HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 10 NOVEMBER 2023
CHIEF EXECUTIVES BOARD
The UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) is concluding its biannual session today.
The Secretary-General chaired the two-day session which brought together the heads of the UN system organizations.
CEB Members reflected on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system. They held deliberations on 'Governance and Use of Artificial Intelligence for the Common Good' and 'Climate Change: Rallying for COP28 and Beyond'.
ISRAEL/OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN remains very concerned about the escalating violence and tensions in the West Bank. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today that 18 Palestinians, including one child, were killed by Israeli forces. The deadliest incident, which lasted for 12 hours, took place in Jenin Refugee Camp, with 13 fatalities. The operation involved armed clashes and airstrikes resulting in extensive infrastructure damage in the camp.
And turning to Gaza, on the situation there, OCHA said that people continue to flee southwards. More than 50,000 people fled yesterday on foot or on other modes of transportation, including donkey carts.
OCHA said that more trucks entered Gaza yesterday through the Rafah crossing in Egypt and southern Gaza. But, as we have been saying repeatedly, the volume of aid entering Gaza remains wholly inadequate and more than one entry point is needed.
Yesterday, 65 trucks came in – carrying food, medicines, health supplies, bottled water, blankets, and hygiene products – as well as seven ambulances. This brings the total number of trucks that have entered Gaza since October 21st to 821.
There continues to be damage to health facilities, and they continue also to be impacted by the lack of fuel, with some being forced to close surgical wards and oxygen generation plants.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today said that some 12 children with cancer or other blood disorders have been evacuated, with their companions, from Gaza into Egypt and Jordan so they may continue their treatment safely. Additional children are expected to be evacuated for cancer treatment as part of this initiative.
This afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., the Security Council will convene for a briefing on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is expected to brief Council members.
In the northern part of the Strip, OCHA warns that the deteriorating food situation is continuing. The UN food security partners have not been able to deliver assistance there in the past eight days. As of yesterday, no bakery was active due to lack of fuel, water and wheat flour as well as damage sustained by many. This is the north.
In the south, access to bread is also challenging, as the only operative mill cannot operate due to lack of electricity and fuel. Only one of the bakeries contracted by the World Food Programme (WFP), along with eight other bakeries in the south, are able to provide bread intermittently to shelters, obviously, also depending on the availability of fuel and flour. People are lining up for hours in front of bakeries and are exposed to airstrikes.
Some essential food items, such as rice and vegetable oil, are nearly depleted in the public markets. Other items – including flour, dairy products, eggs, and mineral water – have disappeared from the shelves in shops across Gaza in the past two days.
For his part, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, today concluded his visit to the Middle East with a press conference in Jordan, where he spoke on what is going on in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Also, sadly, our colleagues at UNRWA now tell us that 101 UNRWA staff members were confirmed killed in the past month, and there were parents, teachers, nurses, doctors and support staff.
Mr. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, said that Palestinians are mourning, and Israelis are mourning, and of course, all of us at the UN also mourn the loss of our colleagues.
As a reminder, on Monday, the UN Flag will be lowered at half-mast to pay tribute to our UNRWA colleagues who have lost their lives. That will be the flag in the traffic circle. There will be an opportunity for those who are interested to take photos and video. At 9:30 a.m., all UN offices around the world will observe a minute of silence. 9:30 a.m. local time wherever UN offices are located.
VENEZUELA/GUYANA
In a statement issued yesterday evening on Venezuela and Guyana, the Secretary-General said he is following with concern the recent escalation of tension between Guyana and Venezuela over the border controversy between the two countries.
The Secretary-General said that he trusts that both parties will demonstrategood faith and avoid any action that would aggravate or extend the controversy, which is now before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, in the Netherlands.
SOUTH SUDAN
In South Sudan, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator, Marie-Helene Verney, today condemned a deadly attack on humanitarians workers in the South-East of the country. On November 6th, a nutrition officer - a South Sudanese national working for an international NGO - was killed while responding to a suspected measles outbreak in the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.
Since the beginning of the year, four aid workers have been killed in South Sudan.
We never stop stressing that humanitarians are on the frontlines to provide life-saving support to the most vulnerable South Sudanese.
South Sudan remains the country with the highest proportion of food insecure people globally - at 56 per cent of the population. That is an estimated 7.1 million men, women and children with malnutrition. 1.6 million of those are children.
The effects of ongoing climate shocks in South Sudan are compounded by rising food and fuel prices and the lingering impact of the conflict; many families now need humanitarian assistance for the first time.
And just to flag that the African Union Mission in South Sudan (AUMISS), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), issued a joint statement yesterday - welcoming the recently announced Presidential Decrees on the commencement of the process to reconstitute South Sudan's National Constitutional Review Commission, National Elections Commission and the Political Parties' Council.
These critical developments highlight key milestones in preparing for and clarifying the way forward for the
country's Permanent Constitution-Making process and its first post-independence elections, scheduled for December 2024.
SUDAN
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today said that more than 8,000 people have fled from Sudan into neighbouring Chad in the last week alone – a figure likely to be an underestimate due to challenges registering new arrivals. UNHCR, with the government and partners on the ground in Chad, is preparing for more arrivals of refugees as the conflict in Sudan rages on.
More than 800 people have been reportedly killed by armed groups in Ardamata, West Darfur, an area so far less affected by the conflict. Ardamata also housed a camp for internally displaced people, where close to 100 shelters have been razed to the ground. Extensive looting – including of UNHCR relief items – has taken place in the area.
According to our colleagues in the World Food Programme (WFP), currently, over 20 million people are facing severe hunger and are relying on humanitarian assistance to survive.
The latest analysis by the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) shows that 20.3 million people in Sudan – that’s 42 per cent of the population - are facing acute food insecurity, of which 6.3 million people are just one step away from famine. This is the highest number ever recorded in the country.
WFP plans to support around 6.5 million people with emergency food and nutrition assistance, yet access restrictions constrain these plans. WFP has delivered life-saving food to over 3 million people since the start of the conflict and could reach many more if we had the unfettered access we so urgently need.
But without assistance, there is a significant risk they will fall into deeper levels of hunger with a risk of famine looming.
LIBYA
From Libya, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that two months after deadly floods devastated the east of the country – impacting a quarter of a million people – international support for relief efforts there remains critical.
Our $71 million Flash Appeal for the flood response is less than half funded, and more than 43,000 people remain displaced by the flooding – while more than 8,000 are still missing.
The UN, along with its partners, have reached some 180,000 people with humanitarian assistance in the past two months – including food, cash assistance and shelter kits. The UN remains concerned over the heightened risk of infectious diseases due to damaged water and sanitation infrastructure. Water trucking continues to ensure that women, men and children have access to safe drinking water.
NEPAL
In Nepal, the UN continues to support the Government-led response one week after the devastating earthquake hat hit the west part of the country.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that more than 400 aftershocks were reported this week. People have been forced to spend nights outside or in makeshift shelters in freezing temperatures.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed 8 tons of ready-to-eat food to cover 10,000 people for three days. UN Women established two community kitchens led by a women’s group. Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) installed three medical tents and has distributed buckets, hygiene kits and mobile toilets to meet the needs of more than 20,000 people. The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing technical, coordination, and information management support and has provided six vehicles to assist.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has provided more than 10,000 dignity kits to women and adolescent girls. OCHA says that, given that it is winter, there is an urgent need for warm clothing, winterized shelter, healthcare and food support.
MYANMAR
From Myanmar, we can report thanks to our humanitarian colleagues that intense fighting in northern Shan providence continues and has now extended to the northwest of the country.
Within two weeks, some 90,000 people have been displaced in northern Shan and the region of Sagaing.
Essential routes within northern Shan continue to be obstructed by checkpoints operated by both sides. Phone and internet services remain limited outside Lashio township, and the main airport has been closed since the escalation of the fighting.
Provision of life-saving assistance to affected civilians – including cash, food, and essential relief items – continues wherever possible. We estimate that one third of people in need have been reached with some form of assistance so far.
$1 million from the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Fund will be disbursed to respond to emerging needs in northern Shan providence.
This support, however, is insufficient to meet the surge in needs. The Humanitarian Response Plan for Myanmar currently just 28 per cent funded.
Nationwide, more than two million people are now internally displaced and remain in urgent need of adequate shelter, food, basic services for their survival and protection.
Local and international humanitarian partners remain committed to staying and delivering despite underfunding and heavy access constraints. The humanitarian community in Myanmar urges all parties to the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law, safeguarding the lives and well-being of civilians and of course the aid workers who are trying to assist the civilians.
FOOD PRODUCTION
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts a decline in international trade in some basic foodstuffs.
According to its new report, FAO says that extreme weather events, rising geopolitical tensions and sudden policy changes pose risks for global food production systems and could potentially tip delicate demand-supply balances and dampen prospects for trade and global food security.
The report shows that trade volumes in coarse grains and rice are expected to decline in 2023/24 period, and that world trade in vegetable oils and fats is expected to dip modestly, while global production and consumption are anticipated to expand.
***The guest at the Noon Briefing was the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale. He briefed reporters on the humanitarian situation in Nigeria.
