HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 9 FEBRUARY 2024
SECRETARY-GENERAL/SENEGAL
In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General said that he is closely following with concern the developments in Senegal. The Secretary-General urges national stakeholders to engage in dialogue, uphold a peaceful political environment, refrain from the use of violence and to ensure the holding of an inclusive and transparent presidential election within the framework designated by the Senegalese constitution.
The Secretary-General reaffirms the United Nations commitment to continue supporting the consolidation of democracy and promotion of peace, stability and development in Senegal.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the unprecedented density of Rafah's population makes it nearly impossible to protect civilians in the event of ground attacks.
OCHA says the congestion in Rafah has reached a point where normal routes are blocked by tents set up by families seeking any flat, clean surface available.
In the last three months, the city has produced the equivalent of a year’s worth of garbage. That is according to what municipal authorities are telling us. OCHA says that the scarcity of food, clean water, health services and sanitation facilities have led to an outbreak of preventable diseases.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Jamie McGoldrick, says that fuel, generators and spare parts are urgently needed to improve people’s access to clean water, noting that the southern Gaza desalination plant is only working at up to 15 per cent of its original capacity.
UN humanitarian partners estimate that about 100,000 families in Gaza need shelter support, including tents for winter weather and other supplies. Since 7 October, they distributed some 40,000 tents, primarily in the areas of Rafah, Khan Younis and the Middle area of the Strip. An additional 28,000 tents are in the pipeline, according to OCHA.
Just last week, they also distributed about 3,000 bedding items and 5,000 dignity kits in Khan Younis and in the Middle Area, as well as 1,500 bedding items in north Gaza to those who are not residing in UNRWA shelters or with host families.
GAZA
The Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, issued a statement today echoing the Secretary-General’s earlier statement concerning the International Court of Justice’s consideration of the South Africa v. Israel case.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, at the invitation of the Government of the United Arab Emirates, will travel to Dubai on behalf of the Secretary-General to participate at the World Governments Summit 2024, being held under the theme of “Shaping Future Governments.”
The Deputy Secretary-General will also engage with senior government officials in the UAE and other key stakeholders. She will be back in New York on Wednesday.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN is concerned by escalating violence in the Masisi territory, in North Kivu province.
Heavy clashes in the town of Sake on 7 February led to the deaths of at least seven people and the displacement of some 17,000 people to Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
Fighting in this area in recent months has pushed many people from their homes towards Goma. This is putting additional constraints on humanitarian resources and the city’s ability to accommodate new arrivals with shelter and basic services.
Goma is already hosting 500,000 displaced men, women and children. Although some have started returning to their homes, the volatile security situation in the area means that there is a risk of further displacement.
South Kivu is also being impacted by the current crisis in Masisi territory. Since the beginning of the month, which is just February, and according to humanitarian workers on the ground, some 100,000 people fleeing the region are now seeking refuge in Minova and Bunyakiri, both towns in South Kivu.
Despite the security challenges in the situation, humanitarian workers are providing aid, including clean water, healthcare, and some basic necessities and services to displaced people both in North and South Kivu.
For their part, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is also worried by the heavy fighting between the M23 armed group and the Congolese armed forces in the same area of North Kivu province, including in proximity to a number of UN Peacekeeping facilities.
Peacekeepers also continue to do their utmost to protect civilians, including through their support to the Congolese armed forces. The Operation Springbok, which is conducted jointly with the Congolese armed forces, continues to go on. As part of this, a Quick Reaction Force moved to Sake, in the Masisi territory, on Wednesday to help with the situation there.
Peacekeepers are also protecting the main routes leading towards Goma and Sake to prevent rebels from advancing towards both cities. Peacekeepers also engaged members of the M23 group in the Sake area.
SUDAN
In Sudan, where millions of lives have been impacted in this war-torn country, the consequences are even worse for children. As Sudan’s brutal war hits its 300-day mark, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 3.5 million children there are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, including over 700,000 who are expected to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, which is the deadliest form of malnutrition and requires specialized, uninterrupted, life-saving treatment.
UNICEF is the sole provider of the ready-to-use therapeutic foods used to treat children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. With partners, the Agency secured the pipeline of these essential foods through July and are implementing a scaled-up response to prevent a massive loss of lives.
This includes mobile health and nutrition teams, find-and-treat campaigns, and support to frontline health workers to prevent the total collapse of life-saving health services for children. But the Agency’s Executive Director Catherine Russell said that what is also needed is safe, sustained, and unimpeded humanitarian access across the country and especially across lines of conflict.
This year, UNICEF is appealing for $840 million to reach 9.9 million Sudanese people with humanitarian assistance, and that includes 7.6 million children. Last year, UNICEF’s appeal was only 28 per cent funded.
SOUTH SUDAN
Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan, condemned an attack on a humanitarian convoy that was delivering much-needed aid in Jonglei state earlier this week.
The convoy, which was escorted by peacekeepers, was travelling to Pibor area, close to the Ethiopian border. In one of the villages on the way, the attackers emerged from bushes and one opened fire. Apart from a vehicle being damaged, fortunately there were no casualties. The peacekeepers fired back and repelled the attack. Following the incident, local authorities rapidly dispatched security forces to the location.
The UN urgently calls the national authorities to investigate.
HAITI
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that it is deeply concerned about the impact of escalating unrest in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other major cities. According to the Human Rights Office, more than 1,100 people have been killed or injured since January this year. That is the deadliest month in the last two years.
Gang violence is impacting all parts of Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, as gang members continue to clash for control of territory and have escalated their activities in the areas outside of the capital.
In recent days, outbreaks of deadly violence during demonstrations have caused major disruptions to humanitarian operations – impacting our plans to reach civilians in need, especially those at displacement sites.
There are more than 313,000 displaced people around Haiti.
Road blockages and movement restrictions are also impacting health care workers and compromising people’s ability to access the most basic services.
In the south of Haiti, the distribution of life-saving aid has been affected by difficulties accessing roads and the country's ports. One humanitarian organization’s warehouse in the Sud Department was also looted. This will have a major impact on its operations and humanitarian work in the coming days.
More than 1,000 schools across Haiti, including in Port-au-Prince and other urban areas, have also been temporarily closed since mid-January due to ongoing demonstrations. The violence has also pushed up the price of food items by almost 25 per cent, in a context where 44 per cent of the population is food insecure.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that hostilities in the east and south of Ukraine continue to damage civilian infrastructure. According to national authorities, more than 120 houses and civilian infrastructure facilities, including education and a health care, were damaged between today and yesterday.
Since February 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 1,555 attacks on health services, impacting healthcare providers, supplies, facilities, warehouses and transport, including ambulances. These attacks also killed and injured civilians, including healthcare workers and patients.
Schools have also been affected, with more than 3,800 schools reportedly damaged or destroyed during the same period. That’s what the Government is telling us.
OCHA warns that these attacks are disrupting access to critical health services and education, often in areas heavily impacted by the war, where people are already vulnerable, including older persons, children and people with disabilities who rely on assistance to survive.
SECURITY COUNCIL
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, briefed Security Council members on the latest developments in Kosovo in a meeting that took place yesterday afternoon.
She expressed deep concern over the impact of unilateral actions that clearly fall within the political dialogue process and its governing agreements. She warned that such actions increase tensions and weaken the potential for lasting peace and security across all communities in Kosovo.
Ms. Ziadeh said that she will continue to call on both Pristina and Belgrade to engage actively, and in good faith, in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, the venue for tackling the most sensitive policy issues that affect the communities.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Tomorrow, it is World Pulses Day. As you may know, dried beans, lentils and peas are the most consumed types of pulses.
Also, tomorrow is the International Day of the Arabian Leopard. There may be fewer than 200 of them left in the wild, but by celebrating this Day, we seek to restore the Arabian leopard as a flagship species for conservation and sustainability in its native region.
On Sunday, we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. In his message, the Secretary-General says that it is time to recognize that inclusion fosters innovation. Every woman and girl should be able to fulfil her true potential.
HONOUR ROLL
Bhutan, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Monaco, New Zealand and Portugal have paid their dues in full, bringing the Honour Roll to 51.
