听HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANT脫NIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 4 OCTOBER 2022
Middle East听
The Secretary-General is very concerned about the increasing toll on civilians that we are seeing across the immediate region.听
Beirut residential areas were once again subjected to intense overnight Israeli airstrikes, apparently injuring rescue workers. Also, strikes continued unabated in other parts of Lebanon. The toll on civilians from this campaign is totally unacceptable.听听
All parties must do whatever they can to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and ensure that civilians are never put in harm鈥檚 way.听听
The 缅北禁地Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeannine Hennis-Plasschaert persists with her intensive political engagements, while the 缅北禁地country team is working closely with the Lebanese Government to meet spiraling humanitarian needs.听
Lebanon/humanitarian听
Given the worsening humanitarian needs, Imran Riza the 缅北禁地Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, today announced an additional $2 million from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund to address the deteriorating situation, bringing the total allocation to $12 million so far. This comes alongside a previous $10 million Central Emergency Response Fund allocated very recently.听
Meanwhile on the health front, the World Health Organization announced today that the first flight with WHO medical supplies 鈥 enough to treat tens of thousands of injured people 鈥 has arrived in Beirut. More flights are planned for today and in the coming days.听
This all comes as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs remains concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians as the country experiences a surge in airstrikes and displacement orders. There were new orders given by the Israelis in the south, for areas above the Litani River and areas such as El-Buss - which hosts a Palestinian refugee camp 鈥 that forced families to flee from areas previously considered safer. Civilians on both sides of the Blue Line in Lebanon and in Israel, must be allowed to live in peace and tranquillity.听
Also, the International Organization for Migration tell us that many of Lebanon's 177,000 migrants, including many female migrant domestic workers, have also been now forced to flee in search of safety but face limited shelter options.听听
Lebanon听
UNIFIL says that within their area of operations, they still observe intense airstrikes and heavy clashes. Significant exchanges of fire are occurring in Sector West, particularly Marun ar Ras, Yaroun and Bint Jbeil and in Sector East, focusing on the Khiam, Kafer Kila and El Adeisse areas.听听
UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to remain in position despite the dangerous environment, while the intensity of fighting hampers their movement and ability to undertake the full range of their mandated tasks. As Mr. Lacroix told you yesterday, the safety and security of our peacekeepers is a paramount priority and it is a shared responsibility for all parties.听听
The Mission reiterates its call, both for an immediate de-escalation and for the parties to immediately return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701.听
West Bank听
Turning to the West Bank, the Secretary-General鈥痠s deeply alarmed by the deteriorating situation there, including last night鈥檚 Israeli airstrike on鈥痶he Tulkarm refugee camp, killing 18 Palestinians, including children and injured many others. He strongly condemns the loss of lives.鈥疶his attack marks yet another dangerous escalation of violence.鈥
The Secretary-General calls for strict compliance to international鈥痩aw. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected at all times. He urges the international community to urgently come together to address this escalating cycle of violence and work towards ending the occupation and returning to a track for a two-State solution, which remains the only just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.鈥疶he bloodshed that we are seeing must end.听
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Further to the Tulkarm attack, our colleagues from OCHA are coordinating a visit to the area by both 缅北禁地agencies and NGOs, where they will carry out an assessment of damages and humanitarian needs to inform the emergency response efforts.听
Turning to Gaza, OCHA on Wednesday visited the site of an attack the previous night in the Maan area, east of Khan Younis. Our colleagues report that ambulances trying to evacuate the injured could not reach them due to the ongoing incursion. Hours later, when first responders were finally able to access the area, their bulldozer ran out of fuel while recovering bodies from beneath the rubble.听听听
OCHA stresses that emergency teams in Gaza need to be able to save lives 鈥 and to do that, they need more fuel, they need more equipment. But most importantly, they need safe and unimpeded access to the areas where they need to be.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
Meanwhile, our colleagues at UNRWA [缅北禁地Relief and Works Agency] said that three of its schools were hit over the previous two days. Some 20,000 people had been sheltering there, and more than 20 people were reportedly killed. UNRWA said that since the war began, more than 140 of its schools have come under attack. The agency stressed that schools are not a target and cannot be used for any military purposes by anyone.听
A new assessment this week by UNICEF and humanitarian partners found that at least 87 per cent of school buildings in Gaza have been directly hit or damaged since October of last year, including one third of UNRWA schools.听
And you鈥檝e been asking us about the next round of polio vaccinations. The World Health Organization has told us that they have requested to Israel to begin the second phase on 14 October.
The agency expects those efforts to conclude on 29 October. WHO says discussions with the Israeli authorities are continuing, as well as with the Ministry of Health, and partners on the ground.听
Haiti听
Turning to Haiti. Given the violence that we have seen, the Secretary-General strongly condemns the attack by armed gangs in the town of Pont-Sond茅 鈥 in the Artibonite department- that took place yesterday [3 October]. The attack left several dozen people dead, including women and children, injured many more and resulted in the displacement of at least 3,000 people.听
As gang violence continues to spread from the capital to other departments of Haiti, the Secretary-General stresses the importance of the joint efforts undertaken by the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission.听Those efforts need to be supported.
The Secretary-General urgently appeals to all Member States to ensure that the Multinational Security Support mission receives the financial and logistical assistance they need in order to succeed.听
Deputy Secretary-General/Lesotho听
Our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, arrived this morning in Lesotho, where she represented the Secretary-General at the bicentenary celebration of the founding of the Basotho nation. Congratulating the country on its 200th anniversary, she expressed hope for the next 200 years and conveyed the United Nations commitment to continued collaboration for the prosperity of the people of Lesotho.听
In the afternoon, Ms. Mohammed joined the inauguration of a Multipurpose Centre for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence, alongside the Queen of Lesotho [Masenate Mohato Seeiso]. The centre will help survivors reclaim their future.听听
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General will visit the Lesotho Highlands Water Project in Polihali and Pitso to observe how large-scale investments can drive sustainable development and a just energy transition.听听听听听听听听听听听听听
She will also there engage with local communities, highlighting the importance of their involvement in the decision-making processes.听
While in Lesotho, the Deputy Secretary-General will meet with His Royal Highness, King Letsie III, Prime Minister [Ntsokoane Samuel] Matekane, as well as cabinet ministers, to discuss opportunities related to Lesotho鈥檚 sustainable development and the UN鈥檚 commitment to supporting the country鈥檚 reform agenda.听
Ms. Mohammed will also meet with the 缅北禁地country team and other stakeholders, including the diplomatic community, traditional leaders, and young entrepreneurs.听听
She will be in Johannesburg, in South Africa as of Sunday morning.听
Security Council听
The Security Council met this morning for a briefing on Nord Stream,鈥痷nder the agenda 听鈥淭hreats to international peace and security鈥, as requested by the Russian Federation.听There was no Secretariat briefer.听
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Democratic Republic of the Congo听
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping colleagues are working alongside the authorities to provide support to those impacted by yesterday鈥檚 sinking of a ferry on Lake Kivu.听听
Our colleagues have provided medical assistance to the survivors, at the request of the Congolese government, and the mission鈥檚 Bangladeshi helicopter battalion has been conducting aerial patrols since yesterday in a search for survivors of this horrific accident.听
We join the head of the peacekeeping mission in the Congo, Bintou Keita, in offering our sincere condolences to the families affected by this tragic accident.听听
The boat 鈥 named the Merveille de Dieu - was carrying passengers from Minova, in South Kivu to Goma, in North Kivu.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听
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Food Price Index听
The Food and Agriculture Organization report that, in September, the benchmark for world food commodity prices saw its fastest increase in 18 months, with increases for all commodities, and the highest one was sugar.听
The FAO Food Price Index 鈥 which averaged 124.4 points in September - was up 3 per cent from August and 2.1 percent up from September last year.听听
And the increase in sugar prices 鈥 which rose by over 10 per cent, were driven by worsening crop prospects in Brazil and concerns that India鈥檚 decision to lift restrictions on sugarcane use for ethanol production may affect export availabilities from India.听
More information online.听
Chagos Islands听
In response to questions about the agreement reached by the United Kingldom and Mauritius yesterday regarding the Chagos Islands, the Spokesman said the Secretary-General commends the Governments of the United Kingdom and Mauritius for reaching a political agreement on the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago including the island of Diego Garcia.听听
The Secretary-General looks forward to the timely finalization of a treaty on the matter between the Governments of the UK and Mauritius.听
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Resident Coordinator in Peru听
New Resident Coordinator in Peru and that person is Rossana Dudziak of the United States. She is now the 缅北禁地Resident Coordinator as of today, with the agreement of the Government of Peru.听
She brings more than 25 years of experience working on sustainable development.听 She previously served as 缅北禁地Resident Coordinator in North Macedonia and she held various leadership positions with UNDP, and we congratulate her.
International Days听
World Space Week starts today under the theme 鈥淪pace & Climate Change.鈥 This theme celebrates the transformative impact of space technology in our ongoing battle against climate change.听
Tomorrow is a time to reflect on all the people that helped us get here and that is World Teachers鈥 Day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) underscores the urgent need to incorporate the perspectives of teachers into educational policy and decision-making processes.听
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