HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER 2024
**Peace Bell
The Secretary-General today rang the Peace Bell at UN Headquarters, and he said as he did so that “peace is our raison d'être, our guiding light, and our founding creed.” But he warned that peace is under threat, with wars in the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond, while geo-political divisions are widening and inequalities are growing.
Later this month, he said, at the Summit of the Future, we can begin the process of reform and revitalization. And he added that we must “cultivate a culture of peace.”
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the UN partners have vaccinated more than 560,000 children under the age of 10 against polio.
The World Health Organization says the first round of the emergency vaccination campaign in Gaza concluded yesterday. In northern Gaza, during the final phase of this first round, the UN and partners reached more than 112,000 children with the vaccine over the span of three days.
OCHA says partners are set to commence the second round of the vaccination campaign in about four weeks’ time.
Meanwhile, a new analysis by WHO has found that about 22,500 people who have been injured in Gaza as of 23 July are estimated to have life-changing injuries that will require rehabilitation services now and for years to come.
This is a quarter of the overall injuries reported by the Ministry of Health in that period.
And turning to the West Bank, OCHA has mobilized humanitarian partners from the UN and beyond and together, who are assessing the needs of people affected by the latest two-day operation by Israeli forces in Tulkarm and Tubas. That operation concluded yesterday, with nearly a dozen Palestinians reportedly killed.
Dozens of families were displaced when their homes were damaged on Wednesday and Thursday during the operation, which involved Israeli air and ground forces, with exchanges of fire between Palestinians and Israeli forces. The use of lethal war-like tactics in these areas of the West Bank has raised concerns over excessive use of force.
UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) issued a press release mourning the death of one of their colleagues who was killed overnight in El Far’a Camp in the West Bank.
They said that he was shot and killed on the roof of his home by a sniper, and that he is the first UNRWA staff member to have been killed in the West Bank in over ten years.
**Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to carry out its mandate in very challenging circumstances and engage in capacity building activities with the Lebanese Armed Forces as well as activities in support of local communities.
The Mission reports that it conducted a joint training with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) at the LAF base, in Dayr Kifa, on the detection and mitigation of threats posed by improvised explosive devices. These trainings are key to prepare for joint patrols with the LAF, which are conducted on a daily basis as part of the Mission’s mandate to support implementation of Resolution 1701. From the beginning of this year until the end of August, UNIFIL has conducted more than 210 joint training activities with the Lebanese army and navy.
Beyond continuing to liaise with the Israeli Defense Forces and the Lebanese Armed Forces to help de-escalate tensions, UNIFIL is also supporting local communities in areas impacted by exchanges of fire in southern Lebanon.
**Lebanon/Humanitarian
The Office for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, Imran Riza, has allocated a $24 million emergency aid package from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to support people in need.
$10 million will go towards supporting the response for those affected by the hostilities in South Lebanon, with food, health, health care and water, hygiene and sanitation support.
And $13 million will be allocated to support vulnerable communities across the country, while the remaining $1 million will be dedicated to empowering local non-governmental organizations.
For the ongoing emergency response to the current hostilities, the UN’s humanitarian partners need $123 million to address urgent needs through the end of the year.
**Afghanistan
The Secretary-General condemns yesterday’s heinous attack on members of the Shia Hazara community in the central region of Afghanistan. He conveys his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured. The Secretary-General reiterates his call to protect civilians at all times.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also condemned the attack and called for an investigation to hold those responsible to account.
**Libya
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) welcomed the progress achieved in talks concerning the Central Bank of Libya. However, the Mission said yesterday that it regrets that the two parties have yet to reach a final agreement.
UNSMIL reminds all Libyan parties of their responsibility to urgently address this crisis, as its continuation poses serious risks to the well-being of Libyans and to Libya's relationships with international partners.
Furthermore, the Mission reiterates that unilateral decisions made by all parties across the country undermine trust among political and security actors and entrench institutional divisions.
**South Sudan
Moving to South Sudan. The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $10 million to provide critical assistance to 700,000 people in five counties severely impacted by the current floods.
The Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho, released an additional $5 million from the South Sudan Humanitarian Fund to complement the CERF funding.
With these new resources, our humanitarian partners will be able to deliver health, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene support, and other life-saving aid to people affected by the flooding.
This support is critical, as many of the affected areas are already grappling with the impact of past floods, ongoing conflict, mass displacement and acute food insecurity, further worsened by the crisis in neighboring Sudan.
**Flooding in West and Central Africa
UNICEF continues to respond to the devastating floods impacting several countries in West and Central Africa.
In Nigeria, UNICEF is rapidly deploying pre-positioned health, water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to flood-hit areas and is working with local authorities to register 5,000 households for emergency cash distributions.
In Chad, the agency reacted within the first 48 hours of the flooding to build latrines and to rehabilitate water points. Essential household supplies were distributed, as well as therapeutic food for children under five.
In Mali, UNICEF has delivered emergency household and sanitary items, deployed mobile health clinics, set up child-friendly spaces and increased community messaging around hygiene and sanitation.
According to Malian authorities, almost 72,000 children have already been affected by the flooding across all 19 regions of the country.
In Niger, UNICEF is distributing malaria kits, as well as water treatment supplies, soap and essential household items. An estimated 650,000 people have been affected by flooding there.
UNICEF urgently needs US$6 million in flexible emergency funding to reach the most vulnerable children and families impacted by floods throughout the region.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, will visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a week starting on Monday [16 September]. While there, he will engage with national authorities and other relevant partners.
Mr. Lacroix will start his visit in Kinshasa where he is scheduled to meet with the President, Felix Tshisekedi, the Prime Minister, Judith Tuluka Suminwa, newly appointed Cabinet members, as well as key political and institutional actors. They will exchange on latest developments and the implementation of the peacekeeping mission’s mandate.
He will then travel to North Kivu and Ituri to assess recent developments first-hand and to engage with provincial authorities, UN staff, local communities, civil society organizations, and relevant actors in the east
He will also meet with the leadership of the Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC – also known as SAMIDRC, in the context of relevant Security council resolutions and MONUSCO’s support to regional initiatives.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on threats to international peace and security. Briefing Council members, Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs said that since the last briefing to the Security Council on this topic only two weeks ago, the provision of military assistance and transfer of arms and ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces have continued in the context of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by the Russian Federation.
Ms. Nakamitsu added that there have also been reports of States transferring, or planning to transfer, weapons such as uncrewed aerial vehicles, ballistic missiles and ammunition to the Russian armed forces and that those weapons have been used and are likely to be used in Ukraine.
Needless to say, she pointed out, any transfer of weapons and ammunition must be compliant with the applicable international legal framework, including of course, relevant Security Council resolutions, which in certain instances impose sanctions and restrictive measures on such transfers.
Ms. Nakamitsu called on all States to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.
**Mpox
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the first prequalification of a vaccine against mpox.
WHO confirms that this prequalification approval of the MVA-BN vaccine is an important step in the fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa, and in future. Now, what is needed is urgent scale-up in procurement, donations and rollout.
WHO says that this year alone, there were over 25,000 suspected and confirmed cases and 723 deaths from different outbreaks in 14 countries of the African Region.
** Senior Personnel Appointment
The Secretary-General appointed Retno L.P. Marsudi of the Republic of Indonesia as his Special Envoy on Water, aiming at galvanizing partnerships and concerted efforts to advance the water agenda, including the follow up on the outcomes of the United Nations (UN) 2023 Water Conference.
The Special Envoy will draw on these outcomes in the lead up to various global water processes, particularly the 2026 UN Water Conference. She will support efforts to ensure a water-secure future for all by advocating for stronger political, economic, and social-cultural cooperation at all levels.
Mrs. Marsudi will take up the role of Special Envoy on Water on 1 November 2024, after completing her term as the Foreign Minister of Indonesia.
**International Day of Democracy
The International Day of Democracy is observed on Sunday. This year’s theme focuses on Artificial Intelligence as a tool for good governance.
In a message for the Day, the Secretary-General says this Day is an opportunity to reinforce the importance of upholding free speech, civil liberties, and the rule of law; ensuring accountable institutions; and protecting and promoting human rights.
** Guest
Noon briefing guest today is Ms. Laila Baker of the UN Population Fund. She is the Arab States Regional Director, who just concluded a visit to Sudan.
**Briefing on Monday
On Monday, at 11:00 a.m., there will be a briefing by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) and UN Women on the Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2024.
This report presents the latest trends and challenges on the achievement of gender equality across all the Sustainable Development Goals.
