HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 11 SEPTEMBER 2024
9/11 Attacks
As you know, today is September 11th. Twenty-three years ago, on this day, we remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks that struck the city. The Secretary-General said that today his thoughts are with everyone who lost their loved ones on 9/11, and with all the people of New York City and also all of our colleagues here who also lost loved ones.
In a social media post, Mr. Guterres said that New York City has hosted the United Nations for decades and is the place many of our colleagues call home, and so does he.
On this day, the United Nations underscores its commitment to never forget the nearly 3,000 people from over 90 different countries whose lives were taken on that day, and the thousands more who were injured or sickened.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Earlier this afternoon, local time in Gaza, an Israeli air strike hit an UNRWA school being used as a shelter, the New Nuseirat school in Gaza. The site had been previously deconflicted with Israeli forces. This is the fifth strike on the same location in the past 11 months. We are trying to confirm reports that some UNRWA staff members were killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza is continuing. The World Health Organization tells us that as of yesterday, more than 81,600 children under ten [in the north] had been vaccinated. This is according to preliminary data they are reporting. This brings the total number of children reached across Gaza to nearly 528,000, as of yesterday. We’ll share updated figures as soon as we get them. More than 230 teams are on the ground trying to reach all children under the age of 10 with the first batch of the polio vaccination. As you will recall, they will need to do this again in four weeks.
Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that Gaza’s health-care system remains in dire condition, with our partners reporting that half of all essential medicines are not available in the Gaza Strip. Primary health centres are facing critically low levels of insulin. Routine vaccination to protect infants from tuberculosis, as well as diphteria, tetanus and pertussis, are also nearly exhausted.
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that the United Nations and our partners continue to support Palestinian civilians affected by the 10-day Israeli security operation in Jenin and Tulkarm, as well as adjacent refugee camps. The support includes the delivery of food and water, with OCHA coordinating efforts to provide additional assistance.
Over the weekend, OCHA – along with UNRWA and other humanitarian partners – began assessing the needs of Palestinians impacted by the operation. OCHA reports that more than 620 people – over a third of them children – remain displaced. As of Sunday, 2,400 housing units have been damaged, with more than 100 rendered uninhabitable.
In the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, more than 2.6 kilometres of water and sewage networks were bulldozed during the operation, severely hindering the delivery of essential services. OCHA reports that more than 33,000 residents have been coping with water cuts and sewage flooding over the past two weeks.
In the Kafr Dan, in the Jenin Refugee Camp, and in eastern Jenin, about 70 per cent of the city’s roads and underlying water and sewage networks were bulldozed during the operation – cutting drinking water for about 35,000 residents of those areas and creating sewage flooding problems.
Also, in a statement issued late yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the Israeli air strikes that took place in a densely populated area designated as a safe zone by the Israeli security forces in Khan Younis and the killing of civilians, including women and children. The use of heavy weapons in densely populated areas is unconscionable, the Secretary-General said. You had that statement yesterday.
Yemen
In Yemen, most of you must have seen the recent allegations made by the de facto authorities regarding some UN Agencies, which are working tirelessly to address the impact of the dire humanitarian situation on the people of Yemen.
We firmly reject the allegations made by the Houthis that UNICEF, UNESCO and other humanitarian partners have been colluding to destroy Yemen’s education system.
Such false statements are baseless, and further threaten the safety of staff and hinder our ability and our partners ability to serve the people of Yemen.
With over 4.5 million children out of school in Yemen, UNICEF calls on the Sana’a authorities to lead a constructive and collaborative approach, working together with all partners to address the pressing needs of all children. We underscore that the safety of all United Nations personnel must be respected and assured.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned that three months have passed since the Houthis arbitrarily detained 13 UN personnel, in addition to members of civil society, national and international NGOs, as well as diplomatic missions. Additionally, four UN staff were detained in 2021 and 2023 and remain in detention.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN personnel and partners, who are arbitrarily detained in Yemen. In the meantime, those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and they must be able to contact their families and contact their legal representatives.
Libya
Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, wrapped up her visit to Libya today with a meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh.
They discussed the current political dynamics and the way forward. She emphasized the need for a political process to find a consensual approach to overcome the crisis affecting Libya.
More details will be shared in a note to correspondents that will provide an overview of her trip to Libya.
Haiti
Meanwhile, one of her deputies, Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, completed a visit to Haiti today. He reiterated the United Nations continued commitment, including through the UN political mission there, BINUH, to accompany Haiti’s path to restore security, democratic institutions, stability, and development.
Mr. Jenča met with the President of the Transitional Presidential Council Edgard Leblanc Fils, also with the Prime Minister Garry Conille, and other senior officials. He also met representatives of the Haitian National Police (HNP), the Multinational Security Support mission (MSS), civil society and representatives of various institutions and political parties, among others.
All of those he met emphasized that security remains the biggest challenge. While some success has been achieved in anti-gang operations conducted by the Haitian police with the support of the Multinational Security Support mission in Port-au-Prince, it is imperative for the international community to urgently and substantially increase its support for the MSS as well as the Haitian national police. This is fundamental to improve security and allow progress on the political track and in development.
Mr. Jenča agreed with interlocutors on the critical importance of the expeditious appointment of the Provisional Electoral Council. The United Nations will continue to support the government in planning and executing a credible and fair electoral process.
Mr. Jenča also travelled to the northern city of Cap-Haïtien, where the people he met there expressed concern that security operations in Port-au-Prince may lead to a spread of gang violence to other regions. They echoed calls to further strengthen the Haitian national police to provide effective security across Haiti.
Nigeria
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that hundreds of thousands of people in Nigeria have been impacted by flash floods after a dam collapsed in Maiduguri in Borno State, and that is in the northeast of the country.
OCHA says that immediate humanitarian needs include food, include shelter and clean water. Protection remains a major concern, especially among unaccompanied and separated children, older people and people living with disabilities.
Unfortunately, the $927 million Humanitarian Response Plan for Nigeria is currently 46 percent funded with $422 million.
Despite the funding challenges, we and our partners are mobilizing and supporting the Government’s response.
Yesterday, the United Nations helped conduct an aerial assessment of impacted areas with the support of the UN Humanitarian Air Service. For its part, the World Food Programme and its partners have started to distribute food aid.
And just to paint you a picture of the scale of this disaster, according to the International Organization for Migration, nearly 240,000 people have been affected after the dam burst on Monday (9 September), and that followed heavy rains and structural damage to the dam. Flooding is reportedly covering 40 per cent of the town of Maiduguri itself, which has an estimated population of over 870,000 people. The town also hosts two camps for displaced people and the combined population of those two camps is 230,000 human beings.
Local authorities have reported damage to bridges, telecommunications and electricity networks in some areas. The floods are also disrupting access to health care facilities, schools and markets.
In the meantime, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that evacuations of people by Government authorities continue.
These flash floods are occurring against a backdrop of floods across Nigeria and other parts of the region, which have so far claimed more than 200 lives and impacted more than 800,000 people across 29 of Nigeria’s states. That’s what national authorities are telling us. Some of the flood-affected areas in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are facing a food and nutrition crisis impacting 4.8 million people and putting the lives of 230,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition.
Central African Republic
In the Central African Republic, the UN peacekeeping mission supports an initiative launched yesterday in Bangui by the African Union, as part of its "Silencing the Guns" initiative. Our colleagues are playing a crucial role to support efforts to combat the possession and circulation of illicit arms, particularly small arms, which threaten peace and development. Through logistical, technical, and financial support, the Mission has helped national authorities to mark and register over 1,500 weapons since late 2023 and supports the government's 2024-2028 national action plan against the proliferation of small arms.
The second pillar of the Mission's disarmament work is the Community Violence Reduction programme, which is active in Bangui and 13 prefectures of the country.
That aims to supports the sustainability of the Mission’s demobilization, disarmament and reintegration efforts, targeting civilians, particularly young people prone to violence, by offering alternatives such as vocational training and income-generating activities.
Since its launch in 2015, the programme has directly benefited more than 38,000 people. Furthermore, a total of 600 weapons of war, 15,000 traditional weapons, and 33,000 rounds of ammunition have been collected.
Security Council
Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council met to discuss threats to international peace and security. They were briefed by, Joyce Msuya, the UN’s Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator. She noted that regrettably, two and a half years since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, the situation only continues to worsen, adding that the death toll is mounting, and human suffering continues at intolerable levels.
Ms. Msuya said that we are deeply concerned by the recent expansion of fighting in new areas on both sides of the Ukraine-Russia border.
Mpox/Refugees
The UN Refugee Agency today said it needs $21.4 million through the end of the year to urgently scale up critical response and prevention efforts for refugees in countries impacted by the mpox emergency. The appeal aims to support 9.9 million forcibly displaced people and host communities in 35 countries across Africa.
Financial Contribution
Mali’s payment to the Regular Budget brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 133.
Critical Minerals Panel
At 1 p.m., the Co-Chairs of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals — Ambassador Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission —briefed reporters on on the panel’s work. Also, we will release a statement from the Secretary-General on the panel.
Secretary-General’s press conference
On Wednesday, September 18th , at 11:00 a.m., the Secretary-General of the United Nations will do a press conference, prior to the opening of the 79th High-level session of the General Assembly.
