UN SENIOR OFFICIALS URGE POLITICAL FOCUS IN MALI EFFORTS, WHILE AID AGENCIES FLAG BUDGET GAPS

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 19 Apr 2013 13:00:00 -0400
Subject: UN SENIOR OFFICIALS URGE POLITICAL FOCUS IN MALI EFFORTS,
WHILE AID AGENCIES FLAG BUDGET GAPS
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

UN SENIOR OFFICIALS URGE POLITICAL FOCUS IN MALI EFFORTS, WHILE AID
AGENCIES FLAG BUDGET GAPSNew York, Apr 19 2013 1:00PMThe top United
Nations political official today reiterated the importance of the
political process in Mali at a high-level meeting with senior UN and
Government officials, while UN aid agencies urged more funding to
assist the hundreds of thousands of Malians driven out of their homes.

"We should redouble our efforts to ensure that the political process,
which is key to Mali's stability in both the short and long term, is
not overshadowed by the equally essential military operations
underway," Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey
Feltman told the fourth meeting of the Follow-Up and Support Group on
Mali held in the West African country's capital, Bamako.

Mr. Feltman spoke alongside the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General
for the Sahel, Roman Prodi; Said Djinnit, Special Representative of
the Secretary-General for West Africa; Anthony Banbury,
Assistant-Secretary-General for Field Support; David Gressly, Head of
the United Nations Office in Mali (UNOM); Aurelien Agbenonci, United
Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali and
other senior officials.

The meeting also included representatives from the African Union,
European Union and the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS).

In his remarks, Mr. Feltman also discussed the challenges ahead in the
holding of presidential elections are tentatively scheduled for 7 July
and legislative elections on 21 July.

"We call on the international community to step in and provide timely
financial and logistic support for the elections," Mr. Feltman said,
noting the UN is intensifying its efforts in support of preparations
for "free, fair, transparent and credible polls" in keeping with
international standards.

"We hope that ongoing security operations as well as the appointment
of the Commission for Dialogue and Reconciliation will help overcome
these challenges and pave the way for inclusive and credible
elections," the UN political chief added.

Mr. Feltman also noted that UN Security Council was expected to make
decisions "soon" on the options presented in the latest report of the
Secretary-General on Mali, which include the establishment of a
possible UN peacekeeping mission in the country.

Meanwhile, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) today
<"http://www.unhcr.org/517114529.html">reiterated its appeal for $144
million to cover basic protection and assistance needs for Malian
refugees and internally displaced people.

"So far we have received only 32 per cent of this amount," UNHCR
spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva.

The funding would provide for the expansion and construction of
transit centres, provision of supplementary and therapeutic food,
shelters and other relief items, and delivery of basic services such
as health care, water and sanitation and education, Mr. Edwards said.

In addition to the 282,000 people displaced in Mali, there are more
than 175,000 Malian refugees in surrounding countries - with 75,850 in
Mauritania, over 49,000 in Burkina Faso, and some 50,000 in Niger.

UNHCR expects an additional 45,500 refugees during the remainder of
the year, based on existing rates of arrival.

"Many recent arrivals are in worse condition than the refugees who
arrived in 2012, requiring immediate relief and attention," Mr.
Edwards said quoting information from UN staff on the ground.

He added that the situation is aggravated by prevailing food
insecurity due to the ongoing drought and series of crop failures
affecting the entire Sahel region, which includes Mali.

Also today, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced that it has a
funding gap of 76 per cent or just over $20 million to meet emergency
needs of Malians in 2013.

UNICEF's priorities in northern Mali over the coming months are to get
more than 300,000 children back into classrooms after 15 months
without school, as well as to prevent malnutrition and strengthen
child protection systems, the agency's spokesperson Marixie Mercado
said in Geneva.

"Most schools had been looted, and infra-structure damaged," Ms.
Mercado said. "Half of health facilities were not working. Water
supply was poor and of poor quality. The vast majority of teachers and
health workers were still not at their posts, especially outside of
urban zones."

Education in Mali is also on the agenda in Washington DC.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Education,
Gordon Brown, are hosting discussions on the sidelines of the World
Bank-International Monetary Fund spring meeting to boost the quality
and equality of education, focusing on Mali and seven other
countries.Apr 19 2013 1:00PM
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