HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 3 FEBRUARY 2025
BRIEFING
At 12:30 p.m., Ambassador Fu Cong, the Permanent Representative of China and President of the Security Council will brief reporters on the programme of work for the month of February.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, arrived in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory today for a week-long visit. During his travels, he will engage with authorities, the UN’s humanitarian partners and those on the front lines of the response.
Today in Ramallah, Mr. Fletcher met with Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and several Palestinian ministers. He also held a separate meeting with Dr. Younis Al-Khatib, President of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, to discuss the challenges that emergency responders are facing.
In the coming days, Mr. Fletcher will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials and visit areas in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Israel to see the situation, understand obstacles facing aid partners, and strengthen humanitarian coordination.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the UN and its humanitarian partners are expanding life-saving aid operations as more humanitarian supplies enter Gaza.
OCHA says that displaced people continue to move between southern and northern Gaza as they reunite with family and start rebuilding their lives. As of today, the UN and its humanitarian partners estimate that more than 545,000 people have crossed from the south to the north of Gaza over the past week. More than 36,000 people have been observed moving from the north to the south.
OCHA also notes that protection partners have distributed more than 30,000 child identity bracelets to children under the age of four to help prevent family separation. This effort was critical, as partners reportedly received more than 250 young children who had been separated from their caregivers while crossing to the north.
In North Gaza governorate, protection partners say three temporary sites have been established in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya. Each of these three sites can host 5,000 people. Yesterday, the UN Population Fund reported the expansion of protection services for women in Jabalya in North Gaza, as well as in Gaza City.
Also yesterday, the World Food Programme noted that prices have started to fall since the ceasefire took effect and as more humanitarian commodities enter Gaza – although they still remain above pre-conflict levels. One third of households reportedly have better access to food, but consumption remains significantly below levels prior to the escalation of hostilities. For most households, the primary obstacle is lack of cash.
Meanwhile, the partners working on education report that some 280,000 school-aged children in Gaza have registered in UNRWA’s e-learning programme.
And turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that the Israeli forces’ ongoing operation in Jenin and Tulkarm has expanded to the nearby governorate of Tubas, resulting in further death, destruction and displacement. OCHA warns once again that lethal, war-like tactics are being applied, raising concerns over use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards. Yesterday in Jenin Refugee Camp, Israeli forces reportedly destroyed 20 residential structures where more than 50 families were living.
Meanwhile, tight movement restrictions across the West Bank continue to hamper access to basic services, leaving Palestinians queuing for hours at Israeli checkpoints, or forced to take significantly longer detours.
UNIFIL
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) say that the peacekeepers’ Area of Operations along the Blue Line – between Lebanon and Israel - continues to be generally calm.
They note observing a continued IDF presence in several locations along the Blue Line - from Marwahin village towards the east, to Shebaa Farms, along with some gatherings by Lebanese civilians seeking to return.
Yesterday, many civilians returned to the south of Lebanon, attempting to get to some villages. Despite the tension, the situation remained relatively calm, and peacekeepers did not observe any civilian injuries.
The peacekeepers continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces on the ground and urge locals to follow the Lebanese Armed Forces’ instructions for their safety and security.
LEBANON
Hundreds of thousands of people are beginning to return to their communities. But many are still on the move. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 100,000 people remain displaced within Lebanon.
The UN and its partners continue to provide support to returnees and displaced people including blankets, clothes and other items. They also support mobile clinics with the delivery of medicine and medical supplies.
According to UN-Habitat, over 15,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed in South Lebanon, generating more than 8 million tons of debris. The UN reiterates that immediate support is crucial to restore essential services, rebuild livelihoods and drive recovery efforts.
SYRIA
The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, has been in Syria for the last weeks, engaging the caretaker authorities and a broad spectrum of Syrians and following all developments on the ground closely.
In addition to his meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa on 20 January, he had two follow-up meetings with the caretaker Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani.
He appreciated the substantive dialogue.
While in Syria, Special Envoy Pedersen met with a diverse range of Syrian representatives, groups and individuals from all parts of the country, involved in a full range of political, community, religious, and organizational activities.
The Special Envoy was deeply struck by the shared conviction among all the Syrians he met that the success of Syria’s political transition is essential and cannot afford to fail.
At the cornerstone of this, as he consistently heard from all Syrians he met, is the need for all Syrians to be genuinely protected and for all Syrians to be fully included in shaping the future.
In this regard, the Special Envoy has welcomed the clear assurances repeatedly given by the caretaker leadership - publicly and to him - that the new Syria will be for all Syrians and built on inclusive and credible foundations. In this regard, he sensed a genuine convergence between the expectations of Syrians, commitments of the caretaker authorities, and key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254.
SUDAN
The Secretary-General is deeply alarmed by reports of summary executions of civilians in Khartoum North, allegedly by fighters and militia allied to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Many of the victims of these incidents were allegedly originally from the Darfur or Kordofan regions of Sudan.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights continues to corroborate these ongoing developments.
The Secretary-General reminds all warring parties in Sudan of their obligations under international law, especially in relation to the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Sudanese women, children and men are paying the price for the continued fighting by the belligerents.
The Secretary-General renews his appeal for the parties to immediately cease fighting and take steps towards the lasting peace that the people of Sudan demand.
SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
OCHA is also deeply concerned about the continued attacks on civilians by the parties to the conflict across the country.
In Khartoum State on Saturday, a strike on a crowded market and attacks on several residential areas in Omdurman reportedly left at least 60 people dead and more than 150 injured. In recent days, civilian casualties have also been reported due to attacks in North Kordofan, and North and South Darfur.
In North Darfur’s capital, El Fasher, the civilian death toll is reportedly rising due to ongoing clashes, artillery shelling and air strikes.
OCHA is particularly alarmed by reports of ongoing attacks on the Abu Shouk displacement camp, where famine conditions were identified in late December.
The Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, issued a statement over the weekend, in which she condemned these indiscriminate attacks, and called for an immediate end to the bloodshed.
OCHA is also gravely concerned about rising cases of severe malnutrition in Khartoum State. Local reports indicate more than 70 hunger-related deaths, mostly among children. In January alone, over 1,100 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded in three neighbourhoods of Omdurman, underscoring the urgent need for food assistance.
Malnutrition rates are especially high in areas where access restrictions have forced the closure of community kitchens that many families relied on for their survival.
The UN stresses once again the urgent need for increased funding and logistical support to sustain nutrition programmes and community kitchens, ensuring that the most vulnerable – especially children and older people – receive adequate food, nutrition and healthcare assistance.
SOUTH SUDAN
The UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is gravely concerned by the ongoing violence between cattle keepers and farming communities in Eastern Equatoria state.
Armed conflict over the weekend has led to civilian displacement, an unverified number of casualties and widespread public fear.
Nicholas Haysom, the Head of the Mission, has called for involved parties to demonstrate restraint, at the same time the Mission is engaging with communities and authorities to reduce tensions, it is also sending peacekeeping patrols to impacted areas to boost security.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it is concerned about escalating health risks, with the rainy season intensifying.
There are still bodies of people who died in the violence lying in the streets of Goma. Morgues are at capacity, and hospitals and health centres are overwhelmed with injured people. While efforts to chlorinate water are under way, with the support of the humanitarian partners, the lack of drinking water is forcing people in Goma to rely on untreated water from Lake Kivu.
Also in Goma, economic and other activities are gradually resuming, but schools and banks remain closed.
Two humanitarian organizations and government entities had their vehicles hijacked over the weekend.
Aid organizations continue to assess the impact of the looting of their warehouses as these groups try to resume the delivery of aid in and around Goma.
Between Friday and Saturday, OCHA and its humanitarian partners jointly assessed displacement sites in and around Goma. Initial findings reveal that many camps have been looted, destroyed and abandoned. While some people may have returned to their communities or sought refuge elsewhere, many people still lack adequate shelter and access to basic services.
For its part, WFP is telling us they are actively prepositioning supplies, and ready to resume their operations as soon as conditions allow.
The agency is also strengthening preparedness efforts in neighbouring countries, working with UNHCR, IOM, and other key partners to develop contingency plans.
Given the risk of increased displacement, WFP is ensuring readiness in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Tanzania.
As a reminder, one out of every four people across the country faces acute hunger including children and pregnant and nursing women. Armed violence continued conflict and soaring food prices are key drivers of DRC’s acute food insecurity.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO/PEACEKEEPING
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), says it is concerned regarding the reported advance of the M23 armed group towards South Kivu’s capital Bukavu.
As a reminder, since June 2024, MONUSCO is no longer present in South Kivu.
The M23 is reportedly consolidating its presence in the capital Goma through regular patrols and house searches. Looting and the occupation of private homes by the armed group has been reported as well as attempts to seize vehicles, including those owned by humanitarian organizations, which is against international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile in South Kivu, fighting continues on the outskirts of Minova, and Congolese forces have reinforced their positions in Nyabibwe, which is 85 km up from Bukavu on Lake Kivu’s western shore.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that in Poltava, in central Ukraine, an attack on a residential building on Saturday resulted in several fatalities, including children, according to local authorities. Fighting in the regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Odesa, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia also killed several people and injured scores of others. Continuing hostilities in front-line areas in recent days also damaged multiple homes, schools and critical infrastructure.
In the wake of these attacks, aid workers responded immediately, providing first aid, hot meals, plastic sheeting to cover damaged windows, and psychosocial and legal support to affected civilians.
For its part, over the weekend, UNESCO condemned a missile attack on the historic centre of Odesa last night. This is a World Heritage site.
The attack severely damaged at least two cultural buildings placed under UNESCO Conventions’ protection.
UNESCO stressed that these repeated attacks must stop, and international law must be respected.
COLOMBIA
On Colombia, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $3.8 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help more than 42,000 people in the north-east of the country.
The new funding will support displaced people and host communities in the region of Catatumbo.
The resources will go towards food assistance; emergency shelter and basic household items; drinking water and sanitation; education; child protection; and addressing gender-based violence.
Escalating hostilities in Catatumbo region, near the border with Venezuela, has affected more than 75,000 people, over 50,000 of whom have had to flee their homes, since 16 January. This new CERF allocation comes a week after the launch of the Colombia Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks $342 million to assist 2 million of the most vulnerable people in Colombia.
UGANDA
The UN team in Uganda is supporting the government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of an Ebola outbreak.
Agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP), have repurposed $1.3 million and are mobilizing resources and expertise to provide technical, logistical, and operational support.
Efforts are focused on disease surveillance, case detection and management, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, among other measures.
So far, there are four confirmed cases and one death, and a total of 189 contacts have been isolated.
The UN remains steadfast in its commitment to work with the government and people of Uganda to provide an effective and sustained response that prioritizes saving lives and prevents further spread of the disease.
PHILIPPINES
The Secretary-General has appointed Arnaud Peral of France as the UN Resident Coordinator in the Philippines, with the host Government’s approval. He started on 1 February 2025.
He brings more than 20 years of experience in sustainable development, democratic governance, gender equality, crisis prevention and management, conflict reduction and peace building.
Mr. Peral most recently served as Resident Coordinator in Tunisia.
HONOUR ROLL
Bosnia and Herzegovina, India and Morocco paid their dues in full to the regular budget. The Honour Roll now stands at 35.
