United Nations S/ PV.8506 Security Council Provisional Seventy-fourth year 8506th meeting Wednesday, 10 April 2019, 10.30 a.m. New York President: Mr. Heusgen ................................... (Germany) Members: Belgium ....................................... Mr. Pecsteen de Buytswerve China ......................................... Mr. Ma Zhaoxu Côte d’Ivoire ................................... Mr. Ipo Dominican Republic .............................. Mr. Singer Weisinger Equatorial Guinea ............................... Mr. Ndong Mba France ........................................ Mr. Delattre Indonesia. Mr. Djani Kuwait ........................................ Mr. Alotaibi Peru .......................................... Mr. Meza-Cuadra Poland ........................................ Mr. Lewicki Russian Federation ............................... Mr. Nebenzia/Mr. Polyanskiy South Africa ................................... Mr. Matjila United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .. Ms. Pierce United States of America .......................... Mr. Pence Agenda The situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela . This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. The final text will be printed in the Official Records of the Security Council. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 19-10510 (E) *1910510* S/PV.8506 The situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 10/04/2019 The meeting was called to order at 10.35 a.m. purchasing power of ordinary people has fallen further, rendering food even less affordable for many families. Adoption of the agenda The scale of need is significant and growing. The agenda was adopted. The United Nations is working in Venezuela to expand the provision of humanitarian assistance. Our The situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela efforts are in line with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence, The President: In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the as determined by the General Assembly in resolutions representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 46/182 and 58/114. to participate in this meeting. The Secretary-General has expressed his concern In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s for the people in Venezuela. I echo that concern. I provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following will focus my briefing today on, first, the priority briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Mark humanitarian needs in Venezuela; secondly, our efforts Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian to assist the most vulnerable people; and, thirdly, the Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Mr. Eduardo areas where we seek the Council’s collective support. Stein, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner We recently produced a draft overview report on for Refugees/International Organization for Migration priority humanitarian needs in Venezuela. The review Joint Special Representative for Venezuelan refugees was based on the best available data from all available and migrants in the region; and Ms. Kathleen Page, official and unofficial sources, including Government Researcher at Johns Hopkins University. data. We gave our draft report to the Government and Mr. Stein is joining today’s meeting via video- the National Assembly on 27 March. teleconference from Panama City. We estimate that 7 million people in Venezuela I also wish to acknowledge and express our pleasure need humanitarian assistance. That is some 25 per cent at the presence here today of the Secretary-General, of the population. There are people in need throughout His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, whom I thank the country, but needs are most severe in the three very much for joining us this morning. states in the south and Zulia and Lara states in the west. People with chronic health conditions, pregnant and The Security Council will now begin its nursing women, children under five, indigenous people, consideration of the item on its agenda. people on the move and those living with disabilities I give the floor to Mr. Lowcock. are among the most vulnerable. Mr. Lowcock: Let me be clear from the outset that The context is a severe and continuing economic there is a very real humanitarian problem in Venezuela. contraction, with associated dramatic increases in The United Nations is willing and able to respond, inflation on a scale seen in few if any other countries consistent with the long-standing mandate that Member around the world in recent years. Our review found States have agreed for principled humanitarian action. that access to nutrient-rich foods and a varied diet has We can do more to relieve the suffering of the people diminished. Historically, Venezuela has imported up to of Venezuela if we get more help and support from all 75 per cent of its food. As a result of the crisis, the stakeholders. availability and affordability of food have fallen, with lower imports, reduced local production and declining Since Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo purchasing power. Many people depend on subsidized last briefed the Council on 26 February (see S/PV.8472), food to meet their needs. Six million families across the humanitarian situation has worsened. Recurrent the country reportedly benefit from food supplies widespread power outages have affected the whole distributed by the Government. country. Without electricity from the grid, many hospitals have struggled to carry out essential surgical Despite this, malnutrition has increased, especially procedures and to sustain intensive-care services and in areas with the highest poverty rates. The United dialysis treatment. Water and sewage systems have been Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has interrupted. Economic decline has continued, and the estimated that in 2018, some 3.7 million people 2/28 19-10510 10/04/2019 The situation in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela S/PV.8506 suffered from undernourishment. The prevalence of The United Nations and other humanitarian undernourishment has almost trebled over a five-year organizations are on the ground, and we have been period. Other aid organizations report an increase in the expanding our operations. Since 2017, the number of global acute malnutrition rate among children under five. United Nations staff has increased from 210 to nearly We estimate that 1.9 million people require nutritional 400. United Nations agencies are working in all assistance, including 1.3 million children under five. 24 states. Our efforts are particularly concentrated in the More data is needed to improve our understanding of vulnerable border states of Zulia, Táchira and Bolívar. the nutrition and food security situation. To support the expansion of humanitarian The Venezuelan health system is strained by assistance, I released $9 million from the Central shortages in personnel, medical supplies, equipment Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in late 2018. and electricity. Reduced access to medicines has Through this grant, as well as bilateral funding from increased the risk of morbidity and mortality from donors, the United Nations has provided 189,000 diabetes, hypertension, cancer and HIV/AIDS. children with preventive and curative treatment for acute malnutrition; expanded maternal and child health Preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, diphtheria, care through the provision of medicines and supplies measles and malaria have resurfaced. The World Health from 74,000 health kits; donated 10 generators to Organization registered more than 400,000 cases of provide emergency power to hospitals; installed water malaria in 2017, nearly 70 per cent more than the year tanks in hospitals to ensure a safe supply of water for before. That was the largest increase in the world that Palestinian Authorityediatric and maternal services; year. Overall, we estimate that some 2.8 million people distributed 10 million tablets for the treatment of HIV need health assistance, including 1.1 million children among 50,000 people across all 24 states; and delivered under five. 176,000 doses of vaccine against measles, mumps and Health problems are exacerbated by insufficient rubella for babies and young children. access to clean water and inadequate sanitation The United Nations and other aid organizations are systems. One estimate suggests that 17 per cent of working with institutions and organizations across the people living in poverty have no access to safe water or spectrum, including line ministries and national civil receive it only once a fortnight. Recent power outages society organizations, and we are in touch with the are making this problem worse. Some families have National Assembly. Under the leadership of the United resorted to using water from unclean sources because Nations Resident Coordinator, we recently established they cannot afford safe water. Sanitation systems a cooperation and assistance coordination team, have deteriorated, affecting solid waste management, bringing together United Nations agencies, the Red among other services. Basic hygiene needs like hand- Cross and