HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2023
MIDDLE EAST
Speaking in Beijing today, the Secretary-General drew attention to the catastrophe unfolding in the Middle East.
He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide sufficient time and space to help realize his two appeals - for Hamas to release the hostages immediately and unconditionally, and for Israel to immediately allow unrestricted access of humanitarian aid.
He called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide sufficient time and space to ease the epic human suffering we are witnessing. Too many lives - and the fate of the entire region - hang in the balance, he said.
And you saw that, in a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General condemned the strike on Al Ahli Anglican Episcopal Hospital in Gaza, with preliminary reports of hundreds killed and many others wounded, including women and children. He also condemned the attack on an UNRWA school in Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza which killed at least six people.
The Secretary-General emphasizes that hospitals, clinics, medical personnel, and UN premises are explicitly protected under international law.
SECURITY COUNCIL
Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council this morning and said that this is one of the most difficult moments facing the Israeli and Palestinian people in the past 75 years.
He expressed his fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole. He warned that the risk of an expansion of this conflict is “very real, and extremely dangerous.”
Ultimately, Mr. Wennesland said, the only way to bring an end to the bloodletting and prevent any recurrence is to pave a way towards a long-term political solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.
Martin Griffiths, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed Council members from Cairo. He said that in just 11 days since Palestinian armed groups attacked Israel on 7 October, the death toll has already exceeded that of the 2014 hostilities, which lasted more than seven weeks.
He said that in Israel, authorities have confirmed that 1,300 people have been killed and more than 4,200 injured, while in Gaza, more than 3,000 people have been killed, more than 12,500 injured and hundreds are unaccounted for under the rubble.
He noted that since 7 October, 28 health workers in Gaza have reportedly been killed and 23 injured. There have been many reports of health facilities sustaining extensive damage – indeed the Al Ahli hospital that was hit yesterday had itself already been struck on 14 October.
Mr. Griffiths stressed that what is needed is safe humanitarian access across all of Gaza. The UN and humanitarian partners therefore urgently need a mechanism agreed by all relevant parties to allow for the regular provision of emergency needs throughout Gaza.
And in a post on social media earlier today, Mr. Griffiths said that providing aid to the people of Gaza – wherever they are – is a matter of life or death. He said it is a humanitarian imperative to do so in a sustained, unimpeded and predictable manner.
There are an estimated 3,000 tons of humanitarian assistance awaiting entry to Gaza from Egypt. They must be able to move through Rafah crossing straight away to reach those who desperately need food, water, medicine and other supplies.
In Gaza, the number of people internally displaced is estimated at about one million, including about 352,000 people staying in UNRWA schools in central and southern Gaza, in increasingly dire conditions.
And Gaza is still under a full electricity blackout.
LEBANON
The UN Interim Mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported multiple exchanges of fire occurred in the afternoon along the Blue Line, in both Sector West and East. UN peacekeepers remain in their positions and their activities continue in line with UNIFIL’s mandate, including patrolling. UNIFIL is doing the utmost around the clock to defuse tensions and prevent further deterioration of the situation.
CHINA
The Secretary-General went to Beijing to participate in the Third Belt and Road Forum for international development. He spoke today at that forum and said the Belt and Road Initiative demonstrates that we have a historic opportunity to build modern, green cities, communities and transportation and power systems that place resilience and sustainability at the heart.
We can turn the infrastructure emergency into an infrastructure opportunity, supercharge the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and deliver hope and progress for billions of people and the planet we share, he said.
Later in the day, Mr. Guterres delivered remarks at a high-level forum focusing on climate, titled ‘The Green Silk Road for Harmony with Nature’. He said that we must ensure that any new infrastructure investments, including through the Green Silk Road, should turbocharge a just and sustainable transition, away from planet-wrecking fossil fuels and towards renewable energy.
The Secretary-General also had bilateral meetings with President Xi Jinping and with Vice President Han Zheng.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
On the Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the massive displacement of civilians continues in the east of the country, following recent clashes between armed groups.
Since 1 October, more than 145,000 people have fled the violence in Masisi and Rutshuru territories. That means that on average more than 8,000 people were forced to leave their homes every day. They need shelter, food, water and healthcare support.
We and our partners are providing assistance, including food, protection and nutritional support, as well as supplies, such as buckets and blankets.
The DRC remains the country with the largest number of internally displaced people in Africa, with more than 6.3 million people being displaced. Despite the magnitude of humanitarian needs and the scale up of humanitarian response capacity, humanitarian operations in the country are only 36 per cent funded, with just $818 million received out of the $2.3 billion needed.
AFGHANISTAN
Turning to Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says that humanitarians are in a race against time to meet the needs of affected communities before winter sets in after the country was hit by three earthquakes. Nighttime temperatures have already begun to dip. In addition to people whose homes have been destroyed, many Afghans – including in Herat City – are sleeping outside out of fear that their homes will collapse with additional aftershocks.
We, along with our partners, continue to support the response but much more needs to be done.
Since October 7, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided more than 520 tons of food assistance to affected areas. Health partners are providing primary health care and mental health support. They have also provided trauma, baby and dignity kits. Health facilities have been deployed to affected to support the response.
The International Organization for Migration, the UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF and partners have delivered emergency shelter kits, tents and other supplies. UNICEF and its partners continue water delivery and latrine building.
SUDAN
UNICEF and the World Health Organization have warned today that at least 10,000 children in Sudan under the age of 5 may die by the end of this year due to an increase in food-insecurity, and disruptions to essential services since conflict broke out in the country.
About 70% of hospitals in conflict-affected states are not functional, and the two agencies expressed concern about cholera, measles, malaria, and dengue spreading across the country, posing lethal risks to malnourished children.
UNICEF and WHO underscore that urgent action is needed now to preserve Sudan’s health systems. They are working with partners to ensure that primary health care, lifesaving medical supplies and nourishment are accessible to the displaced and other vulnerable populations.
ROAD SAFETY
Special Envoy for Road Safety, Jean Todt, is in India, on a five-day visit to draw attention to the urgent need for substantial improvements in road safety.
During his visit, Mr. Todt will meet with officials from both the government and the private sector.
One out of every 10 road deaths globally occurs in India. Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and riders of two-wheelers, account for 71 per cent of all road traffic deaths in the country.
