HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 8 APRIL 2024
ECUADOR/MEXICO
The Secretary-General said he is alarmed by the forced entry of Ecuadorean security forces into the premises of the Mexican Embassy in Quito. He reaffirmed the cardinal principle of the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises and personnel and emphasized that this principle must be respected in all cases, in accordance with international law.
The Secretary-General also called for moderation and exhorted both Governments to solve their differences through peaceful means.
GAZA
OCHA and the World Health Organization finally reached the Al Shifa hospital, after they were granted permission to go into the hospital by Israeli authorities.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that the hospital had been destroyed and deserted. The World Health Organization said that shallow graves had been dug just outside the emergency department and other buildings.
A new OCHA report on access constraints in Gaza said that restrictions and denials of planned aid movements by Israeli authorities continue to hamper the delivery of life-saving assistance.
During the month of March, more than half of UN-coordinated food missions to high-risk areas requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were either denied or impeded. Meanwhile, there was just one primary route designated for access by humanitarian workers between southern and northern Gaza – with only limited use of the Fence Road on Gaza’s eastern border thus far.
Despite these restrictions, the United Nations and its partners continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza wherever and whenever we can.
Last week, 17 health partners provided primary and secondary health services to almost a quarter of a million people. Work is also under way to expand medical service points in the western coastal areas of Rafah and Deir al Balah.
Meanwhile, several partners working on water, sanitation and hygiene provided assistance to more than 130,000 people last week. They distributed more than 10,000 cubic metres of clean water by truck and safely collected and disposed of more than 52 tons of solid waste.
LEBANON
In a joint statement on the occasion of six months since the exchanges of fire started across the Blue Line, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, and the Head of the Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, urgently appealed today to all sides to recommit to the cessation of hostilities under the framework of Security Council resolution 1701 and to avail of all avenues to avoid further escalation while there is still space for diplomacy.
Dozens of civilians have tragically lost their lives while many more have lost their home and livelihoods, the statement said.
Both officials underscored the importance of focussing anew on the overarching objective of a permanent ceasefire and long-term solution to the conflict, saying that the UN stands ready to support such efforts.
HAITI
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that emergency response in the capital of Haiti continues despite ongoing insecurity.
Since early March, the World Food Programme reached over 500,000 people, including with school feeding, social protection and emergency activities across the country. It has also distributed some 500,000 hot meals to over 76,000 internally displaced persons in 57 sites in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan zone.
Partners have also delivered nearly 4 million litres of drinking water to 29 displacement sites benefiting more than 60,000 people.
And UNICEF’s gender-based violence response reached over 4,500 people, including with psychosocial support and the dissemination of information on risks and services to combat gender-based violence in communities.
For its part, the UN Population Fund continues to provide services through two hotlines for psychological support, referral and case documentation.
And as a reminder, the $674 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Haiti is currently just under 7 per cent funded.
UKRAINE/NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The Secretary-General shares with the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi his concern regarding the drone strikes that hit the site of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.
In a statement released yesterday, Mr. Grossi said this is a major escalation of the nuclear safety and security dangers facing the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, adding that such reckless attacks significantly increase the risk of a major nuclear incident and must cease immediately.
UKRAINE
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown condemned attacks on 5th and 6th of April in the east and south of the country, which impacted civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Local authorities reported dozens of civilian casualties in the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv and their respective regions. Humanitarian organizations are mobilized and provide hot meals, emergency repair materials and psychological support, complementing the efforts of national rescue and municipal services.
Meanwhile, in the Donetsk Region, attacks on the 5th of April destroyed Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)’s facility in Pokrovsk.
SOUTH SUDAN
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) deployed at the temporary operating base in Tambura in Western Equatoria and is intensifying patrols in the area to protect civilians.
The peacekeepers reported on these additional measures in view of recent escalations in intercommunal tensions and heightened insecurity there.
The Mission said it is also working with local authorities to support the population in resolving disputes peacefully so they can continue going about their livelihoods without fear of displacement or violence.
ZIMBABWE
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is concerned over the impact of the drought brought on by El Niño, which last week prompted the third country in the region, Zimbabwe, to declare a state of emergency following Zambia and Malawi.
Authorities there say that more than 2.7 million people in Zimbabwe are facing food insecurity as a result – despite the Government’s and humanitarian partners’ investment in programmes meant to head off the worst impacts of the drought.
The humanitarian community in the country is also concerned that the scarcity and depletion of safe water sources could lead to an uptick in communicable diseases.
The United Nations and its partners stand ready to scale up life-saving assistance in Zimbabwe but need adequate funding to do so.
A flash appeal for the humanitarian response to the drought in the country is being finalized and will be launched soon.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS
The Secretary-General has appointed Violet Kakyomya of Uganda and Françoise Jacob of France as the Resident Coordinators in Burundi and Armenia, respectively, with the host Governments’ approval. They start their new posts today.
Ms. Kakyomya brings more than 20 years of experience in development, peace-building and humanitarian programming. She was formerly the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad; Resident Coordinator in Madagascar; and served as Country Representative of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Guinea Bissau and Malawi.
Ms. Jacob brings more than 28 years of experience in humanitarian and development work.
She previously served as the UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia; as the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) representative to the EU institutions in Brussels, and UNOPS Director for South Asia.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Tunisia paid its dues to the regular budget in full. There are now 98 Member States who have paid up in full.
BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
Tomorrow, at 11 a.m., the President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, will be here to speak about the forthcoming Sustainability Week – that’s from 15 to 19 April 2024.
Then, at 12:30 p.m., our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will brief you on the “Financing for Sustainable Development Report 2024: Financing for Development at a Crossroads.”
