HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2024
Deputy Secretary-General - Travel
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed is on her way to Washington, D.C., just South of here, where she is scheduled to participate in the 2024 Aspen Security Forum: DC Edition.
The Forum will bring together key decision-makers and thought leaders for discussions around some of the key global issues we are all facing. This will take place around 3 o’clock this afternoon. You can watch it online.
The Deputy Secretary-General will be back tonight in New York.
Global Humanitarian Overview
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs just released its global humanitarian appeal for 2025 – calling for $47 billion to provide life-saving aid to 190 million people in 32 countries and nine refugee-hosting regions.
Speaking at the launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview in Geneva, Tom Fletcher, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said the world is on fire, noting that the main culprits are both man-made.
The first, he said, is conflicts, which are lasting longer and are hitting children particularly hard. OCHA says that nearly 123 million men, women and children were driven from their homes by conflict this year.
The second culprit, he said, is the climate emergency, with the most vulnerable people on the planet shouldering the lion’s share of the impacts.
He also spoke to the press, underscoring that we need to reset our relationship with those in greatest need on the planet.
The appeal was also launched in Kuwait City by Joyce Msuya, our Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and in Nairobi by Edem Wosornu, OCHA’s Director for Operations and Advocacy.
Syria
The Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has been working the phones with the full range of Syrian parties and key international stakeholders. He is also closely engaging with senior officials. This morning, he convened Russian, Turkish, and US representatives in Geneva in the ad hoc Ceasefire Task Force. He also spoke with Ali Asghar Khaji, the Iranian Foreign Minister's senior advisor for special political affairs.
Last night he also spoke over the phone with the Syrian Foreign Minister, Bassam al-Sabbagh.
Mr. Pedersen will soon be traveling to Doha for a number of meetings. His message to all is the same: it is urgent to de-escalate, it is urgent to protect civilians, and it is urgent to prevent further bloodshed. We need to see a new and serious engagement of Syrian parties and key international actors on a political solution.
Mr. Pedersen also conveyed this message during the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria yesterday afternoon. Those remarks were shared with you.
Pedersen also underscored that the Astana guarantors and the United States must work to calm the situation and push for a genuine political process, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, which has all the elements needed for a political solution.
Syria/Humanitarian
On the humanitarian front, the new developments are worsening an already horrific humanitarian situation for civilians in the north of the country.
Our humanitarian colleagues are painting a very bleak picture indeed of the situation on the ground. They are telling us that people trapped in front-line areas have been unable to reach safer locations or access basic services and humanitarian assistance. The fighting continues to displace people on a large scale.
Our humanitarian colleagues also stress that the parties must ensure safe passage for those who are fleeing. And we underscore that whether these civilians leave or whether they decide to stay, they must be protected and have their essential needs met.
We and our partners on the ground are continuing our efforts, including by providing food, winter items, protection services and other assistance to newly displaced people in Idleb and in Northern Aleppo, but safety constraints remain a key challenge as you can all imagine.
And today, the International Organization for Migration sent 10 trucks of critical winter supplies from Gaziantep to Northwest Syria, adding to relief items it had already prepositioned for distribution.
In Aleppo, some public services and critical facilities – including hospitals, bakeries, power stations, water, internet and telecommunications – are all disrupted or non-functional due to a shortage of supplies and a shortage of personnel.
And, as always in every conflict, children are bearing the brunt of hostilities. UNICEF says they are very alarmed by the recent escalation, which have reportedly resulted in the killing of at least seven children and injured at least another 32. Most of the displaced are women and children.
Many schools are now closed in Aleppo. We are coordinating with our partners to provide emergency learning and psychosocial support for children affected by these hostilities, especially at displacement sites.
Lebanon
And across the border in Lebanon, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that more than 600,000 people have begun to return to their homes, one week after the ceasefire announcement. Two thirds of them are heading to the South and to Nabatieh Governorates.
These journeys are challenging, as many families have had their homes destroyed. Infrastructure has been devastated, essential services have been disrupted and there continues to be insecurity and access restrictions.
Today, our Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Riza, along with the Lebanese Government and local authorities, visited South Lebanon and Nabatieh Governorates to assess the situation and meet people impacted by the crisis.
They witnessed an overwhelming level of destruction, with entire villages leveled, hospitals not functional, severely damaged water infrastructure, and limited education access - mirroring conditions across the country.
We and our partners are supporting the Government-led efforts in managing people’s return to their homes and recovery, including with food, shelter, psychosocial support and helping with the restoration of critical services that they need. We also continue to help people in displacement sites.
Again, we call for sustained international solidarity to meet people’s urgent needs.
And just to note that this afternoon in closed consultations, the head of our Peace Operations Department, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, will brief Council members on the situation regarding UNIFIL in Southern Lebanon.
Sigrid Kaag
Meanwhile, Sigrid Kaag, the senior humanitarian coordinator dealing with the Gaza crisis, was in Gaza today, where she visited the newly opened Kissufim crossing.
Yesterday, she was in Jerusalem, where she met with the new Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. That was their first meeting. The meeting was to discuss the humanitarian measures that require urgent follow-up. She informed the Minister that she will brief the Security Council on 10 December. She will be here, physically, and in person, so I am sure she will be happy to talk to you.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that Palestinians exhausted by months of conflict and repeated displacement continue to face severe water shortages.
Citing municipal figures, OCHA says water production across Gaza decreased by 9 per cent just last month. There is also a high percentage of water lost through the network due to damaged infrastructure, which leads to leaking pipes, among other problems.
The Palestinian Water Authority estimates that more than 80 per cent of the water sector in Gaza has been damaged. That includes wells, pumping stations, desalination plants, distribution networks, and sewage treatment plants, which are critical.
On the health front, thousands of patients in Gaza still need medical evacuation outside of the Gaza Strip to receive life-saving care. Yesterday, the World Health Organization evacuated 11 children in need of cancer treatment from Gaza to Jordan, alongside 20 companions.
The agency also reports that Kamal Adwan Hospital – in North Gaza– was attacked again last night. Dr. Tedros, the head of WHO, said a nurse, an X-ray technician and an administrative employee were injured. He called for the protection of all health workers, patients and health facilities.
This attack comes just days after the deployment of an emergency medical team to Kamal Adwan for the first time in two months.
Ukraine
Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, told the Security Council that the UN has verified that at least 2,406 children have been killed or injured in Ukraine since February 2022 –an average of two children every day. We know that the true figure is much higher, she said.
She told Council members that over the past one thousand days, almost 1,500 educational institutions and more than 660 healthcare facilities have been damaged or destroyed. The impact of the war, she said, is taking a terrible toll on children’s mental health and robbing them of their childhood.
She also said she remains deeply concerned about the number of children who have been separated from their families. We urge parties to prioritize family tracing and reunification, and refrain from taking any actions that would alter a child’s nationality or make it more difficult for them to be reunited.
Guinea
In response to questions about the situation in the Guinea, the Spokesman said that the Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the deadly clashes and stampede that occurred in N’Zérékoré, in Guinea, on 1 December. He offers his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a prompt recovery to the wounded.
He also welcomes the authorities’ announcement of an investigation into these tragic events with a view to ensuring full accountability.
The Secretary-General reiterates the United Nations’ support to and solidarity with the people of Guinea. The UN country team has activated an emergency cell to address priority needs, including humanitarian, medical and psychological support to the victims and their families, of course with the national authorities being in the lead.
WHO and UNICEF both participated in the immediate operations by providing emergency kits.
Republic of Korea
In response to questions about the situation in the Republic of Korea, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General welcomes the rescinding of the martial law decree and continues to follow the situation closely.
Georgia
We are following with concern the developments in Georgia and stress the importance of respecting freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. It is equally crucial that all reports of human rights violations are investigated promptly and with full transparency. The Secretary-General calls on all actors to refrain from actions which can lead to further violence and seek to overcome disagreements through dialogue.
Afghanistan
We have been following the situation in Afghanistan and I can tell you that we are concerned indeed about a reported directive from the de facto Taliban authorities that is preventing women and girls from attending classes at private medical institutions.
If implemented, the reported directive would impose yet further restrictions on women and girls’ rights to education and access to healthcare.
Ultimately, it would have a detrimental impact on Afghanistan’s healthcare system and on the country’s development.
We urge the de facto authorities to reconsider implementing this directive in view of the negative impact it would have on the lives of Afghan women and girls and all people across the country.
International Day
Today is the International Day of Banks.
“Empowering Sustainable Development Through Finance” is the theme this year. It focuses on the role of financial institutions in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Guest
Robert Piper, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Solutions to Internal Displacement was the guest at the Noon Briefing. He was appointed to coordinate the roll-out of the Action Agenda on Internal Displacement.
As his mandate comes to an end at the end of this month, he briefed reporters on his tenure and activities.