Noon briefing of 23 May 2024

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

THURSDAY, 23 MAY 2024

This morning, the Secretary-General of the United Nations addressed the Security Council of the United Nations. He spoke at an open debate on strengthening Africa’s role in security and development globally.
Recognizing Africa’s crucial role, he said the continent is home to many examples of unity and solidarity in a fractured world, ranging from the focus on ending poverty and hunger, to supporting refugees fleeing across borders, and achieving sustainable development.
“Now is the time to unleash Africa’s peace power”, Mr. Guterres said.
The Secretary-General added that strengthening Africa’s voice can only happen if African countries can participate in global governance structures as equals. This must include correcting the lack of permanent African representation on the Security Council.

SREBRENICA
Today, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, welcomed the resolution adopted by the General Assembly to designate 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.
This resolution is further recognition of the victims and survivors and their pursuit of justice, truth and guarantees of non-recurrence, he said, adding it is also an important step towards promotion of a culture of remembrance and peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the region.
For her part, Alice Nderitu, the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, also welcomed the resolution, saying it will be instrumental in honouring the victims, ensuring that their sacrifice is never forgotten as well as cementing the legacy of those who worked so tirelessly to bring justice to the victims.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that if aid does not begin to enter Gaza in massive quantities, desperation and hunger will spread even further.
The closure of the Rafah crossing and limited functionality of Kerem Shalom in the south have choked off the flow of life-saving supplies.
The World Food Programme says there are no food distributions taking place in the south, except for some limited stocks that are being provided to community kitchens for hot meals. The World Food Programme hopes to work with partners to see more community kitchens open in areas like Khan Younis, which is hosting people who have fled the escalating hostilities in Rafah. Since the beginning of this month, WFP has worked with more than 70 community kitchens across Gaza to provide some 4.4 million hot meals to the people of Gaza.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reports that many hospitals lack fuel and medicines due to the continued closure of the Rafah crossing. In a social media post, Dr. Tedros, the head of the World Health Organization, warns that access to health care across Gaza is shrinking. He said that Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north is also no longer functioning.
WHO said another hospital in the north, Al-Awda, was reportedly invaded earlier on Wednesday, after days under siege.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, OCHA says that 12 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation in Jenin, which concluded yesterday. More than two dozen others were injured, including one medical worker. Multiple UNRWA [UN Relief and Works Agency] facilities were damaged, and residential shelters and civilian infrastructure were also destroyed.
In response to questions about fuel supplies in Gaza, the Spokesman said that just over one million litres of fuel have entered the Gaza Strip since the Rafah operation began on 6 May. This means that, on average, we are receiving just 29 per cent of the fuel allocations that we would have received under arrangements in place prior to 6 May, further hindering the functioning of bakeries, hospitals, water wells, and other critical infrastructure.

HAITI
In Haiti, we mentioned food distributions in Cité Soleil, in the capital Port-au-Prince, in an effort to address alarming reports regarding the food security situation there.
In total, some 93,000 people were reached with over 600 metric tonnes of food in the past two weeks alone.
Since early March, WFP has provided close to 900,000 hot meals - to about 100,000 people in 80 displacement sites in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.
Our colleagues from the International Organization for Migration – IOM – tell us that, yesterday, they distributed 34,000 liters of water in three sites for displaced people in the capital.
They also continued to provide medical services through a mobile clinic in a Port-au-Prince site.

SOUTH SUDAN
The Head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, today attended a meeting in Juba of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission. He grabbed this opportunity to stress the urgent need for the transitional Government to fully implement the Revitalized Peace Agreement in view of the dire economic and humanitarian situation in South Sudan, as well as the reports of anticipated flooding due to the rising waters of the Nile waters.
Mr. Haysom also emphasized the need to meet minimum political and technical preconditions required for a free, fair and credible electoral process, given the marginal progress we’ve seen in recent months.
He reiterated the UN's full support for efforts to build the foundations of democracy, peace and stability through the peace agreement.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
And in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the peacekeeping mission there reports that they are conducting day and night joint patrols with the Congolese armed forces in several areas in the province of North Kivu. This is done to ensure the protection of civilians and prevent the free movement of armed groups, particularly the Allied Democratic Forces [ADF]. Together with the M23 armed group, the ADF account for most of the security incidents in the province of North Kivu.
The patrols are done in response to alerts received from communities and reports of armed groups or planned attacks by these groups.

USG MARTIN GRIFFITHS
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, has wrapped up a visit to Abu Dhabi, where he met with Emirati officials to discuss humanitarian issues and ways to further strengthen the collaboration between the UAE [United Arab Emirates] and the United Nations.
Meanwhile, in a social media post today, Mr. Griffiths thanked Qatar for its efforts to reunite with their families six children from Ukraine who had been displaced into Russia. He noted that this underscores the strength of Qatar’s humanitarian leadership.

UKRAINE
Today in Ukraine, Denise Brown, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, condemned the deadly attacks on Kharkiv city, which follow two weeks of attacks on the region.
Homes, businesses, transport and other civilian infrastructure have been destroyed and thousands of civilians, including older people and people with disabilities, have been forced to flee, leaving their entire lives behind.
We, along with our humanitarian partners continue to support evacuated people and those impacted by the strikes.
The humanitarian response also continues across Ukraine. As of the end of April, nearly 500 partners provided assistance to 4.4 million people in Ukraine as part of the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.

SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT 
Mari Yamashita of Japan has been appointed by the Secretary-General as the Deputy Head of Mission of the UN Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA).
Ms. Yamashita succeeds Vivian van der Perre of the Netherlands who was appointed as Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations at the Peacekeeping mission in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo].
Ms. Yamashita brings to the position a broad range of experience with the UN based on a career spanning over 30 years working on preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and external relations both at UN Headquarters and globally. Since 2020, she has been the Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Office in Belgrade. We congratulate her. Much more on the interweb.

INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today Buddhists across the globe celebrate Vesak Day, which marks the birth, enlightenment and the passing of the Buddha.
In his message, the Secretary-General recalled his visit last year to Buddha’s birthplace in Lumbini, in Nepal. He said that this inspiring visit re-affirmed his conviction that the Buddha’s timeless teachings of peace are the pathway to a better world for all.
Also today is the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. This childbirth injury, resulting from prolonged and obstructed labour, is not just a medical issue but a reflection of a systemic inequalities ingrained within societies. And this year’s theme is “Breaking the Cycle: Preventing Fistula Worldwide.”

GUEST
The Director of Advocacy and Operations for OCHA, Edem Wosornu, briefed reporters on missions to Afghanistan and Pakistan last week, as well as to Sudan earlier this month.