HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 6 AUGUST 2024

HIROSHIMA 
Today is the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.  
In a message delivered in Hiroshima by his High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, the Secretary-General said that nuclear weapons, and the threat of their use, are not confined to history books. They represent a real and present danger that remains with us today. He added that we cannot press our luck again and must find new solutions to bring disarmament to life. 
“We will never forget the lessons of 6 August 1945,” the Secretary-General said.  
And Ms. Nakamitsu will also be attending the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing on Thursday and will also deliver a message on the Secretary-General’s behalf there.

BANGLADESH 
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General says that he continues to closely follow developments in the country, including the Chief of Army Staff’s announcement regarding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and plans for the formation of an interim Government. 
He urges calm and restraint by all sides and emphasizes the importance of a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition.  
The Secretary-General stands in full solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and calls for the full respect of their human rights. He continues to underscore the need for a full, independent, impartial and transparent investigation into all acts of violence.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that ongoing hostilities and repeated evacuation orders continue to severely constrain aid operations and deepen the suffering that Palestinians are facing. 
OCHA says that our partners monitoring population movements in Gaza report that despite the recent evacuation orders, many families continue to stay in areas placed under evacuation due to high levels of insecurity and the lack of safety across Gaza, as well as harsh living conditions in displacement sites, where there is limited access to aid and basic services. They are also fatigued by multiple rounds of displacement. 
Whether they move or stay, people in Gaza must be able to receive humanitarian assistance. Those who choose to leave their homes must be able to do so safely, and they must be allowed to return as soon as circumstances allow.   
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that mass displacement in Gaza is having a grave impact on public health, with overcrowding, a lack of proper shelter, and poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions increasing the dangers of communicable diseases. WHO says overcrowding is also raising the risk of mass casualties in attacks on heavily populated areas. 
Meanwhile, the agency warns that the number of patients in need of medical evacuation outside Gaza is expected to increase, given the ongoing fighting and the shrinking capacity of the health system. 
WHO continues to call for the establishment of multiple medical evacuation corridors out of Gaza to ensure the safe and timely passage of patients via all possible routes, including the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings.                  
Meanwhile, OCHA says that active conflict, destroyed roads and infrastructure, access denials and delays, a lack of public order and safety, and other challenges continue to hamper efforts to move aid in Gaza and therefore reach Palestinians with the life-saving humanitarian assistance that they rely on. We must be able to deliver to people in need wherever they are in Gaza. 
OCHA reports that the Kerem Shalom Crossing was closed today due to military operations. This has prevented the transport of critical supplies, as well as the entry of humanitarian personnel into Gaza. Meanwhile, the Erez West crossing has been closed since 2 August due to maintenance work. Humanitarian supplies have been redirected to the Erez crossing.

SUDAN 
This morning, Security Council Members held a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.  
This meeting, as you know, comes days after the Famine Review Committee concluded that famine conditions are present in Zamzam camp, close to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur. 
Edem Wosornu, OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, told Council members that life-saving supplies in Port Sudan are ready to be loaded and dispatched to Zamzam, including essential medicines, nutritional supplies, water purification tablets and soap. She added that it is crucial that the approvals and security assurances needed are not delayed. 
For his part, the World Food Programme’s Assistant Executive Director, Stephen Omollo, said that the Agency is significantly scaling-up operations across the country, and WFP will prioritize reaching people facing emergency and catastrophic levels of hunger along with those who have been internally displaced. 
Both officials reiterated that the conflict must stop, and a ceasefire remains the only sustainable solution that will prevent the further spread of famine.

KOSOVO 
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, today voiced concern about recent developments in northern Kosovo.   
The UN Mission noted that the developments continue to adversely impact the daily lives and socio-economic rights of the affected communities, including the closure of nine Post Offices of Serbia branches in the northern municipalities by authorities in Pristina. 
Ms. Ziadeh called for responsible leadership to maintain the calm and safety and security of all communities. She further reiterated her calls for outstanding issues to be resolved through the EU-facilitated Dialogue and appealed for restraint from taking unilateral action.

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION 
Romania has paid its dues in full, and their cheque takes us to 123 fully paid-up Member States.