HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 25 APRIL 2024
HAITI
We welcome the official installation of the Transitional Presidential Council that took place in Port-au-Prince today.
We call on the new authorities and all stakeholders to expedite the full implementation of the transitional governance arrangements.
We have taken note of Ariel Henry’s letter - dated yesterday, in which he is resigning as Prime Minister, as well as the publication in the official gazette announcing that Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert is now the interim Prime Minister.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the swift deployment of the Multinational Security Support mission to Haiti to support the Haitian National Police in addressing the dire security situation.
The Secretary-General appeals to all Member States to ensure the Multinational Security Support mission receives the financial and logistical support it needs to succeed.
SYRIA
This morning, Geir Pedersen, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefed Security Council members. While addressing other vital issues, Mr. Pedersen underscored that renewing the Constitutional Committee is essential and he remains open to any alternative venue to Geneva that attracts the consensus of both the Syrian parties and the host.
Meanwhile, Mr. Pedersen continues to appeal for sessions to resume in Geneva as a bridging option.
For his part, Ramesh Rajasingham, the Director of the Coordination Division at OCHA, told Council members that humanitarian needs in Syria are already at record levels. He added that the cross-border operation from Türkiye continues to enable vital aid to enter north-west Syria, adding that we are currently engaging with the Government of Syria for the use of the Bab al-Salam and Al Ra’i crossings beyond 13 May – which would make a difference in the lives of so many people who are in need of humanitarian assistance.
And just to flag that later today, at 3:00 pm, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, our friend, Mr. Volker Türk, will brief the General Assembly on the implementation of the GA resolution that establishes the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. The mandate of the Institution is to clarify the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria and, in relation to that, to support all victims, including survivors and family members. The High Commissioner’s statement will be available to you under embargo about an hour before his briefing gets underway.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and humanitarian partners working on health care in Gaza report that, as of yesterday, only 54 per cent of patients requiring medical evacuations had their requests approved by Israeli authorities. That’s fewer than 5,300 patients, out of more than 9,800 in total that need evacuation for medical reason.
Meanwhile, the overwhelming number of conflict-related injuries in Gaza has strained evacuation resources, with injuries being prioritized over chronic illnesses such as kidney failure and heart disease.
Humanitarian partners report that in some cases, children in urgent need of kidney dialysis have died while awaiting evacuation permission.
Our colleagues from UNRWA [UN Relief and Works Agency] warn that the risk of diseases spreading is high in Gaza, with alarming rates of diarrhoea and Hepatitis A.
In Rafah, where about 1.5 million people displaced are living, trash is building up between make-shift shelters, heightening the sanitation and hygiene crisis.
UNRWA says that access to fresh water is also very limited, posing a growing threat to public health, particularly as temperatures in Gaza are starting to rise.
SIGRID KAAG
Sigrid Kaag, our Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, briefed the Council yesterday [afternoon] on the situation in Gaza and said that a paradigm shift is needed to continue to meet the immense needs of the civilian population in a safe and secure manner.
That paradigm shift, she said, requires:
• A further scale up in the quality and quantity of assistance and distribution;
• Irreversible steps to enable safe, secure and unhindered aid delivery inside Gaza;
• And planning and timely preparations for early recovery and reconstruction.
She told the Council that operationalizing the UN 2720 Mechanism for Gaza will start in the coming days. The mechanism, she said, will initially be applicable to the Cyprus and Jordan routes, respectively.
Technical consultations are being taken for Egypt.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Moving to the African continent. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, more than 20 years after their arrival in the country, the peacekeepers from Pakistan are now preparing to leave the country.
This contingent constituted the bulk of peacekeepers deployed in the South Kivu province. Their departure is part of the UN peacekeeping mission’s disengagement plan from the country, initiated at the beginning of the year.
Since 2003, when they were first deployed, more than 100,000 peacekeepers from Pakistan have served in South Kivu, including 31 Pakistani soldiers who died in the line of duty, in the service of the United Nations and the people of the Congo.
Today, our colleagues held a ceremony to recognize their important contributions to peace and security.
As we have mentioned, according to the disengagement plan, in parallel with the withdrawal of UN troops, the Congolese government will increase its presence in the areas the Mission is vacating at the government’s request.
SUDAN
In a joint statement released today, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Joyce Msuya, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Pramila Patten, appealed for more international engagement to combat sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan.
Their appeal comes as allegations of rape, forced marriage, sexual slavery, and the trafficking of women and girls continue to be recorded – especially Khartoum, as well as Darfur and Kordofan.
And as the Security Council will resume its meeting tomorrow afternoon on conflict-related sexual violence, Ms. Msuya and Ms. Patten are urging Members to send an unequivocal message, which is that under international humanitarian law, civilians in Sudan – and as a matter of fact anywhere around the world - must be protected and must never be subjected to acts of sexual violence, which could constitute war crimes.
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that several civilians were injured, while homes and railway infrastructure sustained damage in an attack on the town of Smila in the Cherkasy Region, in the centre of Ukraine.
Aid workers are on-site, providing emergency response, including support to repair windows and damaged homes.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues warn that intensified hostilities have slowed down the delivery of aid to the front-line towns of Chasiv Yar and Khasnohorivka in the Donetsk Region, where several thousand civilians continue to live amidst ongoing hostilities and disrupted access to critical services.
SOCIAL MEDIA AND GIRLS
The UN Organization for Education, Science and Culture, otherwise known as UNESCO, launched a report today on how social media affects girls’ well-being, learning and career choices.
The report warns that, while digital technologies can enhance teaching and learning, they also present risks such as the invasion of users’ privacy, distraction from learning and cyberbullying. It also sheds light on how social media amplifies gender stereotypes, with negative effects on girls’ well-being, learning and career choices.
More online.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Girls in ICT Day.
In a post on his Twitter account, the Secretary-General called to equip and support more girls in Information and Communication Technology, pointing out that fewer women than men have access to the internet – and that stands in their way of getting an equal opportunity for work.
Today is also World Malaria Day. This year’s theme is “Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world.” 94 percent of all malaria cases and 95 percent of deaths are in the World Health Organization’s African Region – and that’s data for the year 2022.
Today is International Delegate’s Day. Without delegates who negotiate agreements and coordinate with their home countries the United Nations would not be what it is.
GUEST TODAY
Carl Skau, the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme (WFP), briefed reporters on Haiti and Gaza.
