HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 5 AUGUST 2024
BANGLADESH
The United Nations is watching the situation in Bangladesh very closely.
It continues to call for calm and restraint and to urge all parties to respect the right to peaceful assembly and expression, and urges security forces to protect those out on the streets of Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, issued a statement on Sunday in which he called for violence in the country to stop.
He added that accountability for human rights violations – including for those with superior and command responsibility – is crucial. The international community must make it clear that, at this pivotal time, there will be no impunity.
UNRWA
The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has completed its investigation into 19 area staff members of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), regarding allegations of their involvement in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023 in southern Israel.
OIOS made findings in relation to each of the 19 UNRWA staff members alleged to have been involved in the attacks.
In one case, no evidence was obtained by OIOS to support the allegations of the staff member’s involvement, while in nine other cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS was insufficient to support the staff members’ involvement. With respect to these ten cases, appropriate measures will be taken in due course, in conformity with UNRWA Regulations and Rules.
In respect of the remaining nine cases, the evidence obtained by OIOS indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks of 7 October 2023. The employment of these individuals will be terminated in the interests of the Agency.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that ongoing bombardment and hostilities continue to kill, injure and displace Palestinians – as well as damage and destroy the homes and infrastructure they rely on.
In just the past 48 hours, three schools sheltering displaced people in Gaza City were reportedly hit, resulting in dozens of casualties, according to Palestinian Civil Defence. Partners on the ground are assessing the needs of people who fled and have been providing assistance.
Meanwhile, a new analysis by the UN Satellite Centre - UNOSAT - found that as of a month ago, 63 per cent of structures in Gaza had been damaged.
Yesterday, the Israeli military issued a new evacuation order for people living in areas of southern Khan Younis and northern Rafah to immediately move westwards to Al Mawasi. The UN partners are tracking population movements in Gaza and estimate that more than 11,000 people had been living in the areas affected by this evacuation order.
The UN calls once again for all parties to the conflict to 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.
As the violence continues, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening. The UN’s partners are now reporting a surge in malnutrition levels among children in northern Gaza last month. They noted a more than 300 per cent increase in July -- when more than 650 cases of acute malnutrition were diagnosed -- compared to May, when 145 such cases were detected.
Nutrition conditions are worsening due to access constraints, shortages in essential supplies, limited availability of fresh produce and meat, poor water and sanitation services and spreading diseases.
For example, acute supply shortages meant that just 8 per cent of the nearly 50,000 children whom our partners had been aiming to reach in northern Gaza were able to receive those supplies last month.
LEBANON/SYRIA
Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix concluded his official trip to the Middle East on Saturday.
On the first leg of this visit, he met with personnel at the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF) and engaged with senior Syrian officials in Damascus to reaffirm the Mission's commitment to its mandate and de-escalation.
In Lebanon, Mr. Lacroix visited the UN Interim Force in Lebanon – or UNIFIL - in south Lebanon, after meetings in Beirut with Lebanese political and military leaders, where he discussed the important role of UNIFIL in supporting de-escalation across the Blue Line.
Throughout these engagements he stressed the need for all actors to cease fire, recommit to resolution 1701, and work toward a durable political and diplomatic solution. He visited UNIFIL's Naqoura Headquarters and joined peacekeepers on patrol and in positions along the Blue Line – they were commended for their efforts in a challenging environment.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that hostilities in Ukraine continued over the weekend and today in front-line regions in the east of the country.
Local authorities reported over 70 civilian casualties, including children, and extensive damage to homes and health and education facilities.
The towns of Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad and Toretsk, in the Donetsk Region, were particularly impacted, with repeated strikes damaging at least five education and health facilities.
Due to the worsening security situation, local authorities initiated a mandatory evacuation of children in six towns and villages in the Donetsk Region, offering temporary accommodation and support to evacuated families. Aid organizations – notably in western Ukraine – provided basic assistance, psychosocial support, and other services to the evacuees.
During the first half of this year, aid workers provided humanitarian assistance to more than 440,000 people in the Donetsk Region, where aid remains a lifeline for devastated communities.
SUDAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are warning that active conflict and worsening flooding continue to fuel misery across the country – including in North Darfur.
On Saturday, fighting in the state capital El Fasher reportedly displaced nearly 2,000 people from the Al Salam camp. The Famine Review Committee warned last week that famine conditions are likely prevalent in Al Salam camp.
In Zamzam camp – where famine conditions have been confirmed – more than 5,000 people have been displaced due to heavy rains in recent weeks. There are alarming reports that latrines and water points are being flooded, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases at a time when people are already dying from hunger and illness.
The UN and its humanitarian partners are trying to scale up assistance in these and other hunger hotspots in Sudan, but we continue to face major challenges, including access constraints, impassable roads, and funding gaps for the aid operation.
Once again, the UN calls for safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, including across borders and battle lines, to stop a large-scale famine from taking hold.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/SOMALIA
The Secretary-General strongly condemned Friday’s attack at Lido Beach in Mogadishu, which resulted in multiple casualties.
He expressed his condolences to the families of the bereaved and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
The Secretary-General said that he is saddened that the people of Somalia continue to be victims of such heinous acts of terrorism. He reiterated that the UN stands firmly with the Government and people of Somalia against terrorism and violent extremism.
HAITI
Turning to Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs remains concerned about the protection of civilians in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and in neighbouring towns, as well as in the Artibonite Department in the north, where violence continues to displace families.
Despite the volatile context, the UN and partners in Haiti continue to support people in need.
Since the beginning of March, partners distributed 29.5 million liters of drinking water to nearly 97,000 displaced people across the country, including in Port-au-Prince and Léogane. Partners have also distributed 17,000 hygiene kits to nearly 70,000 displaced people living in these areas.
Since March, the World Food Programme has distributed more than 1.6 million hot meals to 132,000 displaced people across Port-au-Prince.
Over the last two weeks, health partners reached more than 1,300 children with psychosocial and mental health support activities across displaced sites in Port-au-Prince, and provided water and sanitation support.
GENOCIDE PREVENTION
The Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, underlined the imperative for ensuring full accountability for international crimes committed during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.
In a statement issued by her office today, she referred specifically to the more than 1,000 fugitive génocidaires from Rwanda and thousands of suspected war criminals from the former Yugoslavia who are still at large - despite existing indictments and international arrest warrants.
She called on States hosting these fugitives to take active and immediate steps to ensure that they can be brought to justice, by prosecuting them before their own jurisdictions, or by extraditing them to jurisdictions in which they can be prosecuted.
AFRICAN UNION / UNITED NATIONS
The Joint African Union – United Nations Task Team on the Operationalisation of Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2719 (2023), establishing the framework for financing of AU-led peace support operations (PSOs) through UN assessed contributions, held its second consultative meeting last week at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Led by General Cheikh Dembélé, Head of the AU Peace Support Operations Division, and General Mamadou Gaye of the UN Secretariat team, both delegations expressed their commitment to collaboration and productive outcomes. They continued their work on the four thematic workstreams of the Joint AU-UN Roadmap namely, (i) Joint planning, decision-making and reporting; (ii) Mission support; (iii) Financing and budgeting; and (iv) Human rights compliance and protection of civilians.
The Joint AU-UN Roadmap will be reviewed by the principals of both organizations and submitted to the AU Commission Chairperson and the UN Secretary-General for adoption during the next annual conference of the two organizations in October 2024 in Addis Ababa.
REFUGEE OLYMPIC TEAM
The UN Refugee Agency flagged that, yesterday, the refugee athlete Cindy Ngamba, competing in the women’s 75kg category, secured the first-ever medal for the Refugee Olympic Team in Paris.
She triumphed in her quarterfinal bout and guaranteed herself at least a bronze, with the next bout on Thursday for a potential place in the gold-medal match.
But whatever the outcome – and whatever the eventual colour of her medal, UNHCR said that her historic achievement has already sent a powerful message of hope to some 120 million forcibly displaced people worldwide.
Ngamba is one of 37 athletes competing in Paris as part of the refugee team, which was created by the IOC to give displaced sportspeople the chance to compete at the highest level.
The first-ever refugee team took part in the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, followed by a 29-strong team competing at Tokyo 2020.
