SECRETARY-GENERAL’S PRESS ENCOUNTER – OPENING REMARKS
As Passover ends, I once again express my solidarity with the victims of the unconscionable Hamas terror attacks of 7 October, with the hostages, and with their families and friends.
Passover reminds us that the persecution of the Jews is as old as history itself. We all have a duty to speak out against all forms of antisemitism, in communities, in the media, and online.
Nearly seven months after 7 October, the situation for people in Gaza is worsening by the day.
I have called consistently for a humanitarian ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and a massive surge in humanitarian aid.
Unfortunately, that has not happened – yet.
But negotiations are once again underway.
For the sake of the people of Gaza, for the sake of the hostages and their families in Israel, and for the sake of the region and the wider world, I strongly encourage the government of Israel and the Hamas leadership to reach now an agreement.
Without that, I fear the war, with all its consequences both in Gaza and across the region, will worsen exponentially.
Recent weeks have seen airstrikes on the Rafah area.
A military assault on Rafah would be an unbearable escalation, killing thousands more civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee.
It would have a devastating impact on Palestinians in Gaza, with serious repercussions on the occupied West Bank, and across the wider region.
All members of the Security Council, and many other governments, have clearly expressed their opposition to such an operation. I appeal for all those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to prevent it.
More than 1.2 million people are now seeking shelter in Rafah governorate, most of them fleeing the Israeli bombardment that has reportedly killed over 34,000 people. They have very little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, little shelter, and nowhere safe to go.
In northern Gaza, the most vulnerable – from sick children to people with disabilities – are already dying of hunger and disease.
We must do everything possible to avert an entirely preventable, human-made famine.
We have seen incremental progress recently, but much more is urgently needed -- including the promised opening of two crossing points between Israel and northern Gaza, so that aid can be brought into Gaza from Ashdod port and Jordan.
Under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected – and they must be able to receive the essentials they need to survive, including food, shelter, and health care.
A major obstacle to distributing aid across Gaza is the lack of security for humanitarians and the people we serve. Humanitarian convoys, facilities and personnel, and the people in need, must not be targets.
We welcome aid delivery by air and sea, but there is no alternative to the massive use of land routes.
I again call on the Israeli authorities to allow and facilitate safe, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers, including UNRWA, throughout Gaza.
Dear members of the media,
The health system in Gaza has been decimated by the war. Two-thirds of hospitals and health centres are out of action; many of those that remain are seriously damaged.
Some hospitals now resemble cemeteries.
I am deeply alarmed by reports that mass graves have been discovered in several locations in Gaza, including Al Shifa Medical Complex and Nasser Medical Complex.
In Nasser alone, over 390 bodies have reportedly been exhumed.
There are competing narratives around several of these mass graves, including serious allegations that some of those buried were unlawfully killed.
It is imperative that independent international investigators, with forensic expertise, are allowed immediate access to the sites of these mass graves, to establish the precise circumstances under which hundreds of Palestinians lost their lives and were buried, or reburied.
The families of the dead and missing have a right to know what happened. And the world has a right to accountability for any violations of international law that may have taken place.
Hospitals, health workers, patients and all civilians must be protected and the human rights of all must be respected.
Dear members of the media,
I would like to conclude with a few words about UNRWA.
We recognize the irreplaceable and indispensable work of UNRWA to support millions of people in Gaza, the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
Following the report by Ms. Catherine Colonna on mechanisms and procedures to ensure UNRWA’s adherence to the humanitarian principle of neutrality, an action plan is being put in place to implement the recommendations of the report.
I appeal to donors, host countries and staff to cooperate with this effort.
Most countries have suspended contributions to UNRWA but many of them have resumed them. We are optimistic that others will join. And some Member States are giving to UNRWA for the first time and the generosity of private donors around the world is also heartening and unprecedented. But we still have a funding gap.
I call on Member States, both traditional and new donors, to pledge funds generously to ensure the continuity of the agency’s operations.
UNRWA’s presence across the region is a source of hope and stability. Its education, healthcare and other services provide a sense of normality, safety and stability to desperate communities.
Dear members of the media,
This is the moment to reaffirm our hope for, and contributions to, a two-state solution -- the only sustainable path to peace and security for Israelis, Palestinians, and the wider region.
The United Nations is totally committed to supporting a pathway to peace, based on an end to the occupation and the establishment of a fully independent, democratic, viable, contiguous, and sovereign Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part.
Thank you.
Highlights of the U.N. System
Tuesday, 30 April 2024
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL
On Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General will travel to Santiago, Chile, where he will chair the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB). The CEB will be held from Thursday to Friday, 2 and 3 May, and will bring together the heads of the UN system organizations.
CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system. The agenda of the meeting also includes discussions on 'Organized Crime with a Focus on Governance and the Rule of Law' and on the 'Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.’
While in Santiago, the Secretary-General will also have a bilateral meeting with the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that on Monday, Israeli authorities blocked or excessively delayed the access of three quarters of all UN-coordinated aid missions to areas requiring coordination across Gaza.
One of those missions went to northern Gaza following full coordination with the Israeli authorities, but the team was forced to wait for a combined time of more than nine hours before departing, on the way north, and on the way back to Rafah.
Such delays put humanitarian missions in jeopardy and humanitarian workers in harm’s way, as fighting between Palestinian armed groups and Israeli forces often takes place near checkpoints.Upon returning, that same mission collected the body of a boy who had apparently been killed near the checkpoint.
LEBANON
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said today that the ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon are taking a devastating toll on the population, forcing approximately over 90,000 people – including 30,000 children – from their homes. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon, 8 children are among the 344 people killed and 75 children among the 1,359 people injured since the escalation of the hostilities in October 2023.
UNICEF, working with partners, has been delivering vital aid to families affected by the hostilities, including life-saving medical supplies, hygiene kits, and nutrition supplies to the displaced families who are living in collective shelters and in communities across Lebanon.
UNITED STATES
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said today he was troubled by a series of heavy-handed steps taken to disperse and dismantle protests across university campuses in the United States.
Freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly are fundamental to society, Mr. Türk said, adding that actions taken by university authorities and law enforcement officials to restrict such expression need to be carefully scrutinised, to ensure such measures go no further than what is demonstrably necessary to protect the rights and freedoms of others, or for another legitimate aim such as maintenance of public health or order.
The High Commissioner emphasised that antisemitic conduct and speech are totally unacceptable and deeply disturbing. Anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian conduct and speech were equally reprehensible, he said.
He stressed that any restrictions to freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly must be strictly guided by the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality. These standards must also be applied without discrimination, he added.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that, according to local authorities, an attack last night on the city of Odesa, in the south of the country, claimed civilian lives and injured dozens of people, including children. Homes, an education facility and other civilian infrastructure were also damaged in the attack.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown, strongly condenmed the strike and said that such repeated disregard for international humanitarian law is unacceptable.
Since yesterday, aid organizations have been on site, complementing the efforts of first responders, providing medical and psychological support and distributing repair materials.
This latest attack comes just two days after a strike in Kharkiv on 27 April, which damaged a hospital. National non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are mobilized and assisting with the clearing of debris and delivering emergency shelter materials.
OCHA adds that also on 27 April, attacks damaged energy facilities in the west and the east of the country, leading to rolling power outages. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine documented four waves of attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since 22 March. These attacks continue to aggravate the suffering of Ukrainians, disrupting their already limited access to basic services.
PLASTIC POLLUTION
The fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-4) concluded yesterday in Ottawa, Canada, with an advanced draft text of the international legally binding instrument. Members also agreed on intersessional work ahead of the fifth session (INC-5).
In addition, an Open-ended Legal Drafting Group will be formed to review elements of the draft revised text to ensure legal soundness. INC-5 is scheduled to take place in November in Busan, in the Republic of Korea.
The advance draft text is available here: https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution/session-4/documents.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THR CONGO
The heads of UN and other aid agencies warned in a joint statement today that escalating conflict is driving record levels of displacement, hunger, and gender-based violence in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), led by Emergency Relief Chief Martin Griffiths, said that without urgent international action, the situation threatens to push the DRC to the brink of catastrophe.
In the past few months alone, more than 700,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes, bringing the total number of displaced people to 7.2 million – an all-time high. Gender-based violence has surged to unprecedented levels. And more than 25 million people – a quarter of the DRC’s population – continue to face crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity.
The IASC signatories called for stepped-up support to the Congolese people, particularly women and girls. This includes additional resources for the humanitarian response: The 2024 appeal for the DRC, for a total $2.6 billion, is just 16 per cent funded to date.
RESIDENT COORDINATORS
The Secretary-General has appointed Aminatou Sar of Senegal as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Benin, with the host Government’s approval.
Ms. Sar, who takes up her post on 1 May, brings more than 16 years of experience in human rights, development and communications in national and regional offices and programmes. Previously, she served with multiple international non-governmental organizations promoting child rights and human rights education across Africa.
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY
Today is International Jazz Day. The 2024 edition of International Jazz Day will be celebrated on 30 April in more than 190 countries. The Global Host for this year's celebration is the city of Tangier, Morocco. This marks the first time a city on the African continent hosts International Jazz Day.
