The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Bi-weekly press briefing - 24 October 2023
/
1:14:16
/
MP4
/
4.4 GB
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
24 October 2023
Dire humanitarian situation in Gaza
Tamara Alrifai, for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), speaking from Amman, said that since 21 October, three convoys of humanitarian supplies had gone into the Gaza Strip with a total of 54 trucks. This breakthrough had come through after two weeks of a full siege of the Strip. The convoys had been organized on the Egyptian side with the help of the Egyptian Red Crescent, and on the Gaza side the receipt of the convoys had been handled by UNRWA. UNRWA called for the lifting of the humanitarian siege and continuous and unimpeded humanitarian access to the Strip. The convoys had brought in a combination of food, non-food, and medical items. Fuel was now urgently needed, stressed Ms. Alrifai. Without it, generators could not produce electricity for hospitals and bakeries, and the sea water could not be desalinated. With nearly 400,000 internally displaced persons, there were serious public health risks, further aggravated by the lack of access to clean water.
UNRWA deplored the loss of its 35 staff who had been simply doing their jobs. The IDPs in the UNRWA premises would soon be needing winter clothes; because of the overcrowding, many were sleeping in the courtyards, which would make it very difficult when the winter hit. UNRWA, in cooperation with the World Food Programme, had been distributing bread and wheat flour to the bakeries, but fuel was really of critical importance, stressed Ms. Alrifai, and called once again for an unimpeded, continuous flow of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. The trucks that had arrived so far were only a trickle of what was needed in total.
Dr. Rick Brennan, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Emergencies Director for Eastern Mediterranean Region, speaking from Cairo, said that the ongoing bombardment of Gaza had resulted in over 5,000 deaths, half of which could be women and children. One third of all hospitals were now not functioning. Not only were the health facilities and workers overwhelmed by the large number of injuries, but the disruption of the health system also meant that people with chronic diseases were finding it more and more difficult to access services they needed, and it was expected that their mortality rate would also increase. An estimated 150 to 200 women were giving birth every day; women experiencing difficulties while giving birth were at particular risk, noted Dr. Brennan. Some 1.4 million people were now acutely displaced; it was unprecedented that such a large number of people had been displaced over such a short time. This was an incredibly difficult situation; displaced people had only one to three liters of clean water per person per day; the bare minimum, according to international standards, stood at 15 liters. There was a real worry of the spread of infectious diseases, which could be just a matter of time.
Civilians were going through an unimaginably catastrophic situation, which seemed to be getting only worse. The 54 trucks that had arrived in the Strip were indeed only a trickle of what was needed. WHO had been able to deliver medical supplies to only three hospitals and two clinics to date, in what had been an incredibly difficult logistical operation. There were huge security risks to the WHO personnel trying to deliver those supplies, and hospitals in the north could not be reached yet. Having fuel was absolutely essential for the functioning of hospitals and ambulances, stressed Dr. Brennan. WHO was pleading for a sustained, scaled-up, protected humanitarian operation. All actors were asked to provide sufficient humanitarian space in order to avert a further catastrophe.
Responding to numerous questions from journalists, Dr. Brennan stated that there were several factors at play making the access into the Gaza Strip more difficult. The verification process at the border crossing was thorough and it was hoped that would become more efficient. Logistics operations within the Strip were also difficult, as there was no active deconfliction protocol in place to guarantee secure, safe passage, especially to the north. He explained that dead bodies as such normally did not represent a significant health risk to the population; it was important to give people dignified burials, in a culturally appropriate way. Problems could arise if decaying bodies got in touch with fresh water sources. Water supply in Gaza was largely dependent on the functioning of the desalination plants; water was a lifeline, and fuel was needed to keep the desalination plants working. On another question, Dr. Brennan said that the WHO was working with UNRWA to establish a system of disease surveillance in UNRWA schools and clinics. The most common infectious disease right now was the respiratory tract infection; chickenpox cases had also been reported, and skin infections were to be expected. For a cholera outbreak to occur, the bacteria needed to be present in the community, which had not been the case in Gaza for many years, but it was not inconceivable as there had been cholera outbreaks in other countries in the region in recent years. There had been no movement of medical or other humanitarian personnel into Gaza thus far, confirmed Dr. Brennan; that could change once the access was provided and security was assured. The medical supplies that had arrived in Gaza consisted of prioritized items, he informed responding to another question. The referral system of transporting gravely ill patients from Gaza to Jerusalem hospitals had been put on hold since the start of the current conflict. Increased acute malnutrition, especially for children under five, could become an issue of concern, stated Dr. Brennan, who also confirmed that there were discussions with the Egyptian authorities on the reception of injured patients from the Gaza Strip.
Ms. Alrifai, answering questions, said that before the conflict, 500 trucks had been arriving to the Gaza Strip every day, a combination of commercial and humanitarian cargo, and coming in both from Israel and Egypt. Fifteen to twenty trucks that had arrived in Gaza per day over the previous three days were but a trickle of what was needed. Ms. Alrifai reminded that, before the conflict, Gazans used to receive by trucks clean drinking water, which had not been the case since the start of the siege, so they had to fully rely on desalination. She said that some of the supplies that had arrived in Gaza, such as lentils or rice, while well-intended, were not very usable at the moment because both water and fuel were needed to prepare them. Clear guidance from the humanitarian groups on the ground, such as UNRWA, ought to be taken into account. Ms. Alrifai confirmed that at least 35 UNRWA colleagues had been killed so far; it was impossible to establish the exact causes of death for each of them. She stressed the importance of respecting the international humanitarian law. UNRWA could not limit its interventions to only one area in the Strip; it needed sufficient supplies and safe access to reach people in need anywhere across the Strip. Convoys were being discussed and approved every day, in what was a consolidated effort by the UN and the broader humanitarian consortium. As long as a convoy was entirely logistically coordinated by UNRWA, the Agency could account for its use, including fuel. UNRWA delivered services and goods directly; it was not working with implementing partners, specified Ms. Alrifai.
Mr. Gómez emphasized that the United Nations was calling for a humanitarian ceasefire and a safe, unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza. He reminded that there were reportedly some 220 trucks waiting on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.
Global cholera update
Dr. Philippe Barboza, World Health Organization (WHO) Cholera Team Lead, said that cholera continued to pose a growing public health risk globally. This year, nine countries had reported large outbreaks, with over 10,000 reported cases, the highest number of countries in over a decade. The annual cholera report released by WHO the previous month showed that cholera cases in 2022 had been double those in 2021. Preliminary data showed that 2023 would be even worse.
After the launch of the Global Cholera Roadmap in 2017, deaths had been on a steady decline, but the trend had reversed after 2020. The number of deaths reported in 2023 were four times the number in 2020, with about 3,700 deaths reported. In 2022, the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, the body which managed emergency supplies of vaccines, had made an unprecedented decision to move from a two dose to one dose vaccination regimen for cholera. This decision had been compelled by an acute global shortage of the vaccine. The shortage of vaccines continued, informed Dr. Barboza. While cholera cases continued to grow unabated, the need for cholera vaccines exceeded the available supply. Although vaccine production was expected to marginally rise in 2024, WHO did not expect a substantial increase in vaccine production before 2025.
WHO was helping countries by providing essential supplies, coordinating on-the-ground response with partners while supporting countries to detect, prevent and treat cholera, and informing people how to protect themselves. To enable these efforts, WHO had appealed for USD 160 million. Dr. Barboza stressed that cholera was a problem for which a solution existed. Countries needed to invest in basic access to safe water and sanitation.
Responding to a question, Dr. Barboza said that among the nine countries with cholera cases this year were Syria, Mozambique, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Haiti.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that on 25 October at 11 am, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would hold a press conference to launch of its report on its Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People 2023. Speakers would be Richard Kozul-Wright, Director, Division on Globalization and development Strategies; and Mutasim Elagraa, Coordinator, UNCTAD Assistance to the Palestinian People.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women would close on 27 October its 86th session and issue its concluding observations on the eight countries reports reviewed: Bhutan, the Philippines, Jamaica, Guatemala, France, Albania, Malawi, and Uruguay.
The Human Rights Committee would hold a public meeting with States Parties on 26 October from 3 pm in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations.
Mr. Gómez informed that today was the United Nations Day marking the 78 years since the entry into force of the UN Charter. The Secretary-General’s message is available here.
Today at 10 pm Geneva time, the Security Council would hold a meeting on the Middle East. The General Assembly would also hold an emergency special session on the situation on 26 October.
Teleprompter
Yeah, very good morning and thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva for the regular press briefing today, the 24th of October, which is also United Nations Day.
So happy United Nations Day to all of you.
Recite, I will recite from the Secretary General's message towards the end of this briefing.
We will stick with the situation in the Middle East, the rather dire situation in the Middle East.
We have guests, we have Tamara Al Rifay of the UN Reliefworks agency who is connected from Amman who we will start with and then we'll move to a colleague from the World Health Organisation thereafter.
So tomorrow over to you.
Thank you so much.
Good morning colleagues.
Yes, it is good to remember UN Day and good to remember our joint humanitarian mission and our non incessant, incessant attempts to make the world more humane.
On the situation in Gaza, since the 21st of October, 3 convoys of humanitarian supplies have gone into the strip with a total of 54 trucks.
This breakthrough came after two weeks of full, full siege of the Gaza Strip, with no water, no medical supplies, no humanitarian supplies, no food and no fuel going in.
The convoys were organised on the Egyptian side by the Egyptian Red Crescent and the logistical coordination, transportation and warehousing was organised on the Gaza side, so inside the Strip by UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees.
We continue to call for the full lifting of the siege and for humanitarian access into Gaza to be continuous, safe and unimpeded.
The contents of the 54 trucks or the three convoys were a mix of food, medical supplies and non food items.
Going forward, what is most important, almost more important than anything else, is fuel.
So far, fuel has not been allowed into distributed.
Fuel is extremely urgent because without fuel the trucks themselves cannot move.
Without fuel, the generators cannot produce electricity for hospitals, for bakeries and for the water desalina tion plants.
Gaza has always had the problem with access to clean drinking water.
The problem is extremely aggravated now with very limited access to clean water given the overcrowding with nearly 400,000 internally displaced people in UNRWA and other schools and shelters.
There are serious public health risks also aggravated by the lack of access to clean water while the fighting continues.
UNRWA really deplores the loss of 35 of its staff so far.
We're extremely sad that our colleagues, UNRWA staff, most of them themselves internally displaced people but still working inside UNRWA shelters and facilities.
We really deplore that they to lose their lives while doing their jobs.
The internally displaced people in our premises will soon start needing winter supplies, blankets, winterization.
We must remember that when they left, they left on very short notice with very little on them and therefore, if truly they remain in underwater shelters, many of them sleeping in courtyards, again because of overcrowding, women and girls are given priority, they're given the classrooms and unrest schools to sleep in while the men are in courtyards, are in the courtyards.
It'll become extremely difficult when the winter hits on the food.
In cooperation with the World Food Programme, Onerah is distributing bread.
Onerah has been distributing wheat flour to the bakeries in in Gaza.
Again, closing the fuel is extremely important to produce the water who that also goes into the breath.
Therefore, for us now, while the situation remains extremely dire, we call for an unimpeded and continuous flow of humanitarian assistance and medical assistance to continue coming into Gaza.
We feel that we see that the trucks have come in so far are just a trickle in the face of the immense needs of people on the Strip.
Thank you, Tamara, thank you very much.
And of course, firstly, we express our deepest condolences for the loss of the 35 staff members of Anwar and, and simply to to remind you that the Secretary General himself, of course, has been echoing that much needed flow of supplies continue as safe and unimpeded as you just mentioned.
Colleagues, before we turn to you for questions online, I see there are a couple of hands going up.
We're going to go to Cairo.
We have Tarek on the line from Cairo with the guest, Doctor Rick Brennan of The Who Regional Emergency Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region.
So over to you, Tarek, to introduce your guest.
Thank you so much, Rolando, and hello to everyone.
Hope that you can hear us and, and see as well.
I will try to operate a camera in a way that that that we are well, well zoomed.
So as you said there, Rolando, I'm here with our regional director for emergency, Doctor Rick Brennan.
Many of reporters will remember Doctor Brennan.
He was working in our headquarters in Geneva for many years as well.
He's now working in the regional office and follows the the situation in occupied Western territories and Israel.
So I'll give the floor to to Doctor Brennan for his opening remarks.
And just to tell you that I will be sending some remarks shortly related to what Doctor Brown will be saying.
There will be also a press release that will be issued based on, on, on these information that you will receive a little bit in advance.
So with this, I give the floor to Doctor Brown.
Thanks.
Thanks very much, Tariq and and greetings colleagues.
Good to be back with you.
Happy UN Day.
It's still a sombre and solemn.
But we do celebrate the UN more broadly.
And our deepest condolences also to our unwired colleagues for their tremendous losses.
We're privileged right now here in our regional office in Cairo to be hosting Dr Kahira Sita, who was the head of health for, for UNWA and also one of his senior medical officers, Doctor Carter.
So they are very welcome with us here.
Colleagues.
I, I, I know you know a lot of the figures and a lot of the numbers and I know you know the context on the ground, but I, I, I did think it bears repeating.
We've had this ongoing bombardment in Gaza for a couple of weeks now that's resulted in over 5000 deaths, around half of which have been amongst women and children.
15,000 injuries.
1/3 of hospitals now are non functional.
Just at the time when the the medical burden is enormous.
Around 2/3 of clinics are non functioning.
So not only are the health facilities and the health workers overwhelmed with a large trauma load and these are complex injuries, you know, injuries due to explosions.
Very, very, very, very complex, difficult to deal with in the best of times.
But what that disruption of the health system means is that people with chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis, people with **** blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, they're finding it more and more difficult to get access to the services they need.
They're much more likely because of that to experience complications.
And frankly, we can expect the mortality rate amongst this, that group with chronic diseases to increase.
It also means that women, again, we find it difficult to find a safe and clean place to deliver.
The UN estimates between 180 and 200 women per day having babies in in Gaza.
We can expect upwards of 15% of them to have some form of complication.
So if you're a woman delivering and you have a haemorrhage at the time of delivery, where do you go now in Gaza with such disruption of the health health system?
Al Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza now has a bed occupancy rate of 150%.
That means there's 1 1/2 patients for every day.
So how do the the doctors and nurses manage that situation?
As was, as I remember my colleague reminded us, we've got 1.4 million people acutely displaced.
I've been working in humanitarian assistance for 30 years and I can't remember a humanitarian situation with that number of people being acute, being displaced over such a short period of time.
You all know that they're in these schools and other collective centres and the overcrowding is enormous.
And again, we've got to ask ourselves questions like how do people deal with the the daily activities of life?
Where do, where do you go to the bathroom in that context, with over 500,000 people crammed into these collective centres?
As a mother, how do you occupy the time of your children, your toddlers, of your young kids when there is ongoing bombardment, nowhere to move?
It's it's an incredibly difficult situation.
We understand that there's only between 1:00 and 3:00 litres of clean water per person per day available to the displaced right now.
Now by international standards, we would expect at the bare minimum 15 litres per person per day.
And that's just the bare minimum for for drinking, for cooking, for basic hygiene.
I can guarantee you there's hardly anyone in Gaza that's had a shower or a proper bath in the last few weeks.
So we're clearly extremely worried about the spread of infectious diseases in that instance.
We're already hearing about increased cases of respiratory infections.
Soon we'll run into diarrheal outbreaks, skin infections and and so on and so on.
It's, it's just a matter of time.
And of course the mental health stresses are absolutely enormous, constant bombardment.
One of my own staff, the mother is 80 years old.
She's down near the the Rafa border.
She tells horror stories of constant bombardment overnight, sleeping on the floor.
At 80 years of age, we, we can't imagine the day-to-day horrors and, and discomfort that civilians, women, children, elderly, disabled people are, are, are going through.
So I know you know all that.
But I, again, I think it's where it, it, it bears repeating because that's a catastrophic situation and it's only going to get worse.
And our ability as humanitarians to address that enormous and worsening need is very constrained.
Our owner, my colleague described the number of trucks that have gone in, I think 34 trucks out of three convoys.
That's a trickle.
Others are saying it's a drop in the ocean or drop in the bucket.
I can affirm that we, you know, WHO we've been fortunate to bring in trauma supplies and emergency health kits and, and, and drugs for, for chronic diseases as well as orthopaedic, you know, vital orthopaedic equipment.
We've only been able to deliver to 3 hospitals and two clinics to date because it's a very difficult logistics operation moving supplies, humanitarian aid around Gaza right now.
It's one thing to get up the trucks across the border, then you've got to distribute the supplies to the hospitals, to the clinics and the communities in need.
So in one of the hospitals that we distributed supplies yesterday, they took the supplies straight to the operating, straight to the operating theatre because they were so short of of, of equipment.
We have not.
We keep getting asked are we delivering to the biggest hospital in in Gaza?
That's Al Shifa Hospital in the north, which already, as I said, has a bed occupancy rate of 150%.
We've been asked if we've been able to deliver to the Turkish hospital, which is perhaps the biggest provider of cancer services in Gaza.
The answer is no.
The answer is no because we do not have security guarantees to deliver that aid.
So if you think again, logistically, the complexity of, of delivering aid once we've got it across the border, there are damaged roads, there's a rubble from destroyed buildings that we've got to get around.
And it's it's an active war zone with ongoing airstrikes and so on.
So huge security risks to our personnel trying to deliver those supplies and our partners because we are handing most of these supplies over the Palestinian Red Crescent and and to health officials on the ground.
But we still have not been able to reach the hospitals in the north with some with the medical supplies or the desperately needed fuel.
And again, I, I mean, everyone keeps saying this and again, the colleague from 1 stated that fuel was the most vital commodity required.
Now in Gaza.
It's absolutely essential for the desalina tion plants.
It's absolutely essential to keep the generators going in the hospitals and the clinics.
It's absolutely essential for the running of the functioning of, of, of ambulances.
So you know, we, we as WHO we come at this from the health and humanitarian perspective, we are appealing, we are pleading, we are on our knees asking for that sustained scaled up protected humanitarian operation.
We appeal to all those in a in a in a situation to make a decision or to influence decision makers to give us the humanitarian space to address this human catastrophe.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much, Doctor Brennan.
I don't know if Tarek, if you wanted to add anything or maybe if you can remain online or remain there, of course, to answer any questions.
And, and thank you both very much for this immensely important context and perspective of life on the ground in Gaza.
We have several hands up, one in the room, 2 in the room in at least 7 or 8 online.
So we'll go immediately.
And if you could direct, if you can indicate who you're directing your question to, we have Gabrielle of Reuters in the room here.
Gabrielle, good morning.
My question is for Doctor Brennan.
How would you define maybe the biggest hurdle for getting aid into Gaza?
Is it more logistic, diplomatic, which if you could identify one or two biggest challenges, which would they be?
Thank you, Doctor Brennan.
OK, Yeah, thank you.
I look, I think it's a combination.
I I think it's the, it's taken us a while to get the Logistics X operation up and running on the Egyptian side of the border.
We have to acknowledge that, but we are scaling up and we've got, as you've seen in our reach in Rafa now we've got lines that line trucks lined up.
There is now a verification process being put in place to screen the aid that's coming in that that's a detailed process that we hope will become more efficient.
And then when we bring the supplies in, it's a combination again of the logistics, moving the supplies around, but it's very, very importantly getting the security guarantees.
We, we don't have a standard process of what's called deconfliction at this stage to deal with both sides of the conflict to ensure that they know the the the coordinates and they know the route of travel for our trucks.
We don't have an active process of that, but we are appealing regularly for security guarantees so we can take the supplies to the north.
But those security guarantees have not been forthcoming.
We don't have secured safe passage at this point of time, particularly to the north.
Thank you, doctor.
OK, we have the question from the room here of our colleague from Al Mayadeen Moussa.
Thank you.
My question for Anurag, please, what are the normal needs of Gaza compared to the aid arriving today or these days in Gaza?
And for WHO?
How you see the situation in few days, especially regarding the the problem of water and the problem of the bodies still under rubble?
Thank you.
Tamara, do you want to start with, did you get that first question?
Yes, thank you so much.
By way of context, we got 20 trucks one day, 15 the next day and 20 the third day to a situation of very, very, very dire humanitarian needs.
1,000,000 people displaced, so that's half the population, 600,000 of them in shelters, many of the rest of communities.
Before this conflict, 500 trucks used to arrive to Gaza, a combination of commercial trucks with commercial goods including food and different items, and at least 100 trucks a day of food and fuel.
45 trucks of fuel every day.
Also, for context, prior to this conflict, at least 60% of the population in Gaza needed food assistance from the humanitarians.
Therefore, if we look at 20 trucks, 14 trucks, 20 trucks and compare them to 500 trucks per day before the conflict, we go back to that comparison, that what we're receiving now is a trickle and that trickle does not even include fuel.
Thanks.
No thanks to you for that important context.
Doctor Brennan, on the second question, can we just repeat the question, Moussa, please?
Yeah, I think maybe Moussa, if you don't mind, I believe it's to do with the dead bodies removal.
If there was some other context, please.
Water and the situation of water and the removal of of dead bodies well, dead bodies in and of themselves usually do not represent the health risk to to the population.
Of course, it's vitally important to give people a dignified burial has enormous, you know, consequences for the family and for communities that dead bodies can be managed respectfully and and with dignity and culturally appropriately.
The only, the only concern that we would have with with dead bodies sometimes if there is a decaying dead body and some of the materials got into the water supply.
I think that I don't know the specifics in, in Gaza right now.
I suspect that is not a very **** risk at the moment.
But dead bodies in and of themselves.
We, you know, we get discussed this question every time there's an earthquake and and so on.
But we but generally they do not represent a significant health risk to the surviving communities which water on water.
And so I'm sorry, what was the question on the water?
I think it was the availability of the availability of water.
So water is one of so the water supply in Gaza is largely dependent on the functioning of the desalina tion plants.
So again, This is why our colleague from UNWA and ourselves and others are pounding the table saying we need the fuel because water is clearly a lifeline and fuel is a lifeline to get those desalina tion plants going as well as the hospitals and ambulances that I mentioned earlier.
So you'll, you'll have seen on those first a convoys, water was, was one of the main items brought in.
We're also bringing in UNICEF's bringing in water purification equipment, we're bringing in water tanks for hospitals and so on.
So water is a major concern at the moment.
And as I said before, there are huge health implications.
If you know, the absolute minimum should be 15 litres of clean water per person per day for drinking, for cooking, for very basic hygiene.
But now people are surviving on one to three litres of water per day.
The obvious concern there is that they start making contaminated water, unprotected water, and of course, then that has huge health risks, outbreaks of diarrheal disease and so on.
Thank you both very much.
We'll go take a question online and we'll come back in the room in a minute.
We have Christian of the German news agency.
Christian, thank you very much.
My question goes to UNRWA.
Tamara.
It's similar to what Musa asked.
Israel seems to be disputing that there's a big problem and they are saying that not so much material was coming in even before the conflict via Israel.
Can you confirm that these 500 trucks a day that you mentioned were coming in via Israeli border crossings, not Rafa?
And I wonder whether you can tell us how in percentage terms, how much of the electricity for the Gaza Strip was provided from Israel or how much of the fuel needed was provided via Israel saying for the drinking water.
Was that how much of the the percentage of the drinking water used in the Gaza Strip was actually provided via Israel?
Thank you.
Thanks, Christian.
Tomorrow.
Yes, yes, I can confirm that prior to this conflict, around 500 trucks went into Gaza every day using a combination of coming in from Israel and coming in from Rafa.
So it was a combination on the percentage of electricity and water provided.
I will get back to you but I want to say that one reason why there is a very big water crisis now is that Gazans used to receive everyday in trucks clean drinking water or bottled water which they have not received since the beginning of this crisis.
Hence the importance of the the well functioning of the Desalina tion plants.
If you recall already a few years ago, Gaza was predicted to become unlivable by 2020, primarily because of the water situation or the lack of drinking water.
And while I have the floor just for a second regarding the supplies that we are receiving, an additional challenge in a very limited flow of supplies is that we are not really receiving the most needed supplies for Gaza or the most relevant.
For instance, my colleagues told me that in one of the shipments over the last couple of days, we received boxes of rice and lentils donated very, very generously by people and loaded on trucks.
But for people to cook lentils and rice, they need water and gas.
And therefore these kinds of supplies, while very generous and well intended, are not very usable right now with the situation in Gaza.
I will get back to you in writing.
I'll put my e-mail in the chat box about the percentages.
I'll I'll get you the response from my colleagues.
Thanks much, much appreciated.
Tomorrow, we'll go back to the room.
Here we have Andalou News Agency from Turkey.
Andalou, go ahead.
Thank you.
My question will be directed to you.
You know, amid urgent ceasefire calls.
I would like to know how the UN considers the United States decision or intention to deploy additional forces to the Middle East for Israel's ground operation.
OK, I think maybe this is a question we should get back to you on.
Firstly, we won't comment on any national decision.
This is something that we're not going to do.
If it's a question about any US action, I would refer you to the US mission obviously.
But of course the the overarching message is what you've heard here repeatedly is we want a de escalation of the conflict in in in the crisis.
We want certainly humanitarian access, we want to increase that access and all the conditions that are needed for that includes safety and security for not just humanitarian workers, but obviously those on the ground in Gaza and throughout the region in fact.
So in terms of any US deployments, I would certainly direct you to the to the US for comment on that.
You have a follow up.
Go ahead.
That's what I was trying to ask.
Everyone's calling for a ceasefire.
That's why I'm asking that.
Do you consider this move as a possible crown to further escalate the tension in the region?
Humanitarian ceasefire, no deployment of additional troops.
Again, this is we're calling for humanitarian ceasefire.
We, the secretary General has been very pronounced about that.
We need access, we need humanitarian access, unimpeded sustained safety for the the workers going in and for obviously everyone on the ground.
So this is the overarching message.
Beyond that in terms of deployment of any, any activities from any state for that matter, I would really refer you to those states.
But obviously we want to make sure that there there is security for for all involved.
We have a question from Antonio from Spanish News Agency.
Thank you very much.
So my question is if UNRWA or WHO has more specific figures on the cases of infectious diseases that you have mentioned and also are mentioned in the daily reports, they speak about chickenpox escapes and diarrhoea and also if there is cases of other other diseases like cholera.
Thank you very much.
Maybe maybe we could start with Doctor Brennan.
I don't know if you have cholera, in fact is the subject of our our next briefing with Tarek, but maybe Doctor Brennan and then maybe we can tomorrow if you have something to add.
Yeah.
So what we're we're doing right now with UNWA is to establish a system of disease surveillance across the clinics and in the collective centres, in the in the schools and so on.
So that system is just getting up and running right now.
We're starting to get our first daily reports trying to document the number of cases of the types of diseases that you've mentioned.
We, we have heard, as I mentioned before, that perhaps the most common infectious disease being picked up right now or symptoms are respiratory tract infections.
But we are starting to see more cases of diarrhoea.
We've heard of the chicken pox as well.
And we would certainly expect skin infections like scabies and maybe head lice and so on that there would be other risks.
I'm not aware of specific reports of those at this stage.
We get asked a lot about cholera now.
For cholera to for a cholera outbreak to occur, or for any infection, any outbreak to occur, the virus or the bacterium in the case of cholera has to be present in the environment or in the community.
We have not had cholera in Gaza for many years.
So there isn't a recent history of cholera that would give us some consolation that that maybe the risks are lower.
But having said that, there are there have been about 8 or 9 cholera outbreaks in other countries of the region in the last year or two.
So it is conceivable that the cholera bacteria could have been brought into Gaza and then the conditions would be right for, for an outbreak.
But we remain hopeful given the fact that we haven't had detected cholera for many years in in Gaza that we may be protected.
But we can certainly expect other types of cases of diarrhoeal diseases from other bacteria and, and, and, and virus viruses.
Thanks very much tomorrow.
I'm not sure if you have anything to add on on this situation, but I note that thanks to you putting something in the chat about the Rafa crossing not functioning between 7 and 21 October for supplies or personnel and since 21 October, limited humanitarian convoys started going in.
And, and of course, we will appreciate anything in writing from you.
OK, we'll turn now to Yuri from Rio Novosti.
Yuri, please over to you.
Yes, thank you.
Rolando, I have one question for Inura and one question for WHO for you.
Yesterday we saw that 35 of your colleagues were killed in Gaza and 40 of your sites were bombed.
But there is nothing about who bombed This I think we all understand, but it was, it was not in the official communication.
So are the Israeli bombings, as Israel give any explanations for these bombings?
Will anyone have to account for these deaths?
And because this is really shocking to, to, to, to read that and to to don't know what is going on after that.
And my second question, see, for The Who, we're currently talking about 1000 bodies under the rubble, But with the violence of the bombings, is this figure credible?
Should we expect a much higher number of victims under the rubble?
Thank you.
Thanks, Siri.
Tamara, do you want to take the first question?
Do we still have Tamara online?
Yes, I was trying to calm you.
Sorry, apologies.
Of course.
OK.
Indeed, at least 35 colleagues, and I think by now the the number is even higher, were killed during the active hostilities in different strikes.
The same for our buildings.
While some of our buildings and some of our colleagues killed were killed because of Israeli strikes, I cannot confirm that for all of them.
It takes a much longer time for us to be able to truly assess what exactly happened.
Because of our limited capacity to be on the ground and to collect evidence, including shrapnel, to analyse, I cannot right now assert the number of cases that were struck by either side of the conflicts.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Tomorrow, but one more thing.
Yeah, go ahead, please.
One more thing, it is really very relevant to remind right now about the relevance of international humanitarian law and the fact that every single war has limits and should be regulated by the rules of war.
So for us, whatever happens to our colleagues and to our buildings is not acceptable, no matter who did it.
Absolutely, absolutely, Tamara.
Indeed.
And of course, I think colleagues will appreciate how difficult it is to conduct investigations under this very, very complex, difficult setting.
OK, I think there was a second question for WHO.
Doctor Brennan or Tarek.
Yes, I, I, I don't as public health professionals, I don't think we're in a position to estimate the number of bodies that may be under the rubble or not.
You know, it's unclear to us how many of them have been retrieved and so on.
So unable to, to, to really answer that question.
All right.
Again, another very, very difficult task under this complex situation.
OK Gabriella of El Proceso is on the line from Processo Mexican newspaper.
Gabriella, go ahead.
Hola.
Hello, Thank you very much.
I wanted to know if they allow medical personnel to enter Gaza to support the hospitals.
Then I have another two questions.
May I?
This widespread and systematic cruelty against Palestinians in this context could constitute crime against humanity.
I don't know if anyone from human rights is there, but I just wanted to ask the question.
And then we saw the ICC court had a proactive action during the war in Ukraine.
They investigated and everything.
But I don't it's not clear to me what are they doing now.
So I don't know, Rolando, if you can organise a press conference or something with ICC court to talk about what is happening in Gaza with them and what are they looking at?
It's, it's, it's uncertain.
And you know, just just to know.
Thank you so much.
Maybe on the last part, of course, we can reach out to colleagues in The Hague to see if they would be willing to speak with you at a press conference.
And indeed, in terms of crimes against humanity, you've heard colleagues from the Human Rights office who I don't believe are connected to this call, but they have repeated as, as Tamara adjusted, the need to respect international humanitarian and human rights law.
Of course, targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructures could amount to a war crime.
But this is something that we're constantly appealing to to the parties, not just here, but throughout the world.
First question about doctors entering, I believe if I caught that correctly.
So Doctor Brennan, if you have any information about that, Thank you.
So there's been no movement of medical or other humanitarian personnel into Gaza since the start of the conflict.
We have staff who are ready to go when the situation allows.
And we're also in discussion with emergency medical teams from from our global network who may be in a position to move in and set up, help set up and strengthen health services once the access is provided and once the security is issued.
Great, thanks very much.
We still have a few hands up online.
We have Jamie Keaton from The Associated Press.
Jamie, go ahead.
Thank you, Rolando.
Thank you everyone.
I have a question both for, for Miss Alefi and for for Doctor Brennan.
Miss Alferi, could you you mentioned that some of the goods are being that are being ferried in are unusable rice and, and, and, and, and lentils in particular.
Who's responsible for choosing what goes into these trucks?
I mean, shouldn't they know better that there's some of these things are not going to be?
Usable if if food, if water and fuel and and how is that being coordinated?
Who, who, who can help rectify that problem?
And could you just tell us also whether or not you're expecting, I know that you both, both you and Doctor Brennan have both mentioned that there needs to be sustained aid.
How close are we to getting that?
I mean, we mentioned, you know, there have been some rumours around that, that maybe there is going to be a breakthrough.
Can you tell us where things stand in terms of getting close to rectifying that problem?
And then just Doctor Brennan, very quickly, if you could also just specify exactly what kind of medical equipment and medicines are getting into Gaza.
And if there are problems like what Miss Alriff I just mentioned, which is Are you sure that all of the medicine and supplies are getting are really needed and are are are really treating the the most pressing demands of, of embattled and beleaguered Gazans?
Thank you so much.
Thanks, Jamie.
Tomorrow, I'm not sure if you have an answer to the first question about these goods coming in.
Yes, I, I want to reiterate that I'm sure everything is well intended.
Now there is a huge sentiment of wanting to support civilians in Gaza, and that huge sentiment in Egypt, where the only border crossing is translates into very spontaneous giving and donations by foundations, charities, the larger public to the Egyptian Red Crescent.
But also planes, planes full of goods are being flown into Egypt by different countries, especially Arab countries.
So the coordination should really be on the Egyptian side and on the side of the Egyptian Red Crescent, with very, very clear guidance from the humanitarian groups that are on the ground.
And for now, the largest one and the one that is most acquainted with the needs of the displaced people is Onerra.
Of course, everything is being closely coordinated with my UN colleagues and with UN agencies, but we will need to get better as a consortium of humanitarians in sending very explicit lists of what is most needed.
So the rice and lentils is one example.
The fact that if the seasons do change then there will be a huge need for mattresses, blankets and winterization items.
Health, what are the most needed?
What are what are the most needed items?
I speak under the authority of my colleagues from WHO.
But from non communicable diseases all the way to the much more complex surgical and medical interventions, we are going to need to be very explicit to our partners, the donors, whether they're governments, foundations or individuals over our needs.
And also very clear to the Egyptian Red Crescent what we as the international humanitarians on the ground want them to prioritise on the trucks that are coming in, especially if the number of trucks remains so limited.
How close are we to getting sustained aid in the way we want?
We're very, very far away.
We want safe and continuous access.
So we want to, we want to be able to guarantee the safety of our convoys and of our personnel.
We also want that access to be unimpeded, unobstructed all across the Gaza Strip.
For those of you not very familiar with the geography of the strip of the Strip, there's been a huge population movement from the north of the Strip to the South of the strip, therefore causing that overcrowding in the South.
We want to be able to reach people wherever they are.
Many, many people remained in the north in their own homes at their own responsibility or in UNRWA structures that now receive very little aid.
So our position is we cannot limit our interventions, We cannot limit our distribution of food and aid, and we cannot limit the opening of our health centres and our health services to 1 area in the Strip.
We have to be able to operate everywhere and reach people where they are.
So we're very, very far from being able to do that, both in terms of our own safety and our ability to move across the Strip, but also in terms of the quantity of the supplies that we are receiving.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And of course these 54 trucks that have been reported, we the grand hope is that this is just the very beginning of a broad and sustained and safe delivery of much needed supplies.
Of course, there is a second and third question I believe for you Doctor Brennan, if you could take those please.
Yeah, thank you.
So what about the relevance of the medical supplies sent in?
I, I'm very confident that the medical supplies that we sent in on that first convoy and, and, and yesterday's convoy are represent the really prioritised items.
So who in Gaza is working with partners to determine what they need at the hospitals and the clinics?
So we have as I mentioned before, we brought in trauma kits, we brought in drugs for chronic diseases, non communicable diseases.
We brought in other emergency health kits for more minor illnesses and we've bought brought in orthopaedic equipment.
We also have other supplies.
We have more of those supplies in a reach right now.
We also have tanks, water tanks for hospitals, which are desperately needed.
We have medical tents to set up, clinics that are ready to go.
And we have a pipeline of of again, similar materials and drugs that that is ready to flow as well.
I think, you know, the start of a big aid operation is always somewhat messy and you know, so it's not to be unexpected that some of the materials sent in early May not be the most necessary.
But we are again, on the medical side.
I'm very confident that the supplies sent in from from the United Nations was exactly what was required on the other side.
You know, the last few days we've been meeting with all the partners, the United Nations government officials here in Egypt, the Egyptian Red Crescent, which is really managing the convoys about how we put together the right teams to do the prioritisation and respond effectively to the requests on the other side of the border from Gaza.
It should be our colleagues in Gaza that determine what comes across.
And we are putting together coordination teams across each of the sectors, health, water and sanitation, food and so on, so that we do have a much better prioritised system.
But again, I would affirm that the supply sent by WHO and other United Nations agencies in the health sector have been appropriately prioritised today.
Thanks very much, Doctor Brennan.
OK, we have four more questions online and this will maybe need to be the end because we still have another subject.
So we'll start with Edward.
Ed GR Day of Global Insights.
Go ahead, Ed thanks very much.
This is a question for both of you.
I know that several NGOs are looking into the possibility now of uh, getting boats to the port, uh, the Gaza port, which is a small fishing port and uh, obviously the Israelis have a naval blockade, but in, I think it was back earlier in 2008 or 2010, twelve, they did allow some boats which uh, to enter with supplies, particularly with medical supplies.
So I mean, is this something, I mean, do you think the Israelis would actually stop humanitarian boats from trying to enter the port?
Would that be something they would do?
And is this a viable option perhaps even for the UN to bring supplies in for the sea and that's not have to deal with negotiating with the Egyptians?
Thank you, Ed, who wants to tackle that question?
I don't know, maybe tomorrow if you had any comment on that about delivery through ports.
If not, I'm not.
I am not Privy to these discussions about using the port.
Yeah, I think maybe this is, I don't know, unless Tarek or Doctor Brennan have something to add.
Of course, this is a question maybe pointed to our humanitarian colleagues, OCHA, who are not here at the moment.
But of course, this is something that we could direct to them afterwards.
Of course, the key again, as we've said repeatedly is safe access.
However, that could be done, much needed access indeed.
So Ed, we'll, we'll get back to you on that.
OK.
We have a question from Nick of New York Times.
Yeah, good morning.
Thank you.
Question for tomorrow on the supplies or deliveries of more humanitarian aid is, is, are any more convoys approved?
So will there be a convoy today?
And if there are many trucks or in the coming days, has anything additionally been approved?
And could you just explain a little bit how are these convoys approved?
What is the process under which they are allowed to move?
And the second question, you say that fuel is one of the most important requirements.
It's also obviously super sensitive in terms of security.
Are you aware, can you explain what is being proposed in terms of screening that to make sure that it doesn't get into what would be considered hostile hands?
Thank you.
Please go ahead tomorrow.
Yes, thank you.
The convoys are being discussed and approved day by day.
So every day we start again the process of getting convoys approved.
Again, this is a coordinated consolidated effort within the UN and with the broader humanitarian consortium that includes the ICRC, the Red Cross Red President, the Egyptian Red President, etcetera.
So we only know everyday about the the convoy and it's composition of the day on the fuel as long as the convoy is entirely logistically coordinated or handled by the UN, by Honora, by Honora once it crosses over into Gaza.
So we receive the fuel, we take it to our warehouses.
We then work directly with partners starting with our health partners for the hospitals and also with the with our UNICEF partners for their own water desalina tion plan, etcetera.
We can account for that use.
So for us when something is received, when we at UNAWA receive fuel or any other equipment, we are accountable for its handling, especially that Unawa delivers services directly.
So we do not use implementing partners or do we?
We do not hand over part of our part of our material to others.
Having said that, a couple of close donors, close countries did raise the Security question and we reminded these close partners that in our agreements with them, we are obligated to report to them any misuse that we see or any risk that we see.
So we really have in place a very sturdy diligence system to make sure that everything we receive is only used for humanitarian purposes.
Thanks.
Thank you very much.
I think, Nick, since you put your hand back up, I assume that's a quick follow up.
Nick.
Yes, it is.
Thank you.
I mean, so just to confirm, is there a convoy going today?
And if so, how many trucks?
Yeah, tomorrow maybe I will back to you after I check in with my colleagues now.
OK.
So why don't you send me your e-mail address?
I can What's up my colleagues now to see what the situation is.
Unless my WHO colleagues have a confirmation already for today, which we haven't had.
Let's check.
Thank you.
Tomorrow.
I don't know if Tarek or Doctor Brandon any, any word from your side on, on any additional convoys perhaps today?
No, we, we haven't heard anything at this stage.
Yeah, maybe maybe just that.
Of course we understand there's massive media interest for the, the these convoys getting in.
And, and what I can just tell you is that we promise to share as quickly as possible any information there on.
I can tell you that at the regular at the noon briefing yesterday in, in New York, it was noted that there were over 220 trucks that were lined up on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing.
So of course that number may have been inflated by now, but indeed, we will keep you abreast of, of, of the flow of, of goods.
We still have two hands up.
Before we move on to another subject.
We have John Zaracostas of France Voncat and also working with The Lancet.
John.
Yes.
Good morning, Rick.
I was wondering if you can bring us up to speed, how many referrals of life threatening situations have been cancelled to be transferred either to Egypt or to the West Bank, to Jordan or to Israeli hospitals and if that situation is likely to deteriorate or improve going forward?
And secondly, if you can bring us up to speed on the attacks of on health.
I think looking at one of your updates, it's been, there's been more than 60 in Gaza and more than 80 in the West Bank.
That's that's an incredible number.
Are you reaching out to the Israeli authorities on this issue and what response are you getting from them?
Yeah, Thanks, John.
Yeah, thanks for the question.
And some of you may know that there is a system of referral of patients from Gaza to to other places such as E Jerusalem in particular that works in normal times, if there are ever normal times for Gaza.
And that system has and it's for patients who cannot get the relevant care in Gaza, patients with cancer, people who need specialised surgery and so on.
But that's referral system has stopped functioning for the moment.
And that's of great concern for us.
I don't have the exact data on the number of referrals that translates into, but we couldn't, we could follow up on that for you.
You're right on, on the attacks on healthcare, just pulling up the the latest data, 168 attacks since the start of of the of the crisis, of which 72 have been in the Gaza Strip and 96 in the West Bank.
There have been 491 fatalities and 370 injuries associated with all of those, including 16 deaths amongst healthcare workers in Gaza.
So we we do raise these issues and of course, authorities tell us that they take all due care to avoid civilian infrastructure and so on.
It's an area of constant advocacy for us has been for a long time in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Attack does not just mean, you know, an air strike that, that, that may hit a hospital.
It also means obstructing people from getting access to healthcare.
It, it means stopping the passage of ambulances and so on.
So we document those types of attacks as well.
Our, we have a, we have, we run a system worldwide on surveillance, on attacks, on healthcare.
We don't operate that system not only in in Gaza, but in many countries across this region and across the world.
And in fact have started also collecting data now in Israel itself.
So and that data is readily available on our dashboard on our, our website as well.
Thanks.
Thanks very much.
OK.
One final question from Lisa Shrine of Voice of America.
Hi, Rolanda, Thank you.
This is probably for tomorrow, but Doctor Brennan can add also people are dying from many causes and I'm wondering have any or are any people starving to death?
Is this a growing risk?
Thank you.
Who wants to maybe tomorrow or did you want to start with that or no, I think in that case, let's let's turn to, let's turn to WHO colleagues on starvation.
Any, any information on that?
I, I, I don't have figures on that at this stage given, you know, they're, I don't have the baseline data on malnutrition before the, the crisis.
But we could expect obviously with the disruption of the food supply, obviously increasing rates of acute malnutrition would be a very significant concern, particularly amongst children, those under the age of five.
And that this that acute malnutrition in the age group becomes a very complicated issue, particularly in the setting of overcrowding and the increased risk of infectious diseases.
So it's certainly an issue on our radar screen.
If we start identifying kids with acute malnutrition, we will certainly be targeting them for specific care and looking for the prevention and management of complications arising from that acute malnutrition.
I don't have data right now, but it is certainly an area that we will be focusing on more and more as the food shortages increase.
Much appreciated.
OK, I think, John, if this is a quick follow up, please go ahead.
We're in one hour into this briefing already.
Go ahead, John.
Yeah, yeah.
Sorry Rick.
I, I, I wanted to also ask you, you mentioned about the trying to pre position tents for setting up field hospitals or field clinics.
Are you also looking at setting up few hospitals on the Egyptian side of the border in case you have an increase, a bigger increase in casualties to have triage on both sides of the border?
Yeah, Thanks John.
I, I really have to run.
But yes, we're, we're in discussions with the Egyptian authorities on reception of injured patients and their appropriate referral using existing Egyptian hospitals.
We've got 3 tiers of Egyptian hospitals for the referral pathway.
We'll be reinforcing those facilities there.
There is a contingency for, for field hospitals.
And I know a number of countries and a number of emergency medical teams have offered their services.
There's a, a special working group that's looking at this very issue right now.
But thank you.
Thank, thank you very much, Doctor Brennan.
I appreciate your time.
We appreciate your time.
Of course, Tamara, as always, you're always welcome to brief us here.
Thank you very, very much for the immensely important work you're doing in the region.
And again, condolences to UNRWA and the entire UNRWA family for the loss of life that you've experienced.
We have now exhausted the subject of the Middle East, Gaza in particular, and we'll move on to a briefing on cholera.
We have.
Tarek is still with us from Cairo.
I believe you have a guest on the chair if he was managed to connect Doctor Philippe Barbosa.
Thanks, 10/10.
Thanks, Rolando.
You know, all this hour that we've been talking about Gaza, we've been trying and having some issues to connect with Doctor Barbosa.
So maybe we give it to just one last go and see if we can see him and hear him.
There was a problem with the audio.
And if if not, then Dr Barbosa, is it is it possible to to to hear you now?
Can you hear me or not?
Yes, we can hear you now.
Yes, we can hear you now.
Doctor, please.
OK.
OK.
So good morning.
And so I continue to put a grain public health problem globally and this year nine countries already have reported large outbreak with over 10,000 reported cases and this is the highest number in decades.
The annual cholera report that was released by Double Rachel last month showed that cholera cases in 2022 were doubled those in 2021 and primarily data tell us that 2023 will even be worse.
This is true that for both case and and deaths, but I want to focus on this here in part because it is clearly unacceptable for anybody to die from cholera, a disease that is so simple and inexpensive to treat, but also in in because the figure are troubling.
OK, after the launch of the ending cholera road map in 2017, the the deaths has drastically steadily declined, but the trend has reverted after 2020.
And the number of deaths reported in 2023, which are preliminary are four times the number that number of deaths officially reported in 2020.
And with about two 3700 deaths, but reported so far in in 2023, a figure that is grossly underestimated.
This time last year, the International Coordination Group on vaccine provision, which is a body which managed emergency supply of vaccine, made an unprecedented decision to to move from A2 dose strategy to A1 dose vaccination regiment for Calera.
This decision was compelled by an acute global shortage of vaccine.
One year after, one year later, we are in the very same situation.
The shortage of vaccine continues while cholera cases continue to grow and abutted the need of cholera vaccine exceed the available supply.
Available doses can only be used to mitigate outbreak instead of preventing the occurrence of new cholera outbreak and this even in **** risk and endemic area.
Request for cholera vaccine Even so dampened by the limited supply, I expected to to be at least double the annual production for this year.
W estimate that there is at least 1 billion people in at risk area across the globe.
We what do we expect in the coming months?
I'm afraid that I don't have any good news to share.
The rainy season is ongoing in many area, which is when we expect to increase the number of cases.
The number of the Elinu phenomenon is just letting setting in and it is highly likely to increase the spread of cornea.
Humanitarian need are increasing exponentially and with them the risk of cornea.
So although the vaccine prediction is expecting to to margin and rise in 2024, we do not expect any substantial increase in vaccine production before 2025.
While this painted daunting picture, our response continue undeterred.
WHO is helping country by providing essential supply, coordinating the underground response with partner while supporting country to detect, prevent and treat Kerner, but also in informing people on how to protect themselves to enable this effort.
WHO has appealed for 160 million U.S.
dollars.
My last message is that we should not lose hope in the midst of the big challenge.
Like climate change and conflict.
Cholera is a problem.
We have a solution too.
Country need to continue investing in basic access to safe water and sanitation.
They need to strengthen disease surveillance and to make all radiation salts and cholera treatment available as soon as there is an outbreak.
We can do this.
We know how to do this.
We now need a political and financial commitment to do so.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Doctor Barbosa, We have a question for you from Antonio Barotto of Spanish News Agency.
Antonio, thank you.
I just want to know if you can remind us which are the nine countries that have reported large outbreaks this year?
Well, we, we can, we can share the, the, the list with you.
But you know, on the top of my, my head, I mean, you have country like like Syria, Mozambique, Malawi, DSE and, and a few others.
So we can share the list by, by, by connection, But that's, that's typically the, the country that I've reported and IT of course.
Alright, great.
Thank you.
Yes, we would either you or Tarek, if you can share that list, that would be much appreciated.
As long with your notes that you read out from earlier.
Further questions for Doctor Barbosa.
No, I don't see that's the case.
So I'd like to thank you very much for for briefing our journalists here and very comprehensive briefing and thanks for your patience.
Of course, Tarek, I'm not sure if you had anything to add or no.
No, nothing to add.
Thank you very much.
OK, Thank.
Thank you very much for joining us.
Good luck to you in Cairo.
And before we end this briefing, just a couple of announcements from me, as usual, just to keep you on track.
We have a few meetings under way here in Geneva.
In terms of human rights, we have the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Sidol, which will close its 86 session this coming Friday, the 27th of October.
And it will issue its concluding observations on the 8 country reports, Eight countries that it report reviewed during this current session, namely Bhutan, Philippines, Jamaica, Guatemala, France, Albania, Malawi and Uruguay.
And the concluding observations on Nicaragua, whose report has been had been reviewed yesterday.
In the absence of the delegation, there was just a permanent representative who made an opening statement that that will be issued in February next year, February 2024.
The Human Rights Committee is also going to hold a public meeting with states parties this Thursday, the 26th of October.
And that's at in Room 19 here in the Palais Palais Nacion from three O clock.
Just to keep you on track in terms of the Middle East, to note that at 4:00 PM our time, 10 AM.
New York TIME, the Security Council will convene a public meeting on the situation in the Middle East, as they have been doing for the last several days now on and off.
There's also a meeting taking place Thursday at the General Assembly.
There's an emergency special session, which you might have heard about.
It was reported, it was announced last night.
It's a reopening of the 11th special session of industry special session of the General Assembly, which speaks to the situation in the Middle East.
So that's taking place on Thursday at the General Assembly, at press conferences.
We have one taking place here tomorrow, the 25th of October at 11 AM.
We have a press conference on the launch of the UN Conference on Trade and Development Report, Unctad report on its programme of assistance to the Palestinian people for 2023.
So this will be launched here tomorrow.
We have Richard Cussler Wright, Director of Division of Globalisation Development Strategy.
So you know well, along with Mutasim Alagra, Coordinator for the UNCTAD, assistance to the Palestinian people, and as I mentioned at the onset, today is indeed United Nations Day.
I'd like to recite just a few messages from the Secretary General's message, if you'll indulge me.
the United Nations is a reflection of the world as it is an aspiration to the world.
We know it can be.
It is our responsibility to help build that world of peace, sustainable development and human rights.
For all.
I know we can do it.
The Secretary General says the Charter of the United Nations, which entered into force 78 years ago, points the way.
Above all, it is rooted in spirit of determination to heal divisions, repair relations and build peace, to expand opportunities and leave no one behind, to ensure justice, equality and empowerment for women and girls, and to provide life saving relief to those in need.
We are divided.
We are a divided world and we can and must be United Nations.
So these words, I would say, are more poignant and pertinent today than ever.
So on that note, I close this briefing unless you have questions for me.
I do see a couple of hands coming up, so maybe I'll start with Yuri.
Go ahead.
Yes, thank you.
Rolando, my question is just to Doctor Barbosa.
I see that he's still here.
Can you send us, please, your notes on cholera because I didn't have the time to write all the figures.
It will.
It will be great things indeed.
Yeah.
I I actually asked the doctor to do the same.
Either Doctor Burbos or Tarek will will do that.
Gabby, do you have a question for me?
Yes, Rolando, thank you very much.
As you mentioned, Nicaragua's review with the sedal, with the Committee against Discrimination against Women, and the ambassador read a statement.
But she was so rude, disrespectful, insulting, and you know, I fell short about this.
I I'm asking if there's a code of conduct for diplomats to address the experts of any committee.
You know, Gabby, I, I think maybe your question would be best be pointed to our colleagues at the, the Secretariat of the Human Rights, the Obsidah, in fact, the Committee on Elimination and Discrimination against Women.
What we always do is we encourage a level of decorum in all these meetings.
Of course, it's state's prerogative to utter whatever sentiments they would like, but we always try to encourage a level of decorum in terms of a code of conduct.
I'm not familiar with the one, but indeed, again, I would refer you to our colleagues at the Office of the **** Commissioner for Human Rights that support Sedol.
Any further questions?
No, On that note, I wish you a good afternoon.
Thank you.