HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 13 NOVEMBER 2024
**Secretary-General Travel/COP 29
Today, our Secretary-General remains in Baku, in Azerbaijan, at COP29. He told leaders this morning at the High Ambition Coalition meeting that the next twelve months must get us on the right path: to reduce emissions nine per cent every year until the end of this decade to keep the 1.5 degree alive and to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels; to unlock finance, fund loss and damage, and boost adaptation.
The Secretary-General also said that we are seeing glimmers of progress with the adoption of the Loss and Damage Fund and agreements to boost adaptation financing.
The economics will continue propelling us towards a clean future, he added, and underscored that no government and no business can stop that. We must move much faster, Mr. Guterres said.
And at his event on the panel on critical energy transition minerals, Mr. Guterres said that we must turn the energy transition towards justice.
As demand for critical minerals surges, we must avoid making the mistakes of the past.
“We see a rush for resources, with communities exploited, rights trampled, and environments trashed; developing countries ground-down to the bottom of value chains, as others grow wealthy on their resources.”
The Secretary-General added that his panel on this subject aims to empower communities, create accountability, and ensure that clean energy drives equitable and resilient growth. Developing countries will be in the driving seat, and Indigenous Peoples, local communities, young people, civil society, industry, and trade unions will be at the table, alongside governments, he said.
The Secretary-General also spoke at the Small Island Developing States Summit and at the Delivering on Early Warnings For All and Call to action on Extreme Heat event.
All those remarks were shared with you.
He also met with various negotiation groups and leaders at the Summit.
** Sudan/Adre Crossing
I’ve been asked by a number of you on Sudan about the situation with the Adre Crossing between Chad and Sudan.
I can tell you that we very much welcome the Sudanese authorities' decision to extend the opening of the Adre crossing from Chad, for the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian assistance to people in need in Sudan, for an additional three months.
Just a few hours ago, on the sidelines of the COP29, the Secretary-General spoke with General [Abdel Fattah] Al-Burhan on that subject, and on the importance of facilitating humanitarian distribution in Sudan and in particular through the Adre crossing.
Since the crossing was opened in mid-August, we and our partners have now moved more than 337 trucks of humanitarian aid through this route, with more than 11,000 metric tons of food and other relief items that could cover the needs of close to 1.4 million people.
Distribution of these items continues in various locations around Darfur. A further 30,000 metric tonnes of supplies are either already in place in eastern Chad, or in transit to the area.
Adre is a critical lifeline for millions of people, but it alone is not sufficient. As needs continue to spiral in Darfur and across Sudan, it is more important than ever that all necessary routes – including those crossing borders and those crossing conflict lines inside Sudan – are available for the rapid and efficient movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel into areas of greatest need.
** Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that yesterday and today, six attempts to deliver life-saving assistance to besieged areas in North Gaza governorate were blocked.
The three missions planned for yesterday aimed to bring food and water to Jabalya, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya. Today's missions were meant to deliver food and water into Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, and to provide protection and psychosocial service for children in Jabalya.
As we said yesterday, every attempt by the UN to access these areas with food, water and health missions this month was either denied or impeded. We have submitted four additional requests to the Israeli authorities to reach these areas tomorrow with life-saving assistance.
Our humanitarian colleagues are telling us that across Gaza strip, Israeli bombardment from the air, land and sea continues to be reported, causing further death, displacement and destruction. In central Gaza, military operations in An Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al Balah intensified considerably earlier this week, with reports of people appealing to rescue teams to be evacuated following the sudden advancement of forces amid heavy fire.
Meanwhile, OCHA warns that repeated displacement is leaving people increasingly vulnerable, as critical resources are continuing to be exhausted.
As of yesterday, 79 per cent of the Gaza Strip remains under active evacuation orders.
Palestinians continue to be directed to areas in and around Al Mawasi, in southern Gaza, that lack basic infrastructure and essential services.
OCHA notes that efforts to scale up the humanitarian response in southern Gaza and central Gaza continue to be hindered by active hostilities, deepening insecurity and significant access impediments. Partners working to tackle food insecurity are telling us that in central and southern Gaza, more than 100 kitchens producing about 400,000 meals per day are at constant risk of shutdown.
Just to give you some context about the calamity of the food security in Gaza, according to a World Food Programme report with data collected late October, entire food groups have disappeared from Gaza’s markets.
Across Gaza, dairy products and eggs are nearly nonexistent, while few fruits and vegetables are scarcely reported to be found at extremely high prices.
Many items have increased over 1000 percent from pre-conflict prices.
** UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
This morning, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, addressed the Fourth Committee of the General Assembly. He warned that in Gaza, dismantling UNRWA will collapse the humanitarian response, which relies heavily on the Agency’s infrastructure.
Sadly, the Agency is paying a high price during this conflict. To date, 243 UNRWA personnel have been killed.
** Security Council/Gaza
Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council held a briefing on the situation in Gaza. Council members heard from Joyce Msuya, Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and from Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, as well as from Rein Paulsen, a Director at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The briefers called for immediate action by the Security Council to prevent famine in Gaza and take all steps within its powers to influence the parties to end violations.
** Lebanon
Today, the UN Peacekeeping Chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, traveled to the peacekeeping mission area of operations in southern Lebanon. He spoke to peacekeepers who had been injured in direct attacks and exchanges of fire between the IDF and Hezbollah. He visited UN positions in Mansouri and the Mission’s headquarters in Naqoura.
He also met UNIFIL staff who continue supporting the mission’s work in Naqoura and with the mission’s senior leadership. He also expressed his gratitude to both the military and civilian staff of UNIFIL for their dedication and commitment to the important work of the Mission during this exceptionally challenging time.
Last night, he met with the caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati. He was also accompanied during that meeting by the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the Head of the Peacekeeping Mission in Lebanon, General Aroldo Lázaro. The three stressed the criticality of UNIFIL’s role and highlighted the importance of resolution 1701.
** Lebanon/Humanitarian
On the humanitarian front in Lebanon, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is still reporting on the worsening humanitarian situation for so many civilians, in particular those who have received evacuation orders in Beirut southern suburbs. OCHA reiterates that warnings and displacement orders must be clear and allow for sufficient time for civilians to safely leave.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are mobilized and providing support, such as psychological first aid to several thousands of displaced children. They are also working at reuniting unaccompanied children with their families.
For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that 142 health workers have been killed on duty since October 2023. UN health partners warn that continued attacks on healthcare facilities and personnel are impacting critical services.
The UN and its health partners continue to support the response and they have connected approximately 960 collective shelters with primary health-care centers to ensure displaced peoplecontinue to receive essential health services.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) also reports that the conflict in Lebanon has displaced an estimated 22,000 migrants. IOM arranges charter flights, works with embassies to secure travel documents, and partners with the Lebanese government to expedited exit procedures for those who wish to leave.
**Somalia
On Somalia, the Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund for early action for drought in Somalia. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that Somalia faces a 70 per cent likelihood of La Niña-induced drought and reduced rainfall. That is what local authorities and national partners are telling us.
The new allocation will support more than 130,000 people, focusing on protection, food security, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. The funding will complement a $5 million anticipatory action allocation from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund.
The most impacted areas are in central and southern Somalia, as well as Puntland. Rural communities face a heightened risk of severe food insecurity due to reduced water and low crop yields.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Our colleagues from the peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, report that the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations, Vivian van de Perre, visited Beni, North Kivu, from 11 to 13 November to assess protection of civilians (PoC) related issues.
She met with Major General Bruno Mandevu, Commander of the Congolese Armed Forces--the FARDC--in Beni. In line with MONUSCO’s mandate, they agreed on the need to reinforce the collaboration between FARDC and MONUSCO’s Force Intervention Brigade, to enhance the protection of civilians around Beni where the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group poses a major security threat to the local population.
Ms. Van De Perre also met with the Mayor of Beni and discussed community policing as well as the most effective ways for MONUSCO to continue supporting Congolese national police activities and operations in Beni.
The visit was also an opportunity to exchange with representatives of civil society organizations on their protection and security concerns.
** Senior Personnel Appointment
Today, the Secretary-General appointed Major General Ramón Guardado Sánchez of Mexico as the new Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
Major General Guardado succeeds Rear Admiral Guillermo Ríos of Argentina, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his contribution to our peacekeeping efforts.
The incoming Head of Misson has had a long and distinguished career in the Mexican Army, currently serving as Commissioner of the National Guard in Yucatán.
