HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 26 AUGUST 2024
NOON BRIEFING GUESTS - TODAY
Noon briefing guests are Spokespeople for UNRWA in Gaza - Louise Wateridge, Senior Communications Officer, and Sam Rose, Senior Deputy Field Director, on the situation in Gaza.
** This part of the noon briefing was not transcribed**
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General is in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, where this morning he took part in the opening of the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum. He praised Pacific Island leaders for their collective commitment to environmental stewardship and regional peace and called the region a beacon of solidarity and strength.
“The world has much to learn from the Pacific. But the world must also step up to support your initiatives,” he said.
The Secretary-General underscored that the survival plan for our planet is simple: ending the exploitation of coal, oil and gas – fairly, and in a way that protects the most vulnerable.
All countries have a part to play, he said.
He also urged Pacific Island states to end their own dependence on imported fossil fuels and seize the benefits of the clean energy revolution.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the flurry of evacuation orders in August continues to worsen the humanitarian crisis, with new orders issued over the weekend.
This effectively upends a whole lifesaving humanitarian hub that was set up in Deir al Balah following the evacuation of the Rafah hub back in May, and it severely impacts our ability to deliver essential support and services.
Water production in Deir al Balah has reduced by 85 per cent due to loss of access to water sources in areas designated for evacuation in August.
And on polio, after the first confirmed case, our partners on the ground tell us at least 50,000 children born since the crisis began are highly unlikely to have received any immunizations due to the collapsed health system.
Yesterday [25 August], UNICEF confirmed that 1.2 million doses of Polio Vaccine Type 2 were brought into Gaza to immunize more than 640,000 children, together with WHO and UNRWA.
And for its part, the World Food Programme says that their operations are severely hampered by intensifying conflict, the limited number of border crossings and damaged roads.
In the last two months, WFP has managed to bring in only half of the 24,000 metric tons of food aid required for operations serving 1.1 million people in Gaza. WFP has also had to reduce the contents of food parcels.
WFP also warns that shell craters and debris is making driving slow and is challenging for truck drivers even in dry weather.
In two months, it’s feared that when rain comes and flooding is expected, most roads will become unusable.
WFP says that aid workers grapple daily with slow authorizations and frequent refusals when they ask for permission to move. Looting and public order problems are also frequent, especially when convoys wait for hours at holding points.
LEBANON
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern at exchanges of fire across the Blue Line. These actions put both the Lebanese and Israeli populations at risk, as well as threatening regional security and stability.
The Secretary-General called for an immediate de-escalation.
Following yesterday's worrying escalation across the Blue Line, the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to observe exchanges of fire from both sides. As UNIFIL continues to carry out its mandate in these challenging circumstances, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and the head of the peacekeeping mission, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, continue to liaise with the parties in order to de-escalate.
The recent uptick in hostilities has not had a significant humanitarian impact. However, the ongoing conflict continues to severely impact civilians across the Blue Line.
Along with partners, the UN continues to scale up relief efforts in support of the Government-led response. However, humanitarian response efforts are being undermined by funding constraints, and we urgently need additional resources.
The UN calls on parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, emphasizing the need to protect civilians, including children, and civilian infrastructure at all times.
SUDAN
On Sunday, the Secretary-General spoke with General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan.
The Secretary-General discussed with Al-Burhan the movement of humanitarian aid through Adre crossing and agreed to facilitate the movement of humanitarian supplies to enter the country. It was also agreed to put in place a simplified system for the expedited processing and delivery of humanitarian aid.
On Sunday a convoy of World Food Programme trucks crossed from Chad to Sudan’s Darfur region via the Adre border crossing - carrying 205 metric tonnes of food assistance for around 17,000 people. This is the second WFP convoy to cross through the recently reopened border.
WFP said that the food assistance will be delivered to communities across Darfur and distributions will start as soon as the trucks arrive.
Additional trucks of WFP food assistance are being loaded in Chad to cross into Darfur as soon as possible. WFP has enough food for half a million people ready to transport to Sudan through the Adre crossing.
WFP underscores that humanitarian assistance – such as food and nutrition supplies, shelter and health items – must move quickly and at scale through all border crossings and humanitarian corridors and into the hands of communities facing catastrophic levels of hunger across Sudan.
SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the Arba’at Dam, located approximately 38 kilometers northwest of Port Sudan in Sudan's Red Sea state, suffered extensive damage due to heavy rains yesterday (August 25th).
Preliminary reports indicate the breach caused extensive damage in 20 villages located downstream.
The UN humanitarian partners and local authorities are assessing the affected areas and will have additional clarity on the extent of the damage in the coming days. The Arba’at Dam is a crucial facility for Port Sudan, serving as a primary source of fresh water for the city. The reported damage is expected to have a substantial impact on water supplies to Port Sudan, worsening the humanitarian situation.
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, the Humanitarian Coordinator there, Matthias Schmale, condemned the massive attack by the Russian Armed Forces today which reportedly caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian and energy infrastructure in 15 oblasts across the country. This is according to the Government of Ukraine.
This comes after intense hostilities over the weekend which reportedly caused 60 civilian casualties, including journalists, in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Sumy regions, and resulted in damage and destruction of homes and other civilian infrastructure. Our humanitarian partners report that the residents in these regions continue to flee for safety with mandatory evacuations announced in several towns. Humanitarian organizations responded immediately after the massive attacks across Ukraine, distributing emergency shelter kits to cover damaged windows and roofs.
PAKISTAN
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the 26 August attacks in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, which reportedly led to the deaths of at least 39 people.
The Secretary-General stresses that attacks against civilians are unacceptable. He extends his deepest condolences to the families and calls on the Government of Pakistan to conduct an investigation and to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
MYANMAR
Yesterday, 25 August, marked seven years since the forced mass displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar’s Rakhine State.
In a statement, the Secretary-General called on all parties to the conflict in Myanmar to end the violence and ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with applicable international human rights standards and international humanitarian law.
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, is engaging all stakeholders, including regional actors, to move towards an inclusive Myanmar-led process for sustainable peace and national reconciliation that are important steps to create conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of the Rohingya people to Myanmar.
Around 1 million Rohingya are sheltering in Bangladesh and over 130,000 more across the region without immediate prospects for return.
The Secretary-General renews his appeal to strengthen regional protection efforts, to provide access to conflict-affected communities and further support host countries, including through the 2024 Joint Response Plan for the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis in Bangladesh.
MYANMAR/HUMANITARIAN
The World Food Programme said that last weekend it began distributing food assistance for families impacted by recent floods in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta Region in Myanmar.
WFP noted that an estimated 500,000 people are living in areas exposed to flooding in Ayeyarwady.
In Ayeyarwady, initial reports from WFP’s partners indicate that hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been inundated. In the hardest hit areas, urgent needs include food, drinking water, and sanitation.
Over the coming days, WFP plans to assist 35,000 flood-impacted people in evacuation centres with rice and fortified biscuits. This assistance will be coupled with nutrition support for mothers and children to prevent acute malnutrition.
In the rest of the country, WFP lifesaving food assistance has so far reached 130,000 people affected by floods in Bago, Kachin, Kayin, Magway, Mandalay, and Sagaing. WFP is assessing the needs in Rakhine and stands ready to respond.
AFGHANISTAN
Over the weekend, Rosemary di Carlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that the “morality law” recently promulgated by the de facto authorities further restricts human rights and freedoms, particularly of women.
She added that this is unconscionable, and if maintained, the law can only impede Afghanistan’s return to the international fold.
Also, on this, in a statement, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Rosa Otunbayeva, said that the “morality law” extends the already intolerable restrictions on the rights of Afghan women and girls, with even the sound of a female voice outside the home apparently deemed a moral violation.
Ms. Otunbayeva is expected to brief the Security Council on the situation in Afghanistan on September 18.
BANGLADESH
The UN teams in Bangladesh says that recent flash floods, triggered by heavy rainfall and upstream water flows from India, have had a devastating impact on the lives of many people in the country.
The UN partners on the ground are providing water purification tablets, hygiene kits and food.
