Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Thank you and happy Friday.
**Nobel Peace Prize
The Secretary-General warmly congratulated the grassroots Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo on being awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize. The atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as the hibakusha, are selfless, soul-bearing witnesses of the horrific human cost of nuclear weapons. While their numbers grow smaller each year, the relentless work and resilience of the hibakusha are the backbone of the global nuclear disarmament movement.
In a statement, the Secretary-General said that he will never forget his many meetings with them over the years. Their haunting living testimony reminds the world that the nuclear threat is not confined to history books. Nuclear weapons remain a clear and present danger to humanity, once again appearing in the daily rhetoric of international relations.
It is time for world leaders to be as clear-eyed as the hibakusha and see nuclear weapons for what they are: devices of death that offer no safety, protection, or security. The only way to eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them altogether. The United Nations proudly stands with the hibakusha. They are an inspiration to our shared efforts to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
**Noon Briefing Guest
And in a short while, we will be joined here by Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. She will brief on the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Nihon Hidankyo for its work advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons. And Ms. Nakamitsu will say a few words to the Japanese media in the disarmament corridor when she is done with this briefing.
**Secretary-General’s Travel
The Secretary-General this morning addressed the ASEAN-UN Summit in Vientiane. He underscored the importance of the relationship between the two organizations, which, he said, is a strategic partnership. In a world with growing geopolitical divides, with dramatic impacts on peace and security and sustainable development, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a bridge-builder and a messenger for peace, he said.
He also underscored how much the United Nations is grateful for ASEAN’s important contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to express his solidarity with Indonesia, as two of its peacekeepers serving with United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were wounded yesterday by Israeli fire in south Lebanon. The Secretary-General outlined the key areas of the recently adopted Pact for the Future, which offers a strong vision for the time ahead.
In a press conference, the Secretary-General was asked about the wounding of the two peacekeepers in Lebanon, and he condemned the shooting against the UN premises in which the two peacekeepers were wounded, adding that it was a violation of international humanitarian law. Peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict, he said. Prior to the meeting, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with the President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Thongloun Sisoulith, and with the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Pham Minh Chinh. We have issued readouts of those meetings.
**Lebanon
UNIFIL reported today on further incidents that again put UN peacekeepers at very serious risk. This morning, UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters were affected by explosions for the second time in the past 48 hours. Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower. One injured peacekeeper was taken to a hospital in Tyre, while the second is being treated in Naqoura.
UNIFIL added that, today, several security walls at the UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) caterpillar vehicle hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position. UNIFIL underscores that the peacekeepers remained at the location, and a UNIFIL Quick Reaction Force was dispatched to assist and reinforce the position.
We remind you that these peacekeepers are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under Resolution 1701 (2006). This is a serious development, and UNIFIL reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701.
**Security Council
And you saw that yesterday afternoon, the Security Council met on the situation in Lebanon. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, underscored that UNIFIL’s liaison and coordination team has continued its close engagements with the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces, seeking to de-conflict, facilitate humanitarian missions, and avoid miscalculations. For her part, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that Hizbullah and other non-state armed groups must stop firing rockets and missiles into Israel. She also urged Israel to stop its bombardment of Lebanon and to withdraw its ground forces.
**Lebanon/Humanitarian
On the humanitarian front, today the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) dispatched a second humanitarian convoy from Beirut to the village of Rmaych in the south, where 6,000 people are seeking shelter. Since 27 September, WFP and partners have distributed over 1 million meals and more than 143,000 ready-to-eat kits to at least 440 designated shelters. WFP is ready to help up to 1 million people but stresses the need for ports and supply lanes to remain open, as well as for additional funding. Significant funding shortfalls threaten WFP’s ability to maintain food assistance at scale for people affected by the recent escalation. UNICEF and partners continue to provide protection, psychosocial support, nutrition, health, and water, sanitation and hygiene services.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered enough medical supplies to perform surgical procedures for 650 trauma patients in six major Beirut hospitals. Our humanitarian colleagues also warn that while displacement continues, nearly three quarters of the 1,000 designated shelters are operating at full capacity. Assessments are also underway to evaluate the needs of displaced people outside shelters, particularly with the winter season approaching. Simultaneously, WFP is working in Syria to provide food assistance to more than 250,000 people — Lebanese and Syrians — who have crossed from Lebanon; the agency has already reached 100,000 people.
For its part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that ongoing hostilities continue to kill, injure and displace people in Lebanon. Yesterday, a series of air strikes, without warning, targeted densely populated areas in Beirut's central district, marking the third significant attack on the city centre since 23 September. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured, according to national authorities. We reiterate the urgent need for all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law. Parties must take constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects — including homes and essential infrastructure — throughout their military operations.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that critical aid lifelines into northern Gaza have been cut off. No food aid has entered since 1 October. The main crossings into northern Gaza have been closed and will be inaccessible if this escalation continues. WFP distributed its last remaining food stocks in northern Gaza to partners and kitchens sheltering newly displaced families — but these are barely enough to last two weeks. Many of those kitchens, distribution points and bakeries were either forced to shut down, and others are at risk of shutting down if the conflict continues at this scale. The situation is at breaking point, as well, in the South of Gaza.
There are no food distributions, and bakeries are struggling to secure wheat flour, which puts them at risk of shutting down any day. Aid entering Gaza is at its lowest level in months. No one has received food parcels in this month due to constrained access of aid supplies. Despite the challenges, humanitarian organizations are responding to the best of their ability. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners are distributing bread, ready-to-eat or cooked meals, as well as flour, in and beyond designated shelters.
Yesterday, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs visited the school-turned-shelter of Al Rufaida, in Deir al Balah, where an Israeli airstrike had killed multiple people, including women and children. The assessment team noted the destruction or damage to three classrooms, 20 tents, five bathrooms, three water tanks, and the belongings of more than 60 families. This assessment has served to trigger and prioritize urgent humanitarian response to people’s needs. Once again, OCHA calls for all parties to the conflict to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by taking constant care to spare civilians and civilian objects.
UNICEF says sudden displacement orders in northern Gaza are once again forcing tens of thousands of vulnerable children onto the roads. In a statement yesterday, the agency said that children are being condemned time and again to unimaginable suffering, horror and death. OCHA warns that most displacement is now occurring in the north, where no tents are available to support newly displaced families.
The latest developments in North Gaza governorate have forced the suspension of protection services, the closure of malnutrition treatment services benefiting about 1,000 children, and the shutting down of five temporary learning spaces managed by our partners for more than 750 children. Kamal Adwan Hospital is seeing an influx of trauma injuries. And turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that recurrent operations there by Israeli forces over the past year have caused major damage to critical infrastructure, including systems critical to water, sanitation and hygiene. As a result, access to clean water and sanitation services has been compromised for nearly 92,000 people in the West Bank.
**Ukraine
From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance to people in the south of the country following attacks over the past five days. Yesterday, a late-night attack in Odesa region killed four people, including a 16-year-old girl, and injured 10 more civilians. Authorities also reported damage to residential buildings. Aid workers are delivering emergency shelter kits to cover damage. The Ukrainian Red Cross Society provided first aid to the affected people, complementing the efforts of the first responders.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners continue to deliver assistance to front-line communities in the south. Today, an inter-agency convoy delivered more than 11 metric tons of food, hygiene supplies and mattresses to the community of Kutsurub in the Mykolaiv Region, which is experiencing continuous shelling. This is the third inter-agency convoy to support front-line communities this week after convoys to the regions of Kharkiv and Kherson.
**South Sudan
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is alarmed by reports of a series of violent clashes between armed actors in the greater Juba area of Central Equatoria state, which resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including 19 civilians. UNMISS has intensified patrols across Central Equatoria and is engaging with state and local authorities as well as community leaders to access the area and prevent further escalations.
Also, related to South Sudan, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today that the country is now hosting over half a million refugees across 30 locations. Fuelled by ongoing conflict in Sudan, this figure has almost doubled since 2023, underscoring the growing impact of the crisis across the region. UNHCR and South Sudan’s Commission for Refugees Affairs — under the Ministry of Interior and other partners — continue to support new arrivals and the local communities receiving them. UNHCR underscores that while funding for South Sudan remains generous, resources to fully meet people’s needs are still significantly low. As of October 2024, UNHCR’s activities in the country were only 47 per cent funded.
**West and Central Africa Floods
Turning to West and Central Africa, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the number of people affected by flooding in the region continues to grow — with 6.6 million people in 16 countries. Chad, with 1.9 million affected people; Niger, with 1.3 million, Nigeria, with 1.2 million; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 1.1 million, are the most affected countries.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to support the response efforts, including by providing food, clean water, cash assistance, sanitation, shelter support and medical supplies across the region. As of last week, our partners and government authorities report that 980,000 people have been displaced. With hundreds of schools and health facilities damaged or destroyed, people’s access to basic social services has also been curtailed. Some 700,000 hectares of farmland has been damaged and around 120,000 head of cattle killed. This will further aggravate the food security and nutrition crisis in the region.
The Acting Emergency Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, has allocated $35 million so far this year from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support the humanitarian response to flooding in five of the affected countries — Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger and Nigeria. More funding is urgently needed to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation.
**UNHCR
And a quick note from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to flag that since the launch, a decade ago, of their IBelong campaign, more than half a million people around the world who were deprived of their right to nationality have now acquired citizenship. This is according to a new report on statelessness released today by UNHCR. Much more information is available online.
**International Days
Today is the International Day of the Girl Child. In his message, the Secretary-General says that girls already have a vision of a world where they can thrive. It is time for the world to step up and help transform their vision and aspirations into reality.
Tomorrow is World Migratory Bird Day. The theme this year is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds.”
And on Sunday, we will mark the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. In his message, the Secretary-General says that no one is safe, but children are particularly vulnerable, adding that we owe it to future generations to shape a safer, more resilient tomorrow. So that's it from me. Do we have any questions? Yes, Edie?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I know you mentioned the situation in northern Gaza. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on Israel's evacuation orders that include the three remaining major hospitals in the area, including Kamal Adwan, Al-Adwa and the Indonesian Hospital, and reports that all three hospitals are running out of fuel?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, the situation is terrible, not just in the hospitals but across northern Gaza. The Secretary-General already made clear in his remarks to you in the media just a few days ago how difficult it is that there have been areas where people have been forced to evacuate and then gone back later and then forced to evacuate again, over and over again. He detailed the sheer number of times, for example, that this has happened in the Jabalia refugee camp. Our bottom line on all of these is that people need to be safe wherever they are, and they can't be forced to move to places where there's no safe conditions for them to move to. WHO has pointed out that it's difficult simply to safely evacuate people who are in need of medical care from the hospitals that you just mentioned to other areas, and indeed, they would need places with good medical facilities to move them to. So while the level of adequate medical facilities in the north is deteriorating rapidly, while, as I just pointed out, the amount of food and clean water in the north is deteriorating rapidly, the number of bakeries are closing, all of this adds up to a situation where it's becoming impossible for a large number of people simply to stay alive. That cannot be allowed to continue. Gabriel?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. You said that the aid getting into Gaza is at its lowest point in months. Is the issue getting it into Gaza or the distribution once it gets in?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, it's both things. I mean, as I pointed out, what WFP in particular has been alarmed about is — to read that bit one more time — the simple fact is that the main crossings into northern Gaza have been closed. No food aid has entered since 1 October, and food will simply become inaccessible. So it's hard to get food into northern Gaza. And, of course, there's also the problems of insecurity throughout the region, as well.
Question: And to follow up on that, WFP, you mentioned that there are food stocks in northern Gaza for two weeks. Did I hear that correctly?
Deputy Spokesman: Possibly two weeks, but it's stretching it. And remember, there's also a problem simply being able to bake food because the bakeries themselves have been damaged or do not have fuel.
Question: Okay. Can I get a quick one on UNIFIL and Lebanon, please? The Israelis, in their statement about the most recent incident, the second one, not… the one from today, basically; they're saying that they fired upon a threat that was near the UNIFIL base, insinuating that any damage or any injuries that were caused to UNIFIL were due to crossfire of some kind. I'm insinuating their statement. But your UNIFIL statement seems to indicate an attack on peacekeepers. Can you just clarify from the Secretary-General's standpoint? I know we're talking language here, but language is important.
Deputy Spokesman: We stand by what UNIFIL has reported. Obviously, other forces, including Hizbullah forces, should not be locating themselves near UNIFIL positions. We want neither the IDF nor Hizbullah to be present in our areas, and we want neither of them to be firing at our areas.
Question: Do you know if Hizbullah was operating near this UNIFIL base?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the only description I have to give you is, like I said, what UNIFIL has put out in the report, and we stand by the language that they've used to describe the situation. Georgia?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. I would like to ask you if you have more details on the informal dinner between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders, which is going to take place next Tuesday.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, it will be here at UN headquarters, and the approximate start time will be 7 p.m. We will try to see whether we can get a photo opportunity going for the media. Thank you. Before we turn back to Edie, let's take a question from Benny online. Oh, and then you. Benny?
Correspondent: Yes. Hi, Farhan.
Deputy Spokesman: Hi.
Question: So my question to follow up on the UNIFIL question is: is there any rethinking at UN headquarters or in Naqoura because of the latest incidents of redeploying UNIFIL out of danger in the battle zone?
Deputy Spokesman: On that, I think, I'll just refer you back to what Jean-Pierre Lacroix said in the Security Council yesterday and his stance on our policy and the mandated tasks. Beyond that, as the Secretary-General said in Laos today, his basic point is peacekeepers must be protected by all parties of the conflict. And what has happened is obviously condemnable. And his point is that the sort of incident that we had yesterday cannot be repeated. Yes, please?
Correspondent: I understand all that. Please, follow-up.
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah, sure.
Question: I understand all that, but we're talking about endangering peacekeepers at a time that, you know, they don't have much to observe there. Their mandate does not allow them to fire, other than to protect themselves. Why put them in danger?
Deputy Spokesman: Again, you'll have seen what the Secretary-General, what Mr. Lacroix and what Ms. DiCarlo have said about the relevance and the role of the UN peacekeeping force and its mandate, and it will continue to go about its mandated tasks.
Question: So no rethinking?
Deputy Spokesman: This is where we stand right now. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. My question is about the Nobel Peace Prize. So what kind of impact do you think this will have on Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine conflict? Of course, I will ask Ms. Nakamitsu, but could you give me the comment as a member of the Deputy Spokesman’s Office?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the relevance of the Nobel Peace Prize is, as I've said in the statement, but certainly the relevance to active conflicts is our desire to make sure that whatever conflicts there are in the world, it will not involve nuclear weapons, which are the most destructive of the entire arsenal that humanity has at its disposal. And so, we are trying to make sure that that weapon is deactivated from further use. Edie?
Question: Yeah. Thank you, Farhan. On the humanitarian situation in Lebanon, I believe yesterday it was stated that the $425 million appeal for emergency aid was only 12 per cent funded. Has any more money come in? And why do you think that the amount of help for Lebanon is so low?
Deputy Spokesman: To be honest, the amount of help for most of our appeals is very low. And we understand that the international community has many competing priorities. But obviously all of you are aware of how important this is, and we want to make sure that funding will pick up. There's no new big amount to say right now, but we're certainly trying to get more as we can get it.
And with that, let me turn now to our guest, Izumi Nakamitsu.