HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 11 JANUARY 2024
 

GAZA 
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that between 1 January and 10 January, only 3 out of 21 (14 per cent) of planned aid deliveries of food, medicine, water, and other lifesaving supplies to the north of Wadi Gaza proceeded. These included multiple planned missions to provide medical supplies to Gaza City and fuel to water and sanitation facilities in Gaza City and the north, which were denied by the Israeli authorities.   
The UN’s ability to respond to extensive needs in the northern part of Gaza is being curtailed by recurring denials of access for aid deliveries and lack of coordinated safe access by the Israeli authorities. These denials and severe access constraints paralyze the ability of humanitarian partners to respond meaningfully, consistently and at scale. 
Overall, the rate of access denials seen in January so far presents a significant deterioration when compared to those of December 2023, where more than 70 per cent of planned UN missions to the north were coordinated and undertaken.  
Every day the UN is unable to provide assistance results in lost lives and suffering for hundreds of thousands of people who remain in northern Gaza.                            
Yesterday, Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said in a social media post that “the health sector in Gaza is being slowly choked off as hospitals continue to come under fire. And what happens when the health system collapses? Pregnant mothers can’t deliver their babies safely. Children can’t get vaccines. The sick and wounded can’t get treatment. People die. This war needs to end.” 
Mr. Griffiths also mourned yesterday the loss of the four members of the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance crews who were killed while on duty.
He said that the rules of war are clear and that parties must protect civilians, including humanitarian workers. 
 
LEBANON 
The Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, is continuing his visit to Lebanon.
This morning, he arrived at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura – in the south of the country.  He is meeting with the Mission’s leadership and peacekeeping personnel to express his solidarity and support for their work in very challenging circumstances. 
Mr. Lacroix was in Beirut over the past two days, where he met with senior Lebanese political and military leadership as well as the diplomatic community.   
He reiterated the importance of de-escalation and stressed the need for all sides to reaffirm commitment to Security Council Resolution 1701.  

SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT 
Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia as Deputy Military Adviser for Peacekeeping Operations.  
Major General Pearce succeeds Major General Maureen Patricia O’Brien of Ireland to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and leadership.   
Currently serving as the Deputy Chief of the Army of the Australian Defence Force, Major General Pearce brings to this position more than 35 years of miliary experience.  

UKRAINE 
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, as another wave of attacks hit Ukraine yesterday, the UN and partners continue to support those civilians suffering the consequences of these widespread attacks.  
In the Sumy Region in northern Ukraine, humanitarians provided assistance to dozens of people whose homes were damaged in an attack on Tuesday. This included supplies to cover damaged roofs and windows, psychosocial services and legal support to obtain compensation for repairs. 
In the Kharkiv region, several civilians were reportedly killed or injured, according to regional authorities. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities said that attacks in the Donetsk Region in the east and the Kherson Region in the south of the country injured several civilians and damaged more than a dozen houses, education facilities, and other buildings. 
An attack earlier this week in central Ukraine reportedly left nearly 18,000 people without power in Kryvyi Rih [Kree-Vee-Ree] City in the Dnipro Region, after an energy facility broke down. Electricity and water supplies have been partially restored today, as repairs continue. 

SECURITY COUNCIL   
In a briefing to the Security Council this morning, the head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, said that over the past six months, the situation in the region has been marked by contrasting developments.   
On one hand, he said, significant progress has been made in consolidating democracy in some parts of the region, while on the other hand, the security situation and governance challenges remain major concerns.  
In the Sahel, Mr. Simão said that the unconstitutional change of government in Niger created a belt of military-led governments, adding to the substantial governance, humanitarian, and security challenges that the UN had been facing in that region. 
Turning to Mali, he said that discussions with Malian authorities are currently ongoing towards a mutual understanding of his office’s role there, especially as it relates to residual political issues. The UN, he added, remains committed to delivering.  
 
MALI 
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that aid agencies working through the UN response plan were able to reach more than 1.8 million people across the country in 2023. 
This was despite several challenges, including escalating insecurity in some parts of the country late last year. 
The UN and partners are committed to staying and delivering principled assistance and protection services in Mali, working with national authorities, Malian organizations and local communities.  
To keep the response going, agencies urgently need support for critical enabling services - such as logistics, mine action and security. In some locations, these services were previously provided in part by the UN peacekeeping mission - MINUSMA.  
Agencies also need full funding for the humanitarian response itself.             
This year’s response plan will be launched at the end of this month and is expected to require $700 million for the year – a 10 per cent decrease from 2023 - which reflects a more prioritized focus on the country’s most severe needs. 
While humanitarian aid remains essential, more is needed to address the challenges faced by the people in Mali. The UN continues to emphasize the need to maintain development assistance, as well as social cohesion programmes, to help communities move forward and to avoid further increases in humanitarian needs in the future.  

AFGHANISTAN 
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan – better known as UNAMA - expressed today it’s deep concern over the recent arbitrary arrests and detentions of women and girls by the de facto authorities, because of their alleged non-compliance with the hijab decree. 
The Mission said it is looking into allegations of incommunicado detention and ill-treatment and it is discussing these issues with the de facto authorities. The Mission also called for the immediate release of those detained. 
In May 2022 the Secretary-General expressed his alarm when the Taliban announced that women must cover their faces in public and leave home only in cases of necessity.

HONOUR ROLL 
Kuwait has paid its regular budget dues in full for 2024. The Honour Roll has reached seven members.