HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 26 JULY 2024
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General is in France today. As we speak, he is about to go to opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which he is attending at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee and the Government of France.
In about an hour - at approximately 7:20 pm local time, the Secretary-General will address those watching the ceremony in Paris and around the world by video message.
He will say that the power of sport to bring hope, unite people and to promote mutual respect and fair play also reflects the ideals of the United Nations.
In the spirit of the Olympic Truce, the Secretary-General will also call on everyone to lay down their arms, foster solidarity and strive for the ultimate goal: peace for all.
He will also speak directly to the thousands of athletes participating in the Olympics and Paralympics, to wish them success, but also to remind them that they inspire all of us to dream bigger.
A few hours ago, the Secretary-General met with the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. In a joint press encounter after their meeting, the Secretary-General said that these Olympic Games are a remarkable example in their commitment to sustainability and to the Sustainable Development Goals.
He also expressed his deep gratitude to the International Olympic Committee for allowing a refugee team to compete in the Olympics once again.
Finally, he expressed the wish that these Olympic Games, in Paris, la Ville Lumière, will be a fantastic success.
Throughout the day, the Secretary-General held additional bilateral meetings, notably with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of France, Stéphane Séjourne; and with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. He also attended a reception held by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.
The Secretary-General will leave Paris tomorrow.
REFUGEES
Also on the Paris Olympics opening, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, today urged the world to follow the example of the refugee teams that are competing, as they promote peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.
This week, Mr. Grandi became the third recipient of the Olympic Laurel, an IOC award to honour outstanding achievements in education, culture, development and peace through sport. He will accept the award on behalf of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) at the Opening Ceremony today.
Also today, the UN Refugee agency noted that Sunday, 28 July, marks the 73rd anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention, the cornerstone of refugee protection which has saved and protected the lives of millions of people around the world fleeing war, violence, persecution and human rights violations.
To date, 149 States worldwide have acceded to the Refugee Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol. Ahead of the anniversary, UNHCR – as the guardian of the Refugee Convention – is urging the remaining 46 UN Member and Observer States to accede to it.
UN RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST
The Security Council this morning met to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza, including the legislation in the Israeli Knesset concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Antonia Marie de Meo, the Deputy Commissioner General of UNRWA, noted the ongoing review by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) of the allegations made against UNRWA. Ms. de Meo said UNRWA is targeted because of its role in safeguarding Palestinian refugees. She said that UNRWA must continue to provide services until a credible solution for Israel and Palestine is at hand.
She warned that the bills before the Knesset on UNRWA make a travesty of the multilateral responsibilities of Member States. They erode the very foundations of international law and multilateral norms. If these bills pass, she said, they will put all UNRWA staff and the Agency’s General Assembly mandate in direct danger.
Muhannad Hadi, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator dealing with the Palestinian territories, said that everyone in Gaza is exposed to risks of injury and disease. Those who survive the bombs and bullets still face the threats of hunger, unsanitary conditions and lack of healthcare.
Mr. Hadi said that UNRWA has been shouldering the burden of this crisis. The campaign against UNRWA, attacks against its premises, and legislative efforts to declare UNRWA a terrorist organization to end its operations are utterly unacceptable and endanger our operations, he said. He noted that the Secretary-General has asserted that UNRWA is the backbone of our humanitarian operations in Palestine.
He reiterated that the United Nations, and our partners in Gaza, will never give up. We will continue to provide desperately needed assistance; Mr. Hadi added - but we need a safe enabling environment to do so.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
As for the situation on the ground in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) says that Israeli bombardment continues to be reported across much of the Strip, leading to civilian casualties and further displacement.
The UN humanitarian partners estimate that more than 190,000 Palestinians have been displaced this week in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah since Monday’s evacuation order. Hundreds of others remain stranded in eastern Khan Younis, as the fighting continues.
Once again, we underscore that all parties to the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by taking constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects. This includes allowing civilians to leave for safer areas and allowing their return as soon as circumstances allow. People must be able to receive humanitarian assistance, whether they move or stay.
OCHA says that recent evacuation directives and intense hostilities have destabilized aid operations and hampered efforts to provide critical relief to civilians in Khan Younis.
This week, a dozen distribution points for food and eight for cooked meals were forced to halt their operations – and nutrition programmes at two shelters supporting more than 2,800 children and pregnant women were also disrupted.
Ten water and sanitation facilities were also impacted – including water reservoirs, desalination plants and sewage pumping stations that had to cease operations.
And six education partners in Khan Younis had to suspend activities, affecting some 20,000 children who had been benefiting from mental health and recreational activities, and about 1,500 children in 10 temporary learning spaces.
Meanwhile, OCHA says ongoing insecurity and the designation of only one access point for the entry and exit of humanitarian staff into and out of Gaza – that’s the Kerem Shalom crossing – have hampered efforts to deploy additional emergency medical teams in Gaza. These workers are critically needed to help support the exhausted local health force.
None of Gaza’s 36 hospitals is fully functioning. Sixteen are partially functioning, but some are only providing minimal health-care services.
Since the start of the Rafah operation in early May, the volume of aid that could be retrieved from crossing points into Gaza has significantly decreased -- by 56 per cent since April.
As of Wednesday, humanitarian organizations retrieved 1,800 truckloads of aid – mostly carrying food – during July. This averages out to 75 trucks per day, excluding fuel. This is compared to a daily average of 169 aid trucks for April.
SYRIA
Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that water and health needs are surging during the hot summer months, with this year’s humanitarian response still critically underfunded.
Access to water is limited due to power and fuel shortages. OCHA has received reports from north-east Syria that in the eastern Euphrates region of Deir-ez-Zor governorate, the water station can only run for three hours a day – and most residents cannot afford to buy enough water.
Meanwhile, in north-west Syria, water and sanitation support to nearly 200 displacement camps could be suspended if additional funding is not received by September. More than 600 other camps still lack any access to this assistance. These camps host more than 900,000 displaced people.
This week, OCHA led a UN mission to northern Aleppo, in the north-west, to assess the impact of underfunding at a displacement camp and maternal hospital there. That facility serves nearly 50,000 people in the area. But it is in danger of running out of funding by the end of this month. As of June, more than 100 health facilities in north-west Syria had suspended operations due to underfunding.
The humanitarian community in Syria continues to provide critical assistance with the available resources. This week, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the launch of a national vaccination campaign targeting more than 2.8 million children under the age of five, amid a sharp decline in vaccination rates. But this year’s Humanitarian Response Plan for Syria for $4 billion is only 21 per cent funded at $871 million – with the health, and water and sanitation sectors facing even larger funding gaps.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is deeply concerned by ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure in the country – with hostilities overnight knocking out electricity to nearly 70,000 consumers in Kyiv and the northern region of Zhytomyr. That’s according to the national power company. OCHA stresses that it is critical to mobilize resources now to help families cope once winter comes.
The humanitarian community in Ukraine is already preparing. Earlier today, the UN and its partners, launched a winter response plan to support some 1.8 million of the most vulnerable people, mainly infront-line regions and areas bordering the Russian Federation.
The appeal will complement the Ukrainian Government’s own efforts and seeks $492 million to provide a range of critical assistance – including fuel, heating appliances, winter clothes, and cash to pay for heating. The UN and its partners will also support water and heating providers, insulate displacement sites, help health facilities keep services running, and support farmers with animal feed.
PEACEKEEPING
Starting on Sunday, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will visit our three peacekeeping missions in the Middle East.
Mr. Lacroix will first meet with the peacekeepers in the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria. He will also meet senior Government officials in Damascus.
He will then go to Beirut to meet senior Lebanese officials and will also travel to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon’s Headquarters in Naqoura to meet with leadership and interact with peacekeepers.
Mr. Lacroix will then visit the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) headquarters in Jerusalem and meet with Israeli government and military officials.
Mr. Lacroix’s priority is to express his solidarity and support for peacekeepers, Troop-Contributing-Countries, and other partners, as well as the communities that the peacekeepers serve.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) continues to support efforts of the national Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration programme.
Earlier this week, peacekeepers in Birao, in Vakaga prefecture, oversaw the destruction of 20 firearms and grenades collected from armed groups, with local authorities and the community present.
Meanwhile, in Obo in Haut-Mbomou prefecture, the Mission is supporting a training programme that started this week, for more than 100 young people, including 52 women, as part of its efforts to reduce violence.
ETHIOPIA
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that the UN and its partners continue to support the Government in responding to the devastating landslides in the South Ethiopia region. This includes dispatching aid supplies – with shelter, nutrition, and water sanitation and hygiene assistance among what’s most urgently needed.
OCHA notes that search-and-rescue teams are still looking for missing people. It is extremely challenging to access impacted areas, given the difficult terrain and heavy rains.
OCHA is leading a team of UN agencies on the ground to assess the impact of the landslides, including the scale of displacement. An estimated 600 people have been displaced so far.
Meanwhile, the Government is working to move more than 5,600 of the most vulnerable people – including more than 1,300 children and upwards of 400 pregnant and breastfeeding women – to safer areas.
SUDAN
On Monday at 11:00 a.m., the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Toby Harward, will brief you on his recent visit to Darfur.
Mr. Harward will be speaking to you from Chad’s capital, N’Djamena.
He was in West and Central Darfur for about two weeks, where he heard from civilians displaced by the ongoing conflict and the aid workers on the ground working to provide food, water and health care to those in need.
As we mentioned earlier this week, the food security situation in Sudan continues to worsen – and the rainy season is making it even more difficult to move humanitarian supplies, including across the border into Darfur from Chad.
CHAD
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today warned that Chad is grappling with an array of challenges that are driving humanitarian needs. These include the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan. They account for about half of the 1.3 million refugees now living in Chad.
Ongoing violence in other parts of the country also continues to cause deaths and displacement. The country is also facing food insecurity, with malnutrition rates at a nine-year high.
While we welcome recent steps to scale up support to Chad – including $15 million provided by the Central Emergency Response Fund that we told you about earlier this month – additional resources are urgently required. More than halfway into 2024, the Humanitarian Response Plan for Chad is just 23 per cent funded – leaving millions of people without the assistance they need.
KOREAN PENINSULA
I’ve been asked about the 71st anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.
I can tell you that, amidst heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, the Secretary-General reiterates the need to de-escalate tensions and for a surge in diplomacy to create an environment that is conducive to dialogue. Diplomatic engagement is the only pathway to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT
This week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, finance and foreign ministers met at the First Preparatory Committee meeting of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. They have called for action to reform the international financial architecture.
In a video message, the Secretary-General highlighted the limited prospects of financing the Sustainable Development Goals due to high debt burdens and capital costs in developing countries. He emphasized that the Conference is a unique opportunity to tackle these challenges and reform an outdated and unfair international financial system.
The SDG financing gap for developing countries has increased to $4 trillion annually due to global shocks over the past four years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical conflicts, and economic instability. This has exacerbated poverty and inequality and derailed efforts to meet international targets set in 2015.
WORLD HEPATITIS DAY
Sunday is the World Hepatitis Day. The Day raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and cancer.
