HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 19 FEBRUARY 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL TRAVEL
The Secretary-General traveled to Bridgetown, Barbados today where, this evening, he will speak at the opening ceremony of the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, also known as CARICOM.
In his remarks, he is expected to highlight three key areas where, together, we must drive progress – peace and security, the climate crisis and sustainable development.
Also today, the Secretary-General will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will have a closed session with CARICOM Heads of Government, to exchange views on pressing issues in the region, such as Haiti.
He is expected back in New York later tomorrow.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa today to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting on behalf of the Secretary-General. Ms. Mohammed will underline support for multilateral cooperation and the South African G20 Presidency and reinforce the case for dialogue and joint action to address common challenges, including trade, tax, debt, and financing climate action. On the margins of the meeting, she is expected to meet with senior government officials from G20 members and guest countries.
From Johannesburg, Ms. Mohammed will proceed to Nairobi, Kenya, to hold meetings with a wide range of stakeholders and UN entities in preparation of the second UN Food System Summit Stocktaking and to meet with senior government officials.
On 26 February, Ms. Mohammed will return to South Africa – this time to Cape Town to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting and open the Finance in Common Summit 2025 on behalf of the Secretary-General.
The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York on 27 February.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The World Health Organization and UNICEF say that the emergency polio outbreak response in the Gaza Strip is continuing, with a mass vaccination campaign scheduled to begin on Saturday and continue until 26 February. The novel oral polio vaccine type 2 will be administered to more than 591,000 children under 10 years of age to protect them from polio. The campaign aims to reach all children under 10 – including those previously missed – to close immunity gaps and end the outbreak.
Meanwhile, partners supporting water, sanitation and hygiene services are working to increase the production and distribution of water for drinking and domestic purposes to improve living conditions in the Strip and minimize public health risks.
There are now more than 1,780 operational water points across Gaza. Over 85 per cent of them are used to support water trucking activities by UN partners.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that UN partners are also training and deploying mobile teams and volunteers at aid distribution points to ensure that vulnerable groups – including people with disabilities – have safe and dignified access to humanitarian assistance. More than 100 such teams are operating at nearly 70 aid distribution points throughout Gaza.
Turning to the West Bank, OCHA says that Israeli forces’ operations in northern areas continue, causing further destruction and displacement among Palestinian residents.
Yesterday, in Tulkarm refugee camp, Israeli forces demolished at least five homes, with several others also slated for demolition.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, OCHA says that between 5 February and yesterday, over 11,000 people in South Kivu have sought refuge in Kalonge health zone southwest of Bukavu in Kalehe territory. Most of the displaced people live with host families and the UN partners are currently conducting rapid assessments in the host areas.
In addition, local authorities say that yesterday, 20,000 people fleeing violence in South Kivu have arrived in Kalemie territory, in Tanganyika province.
Meanwhile in North Kivu, OCHA says that renewed fighting between the Congolese army and M23 in Lubero territory has led to new displacement. Fighting also continues to impact humanitarian access.
And in Goma, partners report that between late January and early February, an estimated 70,000 people left displacement sites and returned to their villages in Masisi territory. Many of them need food and financial means to meet their most basic needs.
This afternoon, the Special Representative for the Secretary-General for the DRC, Bintou Keita and the Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, will brief Security Council members on the situation in the country.
CHILDREN IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
UNICEF today warned that public health emergencies including outbreaks of cholera, Mpox and, more recently, viral haemorrhagic fevers, are posing significant threats to the wellbeing of millions of children in Eastern and Southern Africa.
This year, 17 countries in these regions are grappling with multiple public health emergencies, the majority of which are outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles and diphtheria.
The region is experiencing major outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fevers, including Marburg virus disease in Tanzania and Ebola in Uganda. Additionally, Mpox continues to be a significant health concern, particularly in Burundi and Uganda. Furthermore, cholera is currently affecting 12 countries, with the region recording the highest number of cholera deaths globally. .
UNICEF said that years of stagnating and declining immunization rates across many countries in the region have resulted in a resurgence of these preventable diseases.
SUDAN
The Famine Review Committee of the IPC - Integrated Food Security Phase Classification - has confirmed that there is reasonable evidence of famine conditions in at least five areas of Sudan: Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al Salam camps in North Darfur and two locations in the Western Nuba Mountains - affecting both residents and internally displaced persons.
There are reports of people dying of starvation in some areas like Darfur, Kordofan and Khartoum. Currently, around 638,000 people are confirmed to be in catastrophic hunger conditions (IPC5).
A record 4.7 million children under the age of five and pregnant and breastfeeding women and girls are suffering from acute malnutrition. People in Zamzam camp, for example, are resorting to extreme measures to survive because food is so scarce. Families eat peanut shells mixed with oil which is typically used to feed animals.
The UN calls on all parties to silence the guns and put the interest of the people first and foremost.
There is an urgent need to expand access and open new corridors - both cross-border and across conflict frontlines - to provide assistance and save people from dying of starvation.
LIBYA
Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed the Security Council on Libya this morning. She said that entrenched divisions, economic mismanagement, continued human rights violations and competing domestic and external interests continue to erode Libya's unity and stability.
She noted that on 9 and 10 February, the UN Mission, UNSMIL, convened in Tripoli the inaugural meeting of the Advisory Committee dealing with removing obstacles to elections in Libya. In parallel, UNSMIL is also taking steps to convene a structured dialogue among Libyans on ways to address longstanding drivers of conflict and develop an inclusive, bottom-up vision for their country's future.
Ms. DiCarlo urged Council members to extend their support to the newly appointed Special Representative Hanna Tetteh.
Ms. Tetteh, who will be taking up her functions in Tripoli tomorrow, will work to help break the political impasse, resolve Libya’s protracted crisis and support the Libyan people towards unifying Libya’s institutions and holding inclusive national elections.
MYANMAR
Turning now to Myanmar, OCHA says that internal displacement is at a record-high, with more than 3.5 million people having been forced to leave their homes due to the conflict.
In addition, more than 15 million people face acute food insecurity, education and health services are severely disrupted, and millions of people lack safe shelter and drinking water.
Last year, despite severe underfunding and other challenges, humanitarian partners reached more than 4.2 million people with assistance.
This year, the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan aims to reach 5.5 million people with critical assistance, requiring $1.1 billion.
CENTRAL AMERICA
Turning to the northern Central America region, the UN and its partners in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have launched this year’s Humanitarian Response Plans to assist 2.2 million people in need, seeking a total of $306 million.
These three countries continue to face food insecurity, extreme weather events and mixed movement of people.
In El Salvador, the plan aims to assist 400,000 of the most vulnerable people – this requires $67 million.
In Guatemala, the crisis is most severe in areas impacted by climate shocks and human mobility, and the plan seeks $100 million to help 1 million people there.
And in Honduras, violence and climate-related risks continue amid high levels of poverty and inequality. The response plan asks for nearly $140 million to support – in collaboration with national authorities – 800,000 vulnerable people.
UKRAINE
OCHA says that aid organizations rushed to respond to an overnight attack on Odesa City that injured a number of civilians, including a child. Authorities say the attack left a large residential area without electricity and heating, affecting at least 160,000 people.
Multiple apartment buildings were damaged, as well as a children’s hospital, and a kindergarten. The UN is providing emergency shelter materials, hot meals, psychosocial support, legal aid, and child protection services.
Medical teams are conducting quick health checks and distributing medicines. In the meantime, schools remain closed until power and heating are restored.
Further towards the east, in Kherson, aid workers continue to respond to an attack that took place on Monday, 17 February, and damaged a critical energy facility. 2,500 residents were left without electricity, heating, and water.
The full-scale war has been having a devastating impact on women and girls, in particular. According to UN Women, almost 6.7 million women are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Gender-based violence has surged 36 per cent since 2022. In 2023, women made up 72.5 per cent of the unemployed.
UN Women is providing humanitarian assistance; psychosocial and protection services and responds to conflict-related sexual violence.
GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the noon briefing guest will be Abdallah Al Dardari, UNDP’s Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States.
He will brief on the socioeconomic impact of the past 14 years of conflict in Syria.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Albania has paid up its full dues to the Regular Budget. This brings the total number of Member States who have paid their assessments in full to 62.
