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.
**Guest
Good afternoon.
We are delighted to have Jean-Pierre Lacroix with us, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, who as you know just returned from Syria, from Israel, from the Golan. So, he will brief you on this trip and, of course, on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Jean-Pierre, please.
[Briefing by Jean-Pierre Lacroix followed.]
**Briefing Monday
All right, just to note that on Monday, at 12:30 p.m., being the first Monday of the month, there will be a briefing by Ambassador Fu Cong, the Permanent Representative of China and President of the Security Council for the month of February.
The briefing will be in person only, so if you want to ask questions, come on down.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Just a few more additions to the situation in the DRC but more focused on humanitarian and human rights. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that humanitarian organizations in Goma continue to assess the impact of the crisis, including the widespread looting of warehouses we’ve been talking about and the offices of aid organizations, as well.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners conducted an assessment with the Government between 26 January and yesterday and report that 700 people have been killed and 2,800 people injured and that are receiving treatment in health facilities. These numbers are expected to rise as more information becomes available.
Also, today, OCHA and their humanitarian partners visited sites for internally displaced people in the areas of Bulengo and Lushagala — which are the outskirts of Goma.
They found that water and healthcare services are still operational, but conditions remain dire.
In Goma itself, access to safe drinking water remains cut off, forcing people to rely on untreated water from Lake Kivu, with all the risk that entails. Without urgent action, OCHA cautions that the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks will just continue to increase.
For its part, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says today that several displacement sites, including on the outskirts of Goma — where over 300,000 have been displaced — have been partially or completely emptied. The displaced men, women and children urgently need shelter, they need food, they need clean water and medical assistance, and various protection services. Essential items like blankets, mats and cooking utensils are also in critical demand.
Last night, Bruno Lemarquis, our Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for the DRC, issued a statement in which he said Goma is now facing the devastating consequences of the hostilities, with massive humanitarian needs and severely strained response capacities.
As you will recall, and as Jean-Pierre Lacroix said, the airport remains closed, as with almost all of the roads except through Rwanda.
He called on all parties to protect civilians and ensure access to goods and services that are essential for the survival of the civilians.
And on the human rights, and another bleak picture, our colleagues at the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights say that since the start of the current crisis, they have also documented summary executions by the M23 group. In areas under the control of the armed group in South Kivu, such as Minova, M23 has occupied schools and hospitals, it has forced displaced people out of camps and subjected the civilian population to forced conscription and forced labour.
Volker Türk, our High Commissioner [for Human Rights], said he is particularly concerned that this latest escalation of violence could increase the risk of conflict-related sexual violence.
As of today, the High Commissioner’s Office has documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence by the Congolese army and allied fighters and they are verifying additional reports of rape — also by Congolese troops.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Just an update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday said they delivered dignity kits in the north of Gaza to support the hygiene needs of more than 26,000 women and girls.
There are plans also to expand the capacity of Al Shifa hospital in Gaza City by 200 beds. WHO is also working with the Ministry of Health to carry out an assessment at the Indonesian Hospital to support the restoration of that facility. And two surgical teams are being deployed to the Ahli Arab and Public Aid hospitals both in Gaza City to support trauma and surgical capacity there.
WHO says that discussions are in their final stages on setting up a prefabricated health facility in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, our OCHA colleagues also tell us that nearly half a million people have returned to northern areas of the Gaza Strip and that the ceasefire continues to hold.
Our partners say displaced Palestinians are also moving from north to south, though in smaller numbers. As of [today], about 8,500 people have done that journey.
We and our humanitarian partners are continuing to ramp up our response at monitoring points along the way of people moving south to north. This includes first aid and psychological support for the most vulnerable, including children, women and older people.
We and our partners are also expanding aid operations in northern Gaza. Yesterday, an OCHA team visited two sites in the South Remal and Tel el Hawa neighbourhoods in Gaza City. People there say they urgently need water, kitchen supplies, bedding and cleaning items.
Also, you heard from our colleague from the UN Mine Action Service yesterday, and they are telling us today that UN Mine Action officers have accompanied some 300 convoys since the ceasefire took effect. And our World Food Programme colleagues are also increasingly present in the north.
OCHA remains deeply alarmed by the worsening humanitarian situation in northern areas of the West Bank as well, as Israeli forces’ operation in Jenin continued for an eleventh day.
Repeated operations there have resulted in widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure. Nearly all of Jenin refugee camp’s 20,000 residents have been displaced over the past two months in the context of security operations, both by the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli security forces.
**Haiti
On Haiti, another bleak picture, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that violent clashes this week between security forces and armed groups on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince resulted in another wave of people trying to flee.
Our colleagues at the International Organization for Migration say that more than 1,600 men, women and children have now been displaced. Two thirds of them have taken refuge with host families, while more than 500 are now living in three newly-established displacement sites.
Our humanitarian partners tell us that the situation for children in Haiti continues to be dire. The number of children internally displaced in the country has increased by nearly 50 per cent since September, surging to more than half a million children. You will recall that UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) said that approximately one in eight children in the country is now currently displaced.
Some 3 million children need humanitarian assistance, including more than 1.2 million boys and girls in the capital, Port-au-Prince.
There has been a 70 per cent increase in the recruitment of children by gangs over the past year, with up to 50 per cent of gang members now estimated to be children in Haiti. That’s what UNICEF is telling us.
At the same time, the forced returns of Haitians continue to drive up humanitarian needs. Nearly 15,000 Haitians were returned from the Dominican Republic in the first two weeks of January alone — adding to the 200,000 people who were returned from across the region in all of last year.
In addition, natural disasters are also creating issues across Haiti. OCHA says that since November of last year, nearly 330,000 people were impacted by floods across six of Haiti’s departments.
The floods claimed dozens of lives and damaged or destroyed nearly 50,000 homes.
This year, we are appealing for $908 million to help 3.9 million people in Haiti. We urge the international community to scale up its support so that we and our humanitarian partners can support the people of Haiti who need it.
**Interfaith Harmony Week
Good week next week: World Interfaith Harmony Week. We need it. This annual event was established as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
**Honour Roll
We have a new member of the Honour Roll, somebody paid their dues in full, and we say gracias to them; who are they? […] Spain, exactly, right after Portugal.
All right, Edie.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. On Haiti, the Secretary-General has made clear that he supports the voluntary contributions to the trust fund. Can we get an update on whether there's been any significant increase and whether he might be changing his mind and supporting the US call and others for UN peacekeeping force?
Spokesman: At this point, there's no change in his position, but, of course, he will be guided by the wisdom of the Security Council. We believe there is a system in place. There's a multinational support mission in place. They're already there. They need support. They need money, and they need more materiel. We saw there were more police officers, I think, came in the last few weeks, and we'll get you an update on the numbers.
Gabriel and then…
Question: Thank you, Steph. We just heard from Mr. Lacroix saying that in his assessment that the M23 and RDF (Rwandan Defence Forces) are about 60 kilometres north of Bukavu. What precautions are the UN taking for your staff there? And any plans for evacuations? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: I mean, we're moving some people out of there as a precaution. We're also trying to balance, as we always do in these conflict areas, how do we keep our staff safe and how do we keep delivering for the civilians that we’re there to serve? So this is exactly what's going on right now.
Question: Any idea how many staff there by any chance?
Spokesman: I can get you numbers as soon as I can [cross-talk].
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Margaret, then Tony, then Frank.
Question: Continuing on DRC, you said that the shelters on the outskirts of Goma have been emptied. I'm just wondering where the people have gone.
Spokesman: I think they've dispersed. We’re not sure where they've gone. And that's, you know, you're dealing with a population that's already at high risk. Right? People in displaced persons camps, but at least we know where they are. We know how to help them. But once the population disperse in the midst of combat, it's much harder for us to get to them. So we don't know where they've all gone. They've sought safety in other places. Obviously, as the situation settles, we will try to find them, and hopefully, people will come back to more centralized points where they can get humanitarian aid.
Question: Do you know how many people were in the shelters? Because you said something; I was scribbling. So 300,000 IDPs, outskirts of Goma, the shelters are empty. So I'm not sure how many of the 300,000 were actually in shelters. It's a huge number.
Spokesman: If you don't pay attention to what I say, and I don't pay attention to what I say, we have a problem.
Question: Well, it's just a huge number to disappear.
Spokesman: You know. It is a huge number. I mean, but it shows you the rapidity at which this happened, the violence that is going on. It's a desperate situation for these civilians who are often already displaced more than once. Bukavu, we have about 1,200 personnel, which includes in people who are under kind of our security umbrella, which includes internationals, nationals, and dependents.
Tony?
Question: Shukran, Steph. My question is on Sudan, actually. Any comments on the reports of summary executions of civilians, allegedly by fighters and militia allied to the Sudanese Armed Forces in Khartoum North?
Spokesman: I think this is yet another example of the horrendous violence that civilians in Sudan have been subject to from the armed forces, from the RSF (Rapid Support Forces). I think we've been very clear in our reporting. There will need to be accountability for all of the crimes that may have been committed in Sudan.
Ephrem then Frank, sorry and then…
Question: Yeah. Just want to get back to something you were saying earlier at the beginning. You said that the briefing by the new President of the Council on Monday would only be available in person. [cross-talk]
Spokesman: That's correct.
Question: Does that mean it will not go out on UNTV?
Spokesman: No. It'll go out. It’s just it will be one way. So you can sit at home in front of your screen, but they won't hear you if you shout a question.
Question: Okay. That's what I needed. Thank you.
Spokesman: Okay. Ephrem then Abdelhamid.
Question: Thanks again, Steph. Yesterday, the Secretary-General met with four American doctors, which has come back from Gaza. And I think their main message to him was stressing the emergency of medical evacuations for thousands of patients. First, what was the SG's reaction to the stories that the doctors told him? And also, what is being done to make sure patients are being evacuated in the thousands?
Spokesman: From my conversation with the Secretary-General this morning, he said he was very moved by the eyewitness reports, in the first-hand accounts that he heard from the four American doctors. I mean, they are really a symbol of the sacrifice that people are making in order to help civilians. My understanding, I think WHO has said this publicly, there may be a first round of medical evacuations tomorrow through Rafah. And the Secretary-General, I think, was vocal in his tweet that we will continue to push through our people on the ground for more medical evacuations.
Question: A quick follow-up please. And on the fears that some of the patients are expressing about their fears of leaving and not being allowed to return.
Spokesman: That is clear — that people will need, if they are evacuated for medical reasons, they have a right to come home.
Abdelhamid, then Ibtisam.
Question: Thank you. A follow-up to my friend Ephrem’s question. They also said, the doctors, that the SG promised to work hard to release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiyya. Can you share with us what…
Spokesman: I'm sure if he said he would, he will.
Question: And the second question about UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) today, have you… Are the offices today, this morning, opened?
Spokesman: Yeah. Today, I mean, I checked in with my colleagues today, as you know, a lot of the… today, being Friday, a lot of the clinics and regular offices are closed. So they are closed, but there's no change in terms of the headquarters, as I mentioned yesterday, in East Jerusalem. And UNRWA's operations in Gaza and the West Bank are ongoing.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Ibtisam?
Question: A follow-up on Gaza. As you know, there is a huge need for tents and caravans, and there is actually very little entering. Could you explain to us why? And, do you have now numbers about how many tents or caravans you would possibly need?
Spokesman: I don't have the exact number, but I can tell you we're working through the machinery to ensure that enough tents, enough tarpaulins get through the pipeline and get through the different entry points into Gaza. Our colleagues who are on the ground are extremely well aware of the need for all these items, especially as people go back to what's left of their homes and understandably want to put up a tent, even in the rubble. So we are working with them and we're working, obviously, with all concerned to try to get as much material in as quickly as possible.
Question: And on Rafah, there's supposed to be, I'm not sure if it's a total opening on Saturday or partially opening at least for people to leave. Do you have any updates on that? And what's the role of the UN?
Spokesman: The only update that I have is that my understanding is that Rafah may… there may be some medical evacuations tomorrow. Obviously, Rafah is a critical gateway for people and goods. We do not, as far as I know, have a role in the monitoring of entries and exits.
All right. Oh, sorry. Yes, please go ahead.
Question: Yep. Thank you so much, Steph. There are some reports that North Korean soldiers were withdrawn from the front line in Kursk Region. Can you verify that?
Spokesman: No, I mean, we've seen press reports on soldiers in the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). We are not actively monitoring the front lines.
Question: Can I have one more?
Spokesman: Of course.
Question: Moscow has accused Ukraine in killing 22 civilians in Kursk Region. First of all, how could you comment on that? And secondly, I know there were some efforts by the UN to have access to the Kursk Region. Any updates? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: No, no update on access. I mean, I think we have spoken out very consistently against the death and killing of any of civilians, whether they'd be in the Russian Federation or in Ukraine.
Thank you. See you Monday.