Highlights of the Noon Briefing by Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres (excerpts)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,​
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2023

SECRETARY-GENERAL/EGYPT
The Secretary-General arrived in Cairo earlier this morning as part of a humanitarian mission at a moment of profound crisis in the region.
He was briefed on the latest humanitarian situation by his senior officials in the region.
Just a few hours ago, the Secretary-General met with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.
In remarks to the press after the meeting, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. In plain terms, that means humanitarian workers need to be able to get the aid in — and they need to be able to distribute it safely.
For nearly two weeks, Mr. Guterres said, the people of Gaza have gone without any shipments of fuel, food, water, medicine and other essentials. All these things are needed at scale and in a sustainable manner.
The Secretary-General said that through its actions and its openness, Egypt is showing how it is a pillar of multilateral cooperation – and a linchpin in helping to defuse tensions and ease colossal human pain and suffering. He added that we know that the longer this goes on, the greater the risk of the violence spilling over.

GAZA
In Gaza, the number of people internally displaced is estimated at about one million, including about 353,000 people staying in UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools in central and southern Gaza. They are living in increasingly dire conditions.
For the ninth consecutive day, Gaza is under a full electricity blackout. Hospitals are on the brink of collapse. They are operating at a bare minimum capacity and are struggling to keep emergency rooms operational, and are suspending some surgeries, working in darkness and limiting elevator usage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 59 attacks on health care personnel and assets, with 16 health care workers killed and more than two dozen others injured. Twenty-six healthcare facilities have been damaged, as well as 23 ambulances.
Water production from municipal groundwater sources is at less than five percent of the level prior to the latest crisis. The lack of fuel, insecurity and road damage have brought water trucking operations to a halt in most areas.
UN partners estimate that the average water consumption from all sources and for all needs has dropped to three liters per day per person. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 50 and 100 litres of water per person per day are needed to ensure that most basic needs are met, and fewer health concerns arise.
Despite immense challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been providing food and cash assistance each day for a total of 522,000 Palestinians since the start of the crisis.
WFP says that commercial stocks of essential food commodities are running low. At the shop level, stocks will last only for a few days more. Retailers can’t restock from wholesalers due to widespread destruction and insecurity.