On Nepal, Inner City Press Asks UN OCHA's John Ging of IMF Debt Position, Food Fight

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 8 -- Since the Nepal earthquake, Inner City Press has been asking the International Monetary Fund if it would move to relieve the country's debt burden. See below.

  On July 8, Inner City Press asked UN humanitarian official John Ging about the IMF saying that post earthquake Nepal is NOT eligible for its Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, and about reporting that the UN had "substandard" food in Nepal. Video here.

  Ging said the IMF issues is a real one, but that OCHA has no direct input with the IMF. If the IMF truly is a part of the UN system, shouldn't it?

 On the food issue, Ging said any such food was in a warehouse, not to be distributed. Inner City Press asked if he believed the government accepts this position (he does) - meanwhile a reader chimed in with this.

  On Nepal's debt, Inner City Press resubmitted the question for the IMF's embargoed June 25 briefing, and during it, IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice read out the question and answered it. Transcript here; video here from 47:50.

  Inner City Press' question: "On Nepal, in the run up to the June 25 International Conference of Nepal’s Reconstruction, and with the World Bank announcing $500 million, is the IMF intending to do anything beyond the $50 million (one year) and $124 million (overall) in its response in the last briefing? Through the IMF's Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust?"

  Rice said the IMF is represented at the conference in Katmandu -- contrary to some reports, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is NOT there -- and could be the request for the $50 M / $124 M to the Board in July. He emphasized this would be zero interest under the RCF but said Nepal is NOT eligible for the CCRT, GDP damage is not enough. 

  Inner City Press would ask, should that threshold be lowered?

  On Jordan, Inner City Press asked: "On Jordan, having seen the IMF's announcement about the end of July, has there been any movement on the criticism by the head of UNHCR and others that the IMF and World Bank in treating Jordan (and Lebanon, etc) as “middle income” can't or don't do enough to provide support given the volume of refugees they have received?"

  Rice said, in essence, that the IMF has been flexible and has given fiscal space to deal with the refugee issues (we'll add the transcript later).  

  Back on June 11 Rice said that Nepal had made a request to the IMF under the Rapid Credit Facility, and that the IMF will send a mission to the country coinciding with the donors' conference on June 25. He said Nepal could be eligible for $50 million annually, for a total of $124 million. We'll see.

   Rice also answer questions Inner City Press submitted on Ghana's Eurobond and about Jamaica. (He said these questions, “from the UN in New York,” remind of other things in the IMF briefing room other than Greece and Ukraine).

  On Ghana, Rice said that the Eurobond was “envisioned” in the recently agreed program. But what is the status of any talks about it? Inner City Press asked, “Ghana's Minister of Finance, Seth Terkper, says the government intends to issue a $1 billion 10-year Eurobond in 2015. What are the status of talks with the IMF in this regard?”

  On Jamaica, Inner City Press asked, “On Jamaica, please comment on criticism that the percentage of people in under the poverty line has grown alongside the IMF's program and that 'last year, Jamaica paid the IMF over $136 million more than it received.'”

   Rice acknowledged that in 2014-15 there was a negative flow out of the country to the IMF, of $163 million. But he said with the new program that has reversed, to in-flow into Jamaica of $127 million in 2015-16, projected to rise to $176 million in 2017-18. Rice acknowledge the rise in the poverty rate from 9.9% in 2007 to 20% in 2012, but said this had to do with the global financial crisis and is the reason for the IMF's program. We'll see.

   Inner City Press had also asked for updates if any on Yemen and Burundi -- apparently there are no updates -- and one on a quote from Romania's National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu saying the IMF's “communication has sometimes been problematic.” Still, three answers are appreciated.

  On Greece, for the record, Rice said there are major difference between us, with little to no progress made in narrowin them. On Ukraine, he said the IMF can lend to a country that has arrears to private creditors provided other conditions are met. Ukraine certainly has Western political support.

   

Crimea Meeting Lacks 4 UNSC Members, Eastern Ukraine Banking Cut-Off Raised by UN OCHA

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 19 -- When UN humanitarian operations chief John Ging spoke to the press about conditions in Eastern Ukraine on March 19, he said aid groups could not pay their workers there due to the cut-off of the banking system.

   Inner City Press asked Ging if he had raised this in his meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine; Ging said yes but not the deputy prime minister's response or any fix.

  Later on March 19 Inner City Press asked the Permanent Representatives of Ukraine and Lithuania about what Ging had said. Ukraine's Yuriy Sergeyev said his country is open to any objective criticism; he read out a long statement about recent votes of the Rada in Kyiv and vowed that the issue of Crimea would continue to be raised in the UN.

  That is why Lithunia's Permanent Representative Raimonda Murmokaite was at the UN Television stakeout on the first floor, following an “Arria formula” meeting about Crimea with Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev. 

  On what the UN's John Ging had said, Permanent Representative Murmokaite said while of course Kyiv could do more, the fault lay mostly with the separatists and their supporters. Russia had said it would not attend the Arria formula meeting; as it turned out, also declining to attend were China, Angola and Venezuela. 

  One long-time Council watcher told Inner City Press this was the largest number of no-shows for a Arria formula meeting in memory. 

  Speaking of memory, it seemed ironic that the first floor stakeout where Murmokaite and Dzhemilev spoke shared the wide UN hallway with a large memorial to the life of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.  Murmokaite pointed out, correctly, that she spoke in front of a UN logo backdrop brought to the first floor stakeout location. 

   Further inquiry by Inner City Press gleaned that the request had been to hold the stakeout in the 1B level, but it was denied due to too many people walking by that location. The battle for space in the UN may mirror that in the real world outside. Inner City Press tries to cover both. Watch this site.

   

On Those Fleeing Eastern Ukraine into Russia, OCHA's Valerie Amos Says Tens of Thousands, But UN's John Ging Said (Much) More - Why?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 24 -- When UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos visited Eastern Ukraine, her agency on August 24 put out a press release saying that

Amos visited an internally displacement persons' center in Krasnyi Lyman and “met women who had fled the fighting with their families.” The UN OCHA statement on Sunday said that “since March this year, around 200,000 people have fled their homes in search of safety within Ukraine and tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries.”

  What does "tens of thousands" mean -- and why is it so different from what OCHA official John Ging told the UN Security Council on August 5? In that Council session, as summarized even by UN Meetings Coverage, Ging said

“since the start of the year 168,677 Ukrainians are registered as having crossed into Russia, with nearly 60,000 of these having applied for refugee status and a further 115,952 having applied for other forms of legal stay.”

    Ging on August 5 acknowledged that “this is not the full picture as many Ukrainians that have fled their homes do not register with Ukrainian authorities or officially apply for assistance. The Russian authorities and UNHCR are reporting that 740,000 people have crossed the border since the start of the year.”

  While technically both 740,000 and 168,677 are made up of "tens of thousands," there is a striking disparity between what Ging told the Security Council on August 5, and the OCHA's August 24 press release on Amos' visit to Krasnyi Lyman.  What explains it?

   Back on August 24 just as an emergency but closed-door meeting of the Security Council about Ukraine began, and after the US, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon issued this statement:

The Secretary-General follows with deep concern reports that a Russian aid convoy has crossed the border into Ukraine without the permission of the Ukrainian authorities. While recognising the deteriorating humanitarian situation, any unilateral action has the potential of exacerbating an already dangerous situation in eastern Ukraine.

Once again, the Secretary-General urges all sides, in particular Ukraine and the Russian Federation, to continue to work together, in coordination with the international community, to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the most affected areas. He reiterates that all sides should continue to exercise maximum restraint and avoid escalation.

In this regard, he is encouraged by the announcement from President Petro Poroshenko that Ukraine will do everything possible to prevent more serious consequences as a result of the convoy moving into Ukrainian territory.

 How was this statement formulated? By whom? Inner City Press asked: What is the position of the UN's humanitarian chief Valerie Amos, who has elsewhere called for cross-border aid?

   At the Churkin presser, Inner City Press asked about the draft press statement Russia proposed on August 21.

 Churkin said that the “indefatigable” Lithuanian delegation “sent in amendments” that dropped references to Russia and included references to the European Union and dropped the reference to a ceasefire. Then, Churkin said, the US delegations send in amendments dropping the ceasefire and blaming the separatists.

  Inner City Press also asked about a report by CNN from Eastern Ukraine in which correspondent Diana Magney asked why Russia was sending salt if there are salt mines in Eastern Ukraine.

  Churkin said, "You can mine salt if you are not shelled.  If you are hiding in your cellars, mining salt is problematic."

   Later the Voice of America's correspondent asked about accusations that the convoy was only to support the rebels.

  "With baby food?" Churkin asked.

   "Rebels have babies too," the Voice of America correspondent said. The implication seemed to be that starving children based on the positions taken by their parents would be okay. We'll have more on this - for now, click here.

   Back on July 30 when Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev held a UN press conference on July 30, Inner City Press asked him about the Human Right Watch report his government is using Grad rockets, killing at least 16 civilians between July 12 and 21 near Donetsk.

  Sergeyev responded first about the UN's (or Ivan Simonovic's) report, then emphasized that Russian media is saying Ukraine is using ballistic missiles.

  Inner City Press repeated the question, emphasizing it concerns Human Rights Watch's report, not the UN's, and not Russian media.  Sergeyev provided essentially the same answer.

  Here is the HRW report, online.

  Inner City Press also asked about the status of the International Monetary Fund program, after the downing of MH17. Sergeyev said Ukraine has met with the IMF's Christine Lagarde and "will" get the next tranche of the program in late August.  But won't there be an Executive Board meeting?

After Russian foreign minister and US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone on July 27, the US State Department issued two read-outs, or a readout in two stages.

  The second, an "additional point" by a Senior State Department Official, was that Kerry "underlined our support for a mutual cease fire verified by the OSCE and reaffirmed our strong support for the international investigation to show the facts of MH17."

  Inner City Press on July 30 asked Sergeyev for Ukraine's position on this. Sergeyev cited as "pre-conditions" the closing of the border with Russia, and the release of all hostages.

  Procedurally, Ukraine set aside the first question at its press conference saying, "Pamela, traditionally you open our session." Using this UN Correspondents Association set-aside, Pam Falk of CBS asked about rebels mining the MH17 site. Her UNCA sidekick asked about "Russian propaganda." 

   And so it went until, fifth, the new Free UN Coalition for Access asked about HRW's report. This is how it's working, with the UN's Censorship Alliance. In this context, the Free UN Coalition for Access is against the automatic setting-aside of questions. 

   

In Mali, UN John Ging Contrasts Needs with IBK's Jet, Sees Ethnic Cleansing in Central African Republic

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, June 19 -- Returning from Mali, UN aid official John Ging took questions from the press and answered with a candor too rare in the UN system. 

  Inner City Press asked about Mali's president having spent $40 million on a new airplane. (Inner City Press' story on the International Monetary Fund's criticism of the purchase, reiterated at the IMF's June 19 embargoed briefing, is here).

  Ging contrasted the jet purchase with the human needs he saw in the country --  here is a link to OCHA's Mali page -- and said he agreed with the IMF's criticism.

  Inner City Press asked who is in control in Kidal? Ging replied that humanitarians deal as they must with whoever is in de facto control of territory.

  Beyond Mali, Ging said in the Central African Republic, “there has been an ethnic cleansing under our watch.”

The Free UN Coalition for Access thanked Ging for holding briefings when he returns from trips -- here's hoping Oscar Fernandez Taranco does so when he returns from Sri Lanka -- and for his candor.

  If the UN had more officials like Ging its denials in Haiti, of bringing cholera, and in Sri Lanka of doing far too little (and worse), would not be what they are today. Watch this site.

   

On Central African Republic, Chad Has Closed Its Border, UN Has Its Mouth Closed, Again?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, May 12 -- When UNICEF's Representative in the Central African Republic Souleymane Diabaté spoke May 12 about the CAR, the UN press briefing room was almost empty. Journalists had scattered to transcribe the farewell of departing Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

  Diabaté described the plight of children inside CAR. Inner City Press asked him about those forced to flee the country, to Chad and Cameroon. He acknowledged this problem, adding that CAR is so dangerous he often works from Chad.

    On May 12 Chadian president Idriss Deby closed his country's border with CAR. Inner City Press asked and Diabate confirmed the closure, saying We were surprised.

  So Inner City Press submitted a question on deadline to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

“Chad has closed its border to CAR. Has the Secretary General or anyone else in the Secretariat called President Deby or anyone in Chad about this? If not, why not?”

   So far, no substantive answer. 

Background: a week after French troops reportedly killed five civilians in the "Cameroonian district" of the PK5 neighborhood in Bangui, Central African Republic, Inner City Press asked UN Humanitarian John Ging about it, and about the killing by ex-Seleka forces of three MSF aid workers and 13 patients in Boguila. Video here,and embedded below.

  Ging, making a plea for more international help, mourned the dead MSF colleagues but seemed to say that the only people raising questions about the troops who have come to CAR are those inciting violence. He did not mention killings by the Chadian troops; nor did he directly address that French soldiers killed five civilians, according to spokesman for the Muslim community in PK5 Abakar Moustapha. 

  Moustapha said the French soldiers' raid on a house in the neighborhood when the Senagalese owner was not there led to opposition from residents, to which the French responded with helicopter and gunfire killing five civilians.

   After a previous incident in which the French Sangaris troops were reported to have killed civilians, Inner City Press asked the UN what its mission there would do. Reference was made to an investigation, but no results have been announced. French Ambassador to the UN Gerard Araud stopped responding to such Press questions.

   Now the UN mission in CAR is set to be taken over by FrenchmanHerve Ladsous' Department of Peacekeeping Operations and no longer the Department of Political Affairs. Given the history, will this hold the French forces more or LESS to account?

  Ladsous visited Brazzaville, Chad and now CAR, speaking to a UN microphone. At least Ging answers questions.

   When Chad's Permanent Representative to the UN Mahamat Zene Cherif -- who on April 30 told Inner City Press that Chad will not be any part of MINUSCA -- came to the Security Council stakeout on March 7, beyond asking him about child soldiers Inner City Press asked him about those who have had to flee Central African Republic into Chad. Shouldn't they be able to return to CAR? Video here and embedded below

Mahamat Zene Cherif said while Chad will not force anyone back, they should be able to return. He said that eighty percent of the Muslims have been chased out of the CAR.

How can elections be held this way, he asked.

Inner City Press asked if perhaps those displaced could vote even while in Chad. Mahamat Zene Cherif said the UN could check the feasibility, but that Chad would hope the displaced could return to CAR.

  The day before, Inner City Press tried to ask French Ambassador Gerard Araud about a statement or report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay that the French Sangaris force first disarming the ex-Seleka had left Muslim community vulnerable to attack by Christian anti-Balaka militias.

  Araud refused to take the question while at the microphone, then from the wings insisted there is no Navi Pillay report. Click here for that.

  What forces allowed 80% of the Muslims in CAR to be chased out? And what responsibility do they bear? Watch this site.

   

Somaliland Redux, of Airspace and Atrocities, As On Somalia Remittances, Will UN Press Barclays?

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 18 -- Returning from three days in Somalia, UN humanitarian operations chief John Ging took correspondents' questions on February 18, nearly all of them about Al Shabaab. He replied that the UN must help Somalis to help themselves.

Inner City Press asked Ging about just that: what is the UN going to ensure that remittances from the Somali diaspora are not cut off, as Barclays tried to do last year until stopped by a court case?

Ging replied, "on remittances we are encouraging that all facilities needed" continue, "we don't have the authority or the capacity to decide on these issues [but] we are, on behalf of the Somali people, advocating and seeking to use our influence."

Here's an idea: Barclays has at least in the past trumpeted its respect for human rights with the UN, click here for one example. Is the UN using its (blue washing) influence there? This question goes beyond Ging's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But coordinating would take it in.

Inner City Press also asked about the on-again, off-again dispute about the air space over Somaliland, in part triggered by the UN system awarding the air space to Mogadishu, which led to suspension of the UN Humanitarian Air Service flights.

Ging replied that on his "last trip there was an agreement brokered in Turkey that found a solution to allow a functioning of the airspace throughout Somalia... the coordinator himself took an UNHAS flight to Hargeisa."

After Ging's briefing had ended, Somaliland-based Free UN Coalition for Access member Mohamoud Ali Walaaleye, who has protested the arrest of journalists there, forwarded these questions:

What is UN's positions regarding the genocide that happened to Somaliland population during Siad Barre's regime, and as Somalia government acknowledged, does UN also do?

Would UN support initiative relative of Somaliland victims slaughtered Jezira beach at Moqadisho intended to uncover their remaining for resting their soil in Somaliland?

We'll have more on this.

Footnote: The first question to Ging was given to the United Nations Correspondents Association, the transcript of whose Q&A session with Ban Ki-moon last week has still not been released. UNCA's president used this perch to ask about a sanctions report not yet public, disputed by the government, on which we will have more. Reuters which bragged about that leaked report has used a bogus Digital Millennium Copyright Act complaint to get a leak of its own anti Press complaint to the UN banned from Google's search. That's why it's the UN Censorship Alliance, and why FUNCA pushes forward.

   

On Haiti, EU Talks Culture Not Cholera, UN Youth Envoy Has No Answer on Dismissal

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNdisclosed Location, March 20 -- The day before Haiti became the topic in the UN Security Council, Inner City Press asked the UN's new Youth Envoy Ahmad Alhendawi if, like the UN's third highest humanitarian official John Ging, he thought the terse dismissal of claim for bringing cholera to the island hurts the UN's credibility, in his case with young people.

  Unlike Ging, Alhendawi said he didn't know much about that; instead he cited a relative who served in MINUSTAH at the time of the earthquake. Likewise, when Inner City Press asked about fairness for younger people applying to work at the UN, he answered that since he got hired, the UN must be fair. Really?

  Also on Haiti, at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Wednesday morning Ireland for the EU spoke of helping with economic, social and cultural rights. But what about the UN saying the Haiti cholera claims were “not receivable”? Where's the rule of law in that?

  And where's the rule of law in the UN conducting a non-consensual search of Inner City Press' office on March 18 -- and then on March 19 demanding that the video shot after the raid be removed from YouTube?

  On worker fairness, Inner City Press earlier this week reported that Ban Ki-moon would meet with some in the Staff Union on March 19 -- those who didn't refuse to come based on the general membership's vote of no confidence in Ban after he called them “selfish.” 

  Inner City Press published an advance copy of what Ban would be told at the meeting, including about the use of the word “selfish.”

  Then... Ban canceled the meeting. And so it goes at the UN. Watch this site.