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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefings
Alright. You all heard from Scott Andersen [the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator and Director of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Operations in Gaza]. You will hear from me. Then, at 2 p.m., we will have the briefing on Lebanon with Ted Chaiban, the Deputy Executive Director for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), joining us in person, and Carl Skau, the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), joining us virtually. They will both brief you on their recent visit to Lebanon.
Also just a programming note for tomorrow, around noon, after Farhan Haq briefs, because I won’t be here tomorrow and Friday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, will be here as our guest. Then, immediately following that, our colleagues from the Department of Economic and Social Affairs will be here to brief on the launch of the World Social Report 2024, entitled Social Development in Times of Converging Crises: A Call for Global Action. Then, if you still have room to write stories, at 1:30 p.m., there will be a briefing by the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and that Rapporteur is Siobhán Mullally.
**Fifth Committee
This morning, the Secretary-General of the United Nations spoke at the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly, which, as you know, is the money committee; he spoke on the proposed programme budget for 2025. The Secretary-General said that in a context of major global shocks, the United Nations is more needed than ever — with our unmatched convening power. He added that the 2025 programme budget proposal reflects the priorities set out in the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations.
The Secretary-General also said that the Organization will continue to work to cement its reforms. Some of the proposals he highlighted include continued investment in sustainable development; human rights; boosting support for the unprecedented humanitarian challenges in Gaza; advancing peace and security; and strengthening the UN’s capacities in investigation and ethics. His full remarks were shared with you earlier.
**United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
I will start off with Lebanon, because I think you did get quite a bit on Gaza just now. Our peacekeeping colleagues in southern Lebanon report that intense exchanges of fire along and beyond the Blue Line continued over the past 24 hours.
The peacekeepers recorded 58 air violations — the highest number for a 24-hour period since 8 October 2023. UNIFIL also detected 1,279 projectiles across the Blue Line, the third highest since 8 October 2023; 1,208 originated from south of the Blue Line heading north, 71 left from the north heading south across the Blue Line. The Mission also said indirect fire and firing from close to UN positions caused material damage to UN equipment and facilities near Dayr Amis in Sector West and Shab’a in Sector East of the peacekeepers area of operations. Fortunately, no peacekeepers were wounded in these incidents.
But they do continue to put our peacekeepers, who are serving in southern Lebanon to support the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), at serious risk. We reiterate that the safety and the security of UN personnel and property must be ensured by all actors on the ground and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times by all parties.
Meanwhile, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, continues her intensive engagements with all actors to urge an immediate ceasefire and that space be given for a diplomatic solution in line with Security Council Resolution 1701. Following further strikes that resulted in civilian deaths today, near Nabatiyeh, the Special Coordinator emphasized in a statement that violations of international humanitarian law are utterly unacceptable. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times, she said. The Secretary-General yet again condemns the loss of civilian lives that we have seen.
**Lebanon
Also on the humanitarian front, our humanitarian colleagues report multiple airstrikes in Nabatieh and nearby areas in southern Lebanon. So far, according to local authorities, six fatalities have been confirmed, including the mayor of the town, as well as members of the Disaster Risk Management Unit killed in the strike on the municipality building during a relief management meeting.
Our health partners tell us that the violence continues to push an already overwhelmed health system to the brink, with devasting impacts on medical care amid huge health needs. Since 17 September, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that it has verified 23 attacks on healthcare facilities. It also flags the impact of intense bombardment and insecurity which are forcing a growing number of health facilities to shut down, particularly in the south of the country. Out of 207 primary health care centres and dispensaries in conflict-affected areas, 100 are now closed.
Despite these challenges, WHO and its partners continue to support Lebanese health authorities and to provide medical supplies for trauma care, cholera prevention. WHO also continues to coordinate with the Lebanese Red Cross and hospitals to equip blood banks with adequate supplies and is working with the Ministry of Public Health [of Lebanon] to establish trauma centres within the existing hospitals.
On education, Lebanese authorities tell us that 77 per cent of public schools cannot provide education services due to either being used as collective shelters or because they are in areas of conflict. Meanwhile, we along with our partners continue to support the response, including by providing food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance — but they warn that they are facing operational challenges due to the volatile security situation.
**Gaza
Back here this morning Joyce Msuya, [the Acting Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs], briefed Security Council, at their request, on the situation in Gaza. She said in just one week, nearly 400 Palestinians have reportedly been killed in Gaza and almost 1,500 injured. The world has seen the images of patients and displaced persons, sheltering near Al-Aqsa Hospital, burning alive, she said. Since the beginning of October, she told the Council, we estimate that over 55,000 people have been displaced from the Jabaliya area, while others remain stranded in their homes with water and food running out.
Only three of the 10 hospitals in North Gaza Governorate are now operational — and those only at minimum capacity, she told Council members. These facilities are facing dire shortages of the most basic items, and women are giving birth under heavy bombardment, she said. Those remarks were shared with you.
From the ground, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that our partners providing nutrition support in the Gaza Strip are working to reopen a medical facility in Gaza Governorate, after mass evacuation orders and escalating hostilities forced three other medical points there and in Northern Gaza to just shut down. Those closures have compromised the treatment of about 2,000 acutely malnourished children in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, the distribution of nutrition assistance continues for children under the age of 5, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. More than 85 per cent of children in Gaza are estimated to face severe food poverty as of last month. And since January, partners have provided nearly 586,000 one-month nutrient supplements, and 147,000 children have received high-energy biscuits. These children are reportedly consuming less than two types of food every day, which indicates nearly non-existent levels of dietary diversity. Our partners are warning that despite several attempts to scale up nutrition support, they continue to face severe constraints, including supply chain complications, shrinking space for humanitarian operations and ongoing displacement.
Meanwhile, they warn that the reduction in access to health services due to the evacuation orders and hostilities — especially in northern Gaza — will further delay the detection and start of treatment for malnourished children and compromise efforts to follow up with children already being treated. Our partners working to support Gaza’s beleaguered health system are doing everything possible to reach people across the Gaza Strip with life-saving support. That includes administering the polio vaccine, which the second round of the vaccination campaign continued today.
WHO reports that over the past two days, nearly 157,000 children in central Gaza have received the second dose of the vaccine. At the same time, more than 128,000 have received vitamin A supplements. We and our partners continue to call for the parties to respect the agreed-upon humanitarian pauses required to ensure the vaccination campaign can proceed safely and on schedule.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is warning about the impact of an uptick in hostilities in Idlib and western Aleppo. Local health authorities in Syria report that since yesterday, two civilians — including a 5-year-old girl — were killed in separate shelling attacks, and at least 11 people were injured.
Critical infrastructure has also been impacted, as the area experiences its first series of air strikes in three months. Yesterday, two air strikes hit a power station west of Idlib city, knocking out electricity to water stations serving as the main water source for nearly 30,000 people living in 17 surrounding villages.
And on Monday, at least three air strikes hit just a few kilometres from a tent settlement in Idlib, where a UN delegation — led by David Carden, our Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator — was overseeing a WFP distribution service to displaced families. The UN delegation – which included OCHA, WFP and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) — also visited a community centre that is providing legal assistance and psychosocial support to displaced families, including those who fled from Lebanon recently.
WFP is appealing for international support to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Syria, amid the influx of people fleeing the war in Lebanon. The food security situation in Syria is worsening – with more than half the population facing food insecurity and some 3 million people in the grip of severe hunger conditions. Carl Skau — as you know, WFP Deputy Executive Director — warned that people are reaching a breaking point, saying the international community needs to step up.
**Cyprus
You will have seen that last night we issued a readout of the informal dinner hosted by the Secretary-General with the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, Mr. Ersin Tatar. The Secretary-General recalled the engagement of his Personal Envoy on Cyprus, Ms. María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, and regretted that, despite her efforts and engagement, no common ground had been found between the leaders on the way forward on the Cyprus issue.
The Secretary-General encouraged the leaders to consider how to bridge the gap in their positions and rebuild trust to allow movement leading to a settlement. The leaders did agree to an informal meeting in a broader format in the near future, under the auspices of the Secretary-General, to discuss the way forward. They also agreed to meet in Cyprus to explore the possibility of opening new crossings.
**Ukraine
And in Ukraine, our Humanitarian Coordinator, Matthias Schmale, led an inter-agency humanitarian convoy today to Kherson City carrying vital aid, including hygiene kits, dignity kits, solar lamps and power stations. Attacks in the front-line regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson yesterday and today resulted in civilian casualties and damage to residential buildings and a school. That’s what local authorities are telling us. Meanwhile, ongoing hostilities also led authorities in the Kharkiv region to expand mandatory evacuations to some 7,000 people, most of whom are elderly. Humanitarian organizations continue to provide assistance to affected people across the country. So far this year, humanitarians have supported more than 7 million people across Ukraine.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is deeply concerned about people continuing to be displaced by conflict in several parts of the country. Just to give you some context about the dire situation which is sadly under reported due to the lack of access to journalists and humanitarians — the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that due to the intensifying conflict in Darfur, close to 25,000 people have arrived in eastern Chad in the first week of October alone. That’s the highest number of new arrivals this year within a single week — and higher than in the whole month of September. And in Chad, which is already host to over 600,000 Sudanese refugees — that’s more than any other country.
According to UNHCR, nearly 3 million refugees and returnees have now fled Sudan after 18 months of hostilities, crossing borders to seek safety in neighbouring countries. Aside from Chad, they are mainly fleeing to the Central African Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan and Uganda. Inside Sudan itself, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that some 40,000 men, women and children have been newly displaced in the first half of October alone, amid escalating hostilities in some parts of the country as the rainy season ends. This brings the total number of internally displaced in Sudan since this phase of the conflict began to nearly 8.2 million human beings.
With the rains subsiding and more roads now passable, this is a crucial time for aid organizations to move vital supplies to areas where needs are most acute. OCHA calls on all parties to the conflict to stop the fighting, to protect civilians, and facilitate humanitarian access. Meanwhile, we and our partners are working with Sudanese health authorities to scale up the cholera response. This includes large-scale immunization. As of yesterday, 24,000 cholera cases — including about 700 related deaths — have been reported since mid-July.
The ordeal of refugees continues after they cross the borders. UNHCR tells us that they are seeing a surge of families arriving in Chad exhausted, many having walked for days through conflict zones. A health centre in Chad, called the Birak Health Centre, has been overwhelmed. UNHCR is working to coordinate the relocation of thousands from the border areas. However, funding limitations are slowing down the provision of basic services for these refugees. For Sudan, the Regional Refugee Response Plan appeal for $1.5 billion is only 27 per cent funded.
**South Sudan
Almost lastly, heading south to South Sudan, our peacekeeping mission there issued today its quarterly brief on violence affecting civilians. The results are rather horrifying, to say the least. The report covers the period between April and June of this year. It recorded a steep increase in the number of violent incidents — and number of victims — compared to the same period in 2023. Particularly concerning is that abductions increased by 181 per cent, while the number of victims of sexual violence rose by 168 per cent. Intercommunal and intra-communal violence by community-based militias and/or civil defence groups remained the primary source of violence. Nicholas Haysom, the Head of the Mission, called for continued efforts by authorities and communities to peacefully resolve longstanding conflict drivers.
**World Food Day
And finally, today is World Food Day. In his message, the Secretary-General says that on this Day we remind ourselves of the 733 million people who are short of food because of conflict, marginalization, climate change, poverty and economic downturns — including those who face the threat of manmade famine in Gaza and Sudan. On this Day, he added, “let’s step up the fight against hunger and malnutrition.” Margaret, and then Pam.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Steph. Did the Secretary-General have a phone call with the Iranian foreign minister yesterday? And do you have a readout?
Spokesman: Indeed, he did. The Secretary-General did speak to the foreign minister of Iran. During the call, the Secretary-General urged Iran to appeal to the Houthis for the immediate release of all detained UN staff. The Secretary-General highlighted that such actions on the part of the Houthis constitutes violations of privileges and immunities of UN staff. He called for all detained to be released, highlighting how such continued actions by the Houthis is detrimental to the UN's work in Yemen, for the people of Yemen, which benefits the suffering Yemeni population's vast current needs. They, of course, also discussed the need for de-escalation in the region.
Question: And just following up on that, did the Iranian express concerns to him about the escalation with Israel — specifically about retaliation?
Spokesman: I think for the Iranian side of the conversation, I would refer you to their readout.
Question: Well, what did the SG say about it, then?
Spokesman: Well, the Secretary-General expressed his concern at the continuing risks of escalation and reiterated his call to all parties involved to do whatever they can to move in the other direction.
Question: And do you just have a readout? Sorry — on the dinner last night between the Cypriot leaders, is there a readout?
Spokesman: We issued it last night, and I just read it out about 95 seconds ago.
Correspondent: Oh, there was… Okay, yeah, you’re right. There was. I’m sorry. I’m multitasking.
Spokesman: That's okay. Me, too. I barely know what I'm talking about.
Correspondent: Well, for fear of also repeating, the Secretary-General is headed for BRICS [Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China and South Africa].
Spokesman: We do not have any travel to confirm at this time.
Question: Okay. And so, I thought there had been one. So, we'll know in the next few days if he's going for that? Yeah?
Spokesman: As soon as we're able to confirm travel, we will do so.
Question: Alright. Okay. And the second is: what happened with the Secretary-General's budget and the Fifth Committee?
Spokesman: He delivered his remarks, which we shared with you.
Question: And is it approved? I mean, it takes a while. Yeah.
Spokesman: Well, as you know, the General Assembly, it's a long process. It would be great if…
Question: But were there objections?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, the meeting was open, so I can't… Again, this is a whole process and you know, the General Assembly usually approves the budget towards the end of the year.
Correspondent: Yes. Okay. And then the final is just…
Spokesman: It would be nice if it was just as simple as him presenting it and they approve it, but that is not the case.
Question: Right. And then they all say, okay, spend it. The question about the trucks in Gaza, back and forth a bit this morning, that the trucks are getting in, but the distribution is the problem. Any comment on that? I mean, I can go into more specifics. We heard from Scott Andersen. We heard from the Israeli ambassador.
Spokesman: Yes, I mean, listen, the situation remains desperate, it remains dire, it remains dramatic, right? Yes, there are some trucks that came in and we obviously welcome the arrival of new trucks. There were some that came in through the Erez West crossing. Of course, that's good, but it doesn't change the underlying issue is that we need to have a constant flow of goods. We need to have free and unfettered humanitarian access. We need a ceasefire to be able to do the work at the scale of which is needed.
Correspondent: Thank you.
Spokesman: You're welcome. Okay, I think you're all briefed out, so I will release you.
Question: [Inaudible].
Spokesman: Yes, exactly. Goodbye.