In progress at UNHQ

Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatimtranscript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

**Press Conference in January

So, we have a few updates for you.  Well, first of all welcome to the noon briefing.  Let me start with a little bit of housekeeping.

As Stéphane mentioned last week, this will be our last scheduled noon briefing for this year, unless we need to change our plans. In the coming days we will post updates online every day on our website, and our office will be staffed every day except of course on the two holidays, 25 December and 1 January.  So, you know where to find us, we will be in the office no matter what, and you know how to reach us also on our phones and by email.

On 2 January, there will be a press conference by the Permanent Mission of Algeria here.  The Permanent Representative, Ambassador Amar Bendjama, will be here to discuss the Security Council’s Programme of Work for January as Algeria will be President of the Security Council in January.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Now, let me turn to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.  Tom Fletcher, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said today in a statement that the sustained intensity of violence means there is nowhere safe for civilians in Gaza.  Schools, hospitals, and civilian infrastructure have been reduced to rubble, he said.

On the ground, our partners report that yesterday, increased fighting by Israeli forces in North Gaza — particularly in western Beit Hanoun — has forced many people, mostly women and children, into displacement.

Still in North Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that direct gunfire was reported on Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya as bombing around the compound continued.

Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the reports of bombardment near Kamal Adwan Hospital and orders to evacuate the hospital are deeply worrisome, adding that the hospital has been in the middle of fighting for too long and the lives of patients are at risk.

OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) reiterates that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, must be protected.

Despite the active fighting and Israeli access restrictions to North Gaza governorate, OCHA said that two UN-led humanitarian missions successfully managed to enter the besieged areas in North Gaza on 20 December.

The first mission reached Beit Hanoun and delivered food and bottled water to people.  The second mission, led by WHO, went to Kamal Adwan Hospital to deliver 5,000 litres of fuel, 100 blood units, and transferred also eight patients and 13 companions to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

These were the only two missions approved out of the eight missions requested by the UN to access North Gaza between 18 and 22 December.  During these missions, people remaining in those areas expressed fears that a heavier attack could follow the aid delivery, as had happened in previous cases.

In Gaza Governorate, our humanitarian colleagues report that, today, the Israeli authorities issued another evacuation order for part of Ashuja’iyeh and Tarkman neighbourhoods in west Gaza, exposing civilians to further hostilities and depriving them of access to essential services.

The impacted areas cover an estimated one square kilometre. Our partners are closely monitoring the situation in these areas, and they will provide further updates on forced displacement.

For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) tells us that on 22 December, a joint UN convoy of 66 trucks departed the Kerem Shalom crossing via the Philadelphi Corridor to deliver food and non-food items to central Gaza.

This marked the fifth time WFP used this route, recently approved as an alternative to the main Salah El-Din route.

WFP has consistently called on all parties to ensure the safe passage of aid, as have we.  It has also engaged with communities and families residing along the convoy route to secure their cooperation.

But yesterday — despite assurances from Israeli authorities that safety conditions would be in place — an air strike occurred.  The first 35 trucks of the convoy proceeded to their destination, reaching the warehouse without losses.

However, the second half of the convoy was delayed by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces).  News of the convoy’s movement spread, exposing them to looting along the route. Ultimately, out of the 66 trucks, only 43 successfully reached the warehouse, while the remaining 23 were lost to looting.

This — and all of these details we share — to showcase another example of why we continue to stress the need for the safe, unimpeded passage of assistance to reach populations that need it the most.

**Syria

Now turning to Syria.  The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that fuel shortages are affecting essential activities in parts of the country.

In Aleppo Governorate, for instance, six public hospitals and 60 primary health centres are operating only partially due to fuel and power shortages.

Partners also report that damage to bridge infrastructure connecting Damascus to other key parts of the country is impacting the logistics chain.

Despite the challenges, we and our partners continue to support the response as security permits.  We are distributing food assistance, including bread, ready-to-eat rations, hot meals and food baskets.  In north-west Syria, partners have also started supporting farmers, including with cash grants.

Nutrition interventions are ongoing across the country. Since 2 December, at least 63 cases of wasting and 18 malnutrition cases have been identified among children and they were admitted for treatment.

In north-east Syria, the situation remains dire for the 40,000 people staying in 215 emergency collective centres.  The security situation is volatile and hampering humanitarian operations, however partners have been able to distribute winter kits, blankets and winter clothes but more — as you can imagine — is needed and there is also a critical need for additional winter support for host communities.

Partners have not been able to access Menbij and Kobani for two weeks due to insecurity in this area.

Meanwhile, partners reported Israeli airstrikes in Latakia, as well as incursions in southern governorates, with civilian infrastructure damaged.

**Syria/Independent Mechanism

And now, another update on Syria.  Robert Petit, the Head of the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria (IIIM), has concluded a historic visit to Damascus.

This — and it’s important to note — is first time the IIIM was authorized to enter Syria since it was established in 2016 by the General Assembly.  It is mandated to assist in the investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for committing the most serious international crimes in Syria since March 2011.

During the mission, Mr. Petit visited a site of significant interest related to alleged atrocity crimes.  He also met with representatives of the caretaker authorities and with a number of Syrians impacted by the crimes committed during the past decade.

Mr. Petit highlighted the urgency of preserving the evidence before it is lost forever.  There is a full statement on this available on their website.

**Lebanon

Now, turning to Lebanon.  Today, Lt. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, the Force Commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon — UNIFIL — held discussions with Najib Miqati, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, and also with the Lebanese Armed Forces Commander, Gen. Joseph Aoun, this took place in southern Lebanon.

They visited the village of Khiam, from which the IDF recently withdrew, and Lebanese Armed Forces deployed with UNIFIL support.  Our peacekeeping mission in Lebanon strongly urges accelerated progress in the IDF’s withdrawal from south Lebanon and the Lebanese Army’s deployment there.

UNIFIL also calls on all actors to cease and refrain from violations of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and any actions that could jeopardize the fragile stability that currently prevails.

**Haiti

Now just a few updates.  I have one closer to us geographically.  In Haiti, our UN political office in the country — BINUH — and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights — OHCHR — have published an investigation report today, which looks at the wave of crimes committed by the Wharf Jérémie gang in Port-au-Prince earlier this month.

According to the report, between 6 and 11 December, more than 207 people — 134 men and 73 women — were executed there.  Most of them were elderly individuals accused of practicing voodoo and also accused of causing the gang leader’s child’s disease.

Other victims included people who tried to flee the area, or who were suspected of having leaked information about these crimes to local media in Haiti.

In a statement, María Isabel Salvador, our Special Representative in Haiti, called for accountability.

She also stressed that these crimes touch the very foundation of Haitian society, targeting the most vulnerable populations.

Since the beginning of the year, BINUH and OHCHR have recorded more than 5,350 people killed and more than [2,155] people injured as a direct result of acts of violence.

The full statement and also the full report are both available online.

**Myanmar

Now, turning to Myanmar, our humanitarian colleagues warn that the security situation in Rakhine is rapidly worsening, with escalating conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces and Arakan Army in several townships in southern Rakhine.

Since November of last year, the conflict has persisted and is now affecting 16 out of 17 townships where people are facing severe humanitarian challenges, including severely limited access to essential services.

According to partners, the ongoing conflict has driven an estimated 360,000 people out of their homes in Rakhine and in neighbouring Paletwa Township in southern Chin, bringing the total number of displaced in Rakhine to nearly 570,000.

Our humanitarian colleagues note that the escalating conflict in Rakhine is part of a broader crisis unfolding in multiple regions and states across Myanmar, including the north-west and also south-east, displacing more than 3.5 million people — a staggering increase of 1.5 million men, women and children compared to a year ago.

We reiterate our call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure the protection of civilians, humanitarian workers and supplies, and to guarantee unimpeded humanitarian access.

**Senior Personnel Appointment

And, I am delighted — that going to be the last note for today — to read into the record a personnel announcement that we shared with you earlier today.

The Secretary-General is appointing Elinor Jane Britt Hammarskjöld of Sweden as Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel.

Ms. Hammarskjöld succeeds Miguel de Serpa Soares of Portugal to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his dedicated service and long-standing commitment.  He also thanks Stephen Mathias, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, who will continue as Acting chief for Legal Affairs until Ms. Hammarskjöld arrives.

Ms. Hammarskjöld currently serves as Director-General for Legal Affairs in the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and she also the Head of the Legal Department.  She has over thirty years of experience in security policy, international law, human rights and treaty law.  And we welcome her to the United Nations.

And there is it for me today.  Edie.

**Questions and Answers

Question:  A couple of follow ups.  Thanks, Stephanie.  First, on your last announcement.  I have to ask, is Ms. Hammarskjöld related to Dag Hammarskjöld, the former Secretary-General in any way?

Associate Spokesperson: I asked this morning.  I was told she is a distant relative.  I’m not sure exactly how, but I was told there’s a certain family link there.  I will double check though to make sure that this is absolutely the case.

Correspondent:  Okay.  It isn’t exactly a common name.

Associate Spokesperson: Exactly.

Question:  On the visit of the Head of the International Investigative Mechanism to Syria, did he get a green light from the current authorities in Syria to conduct investigations within the country?

Associate Spokesperson: Well, he first had the authorization to get into the country, which was a first, which they described themselves as historic this morning in their press release.  I’m not sure of all of the details of what will be following up to this.  They have more details in the press release that they issued today, but we’ll see what comes next.  But they had the visit, which is already very important.

Correspondent:  Okay.  And a follow-up on the convoy.

Associate Spokesperson: Mhmm.

Question:  Where almost two dozen trucks got looted.  Are those trucks lost, and what’s happened to the drivers, and was anybody hurt?

Associate Spokesperson: I don’t have all the granularity on all of these.  My understanding is that the trucks from the convoy yesterday so…  let me just get the exact numbers because I don’t want to say…  so 23 were lost to looting.  I will ask WFP to get the status of the drivers of the trucks.  Hopefully, they were able to be rescued.  Forty-three successfully reached their destination.  But, again, you know, for us, this incident and we shared these details today to show that once again this is really such a difficult environment in which our colleagues operate in Gaza to be able to not only bring assistance inside, but to bring it to its final destination and to bring it to people who really need it.  Yes, Javier.

Question:  Stéphanie, as you probably know, President-elect Donald Trump yesterday threatened to take control of the Panama Canal if certain conditions on transit fees and tariffs were not met.  Since it’s not an internal political matter, it’s international, what’s the…  any comment of the Secretary-General?

Associate Spokesperson: I will channel my inner Stéphane for this one and just reprise some of the answers that he’s been giving on this. We deal with one administration at a time, and we will not insert ourselves into comments being made right now. Yes, Dezhi.

Correspondent: Several questions.  First, Syrian the transitional government just announced a new foreign minister.

Associate Spokesperson: Mhmm.

Question:  Just wondering, has the Syrian mission here reached out to make announcement, or have you contacted that?  How would this play out?

Associate Spokesperson: I think they would need to contact the Syrian mission here.  So no news…

Question:  But no news from the… you haven’t received any news or informational letters from the Syrian mission?

Associate Spokesperson: I haven’t seen any news, any letters come in this morning from the Syrian mission, which does not mean that there is not one that is making its way into the system, but nothing this morning.

Question:  Okay.  Second, a follow-up.  This one maybe you have to channel out your inner Stéphane too.  It’s been reported by multiple news outlet that the transitional team of President-elect Trump wants to quit WHO, World Health Organization, on day one.  You deal with the current administration, but if he… but if US quit WHO on day one of his inauguration, would the UN express its concern?  And what’s the position here?

Associate Spokesperson: All I’m going to say about this is that the World Health Organization is doing work that is very important for world’s public health.  And we continue to support, of course, all of its work.

Question:  So no response for this report?

Associate Spokesperson: No.

Correspondent:  Okay.

Associate Spokesperson: Gabriel.

Correspondent:  Thanks, Stephanie.  Happy holidays to you.

Associate Spokesperson: Happy holidays to you too.

Question:  Question and a follow-up on Kamal Adwan Hospital.  The Israeli military reportedly put explosives at the gates of the hospital.  There are hundreds of patients inside desperately needing attention and care.  As you mentioned in your briefing, you report direct gunfire on the hospital.  My question is, the Israelis are saying that the hospital must be evacuated and shut down. Does the Secretary-General think that the hospital staff should evacuate and shut down the hospital?

Associate Spokesperson: So, as Dr. Tedros said in his tweet over the weekend, we’ve seen… this hospital has been facing attacks for a long time.  We really call on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.  Hospitals really must be protected.

Question:  And when you say all parties, who do you mean?

Associate Spokesperson: I mean everyone.

Correspondent:  But the…  Fair enough.

Associate Spokesperson: No.  No.  But it does include Israelis, obviously.

Question:  And last part is, it’s an obvious, Israel’s actions against Kamal Adwan Hospital are an obvious flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. The hospital director is calling on the international community to do whatever it can to stop this aggression. What can the Secretary-General and the UN, from his position, do to try to stop this?

Associate Spokesperson: From here, we continue to say how concerned we are, and we continue to call for full respect of international humanitarian law.  It’s pretty clear that hospitals need to be protected, and we continue to call for that. Yes, Dezhi.

Question:  Any news from the UN on the engagement of the possible ceasefire deal in Gaza?

Associate Spokesperson: Nothing beyond what you and your colleagues have been reporting.  We continue to call, of course, for a ceasefire, but nothing beyond that.

Question:  And the release of hostage?

Associate Spokesperson: Yes.  Of course.

Correspondent:  Okay.  Happy holidays.

Associate Spokesperson: Happy holidays.  Do we have any more questions?  All right.  Thank you very much.

Question:  Online?

Associate Spokesperson: Sorry.  Sorry.  I didn’t see you.

Correspondent:  I think Iftikhar had one as well.

Associate Spokesperson: Hold on.  Go ahead, Mike.

Question:  Thank you, Stephanie.  I hope you’re doing well.  A few questions.  Number one, the IDF had reported late last week, Thursday or Friday, that they had start implementing new humanitarian routes through Gaza, and the looting had actually gone down, for at least a brief amount of time before it’s obviously picked up again with your announcement today.  Was there some success over the last, I don’t know, week or so in limiting the looting through those new routes?  And if so, what changed yesterday?

Associate Spokesperson: I think if you look at the note that I read, Mike, hold on.  Let me just because I have the number.  This was the fifth time that WFP had used this route as of yesterday.  And what changed yesterday was that there was a serious security incident as I described.

Question:  Had it been getting better over the last week in terms of the containment of the looting?  Had the numbers actually gone down as the IDF says?

Associate Spokesperson: I would not be able to provide you with a full overview of whether this had gone down for the entire Gaza Strip. But on that route, you see yesterday was the fifth time that WFP had been able to use it.

Question:  Okay.  Secondly, in terms of, Jenin, the UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East ] had put out a statement that there were Palestinian armed actors that had infiltrated there and taken control.  Obviously, it’s an ongoing situation.  Who are these Palestinian armed actors?  Can the UN actually name them?

Associate Spokesperson: I would have to get back to you on that, Mike.

Question:  Okay.  And last question for you.  So that statement from UNRWA on those Palestinian armed actors, it took four days for them to release that statement acknowledging that the Jenin community/camp, whatever it’s called, had been taken control of by these armed actors, terrorists, what have you.  Israeli incursions in the UNRWA facilities are usually reported on in about 30 seconds.  Is there some specific reason UNRWA waited four days to acknowledge that one of its camps had been taken over by armed actors?

Associate Spokesperson: I’ll refer you to UNRWA on that, Mike.

Correspondent:  Okay.  Happy holidays to you.

Associate Spokesperson: All right, thank you.  You too.  Happy holidays, everyone.

For information media. Not an official record.