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UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

15 October 2024

War in Lebanon

Rema Jamous Imseis, Director for the Middle East at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the High Commissioner had visited Lebanon the previous week to show support to the country and shine the spotlight on what was happening there. The death toll in Lebanon continued to climb, amidst continued Israeli airstrikes. Over 2,200 people had been killed so far, and 10,000 had been injured; over one million people had been displaced, which was a dramatic number in a small country of only five million inhabitants. Israeli evacuation orders now covered a quarter of the country; many people were fleeing with almost nothing and often sleeping in the open. It was hoped that an intra-agency convoy to provide humanitarian aid to people in need would be able to be conducted today. Of almost 1,000 government-assigned shelters, over 800 had reached full capacity, said Ms. Imseis. Over 70 percent of schools were now being used as shelters, which meant that most children were currently missing out on their education. At least 100 health centres had been forced to close. The needs were immense and continuing to grow daily, and the international community needed to support Lebanon. This nightmare could end only if there was a ceasefire. Lebanon and the region could not afford a further spillover, stressed Ms. Imseis.

Ms. Imseis further informed that over 283,000 people were estimated to have crossed from Lebanon to Syria seeking safety, 70 percent of whom were Syrians and 30 percent Lebanese. The main crossing area - Masnaa crossing - had been hit by an Israeli airstrike the previous week, leaving behind a massive crater. People were crossing this crater on foot, with elderly people and women with young children particularly struggling to cross. UNHCR was present at this and four other border crossings, providing immediate assistance and legal aid. Most people were coming with almost nothing and were being hosted by extended family and friends, who also had close to nothing. Support of the international community was desperately needed, concluded Ms. Imseis.

Lotte Ruppert, Head of operations of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Lebanon, speaking from Beirut, said that the displaced people in Lebanon were desperate, and many of them were sleeping out in the open. Lebanon had already been going through very difficult times, and the latest escalation of violence had left people traumatized. The work of the Lebanese Red Cross volunteers was of particular importance in this context, stressed Ms. Ruppert. While protection and assistance needs were immense, it was becoming more and more challenging for the Red Cross to reach people in need because of the worsening security situation. The previous week, two Red Cross ambulance had been hit, with four volunteers injured. This was unacceptable. Humanitarian workers needed to be protected at all times. Red Cross was providing first aid, distributing food and supplies to people in collective shelters, but the challenges were immense, with severe shortages of medical supplies and food items. Mobile health units and ambulances were being brought into the country, but the funding coverage of the Red Cross’s needs in Lebanon currently stood at only 13 percent. IFRC urged for international solidarity, but the violence had to stop without delay, stressed Ms. Ruppert. Civilians and humanitarian workers should never be a target. The Red Cross movement in Lebanon remained committed to providing humanitarian assistance, but that would be possible only with sustained international support.

Answering questions from the media, Ms. Ruppert, for the IFRC, said that the demand for humanitarian assistance now exceeded supply. Other barriers were related to the damaged border crossing between Lebanon and Syria and the limited number of flights to the Beirut airport.

Responding to a question on the deadly Israeli attack in Aitou in the north of Lebanon, Jeremy Laurence, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), said that among the victims, there were 12 women and two children, who had been killed when their four-story residential building had been hit. It was questionable whether the principles of distinction and proportionality were respected in this incident. A prompt and thorough independent investigation into this incident was needed, said Mr. Laurence.

Situation of children in Gaza

Replying to questions from the media, Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that 14 October had been the first day of the second round of the polio vaccination campaign, which would take place in phases. On the first day, some 92,800 children under ten had received the second dose of the polio vaccine, in line with expectations, and no major issues had been reported. An estimated 590,000 children across Gaza were supposed to receive the second dose over the next ten days, he explained. While having polio vaccinations was very important, people of Gaza were facing numerous other health challenges, said Mr. Jašarević. Thousands of people needed medical evacuation and long-term rehabilitation outside of Gaza.

Answering further questions, James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that more than 12 months into the war in Gaza, the cumulative effect on children was being felt more than ever. With attacks continuing, and insufficient humanitarian aid getting in, the condition of children was desperate. Some 85 percent of Gaza Strip were currently under some evacuation order. Every day, the situation for children became worse than the day before. Restrictions on humanitarian aid appeared to be worse than ever before, said Mr. Elder. Cumulatively, the situation for children today was more difficult than before, and multiple horrors were befalling children simultaneously. He explained that safe zones needed to be spared from bombing while supplies of water, food, medicine, and other supplies had to be allowed in. On average, one school per day had been struck this month, informed Mr. Elder. Some families had thus found themselves at the Al Aqsa Hospital, which had now been struck.

Innovative technologies and financing for mine action in Ukraine

Jaco Cillers, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Ukraine, speaking from Brussels, said that UNDP was launching a new report to coincide with the mine action conference on demining challenges in Ukraine, which would take place in Lausanne on 17-18 October. Ukraine was now considered the most heavily mined country in the world: some 157,000 square kilometres of Ukraine had been suspected of being contaminated, which equalled to one-fourth of the entire territory of Ukraine. That figure had recently been reduced to 139,000 square kilometres but still remained very significant. Because of the contamination, for example, rescuers could not go and restore the damaged energy systems, and civilians could not return to their homes.

Mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in Ukraine cost the country more than USD 11 billion in gross domestic product annually. It was estimated that USD 34.6 billion was required for humanitarian mine action. This meant that if the necessary funding for demining was secured, Ukraine could see a return on investment in less than three-and-a-half years – just in terms of GDP. The UNDP report Enhancing Mine Action Finance in Ukraine addressed one of the most critical challenges Ukraine faced as it navigated recovery: the enormous funding gap in mine action. The report proposed two financial solutions that aim to leverage both public and private funds: a Sustainability-Linked Bond and an Outcome-Based Public-Private Partnership. These mechanisms went beyond traditional funding by aligning mine action efforts with Ukraine’s sustainable development goals, ensuring equity, efficiency, and long-term effectiveness. While the bonds would be issued by the Ukrainian government, not only to fund demining but also to support a transition to sustainable agricultural practices, the public-private partnership would link mine clearance with renewable energy development. Significant sector-wide diagnostics including a broad range of stakeholders would need to be conducted, stressed Mr. Cillers. Broad-based political support and interdisciplinary support from various actors would be necessary.

UNDP’s publication Enhancing Mine Action Finance in Ukraine is available here.

Responding to questions from the media, Mr. Cillers explained that the contaminated surface area was only an estimate related to where there had been fighting or bombing. The Government, supported by the UNDP, had used satellite imagery, drones and sensory technology to survey areas and help clear contaminated areas. The reduction from an estimated 157,000 to 139,000 square kilometres was among the sharpest decreases ever recorded, and allowed to focus on the areas that the government could identify as being contaminated or having mines or unexploded ordnance. There were two forms of demining: by the military, while the fighting was still occurring, and the humanitarian demining, done by national agencies and their international humanitarian partners. The challenge was that traditional demining, done by human deminers only, could take several decades. With innovative approaches, the process could still take up to a decade. Mr. Cillers explained that demining efforts also included clearance of unexploded ordnances (UXOs), and not only removing of laid out mines. Some 1,600 people had been killed or maimed by mines and UXOs, specified Mr. Cillers, responding to another question. As the frontline moved back and forth, it was possible that repeated mining and demining were taking place.

World Food Day

Ahead of the World Food Day, 16 October, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), referred to the Secretary-General’s message, in which he said that something was very wrong with a world in which hunger and malnutrition were a fact of life for billions of children, women and men. Full message can be read here.

Dominique Burgeon, Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Liaison Office in Geneva, said that the this year’s World Food Day would be marked under the theme “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future”. Food was a basic human right, like air and water. One in 11 people in the world, or around 733 million people, went hungry mainly because of conflicts, weather shocks, inequalities, and economic downturns. Over 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet, meaning even if they were consuming enough calories, they might not be getting the nutrients and diversity they needed to be healthy. Some 148 million children under the age five were too short for their age and 45 million were too thin for their height, said Mr. Burgeon. On the other hand, 890 million adults were living with obesity. On the World Food Day, FAO highlighted the importance of the right to food, which was realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, had physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.

An enabling environment needed to be established that protected, respected, and fulfilled the right to adequate food, providing safety nets for those unable to nourish themselves and ensuring equitable access to resources. All had a role to play in building a future where everyone could enjoy the right to food by challenging inequalities, speaking up about hunger and engaging decision makers, making healthy food choices, reducing food loss and wastes, and caring for natural resources. Hundreds of events on this occasion would be organized around the world, said Mr. Burgeon.

27 million people go hungry as lean season sets in in southern Africa

Tomson Phiri, for the World Food Programme (WFP), stated that the WFP was today calling for urgent assistance to prevent a wide-spread drought triggered by the El- Niño from deepening into a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. A historic drought - the worst food crisis yet - had devastated more than 27 million lives across the region. Some 21 million children were malnourished. For many communities, this was the worst food crisis in decades. October marked the start of the lean season and each month was expected to be worse than the previous one until harvests next year in March/April. Crops had failed, livestock had perished, and children were lucky to receive even one meal per day. The situation was dire, and the need for action had never been clearer.

A record five countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe had all declared the hunger crisis a state of disaster and called for international humanitarian support. Angola and Mozambique were severely affected as well. At the request of governments, WFP had started to provide food assistance and critical support in transport, logistics and food procurement. However, the WFP had only received one fifth of the USD 369 million needed to provide assistance to millions in Southern Africa. While the funding received so far had allowed to start distribution efforts, a significant funding gap remained. WFP had been hoping to scale up distribution, but the plans hang in the balance because of the funding shortfalls. Unless they received additional resources, millions of people risked going through the worst lean season in decades without assistance.

Children malnutrition in northeastern Nigeria

Yann Bonzon, Head of the delegation of the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) for Nigeria, speaking from Abuja, said that the consequences of the protracted armed conflict with climate change continued to kill people. Every day, doctors and nurses in the northeast of the country continued to receive and treat malnourished children. Mr. Bonzon reported a 24 percent increase of malnourished children needing assistance between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024. Farmers told the ICRC how rampant insecurity due to conflict prevented them from accessing farmlands and planting crops. The climate shocks damaged crops, contributing to food crises in the Lake Chad area. ICRC had extended its support to two centres for malnourished children in the northeast, now supporting nine centres. Between June and October, together with Nigerian Red Cross, 187,000 people had received cash assistance. Mr. Bonzon stressed that people would continue going hungry unless there was a decrease in violence and better respect of international humanitarian law. People needed to be allowed to meet their essential needs and access life-saving humanitarian aid. Mr. Bonzon added that the rise in the number of people without sufficient food mirrored the increase of violence which severely affected the ability of communities to grow crops and access markets.

OHCHR calls on Tunisia to uphold rule of law and democratic freedoms

Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk today called on the Tunisian authorities to protect the country’s democratic processes and uphold fundamental freedoms after a presidential campaign marred by a crackdown on the opposition, independent activists and journalists. In the weeks leading up to the election, held on 6 October, over 100 prospective candidates, members of their campaigns and other political figures had been arrested on a variety of charges ranging from falsification of electoral paperwork to charges related to national security. Several presidential hopefuls had been arrested and received lengthy prison sentences on various charges.

Ms. Throssell said that this development came within a broader context of increasing pressure on civil society over the past year, targeting numerous journalists, human rights defenders, and political opponents, as well as judges and lawyers. Since 2011, Tunisia had been a pioneer in efforts to ensure accountability and redress for past abuses, including through the work of the Truth and Dignity Commission. However, a number of these gains had now been lost, of which recent arrest of the former head of the commission is an example. OHCHR strongly urged Tunisia to recommit to transitional justice in the interests of victims, and to embark on much needed rule of law reforms.

Full statement is available here.

Answering questions, Ms. Throssell reminded that the OHCHR had an office in Tunisia, and it has been engaging with the Tunisian authorities over the years.

Announcements

Jovana Miočinović, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), informed that the UNECE, in collaboration with UN Women, would convene the interministerial Beijing+30 Regional Review Meeting - “Reviewing 30 years of Beijing Commitments to Accelerate Gender Equality in the UNECE Region”, in Geneva on 21-22 October. Held every five years since 2000, this interministerial meeting would aim to reinvigorate political commitment to promote gender equality and empower women and girls in the UNECE region. Ahead of next year’s 30th commemoration of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the meeting would also aim to build regional agreement on priority actions to speed up the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and fast-track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The participants would discuss the priorities related to gender equality and women’s empowerment, including accelerating women’s economic empowerment, women in leadership and their equal participation in decision-making, and ending violence against women and girls. More details are here.

Ms. Miočinović further stated that, in response to recent devastating floods in Central and Eastern Europe and a drought emergency in Southern Africa, cross-border water management had become a pressing issue on the global political agenda. Against that backdrop, the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention would convene in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 23-25 October. This major event would be co-organized by the Government of Slovenia and the Secretariat of the Water Convention, hosted by UNECE. Participants would focus on crucial topics such as climate change adaptation, the source-to-sea approach, the water-food-energy-ecosystems nexus, and financing transboundary water cooperation. One of the key outcomes expected from the meeting would be the adoption of an innovative work programme for 2025-2027, alongside other important decisions, including on more financial sustainability of the Convention. More details can be found in the press release here.

Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the annual United Nations International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East would be held in Room XXVI of the Palais des Nations on 1 November. The seminar would address two issues: “Safety of Journalists: Key Tenet of Press Freedom” and “Behind the Headlines of Gaza: Media Challenges and Perspectives.” More information would be shared soon.

On 17 October at 10:30 am, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would hold a hybrid press conference to present its Trade and Development Report 2024: Rethinking Development in the Age of Discontent, embargoed until noon that day. Speaker would be Rebeca Grynspan, UN Trade and Development Secretary-General, and Anastasia Nesvetailova, Head, Macroeconomic and Development Policies Branch, Division on Globalization and Development Strategies.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was reviewing today the report of Chile.

The Human Rights Committee would begin the review of the report of Iceland at 3 pm today.

On 17 October, the international community would commemorate the Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on which occasion a message by the Secretary-General had been shared.

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 15 October 2024

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