Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General (excerpt on UNRWA and the crisis in Gaza) – 19 July 2024

19 July 2024

(Excerpt)

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International Court of Justice

In response to questions, the Spokesperson said a statement will be issued following the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in the proceedings concerning legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

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UNRWA

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency – UNRWA – today thanked the United Kingdom for its renewed trust in UNRWA. He said that the resumption of UK funding to UNRWA is testament to the lifesaving and human development work of its teams across the region, including on the humanitarian front lines in Gaza.

He noted that the announcement comes at a critical time as the Agency continues to come under harsh and unprecedented attacks.

In London today, Mr. Lazzarini reiterated that UNRWA is fully committed, with the support of donors and host countries, to implement the recommendations of the Catherine Colonna report. This will further reinforce the principle of the agency’s neutrality in a deeply polarized environment.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is deeply concerned over the ongoing spread of infectious diseases due to severe overcrowding of shelter spaces, dire shortages of clean water, and abysmal sanitation and hygiene conditions.

In a particularly worrying development, the World Health Organization reports that six environmental samples of variant poliovirus type 2 have been detected in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. No paralytic cases have yet been detected. Polio can cause paralysis and death, especially among unvaccinated children.

The WHO head, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a social media post today that his agency – alongside UNICEF, UNRWA and the Ministry of Health in Gaza – are carrying out a risk assessment to understand the scope of poliovirus spread and the necessary response to stop it, including through prompt vaccination campaigns. He warned that the decimation of Gaza’s health system and shortages of key supplies, among other factors, are increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio.

Other infectious diseases in Gaza are surging. As of July 7th, WHO says nearly one million cases of acute respiratory infections have been recorded since 7 October. Nearly 575,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea, and more than 100,000 cases of jaundice, have also been documented. However, WHO says the real number of infections is likely far higher.

An assessment last week by OCHA and humanitarian partners at two informal displacement sites and an UNRWA school found that most toilets there are not working due to damage and septic issues. This means sewage is spilling into the streets at some sites.

OCHA adds that over the past week, aid organizations have seen a surge in displacement from northern to southern Gaza. As of yesterday, partners reported that more than 2,500 people had been displaced from northern Gaza to areas farther south in a single week. Aid workers provided those displaced with food, drinking water, hygiene supplies, and some shelter materials. Efforts are ongoing to provide additional assistance to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, older people, and those with disabilities.

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