Tor Wennesland’s visit to Gaza, UNDP latest report on the impact of war on Gaza – Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General – 22 October 2024

(Excerpt)

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Gaza

Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, visited Gaza today, where he saw firsthand the continued immense destruction and profound suffering of the people.

He said he met with UN staff and Palestinian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Gaza, whose tireless efforts are admirable. He heard directly from them about the alarming security and humanitarian situation across the Strip, particularly in northern Gaza.  The challenges faced by the people of Gaza, including serious violations of international humanitarian law, are enormous, with urgent needs for food, medical supplies, and protection.

Mr. Wennesland said that a significant increase in the entry of humanitarian assistance and an improvement in security is urgently required. He reiterated the Secretary-General’s repeated call for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.  He calls on all relevant parties to urgently pursue these goals.

Occupied Palestinian Territory

Our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that people suffering under the ongoing Israeli siege in North Gaza governorate are rapidly exhausting all available means for their survival.  OCHA stresses that civilians must be protected whether they move or stay, and they must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need.  This is what international humanitarian law requires.

Israeli authorities continue to deny OCHA’s requests to help rescue civilians under rubble.  We are still waiting for the green light to help dozens of people trapped under their collapsed homes in the Falouja area of Jabalya.

OCHA says our requests to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance to northern Gaza have also been denied.  This includes planned missions by UN agencies and our partners to deliver life-saving supplies — including blood, essential medications, food parcels, and fuel to hospitals and water facilities.

The director of Kamal Adwan, one of the last functioning hospitals in North Gaza, reported yesterday that blood units have run out, and medical crews have been working nonstop with no food.  The emergency department is seeing a constant influx of casualties.

Yesterday, OCHA supported a complex mission led by the World Health Organization (WHO) — alongside the UN Mine Action Service and the Palestine Red Crescent Society — to evacuate 14 critical patients from Kamal Adwan southward to Al Shifa Hospital.  That mission, which departed Deir al Balah on Sunday, had to spend the night at Kamal Adwan due to intense fighting in the area.  The team was only able to proceed the following day.

Meanwhile, our health partners say that communications challenges are hampering efforts to gather information on conditions at the other medical facilities in North Gaza — the Indonesian and Al Awda hospitals.

The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that none of the agency’s medical points in North Gaza are operational.  UNRWA says its medical teams are ready but urgently need medical supplies to be able to provide care.

As the Israeli siege continues, the UN and our partners estimate that more than 60,000 people have been displaced from North Gaza to Gaza City.  Within North Gaza, about 4,000 people have fled from Jabalya to Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahya, [with others fleeing to Beit Lahya, or displaced within Jabalia itself].

OCHA reports that the health situation in central and southern Gaza also remains difficult.  A team of health monitors in Gaza say that as of late last month, more than three quarters of hospitals still functioning across Gaza lack enough water, and 94 per cent have insufficient sanitation facilities.

UN Development Programme

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) says that one year into the Gaza war, the humanitarian crisis has reached a catastrophic level — with unprecedented casualties, widespread destruction and severe food insecurity.

The war has had a severe impact on critical sectors such as education, healthcare, social services, the economy and the environment, UNDP says in a new report.  Educational institutions have suffered significant losses, with numerous casualties among students and educators and the widespread destruction of schools.  The healthcare system is nearing collapse, facing critical shortages in medical supplies and widespread malnutrition, particularly among children.

Economic projections indicate that the gross domestic product (GDP) of the State of Palestine contracted by 35.1 per cent in 2024 compared with a no-war scenario, with unemployment potentially rising to 49.9 per cent.  By the end of 2024, the Human Development Index (HDI) in the State of Palestine may fall to 0.643, a level not seen since human development calculations began in 2004.

Poverty in the State of Palestine is projected to rise to 74.3 per cent in 2024, affecting 4.1 million people, including 2.61 million people who are newly impoverished.  The full report is online.

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Questions and Answers

Question:  And a second question.  Can you get us an update on the number of trucks that are actually getting into Gaza? We all know that the United States has called on Israel to have 350 trucks a day get into Gaza.  And I’m sure I’m not the only one who’d like to know how many trucks are actually getting in.

Deputy Spokesman: Oh, well, I can assure you that we are well short of that goal.  As you know, the numbers we’ve been giving in the past have shown that the figures have been, in fact, way down.  And part of the issue was not just trucks getting into Gaza through checkpoints such as Erez West, but also the problems moving any aid from the south to the north because of the closure of the checkpoint in between those areas.  So it’s a small amount, but I’ll try to get you more of a figure on the trucks.

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Question:  Okay, two quick questions.  First, you said the OCHA’s request to get into northern Gaza has been denied again. Any excuse or reasons?

Deputy Spokesman:  I’m not here to give the reasoning from any of the other parties.

Correspondent:  But you’ve got the reasons, but you prefer not to say that.

Deputy Spokesman: There are security considerations that Israel is citing.  But for our part, like I said, we coordinate these missions very carefully, and we do them on the basis of the need to provide critical humanitarian aid.

Question:  What security concerns?

Deputy Spokesman: That’s for them to describe, not me.

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Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Nice to see you all the time.  On the BRICS. Do you think the SG will also discuss with the leaders the situation in Gaza?

Deputy Spokesman: Oh, yes, certainly.

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Question:  Okay, I’ll move on to one other one, please.  Drop Site News has an article about how Israel is actively considering using “private security in Gaza under the auspices of delivering humanitarian aid”.  And a private security company based in the US has confirmed that they’re talking to Israel about this.  My question to you is, would the UN ever consider outside private security ever being used in any capacity under the auspices of humanitarian aid in Gaza, working with the UN at all?

Deputy Spokesman:  I think for now our focus is on the established mechanisms that we have in place to get aid in.  And so, we’re trying to work with those.  And then so…

Correspondent:  One last follow-up.

Deputy Spokesman: Okay, one last, and then we’ll move around.

Question:  One last follow-up on that question is the CEO of that private security company, in a press release yesterday, said they plan to reach out to the UN to try to coordinate with you.  Would the UN or the Secretary-General’s office for that matter, even take a meeting along those lines?

Deputy Spokesman:  I’m not going to respond to that hypothetical. We’ll see what happens. Abdelhamid?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  I have few questions.  First, on the visit of Mr. Wennesland to Gaza, did he go to Jabalia refugee camp and to Beit Lahia, where the ethnic cleansing and destruction and killing is going on for the last few days?

Deputy Spokesman: No, I don’t believe he was able to have access into those areas given the fighting.  He did put out some detailed information following his travels. So we’ll leave that with you.

Question:  Yeah, if you can just share with us where did he go in Gaza.  And my second question about Sigrid Kaag.  Is she still involved with the humanitarian aid to Gaza or she’s at the time being…?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes.  No, she’s been doing…

Correspondent:  We haven’t heard from her for a long time, if you may.

Deputy Spokesman: No, I mean, obviously we’ve had a lot of focus on other aspects of the work that we’ve been doing.  So we haven’t been able to say as much about her.  But last week, for example, Sigrid Kaag visited Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where she met with Israeli ministers and pushed on the opening of the crossings in the north, which were then opened up in some aspects last week after those discussions.  She then also went to Gaza to focus on preparations for the winter, as well as hospitals and care for people with disabilities.  Okay, Evelyn?

Question:  Okay, thank you.  My last question is about settlers’ activities in the olive picking season.  As you know, they are attacking villages right and left.  They established a settlement outpost today, this morning in the village of Fara near Salfit.  And they attacked the village of Burqa and the olive pickers right and left, and the army was protecting them.  Do you receive reports about these settlers’ activities and why you don’t share it with us in the noon briefing?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we’ve repeatedly pointed out our issues with any settlement activity.  As you know, the UN stands against the activities and expansions of the settlements, and we do report both to you and to the Security Council.

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Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Two follow-ups.  First, on Sigrid Kaag, if I remember that correctly, I mean, the resolution is for a year, was adopted for twelve months, but her mandate was for nine months.  So, it was supposed to end.  I’m just trying to understand the logistics.  So her mandate ended end of September.

Deputy Spokesman: No, it was extended past then.  So she is continuing with her work.

Question:  Extended where?  At the Security Council?

Deputy Spokesman:  I believe so, yes.