HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 8 JULY 2024
UKRAINE
The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s missile attacks by the Russian Federation hitting residential and civilian infrastructure across Ukraine, including in the cities of Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Dnipro and Pokrovsk. The strike reportedly killed dozens of civilians, including children, and injured over 150 more.
The incidents in which missiles hit the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialized Hospital in Kyiv, the largest pediatrics facility in Ukraine, and at another medical facility in the capital’s Dniprovsky district, are particularly shocking.
Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law, and any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.
The Secretary-General extends his deepest condolences to the families of all the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured.
UKRAINE/HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the children’s hospital in the centre of Kyiv was severely damaged as children were receiving treatment.
OCHA says that rescue workers, hospital staff and volunteers are currently clearing the rubble and searching for people trapped under debris.
Our health partners are helping to move patients to other facilities, providing psychosocial support and assisting with other urgent needs. They are also in contact with the hospital to coordinate any additional support required.
Humanitarian workers are on-site at the hospital to provide water and psychosocial support, among other assistance.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General returned to NewYork, after his visit to Central Asia.
In Turkmenistan, his last stop before returning to New York, he met with Serdar Berdimuhamedov, the President of Turkmenistan.
They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and Turkmenistan, and regional developments in Central Asia. The Secretary-General thanked the President for providing the UN Country Team in Turkmenistan with a new building.
In a press encounter following the meeting, the Secretary-General said that Turkmenistan is playing a very important role in international relations and commended Turkmenistan’s policy of neutrality.
He noted that Central Asia continues to face many obstacles to development – like water shortages, land degradation, natural hazards, and a lack of adequate connectivity.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that people are being displaced from parts of Gaza city after Israeli authorities issued new evacuation orders yesterday and today. These areas had already been subject to a blanket evacuation order issued in October for all of northern Gaza.
The affected neighbourhoods are home to more than 60 shelters that had been schools, as well as two partially functional hospitals, six medical points, and two primary health centres.
Staff and patients have reportedly left hospitals in and around the areas designated for evacuation.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that active hostilities, damaged roads, access limitations, and the lack of public order and safety continue to hamper movement along the main humanitarian cargo route from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. This has resulted in critical shortages of fuel and aid to sustain humanitarian operations. It is also increasing the risk that stranded supplies – especially food – will spoil in the summer heat.
Humanitarian partners say these shortages forced them to reduce food rations in central and southern Gaza last month – and undermined their ability to keep bakeries and community kitchens running.
Just three of the 18 bakeries they support in Gaza are still operational, all of them in Deir al Balah. Meanwhile, lack of fuel has forced nine bakeries that were working at partial capacity to completely cease their operations.
LEBANON
Ahead of planned UN Security Council consultations on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701 later this month [24 July], the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, arrived in Israel yesterday for a three-day visit.
Discussions with Israeli officials are expected to focus on the need to restore calm and give space for a diplomatic resolution that enables displaced civilians on both sides to return home, as well as to address outstanding provisions under resolution 1701.
Since assuming office last month, Hennis-Plasschaert has extensively engaged the Lebanese leadership and key interlocutors on ways to deescalate tensions across the Blue Line.
YEMEN
The Office of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said that negotiations held in Oman over the weekend led to a significant breakthrough, where the Yemeni parties reached an understanding on releasing Mohamed Qahtan, a prominent politician who has been held incommunicado by the Houthis in 2015. The Office of the Special Envoy said that his release was a contentious matter, for years. The parties also agreed to a meeting to finalize the names of detainees to be let go and arrangements pertaining to the release of Qahtan.
In a statement, Grundberg called on the parties to agree on more release operations. He also repeated the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of UN personnel and aid, and civil society workers who were arbitrarily detained in Sana’a and continue to be held in incommunicado detention.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, Bintou Keita, the head of the UN Peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, briefed the Security Council.
She said the security situation in Eastern DRC has reached alarming levels of violence and civilian displacements, adding that she is extremely concerned about the rapid expansion of the M23 armed group in North Kivu and the spill over into South Kivu, despite numerous operations conducted by the Congolese armed forces, regularly supported by UN peacekeepers. During their latest military offensive, Ms. Keita told Council members, the M23 and its backers triggered additional population displacements, worsening an already catastrophic humanitarian and human rights situation.
WEST AFRICA
The Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, Leonardo Santos Simão, was in Abuja, Nigeria yesterday, where he took part in the 65th Ordinary Session of the Economic Community of West African States – better known as ECOWAS.
In his intervention, he commended the organization’s continuous and sustained efforts to address the multiple challenges facing the subregion, particularly the threat to the unity and cohesion of ECOWAS, and efforts to address terrorism.
He also stressed the importance of peaceful elections and called for increased efforts to promote greater inclusiveness.
As the subregion faces complex challenges, Mr. Simão reiterated the UN’s support to national and regional efforts to ensure peace and stability, enhance democracy and good governance.
BANGLADESH
Turning to Bangladesh, ahead of anticipated flooding across the country, $6.2 million was disbursed from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) on 4 July to support most vulnerable families.
The funds will allow the Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund and the World Food Programme to reach 400,000 people in the country’s north with cash transfers, water purification supplies, agricultural support, and information on gender-based violence.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, Gwyn Lewis, said that anticipatory action can significantly reduce the impact of disasters on families and support a faster recovery, adding that families are empowered to make their own decisions on how best to protect their homes and livelihoods.
HURRICANE BERYL
In Central America and the Caribbean, the United Nations continues to support authorities and our partners to respond to the impacts of Hurricane Beryl.
The UN sent assessment teams to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Jamaica. The teams have identified clean water, shelter, food and health services as the priority needs in the parts most impacted by the hurricane in the three countries.
Several of these islands’ airstrips have suffered damage, and some islands can only be accessed by smaller boats. This is hampering logistics efforts.
UN partners are setting up a field hospital in Carriacou in Grenada and our assessment team is setting up on-site operations. The team will also support registration of humanitarian agencies coming into the island.
In Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the teams and the World Food Programme team are on the ground in Union Island, where relief items will be distributed tomorrow. And the UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean, Simon Springett, is travelled by boat today to several islands in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines including Union, Canouan, Bequia and Mayreau.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development started today. The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, presided over the opening of the Forum, which will go on until Wednesday, 17 July 2024, under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. The theme will be "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions”.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Russia has paid its regular budget dues in full, bringing up the number of fully paid-up nations to 121.
