Noon briefing of 18 December 2023

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2023

GAZA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that since yesterday, humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza through both the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings. While this is indeed a positive development, the conditions to deliver humanitarian aid at a scale that responds to people’s needs still do not exist, as the fighting continues.
The World Food Programme (WFP) - through its partners - distributed more than 9,000 hot meals to internally displaced people in three locations in Rafah and Deir Al Balah. Together with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the World Food Programme is bringing in and distributing flour and other supplies to bakeries south of Wadi Gaza.
OCHA also says that efforts are underway to restore telecommunications services, on the fifth day of a shutdown that has hindered humanitarian operations and access to information.
And on Saturday – 16 December - a joint UN mission reached Al-Shifa Hospital, in north Gaza. The mission was there to deliver health supplies and assess the current situation. The team brought with them medicines, surgical supplies, orthopedic surgery equipment, and anesthesia materials and drugs for about 500 people.
It’s the third humanitarian convoy that has managed to reach north Gaza since fighting resumed after the humanitarian pause ended on December 1st.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Al-Shifa Hospital is only minimally functional. Once the most important and largest referral hospital in Gaza, Al-Shifa now houses only a handful of doctors and a few nurses, together with 70 volunteers, working under what WHO staff described as “unbelievably challenging circumstances” and tens of thousands of people are also using the hospital grounds as shelter.
WHO is committed to strengthening the hospital in the coming weeks, so that it can resume at least basic functionality and continue to provide the lifesaving services that are needed at this critical time.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY RC/HC AD INTERIM
Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, will act as the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN, ad interim.
This follows Lynn Hastings’ departure on Saturday, and that was because of the non-renewal of her visa by the Israeli authorities. We will of course keep you updated when a new Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator for the Palestinian Territory is appointed, as well as the deployment date, and that person also serves as the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Deputy to Tor Wennesland.
The Secretary-General thanks Ms. Hastings for her dedication and professionalism and the independence and impartiality she consistently demonstrated in her role.

MYANMAR
In Myanmar, the UN and its humanitarian partners today published the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for that country. The Plan paints a grim picture of the humanitarian situation in Myanmar, nearly three years after the military takeover.
A third of the population – that is about 18.6 million men, women and children – needs humanitarian assistance. That is a million more people than last year and almost 19 times the number of people who required assistance before the military takeover three years ago.
Children are bearing the brunt of the crisis. Some six million of them need aid due to displacement, interrupted health care and education, food insecurity, as well as malnutrition. Many of them are also facing protection risks, including forced recruitment and mental distress.
The economic situation is placing families in increasing financial distress.
Interruptions to agriculture, as well as rapid inflation, are making it increasingly difficult for people to access and to afford adequate food, raising the spectre of malnutrition.
The health system is in crisis and millions are without safe shelter or drinking water.
Women, girls, people with disabilities and stateless Rohingya people are among those impacted the most by this dangerous environment.
In the face of soaring needs, humanitarians have prioritized 5.3 million people for urgent assistance in 2024 and for that, we will need $994 million.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) remains committed to providing support to the electoral process ahead of the General elections which are taking place on Wednesday, the 20 December.
As of today, 255 tons of electoral material have been transported by the Mission, in support of the Congolese authorities, and that is taking place in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces, where the Mission is still deployed.
The Mission is also working closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) to extend logistical support beyond these provinces, within the UN existing resources and without impacting our ability to deliver on mandated activities. And this was requested by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and authorized by the Security Council on 14 December.
Over the weekend, the head of MONUSCO, Bintou Keita, welcomed the Security Council's favourable response to the DRC’s request to authorize the Mission to provide limited logistical support to the Electoral commission.
In a Tweet, Ms. Keita also expressed her concern at the escalation of violence, acts of vandalism and destruction of campaign material, as well as hate speech that have punctuated the electoral campaign. Serious human rights violations and abuses have been recorded, she said.

ABYEI
The United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) reports that an agreement has been signed by members of the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka communities to prevent conflict during the traditional annual migration period. The agreement was reached at a conference, held in Noong, in Abyei province, which was jointly organized by the peacekeepers, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Concordis International, an NGO, to help communities negotiate the mass movement of cattle ahead of the dry season.
The peace deal also seeks to prevent tensions between farmers, displaced communities, the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya who, as nomadic pastoralists, move their cattle to reach fresh pasture between January and April each year. The agreement also sets out migration corridors to be used by the pastoralists to enable freedom of movement, and refers to conflict mitigation mechanisms, as needed.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General held a virtual plenary meeting with the High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, where he had an exchange with them on the draft interim report.
Members of that panel are working to finalize the report that will be made public by the end of the year. All stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide inputs through an online submission form.
A presentation of this interim report for all Permanent Missions will be held in the first half of January. Additional information will be shared over the coming days with you.
And just a reminder that a broader report will be published next summer ahead of the Summit of the Future.

SECURITY COUNCIL
Briefing the Security Council this morning was Abdoulaye Bathily, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of the UN Political Mission in Libya. He said that he had invited the leaders of five Libyan institutions to reach a settlement on the outstanding issues preventing progress in the electoral process.
Recalling his broad consultations with a wide range of Libyan civil society, among others, Mr. Bathily noted their call for elections as soon as possible and their increasing disenchantment with certain actors who are stalling.
Mr. Bathily also called for the establishment of a unified national platform to coordinate the reconstruction efforts in Derna where we, along with our humanitarian partners, have reached over 200,000 people with assistance since the catastrophic flooding that you will recall took place in September.
Mr. Bathily added that the protection, human rights, and humanitarian situation of migrants and refugees remains a grave concern. Yet again, he said, dozens of migrants and asylum seekers drowned last Saturday when their boat departing from northwest Libya overturned in the Mediterranean. He expressed his deep condolences to their families and wished a speedy recovery to the survivors.

SECURITY COUNCIL/AFTERNOON
At 3:00 p.m. this afternoon, the Security Council will reconvene for a meeting on Non-proliferation.
The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, is expected to brief Council members.

KUWAIT
In a statement issued over the weekend, the Secretary-General expressedhis deep sadness at the passing of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait. He extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the Amir, the Government and people of Kuwait.
In the statement, we underscored that his Highness was a distinguished statesman who contributed to the growth of understanding and cooperation in the Gulf and beyond and pursued strengthened relations in support of peace and stability in the region and around the world.

U.N. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
The Economic and Social Council ad hoc Advisory Group on Haiti issued a statement today, appealing to the International Financial Institutions to redouble their assistance to Haiti.
The ad hoc advisory Group was recently in Washington, D.C., where they held consultations with partners on the need for strengthened, sustained and coordinated support for Haiti in view of the deteriorating situation.
The statement is available on the interweb.

INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is International Migrants Day. The Secretary-General in a message says that on this Day we highlight the urgent need for safe migration governance rooted in solidarity, partnership, and respect for human rights.
It is also Arabic Language Day today. This year’s commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Arabic as one of the six UN official languages.