates from 30+ entities   [see PDF]
:: INGO/Consortia/Joint Initiatives Watch – Media Releases, Major Initiatives, Research:: Foundation/Major Donor Watch -Selected Updates
:: Journal Watch – Key articles and abstracts from 100+ peer-reviewed journals  [see PDF]

COVID-19 :: United Nations Response

Shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19
United Nations
March 2020 :: 28 pages
INTRODUCTION
We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations — one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people’s lives. But this is much more than a health crisis. It is a human crisis. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is attacking societies at their core..
…This report is a call to action, for the immediate health response required to suppress transmission of the virus to end the pandemic; and to tackle the many social and economic dimensions of this crisis. It is, above all, a call to focus on people – women, youth, low-wage workers, small and medium enterprises, the informal sector and on vulnerable groups who are already at risk…
CALL TO ACTION
The COVID-19 Pandemic is a defining moment for modern society, and history will judge the efficacy of our response not by the actions of any single set of government actors taken in isolation, but by the degree to which the response is coordinated globally across all sectors to the benefit of our human family.
The United Nations global footprint at the national level is an asset for the global community to be leveraged to deliver the ambition needed to win the war against the virus.
With the right actions, the COVID-19 pandemic can mark the rebirthing of society as we know it today to one where we protect present and future generations. It is the greatest test that we have faced since the formation of the United Nations, one that requires all actors -governments, academia, businesses, employers and workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, communities and individuals- to act in solidarity in new, creative, and deliberate ways for the common good and based on the core United Nations values that we uphold for humanity.

.

UN launches COVID-19 plan that could ‘defeat the virus and build a better world’
NEW YORK, 31 March 2020 – The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has launched a new plan to counter the potentially devastating socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling on everyone to “act together to lessen the blow to people”.

“The new coronavirus disease is attacking societies at their core, claiming lives and people’s livelihoods”, said the UN chief, pointing out that the potential longer-term effects on the global economy and individual countries are “dire”.

The new report, “Shared responsibility, global solidarity: Responding to the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19“, describes the speed and scale of the outbreak, the severity of cases, and the societal and economic disruption of the coronavirus.

“COVID-19 is the greatest test that we have faced together since the formation of the United Nations,” underscored the UN chief.

“This human crisis demands coordinated, decisive, inclusive and innovative policy action from the world’s leading economies – and maximum financial and technical support for the poorest and most vulnerable people and countries.”

Guterres called for “an immediate coordinated health response to suppress transmission and end the pandemic” that “scales up health capacity for testing, tracing, quarantine and treatment, while keeping first responders safe, combined with measures to restrict movement and contact.”

He underscored that developed countries must assist those less developed, or potentially “face the nightmare of the disease spreading like wildfire in the global South with millions of deaths and the prospect of the disease re-emerging where it was previously suppressed”.

“Let us remember that we are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world”, he stressed.

In tackling the devastating social and economic dimensions of the crisis, the UN chief pushed for a focus on the most vulnerable by designing policies that, among other things, support providing health and unemployment insurance and social protections while also bolstering businesses to prevent bankruptcies and job losses.

Debt alleviation must also be a priority he said, noting that the UN is “fully mobilized” and is establishing a new multi-partner Trust Fund for COVID19 Response and Recovery to respond to the emergency and recover from the socio-economic shock.

“When we get past this crisis, which we will, we will face a choice”, said the UN chief, “we can go back to the world as it was before or deal decisively with those issues that make us all unnecessarily vulnerable to crises”.

Measures to cope with coronavirus impacts:
:: Global actions must include a stimulus package reaching double-digit percentage points of the world’s GDP, with explicit actions to boost the economies of developing countries.

:: Regional mobilization must examine impacts, monetary coordination, fiscal and social measures, while engaging with private financial sector to support businesses and addressing structural challenges.

:: National solidarity needs to prioritize social cohesion and provide fiscal stimulus for the most vulnerable along with support to small- and medium-sized enterprises, decent work and education.

The report includes estimates from a host of UN agencies.
According to the UN International Labour Organization (ILO), five to 25 million jobs will be eradicated, and the world will lose $860 billion to $3.4 trillion in labor income.

The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) projected a 30 to 40 per cent downward pressure on global foreign direct investment flows while the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) saw a 20–30 per cent decline in international arrivals.

Meanwhile, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) anticipated that 3.6 billion people will be offline and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) forecast that 1.5 billion students out of school.

The report calls for a large-scale, coordinated, comprehensive multilateral response that amounts to at least 10 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) and warns that there is no time to lose in mounting the most robust, cooperative health response the world has ever seen.

In closing, Guterres called the pandemic “a defining moment for modern society”, saying the “history will judge the efficacy of the response not by the actions of any single set of government actors taken in isolation, but by the degree to which the response is coordinated globally across all sectors for the benefit of our human family”.

COVID-19 – Refugees, Migrants, Trafficked and Stateless Persons

The Rights and Health of Refugees, Migrants and Stateless Must be Protected in COVID-19 Response
2020-03-31 18:52
OHCHR, IOM, UNHCR and WHO – Joint Press Release
Geneva – In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are all vulnerable. The virus has shown that it does not discriminate – but many refugees, those forcibly displaced, the stateless and migrants are at heightened risk.

Three-quarters of the world’s refugees and many migrants are hosted in developing regions where health systems are already overwhelmed and under-capacitated. Many live in overcrowded camps, settlements, makeshift shelters or reception centers, where they lack adequate access to health services, clean water and sanitation.

The situation for refugees and migrants held in formal and informal places of detention, in cramped and unsanitary conditions, is particularly worrying. Considering the lethal consequences a COVID-19 outbreak would have, they should be released without delay. Migrant children and their families and those detained without a sufficient legal basis should be immediately released.

This disease can be controlled only if there is an inclusive approach which protects every individual’s rights to life and health. Migrants and refugees are disproportionately vulnerable to exclusion, stigma and discrimination, particularly when undocumented. To avert a catastrophe, governments must do all they can to protect the rights and the health of everyone. Protecting the rights and the health of all people will in fact help control the spread of the virus.

It is vital that everyone, including all migrants and refugees, are ensured equal access to health services and are effectively included in national responses to COVID-19, including prevention, testing and treatment. Inclusion will help not only to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, but will also serve to protect public health and stem the global spread of COVID-19.

While many nations protect and host refugee and migrant populations, they are often not equipped to respond to crises such as Covid-19. To ensure refugees and migrants have adequate access to national health services, States may need additional financial support. This is where the world’s financial institutions can play a leading role in making funds available.

While countries are closing their borders and limiting cross-border movements, there are ways to manage border restrictions in a manner which respects international human rights and refugee protection standards, including the principle of non-refoulement, through quarantine and health checks.

More than ever, as COVID-19 poses a global threat to our collective humanity, our primary focus should be on the preservation of life, regardless of status. This crisis demands a coherent, effective international approach that leaves no-one behind. At this crucial moment we all need to rally around a common objective, fighting this deadly virus. Many refugees, displaced, stateless people and migrants have skills and resources that can also be part of the solution.

We cannot allow fear or intolerance to undermine rights or compromise the effectiveness of responses to the global pandemic. We are all in this together. We can only defeat this virus when each and every one of us is protected.

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UN experts call on Governments to adopt urgent measures to protect migrants and trafficked persons in their response to COVID-19
GENEVA (3 April 2020) – States worldwide must urgently adopt inclusive measures aimed at protecting migrants and trafficked persons in their national response to COVID-19, such as prevention measures, testing, medical treatment, health services and social assistance, two UN human rights experts said today.

“States should also take steps towards the regularisation of undocumented migrants whenever necessary, in view of facilitating their access to health services during the fight against the pandemic,” said the UN Special Rapporteurs on migrants, Felipe González Morales, and on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro.

“Migrants in irregular situations, asylum seekers, exploited and trafficked persons may be particularly at risk of COVID-19 because their living or working environment may expose them to the virus without necessary protection,” they said.

“I am concerned that some migrants, including asylum seekers, do not have access to minimal protection against the contagion, not even clean water to wash their hands. Many live in overcrowded shelters or detention centres without the possibility to observe physical distance. Some migrants are working in agriculture or in informal sectors without any protection measures,” González Morales said.
“People who have been granted residence permits on grounds of trafficking and have a job or are participating in a training programme should be allowed to obtain work permits through facilitated procedures. Such a measure aims to avoid precariousness and to ensure their full access to healthcare,” Giammarinaro added.

The UN experts welcomed the decision adopted by some States to grant temporary residency rights, including access to social and health benefits to migrants including asylum seekers, amid the fight against the pandemic.

“No one should be left behind in this global fight against the pandemic. Governments must adopt measures ensuring every individual in the national territory, regardless of their migration status, is included and has access to health services in order to achieve successful containment of the COVID-19 pandemic,” they said.

The UN Special Rapporteurs also called for an automatic extension for at least six months of all protection and assistance programmes for migrants in vulnerable situations and trafficked persons that are close to their expiration date, to ensure continuity of survivors’ social inclusion process.

“The protection granted to unaccompanied children close to adulthood must also be extended for a minimum period of six months. Particular attention should be given to inadequate or overcrowding facilities where migrants are accommodated,” the experts said. Residents at such facilities, whether open or closed, should be provided with accurate and accessible information on the COVID19 outbreak, practical advice on preventing infection and access to clean water, sanitation facilities and other prevention materials.

“In overcrowded facilities where it is impossible for all residents to practise physical distancing, alternatives venues should be identified and consideration should be given to releasing those who have a place to stay in the community. It is crucial to establish protocols with local health providers to ensure access to testing, medical consultation and treatment of all residents in immigration facilities,” said the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants.

“Human rights must be at the centre of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Inclusive measures aimed at protecting the rights and health of the whole population, including all migrants and trafficked persons, regardless of their migration status, are urgent and necessary, and can contribute to the effectiveness of the general national measures against COVID-19,” the UN experts said.

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COVID-19 – OAS :: Indigenous Peoples

Statement from the OAS General Secretariat on the Situation of Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 Crisis
Organization of American States
April 2, 2020
The OAS General Secretariat calls on member states to pay special attention to their indigenous populations during the health crisis caused by COVID-19.

Considering the double situation of vulnerability suffered by indigenous communities due to their historical marginalization and geographic isolation, we urge local, regional, and national authorities in each member state to work in coordination with specific protocols that aim to protect the health and well-being of their indigenous population from an intercultural approach, as established in the Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples of the United Nations, approved in 2007, and the American Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Organization of American States, approved in 2016.

The General Secretariat also urges member states to generate specific programs and policies to sustain the economies of their indigenous communities with the aim of mitigating the social and economic consequences of the pandemic.

Finally, the General Secretariat invites member states and the international community to maintain, during this global crisis, the spirit of unity, solidarity, and reciprocity that has been the historic guiding principle of indigenous peoples.