HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 23 JULY 2024
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
On Friday, 26 July, the Secretary-General will be in France, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, at the invitation of the International Olympic Committee and the Government of France.
In a video message that will air during the opening ceremony, the Secretary-General will, in the spirit of the Olympic Truce, call on everyone to lay down their arms, to build bridges, foster solidarity and strive for the ultimate goal: peace for all.
The message was also featured by the International Olympic Committee earlier today during its 142nd session held in Paris. The text and the video message were distributed today.
While in Paris on Friday, the Secretary-General will meet with the head of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and he will also hold a number of other bilateral meetings, which we will confirm once they occur.
The Secretary-General will leave Paris on Saturday.
YEMEN
In a briefing this morning, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, spoke to Council members about recent developments in the region, and warned of a devastating region-wide escalation, adding that he is nonetheless encouraged that the Yemeni parties informed him that they had agreed on a path of de-escalation. He emphasized that he would continue to assist them to find solutions through dialogue. Mr. Grundberg will brief you at the stakeout after I am done here, we will alert you ahead of time.
Also briefing was Joyce Msuya, who, as you know, is the Acting head of the UN department for Humanitarian Affairs. She noted that the port of Hodeidah is a lifeline for millions across Yemen, and that it must be spared. Regarding our colleagues who were detained recently, Ms. Msuya said that we are undertaking constant and determined advocacy with the Houthis, with Member States, and with all those who have influence on the release of those colleagues.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that more civilians have been fleeing parts of Khan Younis today, following yesterday’s evacuation order issued by the Israeli authorities and the subsequent intensification of hostilities in that area.
Yesterday, about 150,000 people fled areas in Khan Younis, as assessed by humanitarian colleagues monitoring population movements in the area.
OCHA has expressed our concern about the short interval between the dropping of the leaflets telling people to leave and the escalation of military operations, which posed significant risks to those fleeing. That delay was about an hour. Many have been observed on the move without any belongings. The immediate escalation of hostilities in the area also resulted in many people being trapped in the evacuation area. These included people with reduced mobility and family members supporting them.
Each evacuation order profoundly disrupts people's lives. People have been forced to move into areas with little or no infrastructure – where there is very limited access to shelter, health, sanitation or other life-saving humanitarian assistance. Also, the area designated for evacuation yesterday included two primary health centres and two medical points, as well as a dozen food distribution points and eight cooked meal provision points. These have all ceased operations, with only one community kitchen still operational for those who have remained behind.
Today and yesterday, different sections of Salah ad Din Road have seen security incidents, which included firing. Parts of this road, which is a key route for humanitarian goods, were included in yesterday’s evacuation directives.
As a result, humanitarian workers were forced to re-route many of their essential movements to the Coastal Road, which isn’t a viable alternative due to congestion.
The World Health Organization says that Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis has been forced to cope with an influx of patients, following the hostilities in the area. Some of the medical supplies that WHO provided last week – that would be enough for some 10,000 patients – are being used to treat those injured in the latest mass casualty incident.
Meanwhile, displacement also continues from the northern Gaza Strip southwards, as well as within and from the Al Bureij area of Deir al Balah, amid ongoing hostilities. Humanitarian workers’ ability to support the newly displaced is of course and obviously very limited. Nevertheless, they continue doing everything they can to provide health care and child protection services, as well as cash assistance, and essential items.
Today, two clearly marked UNICEF vehicles were hit with live ammunition while waiting at a designated holding point near the Wadi Gaza checkpoint. They were en route to reunite five children, including a baby, with their father. This is the second shooting incident involving UNICEF cars in the past 12 weeks. And you will recall that UNRWA suffered a similar incident on Sunday.
We strongly reiterate that humanitarian workers are protected under International Humanitarian Law and must never be targeted.
Also UNICEF has managed to transfer some water pipes to the north yesterday. Those will be used to provide water to the Jabalya area. A reminder that people in Gaza are now surviving with only a fourth of the water supply they had before this conflict started.
ETHIOPIA
In Ethiopia, a search-and-rescue operation in the south of the country is continuing after heavy rains triggered landslides.
Authorities have reported to our humanitarian colleagues on the ground about 157 deaths in the South Ethiopia region. Unfortunately, we expect that number to rise. More than 14,000 people have been impacted.
Local authorities and the Ethiopian Red Cross have already dispatched some initial relief to the area.
OCHA is coordinating a humanitarian assessment today, with UN agencies – including UNICEF, the World Food Programme, the World Health Organization and the UNFPA [UN Population Fund] – that aim to deliver critical supplies, including food, medical items, and water, sanitation and hygiene support.
That assessment will help determine the extent of the displacement and damage caused by the rains and landslides. Right now, the most pressing needs for those impacted are food, shelter, health care, and water, sanitation and hygiene.
SUDAN
Turning to Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to be extremely alarmed by the worsening food situation in the country. Almost 26 million men, women and children are acutely hungry – to give you an example, that is equivalent to the entire population of Australia. Of those 26 million, 750,000 people are just one step away from famine – which translates as IPC phase 5 for us.
Rising food prices, access challenges, and the impact of conflict are compounding people's limited access to food. Last month, the price of local food increased by 16 per cent compared to May. It’s also 120 per cent higher than in June of last year.
People's hardship is only set to worsen as the rainy season takes hold. The Tine border crossing – which is used to transport goods from Chad into the Darfur region of Sudan – is currently impassable due to heavy rains and flooding. Many routes in the southern part of Sudan are also inaccessible.
People in Sudan are facing a worst-case scenario. The humanitarian community in Sudan urgently needs access via all possible routes to avert a further deterioration of the situation. Additional funding is also crucial: As of today, the Sudan humanitarian is only 30 per cent funded.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
A couple of notes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, first from the North Kivu province, where the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is expressing its concern about deadly violence that is continuing to be witnessed, despite a humanitarian truce announced more than two weeks ago.
OCHA says that ongoing armed attacks against civilians in Lubero, in North Kivu, have constrained humanitarian access to several areas where displaced people have sought shelter.
Between March and early July, when the humanitarian truce was announced, violence in North Kivu displaced 390,000 people in Rutshuru and Lubero territories.
Although that truce has allowed aid organizations to resume the distribution of medical supplies and other life-saving assistance to displaced people and returnees in Lubero, many still need critical support.
To reach them, aid workers – like civilians in the DRC – must be protected. The extension of the humanitarian truce through August 3rd is a welcome step, but it is critical that parties to the conflict work to definitively end the fighting and pursue a sustainable negotiated resolution.
DRC/ PEACEKEEPING
And from Ituri province, UN peacekeeping colleagues say they responded to gunshots fired by members of the CODECO armed group in two separate incidents, that took place in villages southeast of Djugu in Ituri. The assailants withdrew when peacekeepers arrived on the scene.
Meanwhile, the peacekeeping mission supported the construction of a vocational training facility in Komanda, also in the Ituri province. The centre is designed to help former armed group members and at-risk youth to reintegrate into their communities and provide them facilities for carpentry, tailoring, and mechanics training.
This initiative is in support of the Government's Demobilization, Disarmament, and Community [Recovery and Stabilization] Programme for ex-combatants from different armed groups.
Through its work, the UN Mission contributes to reducing youth unemployment, while promoting peace and development in the region.
GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, the guest at the noon briefing will be Máximo Torero, who is the Chief Economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
He will brief reporters virtually at 12:30pm on the launch of the report entitled “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024”. The launch will take place in Rio de Janeiro and the Secretary-General will also have a video message for the Report’s launch, which will air at 8 a.m. New York time.
