Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Lebanon/UNIFIL
Good afternoon, welcome. I’ll start off with a couple of updates in the Middle East. I’ll start off with Lebanon. And I can tell you that we note that the monitoring mechanism for the cessation of hostilities in Lebanon met yesterday. In that regard, we would refer you to the joint statement issued by the United States and the French embassies in Beirut and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
We also note that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) commenced its withdrawal from areas around Naqoura yesterday. The IDF is still present elsewhere in the UNIFIL area of operations, but the preparations for its phased withdrawal, in parallel with the increased deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces to southern Lebanon, is continuing.
Yesterday and today, UNIFIL supported the re-deployment of the Lebanese forces to positions in Naqoura and Alma al-Sha’b after Israeli forces withdrew. The UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon continue to liaise and coordinate with both parties to de-conflict and support the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.
**Lebanon/Humanitarian
On the humanitarian front, we and our partners today extended the Flash Appeal, originally launched on 1 October of last year, for a further three months, covering January to March of this year. The extended Flash appeal calls for US$371 million to provide critical assistance and protection to one million Lebanese, Syrians, Palestine refugees in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees from Syria, and migrants. More than one month since the cessation of hostilities, humanitarian needs in Lebanon remain pressing. While over 880,000 people displaced by the conflict have started to return to their home areas, many find their actual homes, as well as infrastructure and essential services, either damaged or destroyed from the conflict. Moreover, nearly 125,000 people are still displaced outside their areas of origin, unable to return, including to the more than 60 villages and areas for which the Israeli Army continues to reiterate that civilians should not return.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, in Central Gaza earlier this week, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Mine Action Service carried out rapid needs assessment in the Yaffa and Al Somud makeshift sites in Deir al-Balah, which host more than 190 families. Several people at these makeshift sites were reportedly injured by an airstrike this past Friday. The team witnessed dozens of tents destroyed at both sites, with many others damaged. Essential infrastructure — including water, including sewage and solar power systems — was affected, and three learning spaces were damaged. Humanitarian partners provided assistance to the families impacted, including emergency shelter materials, non-food items, as well as food aid. Another partner has mobilized to provide water and sanitation services. As hostilities continue across Gaza, we stress again that civilians must be protected at all times, and that essential needs for their survival must be met.
And also to note that, in a statement he issued yesterday, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, warned that our humanitarian efforts in Gaza, which are already struggling, face mounting obstacles. He said that despite our determination to deliver food, water and medicine to survivors in Gaza, our efforts to save lives are at a breaking point. He noted that there is no meaningful civil order in the Strip, and that Israeli forces are unable or unwilling to ensure the safety of our convoys.
**Syria
And turning to Syria. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that access remains a challenge in parts of north-east Syria. The internal crossing connecting Menbij to areas east of the Euphrates River — including Ar-Raqqa — remains closed, preventing the movement of goods and the movements of people, including aid workers. In other areas in the north-east, access has not been disrupted. For instance, humanitarian shipments from Damascus to Qamishli City in Al-Hasakeh Governorate are ongoing. Several UN agencies also received supplies through the Tabqa crossing point in Ar-Raqqa Governorate.
Despite the challenges, we and our partners continue to provide assistance as security and logistical conditions permit. Over 2.5 million people across the country — including people in camps, collective centres and host communities — have received bread between 27 November 2024 and 6 January 2025. Over 300,000 received other food assistance, including ready-to-eat rations, hot meals, and food baskets.
OCHA says that, in the north-west, partners are continuing to support farmers and breeders with agricultural inputs such as fertilizer, as well as start-up grants to help small and medium-sized enterprises. Without additional support, humanitarian partners warn that wheat and barley production in 2025 will be severely impacted in a country where 15 million people are already food insecure.
**Deputy Secretary-General
And our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, as we told you, is traveling. She is in Ghana today, in Accra, in the capital city, where she attended the presidential inauguration of John Dramani Mahama on behalf of the Secretary-General. Later today, she will travel to Nigeria, where she is set to meet with senior Government officials as well as the senior leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). That was a question.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Moving to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We condemn the ongoing offensive that was launched last week by the M23 [23 March Movement] in North Kivu. As you have seen, on Saturday, M23 captured the town of Masisi. According to our peacekeeping colleagues in the country, this attack has resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and led to the displacement of tens of thousands of men, women and children, worsening an already dire humanitarian situation in the eastern part of the Congo.
The armed group is now threatening to advance further into Masisi, as well as Walikale Territories, as well as in the administrative centre of Lubero, in the northern part of the province. Since June, M23 has occupied large parts of North Kivu, establishing a parallel administration in territories that are under its effective control. We reiterate that it is imperative that the group lay down its weapons and abides by the cease-fire in place since 4 August 2024. We also urge all parties to remain committed to the Luanda process.
**Haiti
And turning to Haiti, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a rather dire report on the human rights situation in the country. They tell us that at least 5,601 people were killed in Haiti last year as a result of violence by armed gangs. This is an increase of over 1,000 men, women and children, compared to the total number of people killed in 2023 — and these figures have been verified by our human right colleagues. Also last year, they tell us that over 2,200 people were injured and more than 1,494 were kidnapped by armed gangs in Haiti.
OHCHR documented 315 lynchings of gang members and people allegedly associated with gangs. They also report 281 cases of alleged summary executions involving specialized police units. In a statement, Volker Türk, our High Commissioner for Human Rights, said these figures show the unremitting violence to which Haitians are being subjected, adding that impunity for human rights violations and abuses, as well as corruption, remain prevalent in Haiti and are some of the main drivers of the crisis the country faces, along with entrenched economic and social inequalities.
Restoring the rule of law must be a priority, Mr. Türk said, reiterating our call to ensure that the Multinational Security Support mission has the logistical and financial support it needs to implement its mandate fully. The High Commissioner also called on the Haitian National Police, with the support of the international community, to strengthen its oversight mechanism to hold accountable police officers reportedly involved in human rights violations.
**Ukraine
And from Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that, according to authorities and partners, hostilities in the first week of January resulted in hundreds of casualties, including children. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that over the past three days, homes, gas facilities and electricity infrastructure have been damaged in several front-line regions, exposing civilians to heightened health risks as temperatures dropped below zero in some parts of Ukraine. In Kherson region alone, in the south of the country, more than 60 residential buildings were damaged.
The ongoing hostilities have also forced new displacements of people. Since the beginning of the year, at least 1,600 people, including children, have fled front-line areas, primarily in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions, and that’s what the local authorities are telling us. Despite limited access in some front-line areas due to intense fighting, aid workers continue to deliver emergency supplies and provide first aid, and offer psychological support to civilians impacted by the fighting. Basta. Yes sir.
**Questions and Answers
Correspondent: Since this is the first time I see you, happy New Year, Steve.
Spokesman: Thank you.
Correspondent: I have four tiny questions.
Spokesman: Four tiny questions, all right. I will decide on the size of the questions. Go ahead.
Question: Thank you. We go from the last about Haiti. Does the UN force, which started to deploy, I think, this week, have the right to shoot? This is question number one.
Spokesman: Well, as you know, it’s not a United Nations force. It is a… it is a multinational support force that operates under a mandate of the Security Council. It is not under the command, operational or otherwise, of the UN. We would expect its forces to respect international law, human rights law. But in terms of questions on their operations, I would ask you to ask them, it’s not for me to answer. Your second question?
Question: Yeah. Who are them? You said them. I ask them.
Spokesman: Well, the Kenyans are in the lead. There is a spokesperson. It’s not a UN force, so I cannot speak for them.
Question: Okay. On the ceasefire negotiation in Doha between Israel and Hamas, how are you informed about results?
Spokesman: We are in touch and, with some of the people in Doha, and being kept abreast.
Question: Those people are United Nations people or they’re Government officials?
Spokesman: What do you mean?
Correspondent: You said we are in touch.
Spokesman: Well, us, the United Nations, are in touch with the people who are involved in the mediation.
Question: Okay, sir. Two more. Do you know how many children prisoners in Israeli jail, Palestinian prisoners?
Spokesman: I don’t have that number in front of me, but you should ask our human rights colleagues who would have it.
Question: And the last one, does the UN have any volunteers, UN volunteers, in Gaza or West Bank, including Jerusalem?
Spokesman: What do you mean? You mean people working on…
Correspondent: UNV.
Spokesman: UNV? That’s a good question. I can check for you. Dezhi?
Question: Yes. First, there’s a tragic earthquake that happened early this day, this morning in Tibet, China. What does the Secretary-General have to say on this tragic event?
Spokesman: Well, we will… I expect a formal statement to be issued [link to statement issued shortly after the briefing: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2025-01-07/statement-attributable-the-spokesperson-for-the-secretary-general-%E2%80%93-china], but I can already tell you, of course, that the Secretary-General is terribly saddened to learn of the devastating earthquake and the loss of life it caused, the damage that it caused, in Tibet, in China. He wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured, and, of course, expresses sincere condolences with the families of those people who were killed. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide support if so requested.
Correspondent: Okay. Several other questions. I’m sorry.
Spokesman: No, not more than four, though.
Correspondent: No, not above, some other topics.
Spokesman: That’s the top limit. Yeah.
Question: It’s been reported by Israeli media that Israeli Government has rejected the proposed appointment of the former Foreign Minister of Finland to be the next UN Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace Process. Can you confirm that report?
Spokesman: What I will tell you is that it’s a known fact that we’ve said it, that the previous Special Coordinator [for the Middle East Peace Process], Mr. Tor Wennesland, his mandate has ended. We are recruiting a new Special Coordinator. And as you know, we never talk about rumours of impending or non-impending, appointments. So, you’ll just have to bear with us until we’re ready to announce. In the meantime, of course, our colleague, Muhannad Hadi is the acting Special Coordinator and very much active on all the files of the office.
Question: And today the Israeli Ambassador, Danny Danon, said that they have a report by UN Watch, saying that UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] and Hamas has a very close ties, and he said it can no longer be denied that all that remains of UNRWA is its name. The state of Israel will not cooperate with the humanitarian organizations that are run by terrorist organizations. Do you have any response?
Spokesman: I mean, I don’t, you know, we’re not going to respond to, yet another report from UN Watch. I think UNRWA has been extremely transparent, as we have in our efforts to deal with the reports of a very few number of UNRWA staff members who may have been involved in terror activities. We’ve been cooperating, but we also appreciate information being given to us directly, instead of done through the media. In the meantime, our UNRWA colleagues are continuing their tremendously courageous work of operating in Gaza, operating in the occupied West Bank, as well, in an effort to help provide the basic, not only humanitarian, but socioeconomic, educational, medical services that they are mandated to provide, mandated by the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Question: Let me just go back very quickly on the UN Special Coordinator. Can you confirm that Pekka Haavisto is the only option so far, or do you have more candidates? How would this work?
Spokesman: How this works?
Correspondent: Yeah.
Spokesman: There’s a job opening. We recruit. When someone is…
Question: But, is he the only candidate?
Spokesman: When somebody is confirmed, we will announce it. We do not discuss who is on the shortlist, who may be on the shortlist, who may not be on the shortlist. Names are floating about. That’s the way it goes, and I’m sorry for you, Dezhi. When? Excuse me. Besan. Yeah, Besan, go ahead.
Question: President-elect Trump just said, in a press conference that, all hell will break out in the Middle East if the hostages are not, if the hostages are not handed over before he becomes president in 20… almost 20 days. So, do you have any comment on that?
Spokesman: One administration at a time. Our position has been very clear, is that we call for the immediate and unconditional of all the hostages that continue to be detained in horrific, in what we can only imagine to be horrific, conditions in Gaza.
Question: [Inaudible] and the…?
Spokesman: Hold on. Your microphone’s not on. Yeah. Go ahead.
Question: The US Congress is preparing to vote again on the ICC [International Criminal Court] sanctions, and it will probably pass given the new Congress configuration. Any comment and any preparations and anticipation of that?
Spokesman: Well, as you know, the International Criminal Court operates separately from the [UN] Secretariat. That being said, the Secretary-General has often said he respects the work of the International Criminal Court, which is an important pillar in international justice and international accountability. Serife, please.
Correspondent: Stéphane, I only have one question, but it is…
Spokesman: Oh, please. I’m sure you can think of three more. Yeah.
Correspondent: I do need to point out a few things, so I hope you can bear with me. I don’t know if you’ve seen the interview of Moran Gaz, the former lead prosecutor in Israel’s southern district, prosecutor’s office. And also, she was a member of team 710. She disclosed that no allegations of rape or sexual assault have been filed from the 7 October 2023 attacks. She also added that they approached women’s rights organizations. They asked for cooperation, and these organizations also told Gaz that no one had approached them. So, if you remember, Pramila Patten, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence and Conflict on March 2024, she concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that conflict related sexual violence, including rape and gang rape, occurred across multiple locations of Israel and the Gaza periphery during the 7 October attacks.
Spokesman: What is the question?
Question: The question is this, following this report, there was great concern that her findings may legitimize further violence in the Gaza Strip. We’ve certainly have not seen a lack of violence. So, now considering that Patten’s findings may be unfounded, what’s next?
Spokesman: I think let’s unpack things. I don’t think to put the blame on Pramila Patten for unleashing further violence in Gaza is not something that I would agree with in any way, shape, or form. We have seen numerous accounts of women coming forward, who said they were sexually assaulted and abused in horrendous ways. We believe the voices of these women and all of these crimes need to be investigated.
Correspondent: From what I remember from the report, she actually did not have any interviews with…
Spokesman: They’re two separate things. Ms. Patten spoke to families, and she visited the kibbutzim. I have no reason to doubt the findings of her report. And I think we’ve all heard women come forward, speaking in this building, as well, and we believe them. Senor?
Correspondent: Hi, Steph. Happy New Year. Only one question again.
Spokesman: Pourquoi pas. Exactly. Yeah.
Question: On Venezuela. As you know, next Friday is going to be a hot day in Caracas since both the President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez claimed to have won last elections and say they will take the oath for the presidency. The Secretary-General has asked several times a complete publication of the electoral results last November with no response from the Venezuelan authorities. What is his position at this critical moment?
Spokesman: The position is unchanged. Right? The facts have not changed. Our position has not changed. We were not… we did not have a relevant mandate to assess the legitimacy or the validity of the elections. The Secretary-General did ask for a full accounting, and he wasn’t the only one to have asked that. We’re obviously concerned about the reports that we’ve seen, continue to see, on crackdown on human rights, in Venezuela, including the detention of opposition figures, and human rights defenders that have taken place since the election. And we hope that we will not see any further crackdown in the days ahead, especially this week.
Question: But still, you don’t recognize the results of the election?
Spokesman: It’s not a matter for, you know, as I said, we did not have a mandate as observers, right, as a kind of old-style electoral observers as we saw in the past. There was no mandate from the General Assembly or Security Council to observe or organize the election. So, we don’t have a mandate to assess the legitimacy or the validity of the results. In terms of the representation of Venezuela who sits behind the plaque of Venezuela, in these halls, that is, if there are challenges to their credentials, that’s an issue for member states to deal with. Yeah.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have two questions if that’s okay. First question is, the US on Monday eased some restrictions on Syria’s transitional government to allow the entry of humanitarian aid for six months. The question is what Secretary-General thinks about that. I mean, does he think it’s enough, it’s not enough, or he expects more than that, or he sees…?
Spokesman: Okay, let’s just say, of course, it’s a welcome move. I think we had Mr. [Geir] Pedersen [Special Envoy for Syria] and others from the UN side had encouraged those who had bilateral sanctions on Syria, which were focused on the previous government, previous authorities in Syria, to reconsider those. Right? We are at a time where the humanitarian needs in Syria are huge. It is incumbent on the international community to do whatever it can to support the people of Syria.
Question: The second question. I asked you this question before, but I still want to ask. I think it’s been a while. There is a new peace negotiation between the PKK, the Kurdish Workers’ Party, and Türkiye, and I wonder if there’s any update. Does UN monitors this, I mean, does UN monitor this process? Or if it doesn’t, what Secretary-General thinks about this new peace process? He has any comment on that.
Spokesman: I’m sure we are monitoring it, but I don’t have anything else to add. I’ll see if I can get something else for you. Yes. You, please.
Question: Thank you, Steph, and a happy New Year. I have two questions, not four, if I can. One’s a follow-up question about the earthquake in Tibet. Did the UN contact with the Chinese Government to support? Because you said if they request…?
Spokesman: Yeah, I mean, our, no doubt our country office, as soon as day breaks in China, we’ll be reaching out to the Chinese authorities if they haven’t done so already, and that our Resident Coordinator, Mr. Chatterjee, will restate directly what I’ve stated publicly, which is we are available to help should help be requested.
Question: Thank you. Secondary, the question is about Sudan. US declares that the paramilitary forces committed genocide in Sudan. Do you have any comment?
Spokesman: On Sudan, I mean, we’ve seen the statement coming out of the US. Our position on the issue of genocide, whether it’s in this context or others where it’s been raised, remains the same. That for the Secretary-General to declare something, it’s not within his remit to declare something a genocide. It has to be done by a competent, legal authority. That being said, I think, we have been very clear in condemning acts of violence that we’ve seen in Sudan, whether they’re committed by the Government or by the Rapid Support Forces, which we did, not too long ago, when there was an extremely brutal attack. It is important that the international community collectively do whatever it can, in a coordinated manner, to pressure both Sudanese parties to stop this conflict, right? I mean, we in this room, in a sense have been bystanders, as every day we talk about the slow descent into further suffering of Sudan, of the Sudanese people. And the Secretary-General has been very clear in calling on both leaders to put the interests of their own people before themselves. Ibtisam?
Question: Thank you, Steph. A quick follow-up on Sudan. As you probably know, I don’t know if you were asked about it yesterday. The Sudanese representative yesterday at the Security Council meeting, doubted or said that the IPC reports and numbers are not correct and et cetera. So, do you have any comments on that?
Spokesman: My only comment is that we stand by the IPC numbers and methodology and the work that whether it’s the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and others are doing in this context.
Question: And how do you believe is this, like, his comments and the fact that they are not accepting these numbers from an independent body, will affect also the situation on the ground in Sudan when it comes to famine and aid.
Spokesman: Listen. The situation on the ground in Sudan is horrific, notably in Zam Zam Camp and in other places where famine has been detected. Regardless, I think inspite of what the various parties state, we hope that both parties in Sudan will do whatever they can to facilitate humanitarian aid, to facilitate the transport of much needed food, for their own people. But I think, you know, it is also, it is not the first time we have seen a government question the methodology of this international structure that was created to scientifically document famine, and I think it’s important that we support them.
Question: Last question on the situation of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyya. Do you have any updates? And there are more reports about, probably him being tortured. Any comments? Also, do you have any numbers on how many Palestinians are being held in under Israeli detentions? Thank you.
Spokesman: No. So I think, your colleague asked, yeah. Let me try to get those numbers too, but they would come from our human rights colleagues. On the director of the hospital we have no further information to share. And the — Dezhi left — the statement on China was released, but it’s basically what I read out. Okay. What? One more? God. Four more or one more? All right. Please. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Yeah. Go ahead.
Question: Thank you, Steph. I know you only speak about one administration at a time. With that said, the incoming President of the United States in a press conference said that he would not rule out the use of military force to take control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. Also did not… also said that he would try to take Canada, as well, in the United States. My question is, how do comments like this fall in line with the Charter of the United Nations, knowing that comments like this by an incoming President of the United States, these comments and potential actions could have direct ramifications on the work of this Organization?
Spokesman: The Charter is very clear in the need for every Member State to respect the territorial integrity of other States. And I think when that has not happened, we have been very vocal about it. And I will repeat that we are dealing with one United States Administration at a time.
Question: And one, if I may?
Spokesman: You may. You may.
Question: I just want to follow-up on Tom Fletcher’s statement that he released that you mentioned, a carefully worded statement, but he said that incidents such as attacks on UN humanitarian workers are part of a dangerous pattern of sabotage and deliberate disruption. Does the Secretary-General, has he reached the point where he thinks Israel is intentionally allowing aid convoys to be attacked and or looted?
Spokesman: I think what we have seen, whether it was, I think, yesterday, the day before the attack on a WFP convoy, there was another attack on 3 January, on clearly marked UN vehicles. Right? And I think we can all agree that the UN logo is one of the most recognizable logos in the world. Right? What motivated a sniper to shoot at them? I don’t know. Was it a mistake as they say it is? Was it an issue of command and control? Was it direct orders? Those are answers that I think the World Food Programme wants, that we want to have. What we’re seeing, though, is an increased risk and an increase from already more than 200 of our colleagues have been killed in Gaza. And I think that’s, you know, we’re struggling to keep our humanitarian operation going. We’re struggling to keep our own people safe. We’re struggling to keep those who are trying to help safe. Because when you put humanitarians at risk, you also put the recipients at risk. And I think that’s what the statement is trying to say.
Question: Just a quick follow-up. You said you want to have answers on the last WFP incident that’s happened two days ago, but there were other incidents?
Spokesman: Yeah, and others, we’re not getting…
Question: Did you ever get any answers from the Israelis about the…?
Spokesman: We’re not getting answers, I think beyond the fact that, oh, it was a mistake, which is really not an appropriate answer. Okay. Thank you.