The United Nations Office at Geneva
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Bi-weekly press briefing - 07 November 2023
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1:33:42
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MP4
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5.5 GB
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
7 November 2023
Humanitarian crisis in Sudan
Dominique Hyde, Director for External Relations at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), who had just returned from Sudan and South Sudan, reported on seeing despair and unimaginable humanitarian needs of too many people. The war had erupted without a warning and turned previously peaceful Sudanese regions into conflict zones, while the world had remained scandalously silent. It was shameful that atrocities committed in Darfur 20 years before were still happening today with impunity. The overwhelming majority of refugees from Sudan were women and children; in Chad, for example, they constituted 90 percent of the refugees. In Darfur, thousands of people were struggling to find shelter and had difficulties finding drinking water and food.
The situation was getting worse, and there was an increase in displaced unaccompanied minors, said Ms. Hyde. She reported of many cases of children who had gone looking for work and then disappeared. There were over 400,000 displaced people in the White Nile State, and all of the basic services were simply overwhelmed. The White Nile State had already been hosting over 300,000 South Sudanese refugees before the war. Schools had been closed for seven months, and the health situation was disastrous. More than 1,200 children under five had died in the White Nile State because of measles alone. Government workers were not receiving salaries, and hospitals were out of basic supplies, she said. Thousands of people were still crossing into Chad daily, and the transit centres were overcrowded. Conditions were ripe for an outbreak of cholera. Ms. Hyde said she had never witnessed such a situation in her 30-year long career. The numbers were staggering, and Sudan, South Sudan, and Chad were already among the poorest in the world. The Regional Refugee Response Plan was only 39 percent funded across the affected five countries. A separate plan which aimed to reach 18 million people in need inside Sudan had received only one third of the required funding.
Speaking of gender-based violence, Ms. Hyde gave an example of a woman and her daughter who had fought against a person who wanted to rape them after having killed their mother and grandmother in front of them, and got seriously injured in the incident. She emphatically stressed the need for accountability, in addition to mental health and psychosocial support. An undignified humanitarian response was primarily happening because there was insufficient funding. UNHCR welcomed the resumption of the Jeddah talks and was hoping for a ceasefire.
More information from the UNHCR about the situation in Sudan can be found here.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that the previous day, the Security Council had discussed the situation in Sudan and South Sudan, hearing from Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, who said the outbreak of armed conflict in Sudan in April had interrupted encouraging signs of dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan earlier in 2023, and effectively put on hold the political process with regard to the final status of Abyei and border issues.
Responding to questions, Ms. Hyde explained that the underfunding meant that inside the country, UNHCR and partners were not able to provide shelter and adequate amounts of water and food. In South Sudan, it was impossible to create new transit centers, and build appropriate water and sanitation centres. It was not possible to provide adequate medical services either. Because of what was happening in Gaza, some of the funds that would have gone to Sudan were now redirected to the Middle East. The fighting was horrendous, and the gender-based violence was rampant. Coordination among the UN agencies and NGOs was superb, confirmed Ms. Hyde, but many actors were in the same situation regarding the lack of sufficient funds. On another question, Ms. Hyde specified that the United States was the major donor, followed by the European Union and Germany. This time, support was lacking from individuals and the private sector, she said. Ms. Hyde explained that part of the reason for the overcrowding of transit routes from Sudan was because of the rains, which had destroyed and damaged roads. There was no capacity to transport people by air. The High Commissioner for Refugees was in New York now; he had raised the issue of Sudan at both the Security Council and the General Assembly.
Ms. Vellucci referred to the press release by the World Food Programme, which stated that in South Sudan, data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification showed that more than 1.6 million children under five years of age were expected to suffer from malnutrition in 2024. Flood-affected areas were facing the worst malnutrition due to the spread of water borne diseases and crowded conditions, aggravated by limited access to food and livelihoods. In Sudan, the intensifying conflict was pushing hunger to record levels with over 20 million people now facing severe hunger. WFP had so far delivered life-saving food and nutrition assistance to 2.7 million people in 17 of Sudan’s 18 states - including in some of the most hard-to-reach areas in the Darfurs. WFP was scaling up to reach 6.6 million people in Sudan with food, nutrition, and resilience support by the end of the year.
Israel and Palestine: one month of the conflict
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that the previous day the Secretary-General had addressed the extremely dire situation in Gaza, appealing for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that today marked one month since the horrific Hamas attacks on Israel and killing, mostly of civilians, which could not be justified. People in Israel were frightened and worried about more than 200 hostages taken on 7 October. WHO continued to call on Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, many of whom needed urgent medical attention.
At the same time, nothing justified the horror endured by civilians in Gaza, stressed Mr. Lindmeier. Civilians there needed water, food, healthcare. The level of death and suffering was hard to fathom. Over 11,000 people were now reported to have been killed in Gaza, over 0.5 percent of the total population of Gaza. An average of 160 children were dying per day; 4,104 children were recorded to have been killed so far. WHO also mourned the health workers who had died in Gaza, and at the same time extremely proud of those keeping the system running under the most difficult of circumstances. Sixteen health workers had been killed on duty, informed Mr. Lindmeier. WHO was working to support health workers in Gaza and was once again pleading for their safety. WHO had so far delivered eight trucks of medical supplies, including anesthesia; patients were being operated without anesthesia, as the supplies brought in were still insufficient. Protection of health workers, facilities and supplies needed to be always respected, he emphasized.
Answering questions from the media, Ms. Vellucci said that the UN should be represented at the humanitarian conference on Gaza in Paris on 9 November, but it was not yet known at which level. UN was not considering air drops at the moment; that was an expensive measure of last resort, and a serious deconfliction was a prerequisite for it to happen. Mr. Lindmeier stated that air drops could provide some relief for a limited group of people. The needs in Gaza, however, were humongous and impossible to meet just from the air. Lifting of the siege and guaranteeing access were necessary, which had to be done by the road rather than the air. The ground logistics was there, the convoys were ready, but unhindered, safe access was not guaranteed. Until 6 November, more than 500 trucks had come into Gaza; the real needs were to have 500 trucks come in every day.
Responding to further questions, Mr. Lindmeier explained that the Gaza Ministry of Health’s latest figures of this morning reported 11,000 dead. Drinking water and water for sanitation were among the priority needs in the Gaza Strip, said Mr. Lindmeier. WHO had been able to bring supplies to two northern hospitals thus far. He reminded that over 350,000 people in Gaza had chronic diseases. The only cancer-treating hospital in Gaza, the Turkish hospital, had not been operating for several days now. Mr. Lindmeier stressed that any attack on health was prohibited under the international humanitarian law. There were rules in war, which ought to be respected by all combatants. WHO could not verify what was under the hospitals, but it could confirm what was in the hospitals.
Also answering questions, Ms. Vellucci said that the Secretary-General had been extremely vocal in stressing that even wars had rules. The UN was trying to do everything possible to ensure protection of civilians and improve their situation. The organization was working hard with various counterparts to bring about a humanitarian ceasefire. The Secretary-General had been speaking to a number of Israeli officials, including the President, she informed. Mr. Lindmeier confirmed that talks were happening at various levels, from the top diplomatic level to the ground level, coordinating with actors on the ground, such as the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent societies. He emphasized, once again, the importance of an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza.
Mr. Lindmeier said that 102 attacks against healthcare had been recorded in Gaza, 121 in the West Bank, and 25 in Israel. More than 1.5 million people had been displaced in Gaza so far, and nearly half were sheltering in UNRWA facilities, informed Ms. Vellucci. UNRWA said that 48 of its facilities had been damaged since 7 October.
Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), answering questions, said that the total of 561 trucks had entered since 21 October; none of them had contained fuel, which was still banned by the Israeli authorities. Mr. Lindmeier said that everything depended on fuel supplies: desalinating plants, baby incubators, bakeries… At the moment, 14 hospitals in the Gaza Strip were not functioning, due to the lack of fuel or the damages they had experienced.
On another question, William Spindler, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that the response to the displacement within Lebanon was led by the Government of Lebanon; UNHCR was providing necessary support to collective shelter. UNHCR was repairing the Lebanese German University in Tyre, which was hosting internally displaced people.
Announcements
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), informed that the 2023 Global TB Report would be presented in a virtual press conference at 4 pm. A press release under embargo had been shared.
WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control would hold its tenth session of the Conference of Parties in Panama from 20 to 25 November. An opening virtual press conference would be held on 14 November at 3 pm.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that today at 2 pm, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) would present its Least Developed Countries Report 2023. Speakers would be Rebeca Grynspan, UNCTAD Secretary General, and Junior Davis, Chef, Policy Analysis and Research Branch, UNCTAD Division on Africa, LDCs and Special Programme.
Finally, Ms. Vellucci informed that on 16 November, the fifth edition of the Young Activists Summit would feature five impressive young laureates who were working hard to improve the lives of their communities.
Teleprompter
Good morning.
Welcome to the Information Service press briefing of today, Tuesday, 7th of November.
We have today 2 main topics and we will start straight away with the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
We have the good fortune of having with us Dominique.
Heidi, You know, Dominique, the director for external relations of UNHCR, she's coming back from a visit to this torn country, one torn country, and she will tell us more about the situation there.
Dominique, thank you very much.
Alessandra.
Hello, everybody.
As Alessandra said, I am just back from Sudan and the White Nile as state, as well as South Sudan and the border with Sudan.
What I saw was despair was unimaginable humanitarian needs and fear in so many people's eyes.
This is a war that erupted without warning and turned previously peaceful Sudanese homes into cemeteries.
Fighting is growing in scope and brutality.
It's affecting the people.
And as many of you know, the world has remained scandalously silent, though what we're seeing are violations of international humanitarian law, which persist with impunity.
It is shameful and it's shameful the atrocities that are committed 20 years ago in Darfur can still be happening again today with such little attention.
As a result, many of you know this, over 6 million people have now been forced to flee their homes, 4.8 million inside Sudan and 1.2 million now in the neighbouring countries.
The overwhelming majority of refugees that have fled to Central African Republic, to Ethiopia, to South Sudan, to Chad are women and children.
In Chad it's 90% women and children.
The I I talked about Darfur and the recent fighting in Darfur and the Darfur region has caused even more displacement with thousands of people struggling to find shelter and many people sleeping under trees by the roadside.
They have little access to food to shelter, clean water and basic essentials.
When I was in the White Nile state, I met with numerous families sleeping in schools on the floor.
They are being hosted in many cases by by by just generous people.
I met a woman called Fatma.
She was a widow.
She had to leave her home, which was destroyed in Khartoum, and she had another home in the White Nile state.
Every night she welcomes 60 to 70 people that she doesn't know to sleep at in the floor for their security.
The situation is getting worse.
We're seeing an increase in unaccompanied minors.
We're hearing of mothers and their children who who simply don't come back there.
One woman in IDP CAP was telling me that her children had gone out for the day in the nearby city to find work.
They didn't come back.
And she explained to me that this was not one case, but that this was happening more and more.
We're talking about some 440,000 people that are displaced in the White Nile state.
They're coming both from Darfur and from Khartoum.
As the violence is getting even worse, there are concerns that that number will increase and all of the different basic services are simply overwhelmed.
In addition, before the conflict though in the White Nile state was already hosting 300,000 S Sudanese refugees in 10 camps and there are over 360 IDP sites just in one state.
It's simply overwhelming.
Like in the rest of Sudan, schools have been closed.
So it's seven months of, of schools that have been closed.
So no education for children.
That's the future prospects of million of of children that are is simply at risk inside Sudan and the health situation has been disastrous.
You have heard this from WHO as well as from a UNHCR recently.
More than 1200 children under 5 have died in the White Nile state between mid-May and September alone due to measles outbreaks combined with **** levels of malnutrition.
In front of one of the refugee camps, you can see mounds of terror of earth, and they're just little burial grounds for for the children that have died.
Thanks to to MSF, to UNICEF, to WHO and UNHCR, we've been able to curb somewhat these deaths.
We're now at 5 a week.
That's still absolutely unacceptable in 2023.
There is no more salaries for the for the government workers.
They haven't received any salary.
There are no basic supplies in the hospitals.
And what we're seeing now is the exodus of Sudanese refugees to neighbouring countries, which is increasingly dramatic.
In in Chad, it's 700 a day.
When I was in a rank we saw 3800 people crossing the border, 80% of them are refugees and the system is simply overwhelmed.
There is a transit centre in rank which is supposed to host 3000 people.
It now has 20,000 people in the in the in the transit centre the you can you can just imagine the water and sanitation everywhere you walk.
You barely can actually take a step because the place is just piled up.
The water and sanitation situation is simply ripe for an outbreak of cholera.
I've been working in this field for over 30 years and I have never seen anything like it.
We actually know what we need to do as AUN, as the NGO community, but we simply don't have the funds to respond.
Whether it's in Sudan, whether it's in Chad, whether it's in South Sudan.
The numbers are staggering.
And I imagine you know that all of these countries are some of the poorest countries in the world.
Chad, South Sudan, Central African Republic, our our colleagues are overwhelmed, our staff are working night and day, but our capacity to remain afloat and support the needs is simply impossible at this point.
At this point, the refugee response plan for humanitarian needs is only 39% funded and that's for 64 partners in five countries and inside Sudan it's only one third funding.
I just want to take a minute and speak about the, the terrible gender based violence that is taking place.
It's, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's horrifying.
I met a woman called Asunta and her daughter Samia in just at the border crossing.
Before they go to the transit camp, I stumbled upon them.
I asked them a few questions.
Asunta told me that her her mother had been killed in Khartoum in front of her eyes and a man tried to **** her.
She fought back and she showed us her wounds in her stomach.
She had knife wounds in her in her stomach.
And they then tried to **** their daughter.
Then the daughter fought back as well.
But the daughter was beaten so much that her front legs, she could, she could no longer walk.
And they were, they were just waiting to to see and find and find shelter and support.
It is, it is it is horrifying that the sanctuary for so many people are in some of the most desperate countries themselves.
As you know, there must be accountability for these crimes.
We need much more mental health and psychosocial support as well.
But the accountability is what is key.
And just maybe on a finishing note.
I think that what we're seeing is an undignified humanitarian response and undignified for the people that we are there to support.
And it's undignified because we don't have sufficient funding and the needs keep on growing inside Sudan.
The fighting is continuing.
The people are moving to neighbouring countries.
As I've said, they're we're struggling.
If we can't help with the most basic needs of refugees, they will find ways to seek safety further afield by putting their lives in the hands of smugglers and undertaking long and dangerous onward journeys.
We're welcoming the resumption of the Jeddah talks and hope that we will be seeing a ceasefire.
Thank you.
Thank you, Domique.
It's very important that you testify of what you've seen.
We also had yesterday a session at the Security Council where the Under Secretary General for Peace operation, Jean Pierre Lacroix, updated the Security Council members on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan.
He said that the current hostilities in Sudan interrupted encouraging signs of dialogue between the two countries that we witnessed earlier in 2023, and it effectively put on hold the political process with regard to the final status of Abe and other border issues.
There was also a briefing by the Special Representative of the Secretary General to the African Union, Hanna Tete, who underscored that her office will continue engaging with the relevant parties to advocate for a comprehensive and simultaneous process that leaves no conflict unaddressed in line with Resolution 2046.
And this is for the institutional part.
But of course, what we heard from Dominique, it is a terrible tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes and we need to talk about it.
So I'll open now the floor to question and I'll start with Jeremy Launch Radio France International.
Dominique speaks French if you want to.
The We Don't Jete White Nile Refugee Refugee security.
Yeah, they can say augmentation the the LA mortality effort till do particularly malnutrition you see in epidemic the very cell.
'Cause the la malnutrition he he to sweet on a on a packet.
Mark, do Mark Destiny Small so limo on Augmenti vaccination.
Dominic, Nina, our correspondent.
Thank you.
Yeah, thanks for the briefing.
I was wondering, you mentioned, can you hear, yeah, you mentioned the financial situation, the support, which sounds like it's pretty dire.
If you could give us some details on that.
And also, do you, have you seen I, I don't know, like a decline in, in interest in providing a support now that there's so much interest in, in so much following of the what's going on in Gaza?
And also I was wondering if you could say something about it was a bit more about the cholera situation.
You said it was right for cholera and my understanding is there's already cholera, but if you could tell me what the situation is there?
Thank you.
Thank you.
So the underfunding, what does it mean right now inside the country?
It means that we are simply not able to provide shelter.
We're not able to provide adequate amounts of water.
We're having to and and it's not even a question of choosing vulnerabilities.
The the, the population is vulnerable at all levels.
In the case of of South Sudan, it's decisions of not being able to create a new transit centre to accommodate this, this huge flow of people into the country.
It means that we're not able to provide and build the appropriate water and sanitation which would then prevent cholera.
There has been cholera outbreaks not yet in South Sudan as far as I know, but I could double check that.
But inside Sudan there has been.
And so those are just a few examples.
The we're, we're not able to provide enough medical services.
The onward journey as well of bringing some people back into other areas is, is not possible.
We had other organisations coming to us last week when I was in rank saying, you know, could we increase the number of of vehicles to transport people to other safe areas inside the country.
But we simply don't have the funds.
And so this just means more people packed together and much more possibilities of disease outbreak.
We are seeing very clearly we're at the at the end of the year where we're usually hopeful that we would be receiving the funds that are remaining for such an emergency.
There have been numerous appeals and, and unfortunately because of what is happening in in Gaza, there are decisions that are being made and clearly the funds that were intended or that could have gone to Africa or to Afghanistan or to any of the new missed humanitarian crisis of are being, are being moved.
Some of our donors are doing the best they can, but of course, the amount of official development assistance is what it is.
Sorry.
Are there other hands up in the room?
So I'll go to the platform.
First of all, William, I'm looking to you.
Catherine is asking if Dominic's notes can be sent to the journalist as soon as as soon as we've finished.
Catherine, you'll have them.
Peter Kenny, All African news.
Yeah.
Hello.
Can you hear me?
OK.
Yeah, Go ahead.
Yeah, Thanks, Sir, for this briefing.
This region is certainly not new to crises, and it sounds pretty dire at the moment.
I'm just wondering if the situation in Darfur is as bad or worse than it was when there was a huge crisis that erupted in 2003.
Could you make some comparison there?
Thank you.
Sorry.
So you're asking about the comparison between how it was in 2002 and and now 2003?
Sorry, 2003, I, I, I unfortunately can't really compare.
I wasn't there at the time.
What I can tell you is that what we're getting reports of is that the, the, the, the fighting is, is horrendous.
The gender based violence is rampant.
It's, we're hearing the stories from people that are fleeing into Chad and they're, they're talking about not only their homes being destroyed, but the, the, the sheer amount of, of, of violence of families being torn apart and lack of basic water and, and food.
So I think it's, you know, I think what we understand is that it's comparable to what happened 20 years ago.
Thank you, Catherine Fiencon, France bancat French channel.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra and, and, and thank you so much for conveying my message to get your notes as soon as possible.
I'd like to to I did not catch when you you answered the the question of my colleague regarding the funds, you say that only 39% were funded 39% of what's which global amount?
And also you mentioned the fact that they were, if I did listen well, that there were 10 camps for the moment.
So how many more camps would be needed?
And also maybe I don't know Alessandra, if someone from WFP is connected today regarding nutrition, is WFP doing something in the region?
And Dominique, I'd like also to ask you a question, as you know very well the region regarding the migrants, I mean, the, the people are internally displaced first and then they move West to, to shad and and car, they don't move east.
Is there a reason for that?
Because the, the distance looks bigger to move West And, and how is it, how do you handle the situation in Chad and in car in Central African Republic?
Alessandra, I would I have a question for you on another topic after let's let's do it afterwards.
Yes, WFP, Unfortunately today we don't have anyone.
I can convey your question to Ishita if necessary, but I'll give the flu to Dominique for the other questions.
And maybe you know something what's about the food situation?
Maybe I'll just start with the WFP question.
WFP is doing extraordinary work both inside Sudan as well as at the border.
I would say the coordination among UN agencies and NGOs inside and outside is, is superb from what I saw.
But there is, I know that WFP is in also the same situation as us in terms of appealing for funds and and they are also very much gearing up in terms of supporting malnutrition together with UNICEF and and WHOI think it's very much joint efforts.
Of course I don't speak on behalf of WFPI, can just tell you what I saw, but I'm an ex WFP staff member if that helps.
There are, I was talking about there's 10 refugee camps in Sudan in what sorry in White Nile across Sudan there are 24 refugee camps.
So in the White Nile that where that's where I was in, in Sudan.
And the issue is that they are overwhelmingly increasing.
We are not talking at this point of increasing the number of of camps in Sudan.
There are requests by the South Sudanese government to open camps in, in South Sudan, but but that's, that was I guess some initial request that we are, that we are getting, you know where people are moving.
As you probably know, people usually move where the heavier fighting is happening, where your families are.
So in the case of Darfur, you'll seeing more they, they, some of them move South, some of them are moving into Chad.
In the case of Khartoum, they're mostly going downward.
So yes, we're seeing mostly to Chad and South Sudan are the largest recipient, followed by I think Ethiopia and Central African Republic and Egypt as well.
So I think it's going everywhere.
We have those statistics and can share it with you.
But I'd say the simple answer is people go either first internally where they have family, where they have connections and that they can get support, or they're going to the most nearest border where they can flee quickly.
Thank you very much, Gabriela Sotomayor, processor.
Oh, I didn't, by the way.
I didn't answer.
Oh, yeah, that's right.
That's right.
I didn't answer the funding question.
I don't know if you want to see something more or just I would just very specifically, it's 39% for the regional refugee response plan, which is appealing for a billion dollars and it has 64 partners in five countries.
And there's a separate humanitarian appeal for inside Sudan, which is only a third funded and that appeal aims to reach 18 million people and requires $2.6 billion.
That's very clear.
Thank you very much.
So Gabriela process of Mexican, yes, thank you very much.
Alessandra, thank you for the briefing.
And coming back to the funding that you just said.
So normally which countries are your major donors normally?
And then this you mentioned 39% over already funded.
Could you give us the list of the countries that, that, that were that donate these these funds?
Can you give your give us a, a list of the countries?
Thank you so much.
So generally, oops, thank you.
So the the US is our major donor to this to this appeal and has been overwhelmingly generous.
In general, our top donors are the US, the European Union and Germany and then followed closely by a few others.
What we can do is separately share with you exactly which which donors have disputed to the appeals both inside and outside.
The issue is, is, is more that that we're we're simply not seeing.
For example, usually we get individuals and the private sector supporting such appeals.
That's we're not getting that support.
Some of the countries that give us are giving us, but a lot less than they usually do because of all the other crises around the world.
And some of them have simply remained silent.
Lisa Schlein, Voice of America.
Thanks, Alessandra.
Good morning.
First, if you would clarify, I'm a little confused.
Were you only on the Sudanese side of the border or did you also go across the border into South Sudan?
And then last week, I asked William a question regarding the numbers.
He happened to mention that there seemed to have been a rather dramatic increase in the number of Sudanese refugees who were going into Sudan, that into South Sudan.
That is at the beginning of the crisis, the people who were going into South Sudan were returnees.
But now apparently there are a lot more Sudanese nationals who are going across.
Could you affirm that and sort of what what are the numbers, what are the percentages that are happening and how is South Sudan, the government actually handling this situation?
Have many of the returnees been successfully transported to their homes of origin or is this also a huge mess and overcrowding at the border?
Thank you, Lisa, as usual, excellent questions.
I, I was both in South Sudan in, in two different areas, but spent most of the time in rank which is at the border with Sudan and I was also in Sudan for two days in the White Nile state.
So those are so yes.
So in both countries, what we are seeing and William was right is in the week I was there, we saw over 20,000 people cross into South Sudan, which was an incredible increase to the previous weeks.
And and what has shifted is that we are seeing more and more actual Sudanese moving into South Sudan.
In the first months, what we were seeing was a large number of South Sudanese returnees going into South Sudan.
But that has flipped.
And I think we're about at 70 or at least the week I was there, we were at 70 to 80% of Sudanese coming and, and, and crossing that border on your question of returnees, what what is happening is that, and I, I mentioned it, but it's a bit complicated to maybe maybe I wasn't so clear is what's happening is that they are arriving in rank, but partly due to climate change, what we're seeing is that roads that used to get some rain, now the rain is becoming, they're almost becoming lakes and rivers.
So we're not able to go through Rd crossings to bring the people back home to their areas.
So the overcrowding is also caused by this.
We haven't been able to transport a majority of returnees from rank to their areas of origin since I think end of August, September when the rains just completely destroyed the roads.
We're using different modes of transport together also with IOM and we have barges that are bringing some returnees to other areas.
But this is becoming this.
This is this is the real challenge.
And obviously we do not have the funds to airlift people or transport support them by plane to to other areas inside the country.
John Zarocostas, also France, Vancatra and The Lancet.
Yes, good morning.
Thank you for the briefing.
I was wondering if Mr Grundy will be discussing Sudan at the principal's meeting in New York today.
I don't know if he's physically.
They're all by conference call.
Will Sudan be on the meeting in New York of the principals?
Thank you.
Yeah, I can confirm that the **** Commissioner is at the CB in New York.
The **** Commissioner raised at the Security Council last week.
He spoke of Sudan.
He spoke of Sudan at the General Assembly and has raised this issue on numerous occasions and it is central to discussions taking place in New York and and globally.
Yes, that's what I can say.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Dominique.
And while we were listening to Dominique, I had sent this a quick message to our colleagues at the World Food Programme and received immediately an answer.
So I read it to you.
So this is on behalf of the World Food Programme.
Ishita told me that on South Sudan.
South Sudan we have, they have shared a press release yesterday.
If you have not received, we can circulate it.
It's on their website too.
And of course, you can contact her to organise interview or share audio and video content.
The highlights of this press release are the following.
Data from the latest Integrated Food Security Phase classification shows more than 1.6 million children under five years of age that are expected to suffer from malnutrition in 2024.
Flood affected areas are facing the worst malnutrition to due to the spread of waterborne diseases and crowded conditions aggravated by limited access to food and livelihoods.
And we've heard about this from Dominique to The IPC shows more than 7 million people will be facing acute food insecurity throughout 2024 lean season with the number of people facing catastrophic hunger, which is IPC 5, as you know, expected to rise to 79,000 by April.
This increase is largely due to South Sudanese returnees fleeing fighting in Sudan as they will face increasingly extreme levels of food insecurity.
And on Sudan, she asks if you want to have the latest information to contact her and she will share the info more focused on Sudan.
That is what Ishita is sharing with you at the moment.
Oh, sorry.
And she also wrote on Sudan, another message just coming in on Sudan, she says the intensifying conflict.
So again, this is on behalf of World Food Programme.
The intensifying conflict in Sudan is forcing more and more people to flee, as we've heard from Dominique 2, plunging the economy deeper into crisis, destroying critical infrastructure, and pushing pushing anger to record levels.
With over 20 million people now facing severe hunger, The ongoing clashes also threaten agricultural productivity and put the upcoming harvest season at risk, which could further deepen Sudan's hunger crisis.
World Food Programme has so far delivered life saving food and Nutrition Assistance to 2.7 million people in 17 of Sudan's 18 states, including in some of the most hard to reach areas in the Darfur.
WFP is scaling up to reach 6.6 million people in Sudan with food, nutrition and resilient support by the end of the year.
However, areas such as Khartoum, the Darfur and cordophones, where humanitarian needs are very ****, remain largely cut off.
So this very much reflects what you said, Dominique.
And of course, she's available for more question.
Thank you very much.
You want to add something, please go ahead.
Just actually, I realised I didn't answer one of the previous questions.
Maybe it was from Lisa.
And I just wanted to add two things.
South Sudan and Chad and the neighbouring countries have been overwhelmingly generous, leaving their borders open.
And these are countries, as I mentioned before, which are in the index, some of the poorest countries in the world who were themselves facing humanitarian crises previously to the conflict in in Sudan.
And I guess our, our, our plea is asking that journalists, governments don't look away, that we don't forget Sudan.
And, and what I've seen with all of the questions we got today is just a big thank you to the media for still being interested and for asking the right questions.
Thank you, Thank you, Dominique, thanks for coming and, and witness what you have seen.
And indeed, I really hope there will be a good coverage of this because as you said, it's really important not to forget Sudan.
Thank you very much.
Please come back anytime.
And so especially when you go on in the field, it's very important for us, I think here in Geneva to hear what you have about what you've seen.
Thanks, Katherine.
I have not forgotten you.
But I know everybody's very anxious to go to the issue of Gaza and the situation there.
And I have already with me on the podium Christian Lynn Meyer for WHO, who was, who was going to tell you something because yes, we are at the one Mark, one month mark and the announcement out of the way first it says you're right.
But I think I would, I think let's go together directly and then you will have time to do your announcements.
I think the journalists are very keen in hearing and Christian is on the podium with me.
But there are also other colleagues you have them on the list that are here to answer your question on this subject if needed.
And Katherine, as soon as we've done with that, I'll come to your question.
Just before I give the floor to to Christian for this update, I just would like to call your attention to the very important, I think message that the Secretary General has given yesterday at the press take out in New York.
We've distributed his remarks to you, but I think it's important that we recall that the Secretary General underlined the need to support the 1.2 billion humanitarian appeal to help nearly 3 million people across the Occupied Palestinian territory.
He spoke very strongly of the nightmare in Gaza.
He also reminded US of the need to free the hostages and to look at the very urgent need of a humanitarian ceasefire.
You have the full remarks that we've distributed to to you.
So, Christian, I'll turn to you for the update.
Thank you.
Thank you very much, Alexander.
Yes, today marks indeed a very grim date.
It's one month since the horrific attacks on mainly civilians in Israel and the abduction of 240 reportedly mainly civilians.
Nothing justifies the horrific attacks by Hamas and other armed groups on the 7th of October that targeted Israeli civilians mainly.
And nothing justifies this.
People in Israel are frightened, traumatised and in anguish for their loved ones taken by Hamas on the 7th of October, as Doctor Tedros reiterated last week, WHO continues to call on Hamas to release the hostages unconditionally, many of whom need urgent medical attention.
But it's also one month since the start of hostilities, the siege and the attacks on Gaza and the Palestinians, Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian Territories.
Nothing justifies the horror being endured by the civilians in Gaza.
People in Gaza are dying in their thousands and those alive are suffering from trauma, disease, lack of food and water.
They need water, fuel, food and safe access to healthcare to survive.
W Joe reiterates the urgent need for a humanitarian pause to ease the suffering across Gaza and Israel.
The level of death and suffering is hard to fathom.
Over 1400 people have reportedly died in Israel and just over 11,000 have now been reported dead in Gaza.
That's a half percent of the population of Gaza.
An average of about 160 children are killed every day, based on the figures of the Ministry of Health.
As parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, we mourn for those lost children.
We also mourn the health workers who have died.
We are extremely proud of the professionalism and bravery of the thousands who continue to work keeping the health system going against all odds.
With almost no fuel to run generators, dwindling stock of supplies, the facilities corridors crammed with 10s of thousands of injured and people seeking shelter, working under constant stress with no respite.
Over 160 of the healthcare workers have died on duty while taking care of those injured and with diseases.
These are the people keeping the health system going.
Through their dedication, they have somehow found a way to keep some level of service going.
These are the people we are working for, to support through the delivery of supplies, advocating for their safety and that of their patients.
As our colleague Husam in Gaza told us just yesterday, every day you think it is the worst and the next day is worse.
We are immensely proud of him, Ahmed Mahmoud Nahim and now other colleagues in Gaza who continue to visit health facilities at the great risk, have delivered supplies when supplies have been able to enter Gaza and that has not been often as we know.
Yesterday, for example, they delivered anaesthetic medication and oxytocin to NASA Medical Complex and the European Gaza Hospital to support more than 3500 operations and over 3000 deliveries.
Much more is needed.
W Joe has so far delivered 8 trucks, locks of supplies.
Much of this is urgently needed material including anaesthesia as people are being operated on for amputations and other things without anaesthesia.
W Joe continues to appeal to all parties to abide by the obligations under International Humanitarian Law and the laws of war to protect civilians and healthcare.
Protection of health workers, patients, supplies, transportation and facilities needs to be respected and insured at all times.
Thank you.
Thank you, Christian.
And yes, you've spoken about the colleagues who've fallen in this conflict.
And as you have heard yesterday from the the secretary general, we mourn 89 colleagues that have died since the beginning of this conflict, many of them with their families.
And we really, yeah, it's really, we really mourn for them.
And to stand our condolences to the families.
OK, so let me go now to the questions.
I start with Katrina.
Katrina, I don't know if this is the question you wanted to ask me or is the question on the situation in Gaza.
Thank you, Alessandra.
The questions are on Gaza for you and for Christian.
OK, good morning, Christian.
The the first question to you, Alessandra, President Macron announced that on Thursday 9N there will be a conference on Gaza taking place in Paris.
You planetarium conference in the morning and that several countries are invited and also apparently UN agencies.
So I'd like to know if you Alessandra can could give us more details about the participation of the UN agencies and the UN in that conference and at which level.
Same question for Christian regarding an invitation that would have been conveyed to Doctor Tedros or to anyone else from The Who that is taking place in Paris.
Different governments have been invited, head of states, but not Israel, but they've been informed.
And now regarding the supplies needed in Gaza, I'd like to know, Christian, if you intend, I know that it's very expensive, but to do what Jordan did, air drops of air drops of equipment, emergency equipment for the hospital in Gaza.
Thank you to both of you.
OK, Catherine, thank you very much for your question.
Indeed, that question has also been asked yesterday by your colleagues in New York after the the press take out of the secretary General and I will answer in the same way the UN will be represented in this humanitarian conference on the 9th of November, but we don't know yet at what level, but we'll keep you informed on that.
Christian.
Maybe I'll start ask answer.
It's also a question about the air drops and maybe you want to say more and, and Yancey is also in the room if, if you want to add anything, we, we've seen the reports of the of the air drops, which apparently were done in cooperation between Jordan and Israel for the part of the United Nation.
This is not something we are considering.
There's sort of we can do that, but we've done it and we've seen it in Syria, but it's a sort of a last resorts when other options have been exhausted.
You have to also understand that these are very expensive and involves lots of deconfliction too.
It's it's a little bit difficult.
And if Rd access is possible, we of course would much rather see to expand that road access.
And if you want to add anything to answer, Catherine.
Yep, on your first point, Catherine, I, I don't have information on, on that participation of the conference.
So I can't answer that on the air drops.
Air drops are a fantastic means in a sudden immediate intervention.
They can provide some relief to a limited group of people.
But think about what we're asking for.
We're asking for about 500 trucks a day going into into Gaza to alleviate a little bit the the the pain and the suffering of the population of Gaza.
You cannot possibly bring in 500 truckloads every day by air drop.
It's simply not doable.
And as as Sandra pointed at, you just need as much access by air as you would need by Rd.
So it's it's lifting the blockage, it's lifting the siege, it's lifting and de conflicting the, the, the zones.
So access, access, access is necessary.
And that is to be done through air, not through air, but through Rd.
This way we can bring in the supplies.
We have the supplies.
The whole UN has the supplies outside of Gaza at the South and the Rafa crossing from Al Lavish onwards the the supplies Rd.
The logistics is taken care of.
The Egyptian Red Crescent is perfectly working with us to set this up and to do the transporting.
The Palestine Red Red Crescent is ready to transport further.
Everything is set up.
The logistics are there, the convoys are there, the supplies are there.
What is not there is the is the access and that's what is needed.
We need unhindered, safe and secure access all the way to the patients and to the hospitals.
Getting across into Gaza is one thing.
Getting further to the hospitals and the supply stations is the next step.
So yes, AirDrop is one thing, but access on the road is the only real solution.
I'm sorry, Nina, thank you.
Hi Christian, First I wanted to ask you about the death toll you gave.
You said over 11,000, which is above what I've seen.
So I was just wondering, I guess you're still using the Ministry of Health numbers on that.
I'm just giving you what I got.
Just this morning apparently Ministry of Health reported just about close to 11,000.
That's what I had.
But the the last written figure I've seen yesterday evening was 10,000 something as as horroring as these figures are, I must say I think the discussion is the same for us here and for the people if it's 10,000 or 11,000.
But yes, I'd like to give you the real, the full exact figures as reported.
We'll check them out in the background.
But again, the last figure I've read was 11,000.
Thank you.
OK, sorry.
And I also just want to ask you about obviously the, the situation sounds horrific in the in the hospitals and they're talking about operating without anaesthetics or anaesthetics coming in on the in the truckloads that are coming.
And are they able to reach anywhere beyond the very southern part of Gaza?
If you could just sort of explain a little bit about also and what you think is like the most dire need when terms of medical supplies?
Thank you.
I'll start backwards, not sure whether but what is easy to say about what's what's the most I need.
I actually would start with water.
Water is drinking water for water and sanitation of course also as water supplies very scarce.
Remember the the real fresh water supplies somewhere around 567 percent.
The rest comes from aquifer under the under Gaza, which is salinated from the sea water and that needs being pumped up, being desalinated, all of which needs electricity, hence it needs fuel.
So it's it's it's difficult to point at one single thing.
Water and sanitation is of of utmost important importance not only for the drinking water but of course also to prevent any any further infectious diseases, which is a challenge in itself in the cramped situation.
And the and hospitals with 10s of thousands in unsanitary conditions, people are being operated on in the aisles, people sheltering in the same places.
So yeah, not not really something you want to imagine.
We have been able to bring supplies to the northern hospitals, to two northern hospitals so far once, and their supplies have been literally ripped out of our hands and immediately brought to the operation rooms as everything which was brought in, including anaesthesia, was necessary at that very moment in time.
So far 8 truckloads have been brought in, the rest to the South.
From that.
I'm talking medical supplies only now, but let's not forget the self only has three surgical hospitals which are able to to perform surgical operations so that the capacity is very limited.
But that's only in parenthesis for trauma and and and war related injuries.
We have more than 350,000 people with with chronic diseases, with cancer, diabetes, hypertension, asthma.
Some may be very easy to treat, but you need a safe space to treat them and you need safe access to, to get to the hospitals.
First of all to the health facilities.
If you can't do that because the roads are under attack, the places are under attack, you cannot even seek help in the leftover partially functioning health facilities.
The only cancer treating hospital facility in Gaza, the the Turkish hospital, has been out of operation now since a few days already due to damage and to lack of fuel.
So no more hospital that can treat cancer patients if they make it somehow to the hospital.
Thank you.
Yes, please.
Can you introduce yourself, please?
Yeah.
Alexandrobua.
AFP too.
AFP also Alexandro Gobua you, you, you Christian.
You're talking about the need for 500 trucks a day.
Is it possible for you to tell us right now how many trucks are crossing each day and maybe how many are stranded in Rafa?
I don't have AI don't have a count for you, but the figure which was quite interesting yesterday was was was said until yesterday.
Approximately 500 trucks have been brought in in total over 4 weeks.
And these are trucks with all supplies and colleagues would would be able from the other UN agency to give you the details what's on there.
But that's every single supply needed, including water, of course, but also mattresses and clothes and whatever.
And so the, the, the list is certainly very long.
I can only speak for, for, for the medically necessary parts and that have been 8 trucks only so far.
But we have way more outside waiting.
But again, I think the, the figure is pretty astonishing.
500 trucks have been going in so far in four weeks and we need, as has been reported, 500 a day.
Yuria Perez University Yes, thank you, Alessandra, for taking my question and thank you, Christian.
Israel justifies its attacks on hospitals in Gaza by saying that Hamas is hiding there.
Even if fighters were there, even we don't know, but if even they were, as long as these hospitals still fulfil their role by treating patients and welcoming refugees, are these strikes justified under international law?
Have The Who teams found that Israel's statements are true that Hamas is hiding in hospitals?
And also you mentioned amputations without anaesthesia as this becomes a norm?
Or is it just some exceptions?
Thank you again.
Let me start backwards.
I I cannot tell you if every operational surgery has to be to be done without anaesthesia.
If it's only 10% or 20%.
If it was one single case, it's not acceptable.
If it was one single person who can't get treatment, it's not acceptable.
So let's start with this on the hospitals attacks.
Any attack on health is forbidden and prohibited under the international humanitarian law.
As cynical as it may sometimes sound, there are rules in war and these rules have to be respected by all combatants.
As W Joe, we cannot verify what is under the hospitals.
What we can verify is what is in the hospitals and on above ground, and these are urgently needed medical facilities, the only shelter places, the only leftover places for any type of decency and normalcy for people already in distress and wounded and homeless, without food and water.
Yes, attacks against these places or against an ambulance or against healthcare workers, attacks against health are unjustifiable and a violation of the international humanitarian law.
Gabriella.
Yes, thank you.
Thank you, Alessandra.
Thank you, Christian.
My question is also for Alessandra.
The Article 6 of the Charter reads that a member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the principles contained in the present Charter, may be expelled from the organisation but the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.
So my question is, I wonder if there has been any country on the Security Council that calls for the expulsion of Israel, That that is my first question.
And then I remember that there was an exchange of 1000 Palestinians for the Israeli soldier Shalit.
So do you think that following that proportion, Israelis seeking to avenge a 1400 killed by Hamas, that is maybe they are seeking the death of 1,000,000 for 400,000 Palestinians, Do you think that that is the proportion that Israel is looking for?
Thank you so much, Gabriela.
I leave it to you to do the maths and the analysis on these kind of things.
Of course, we cannot interpret and we are not speaking on issues of what would be or could be that that I leave it to you.
On the issue of the Security Council, as you know, we don't speak for the states of the Security Council, but I can check if it has happened in the past.
I don't know if this has been requested in the present situation, but I can come back to you on that.
Don't think so, but let me check.
I see Besa.
Morning, Alessandra.
My question is also directed to you on Gaza on Saturday.
As you know, another refugee camp was hit by air strike in Gaza, Al Maghazi, where also my colleague from Anadolu, Muhammad Alalu, lost his four kids and three siblings as his house was destroyed by the strike.
As civilian casualties continue, do you think calls on Israel to act in line with international laws have been insufficient?
Also, what further steps Yuan can take to not call but force Israel to act in line with laws to minimise civilian harm?
Thank you.
Yes, Lisa, thank you very much for your question.
Yes, indeed.
We have seen the reports of the loss of the members of the family, of your colleague in Gaza, as you said, for children and three family members as a result of the air strikes.
And we really very, very sorry for that and withstand our condolences to your colleague and to his family, who's unfortunately, sadly, not the first journalist who have lost loved ones in Gaza.
These I think that the secretary is being extremely vocal in saying, I think we've said it in, in any possible way that even words have rules.
And the office of **** Commissioner Folk Turk has spoken in, in, in many ways about the fact that we need to, to, to, there is no other way but to protect the, the civilian populations.
You're asking if we can do more.
We try to do more.
We try to do everything we can.
And yesterday, I think the secretary has been extremely vocal to reiterate his appeal for the protection of civilians, hospitals, you know, facilities, shelters in schools.
And our colleagues are working day and night to try and and and improve the situation of the civilians in Gaza.
I think we, I, I really would underline the extremely important work that we are doing with all the counterparts to to try and bring to fruition this humanitarian ceasefire that is so desperately needed.
And I'll go now to Imogen.
Hi.
Can you hear me all right, Ken?
Yep.
OK.
It's a question for for Christian, but also maybe for for you Alessandra and other UN people that are in the room.
Christian, you did sound very frustrating and very upset when you began with with what you had to say this morning.
I'm just wondering, because Israel has shown some irritation with what the UN and the UN bodies are saying, What kind of dialogue do you does WHO and the rest of the UN have with the warring parties and maybe in particular with with Israel right now?
I mean, has Doctor Chetra says he had any conversations with members of the Israeli government or the OR the Israeli military?
Because we see the UN human rights commissioner on his way to the Middle East.
But it just seems that his request to visit Israel has not actually been answered or not certainly not answered positively.
Imagine I'd give the floor to, to, to Christian in a moment.
But definitely I can just reiterate the fact that the secretary general and his colleagues and our colleagues have been speaking to the to a number of Israeli officials, including including the president.
And it's really something that we are trying to, I mean, it's obvious that when we speak about a, a humanitarian ceasefire, if you want a ceasefire to work, all the sides have to ceasefire and we have to speak with all of them, as I said.
But I don't know if in the case of WHO, there is something else you want to add in terms of contacts with the Israeli authorities.
Yeah, let me start in a different way.
I, I see WHO and the UN maybe in general, but I can't speak fully for them.
It's having 2 main roles here.
The one is getting supplies ready and having the logistics set up, being able and ready to help the population, the people in need to the best of our ability.
And I think to that part, we're ready.
We have everything set up outside of Gaza, hundreds and hundreds of truckloads waiting the the supply line being set up so or being being functional so that more supplies are coming in when, when the first supplies are moving, the second role 00.
And we have additionally our staff on the ground in Gaza who are there to help with the distribution, to verify distribution, also to, yeah, facilitate the distribution to all the people in need, to the hospitals, in our case, to all the distribution centres, be it on your own UN or what have you.
The second part of our role here is talk on the diplomatic level, but not only in the top diplomatic level, on all levels.
Actually this is the top level that Alessandra just mentioned.
And I, I don't have much to add here.
You see, just as we speak, I think UN colleagues are actually in, in talks in the area, but also on the, on the, on the field level, on the ground level, coordinating with Egyptian Red question coordination, coordinating with Egyptian, with, with the ministry, coordinating with Palestine Red Crescent, coordinating with border authorities and, and, and most of these things are of course happening in the background, but have been pretty successful.
What we need now is the political will to at least grant a humanitarian pause and access to alleviate the suffering of the civilians, the civilian population as well as the hostages in Gaza.
And maybe image, just to also add in terms of contacts.
And you have received this morning a press release by the colleagues of the Human Rights Office announcing a visit of UN **** Commissioner for Human Rights for Katuk to the Middle East region.
And the fact that he will be visiting Cairo today.
We'll visit Rafa tomorrow.
Then he will travel to Amman.
And he has sought access to Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
You have got more on this visit on the media advisory.
Ravina is with him and I am sure we'll hear more about the contacts that the **** Commissioner has and we have with all the authorities in the in the region.
Imogen, sorry, you have a follow up.
Yeah, sorry.
Just could you clarify, Christian, you said there was an average number of children dying per day.
Did you say 160?
Thanks.
Imagine the figures I have is 160 a day and in total, let me give you that.
What we had so far, unfortunately I had over 4000, but I want to be a bit more precise here.
I don't have it at my fingertip here right now.
But yes, over 4000 children have died so far.
And as I, I said, the, the figure I read late last is 11,000 deaths and important 70% of those are women and children.
And I'd also maybe point you to the 23rd humanitarian report, situation report that was issued by UNRWA.
I think it was last night.
We have distributed it to you.
There are a number of figures also there.
I think it's the most update we have.
John.
John Zarocosta, can you hear me there, Christian, we can hear you.
Yes.
Hi.
Yes.
I was wondering if you could bring us up to date on the number of attacks on health in the OPT, especially Gaza and also attacks on health in Israel the the new figures if you have them.
And secondly, is WHO or the regional directors for Europe, Doctor Kluger or Doctor Al Mandari for Amro involved or Doctor Tedros in negotiations to try and have a maritime humanitarian corridor into Gaza?
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
John, on the, on the negotiations, you mean not only one maritime hospitals or today 11 ship, hospital hospital ship, but more of that.
I don't know where the where the negotiations there are or if we are involved again, any whether it's maritime or air or ground, it needs one particular thing and that's granting access.
There's, it's not like there's access from the sea or from air and there's none from the ground.
It's, it's, it's there, it's so you need access, you need the occupying power to lift this axis to grant access and then we can get in and deliver whatever is necessary.
What has been identified on the ground as the basic needs on the figures.
I know just to correct the children from before.
Sorry, I'm, I'm, I'm working here off off a mobile phone.
So the last figure I'm seeing now is 4104 children actually.
So 4104 children lost their lives so far, 25 attacks on health in Israel, 102 in Gaza and 121 in the West Bank.
And it's good you mentioned that, John, because we kind of keep forgetting that we have a quite a crisis and in in the West Bank as well.
Yeah, I'll stop here.
Sorry, Emma.
Emma Farge.
Hi, Christian.
A quick clarification.
I think you also said 160 health work, sorry, healthcare workers who had been who had died.
You use the word died, but if you could also say how they died?
And could you elaborate a bit more on what medics are going through?
Maybe you've spoken to some colleagues who've come out of Gaza.
How are they coping with the stress of the situation and the sort of decisions that they have to make?
And secondly, how worried are you about a sort of sewage crisis and diseases with the rainy season coming?
Thanks very much.
Yeah.
How much time do we have?
Yeah, you're you're you're opening the book here.
And I don't mean that in any negative way.
So the 161 healthcare workers I spoke about were our healthcare workers on duty.
And that's important.
Many, many more have been killed outside with their families and shelters on roads, what have you.
A 161 while being on duty, while being actively engaged to try to save other people's lives there, the children's lives, women's lives, trying to help with delivering babies and so on and so forth.
I do not have the circumstances on death on the individuals here.
The water and sanitation situation is is really bad, not only in the hospitals, but of course the hospitals is just a picture of it.
Because if you have already a situation that people are so desperate to sheltering in overcrowded hospitals that you have no no sterile rooms anymore, that you have no safe space anymore, that shows how cramped and over spaced and over cramped the situation is.
700,000 people are apparently sheltering in UNRWA schools.
700,000 That's a third of the Gaza population.
More than half of the Gaza population is displaced somewhere with friends, with relatives, in these shelters, in hospitals.
This is an extremely overcrowded and cramped situation.
And with the sanitary situation on top of it, it is a recipe book for infectious diseases.
We already have seen the first reports and there is a surveillance systems normally set up in in Gaza with a really functioning healthcare system in Gaza.
So the system is there, the healthcare workers are there, the hospitals aren't there.
But now it needs access to resupply them.
It needs access also to relieve the healthcare workers.
It needs access to bring in or act on the the infectious disease scenario that we witness and that we see and that we get reported from the Ministry of Health, from the healthcare workers on the ground and our own staff.
So again, we cannot say it often enough.
We need access to get to these places.
We need access to relieve healthcare workers who have now been on the job since 4 weeks nearly nonstop.
And you ask about their well-being.
I don't have an individual report, but we know that they're stretched to the limit.
They're not only having to decide whether to run and try to save their own lives and going away from hospitals which are on the evacuation and bomb threats, attack threats, but also they have their own families.
They have they have relatives who have been killed.
They have been houses which have been attacked.
So it must be an extremely horrific scenario for for them.
And yet they're trying to stay on the job and, and trying to do the best they can to save other people's lives.
So, yeah, I think they are the real heroes in this place.
And maybe just to give you the exact numbers, exact figures on the that have been mentioned by Christian on the situation of the displaced people.
According to the latest Umbra reports, as I said the number 23 which has just been issued yesterday evening, one almost 1.5 million people have been displaced across Gaza since the 7th of October.
Nearly half, 717,000 are sheltering in 149 Undra installations across all 5 governor governorates including in the north.
Over 557,000 ID PS are sheltering in 92 facilities in the Middle Canyonies and Rafa areas and nearly 160,000 ID PS were sheltering in schools in 57 Undra schools before in the North and Gaza areas as of 12 No October 2023, before the evacuation order was issued by the Israeli authority and we are not able to access this shelter now altogether.
Also UNRA is announcing that 48 of its installation has been damaged since 7th of October.
So these are the figures we we get from from colleagues.
And I really hope on Friday we will have Tamara on the briefing.
She couldn't come this morning, but she's really intend intend to to come and brief you.
Emma.
Sorry.
I see you have a follow up and then we go to dinner.
If, if I may ask a question on Gaza to Jens, please.
I believe he's yeah, Jens is here.
If he can come on the podium, you know what?
Give him a second while he's coming.
Maybe I'll give the floor to Dina.
OK.
Dina has a question for Christian, who's already here.
Yes, please.
Alessandra, my question is about using this siege of food and starvation in Gaza.
Is it concerned as a war crime?
Actually, my friends and colleagues in Gaza told me yesterday that there's no more food in their houses.
And one of my colleagues is eating biscuits this morning.
So this is the last thing left in her car.
She already lost her house and all her reserve of food.
Of course, families with with big number of children of my friend who who's still in Betlahia, they also run out of food and the left the very limited amount of food that they have they are giving to their children.
So is it a this series of food?
Is it considered as a war crime?
And of course, maybe the next step now there's no not enough food.
Maybe soon starvation will take place in Gaza.
Thank you, Dina.
Thank you very much for this question, which has been asked several times to our colleagues of the Office of the **** Commissioner on Human Rights and I what I can say is that the UN is gravely distressed by Israel's complete siege of the Gaza Strip, This compound, what was already a dire human rights in human humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The siege means, as you said, that food, water and fuel, essential commodities to sustain life, are being used to collectively punish more than 2 million people, among them a majority sorry of children and women.
And our colleagues of the Human Rights Office have said that from this podium several times.
That's what we are seeing, not just the issue of food, but they've mentioned several other situation may constitute war crime.
And I if, if you really would like to have a, an answer on this particular issue, I'm sure Litz will be happy to, to, to send you something in writing.
But they have said it several times from this, from this podium.
So now that Tien's is on the podium, I'll, I'll ask maybe Emma to ask his question, her question to him.
Thanks a lot.
I was wondering about fuel because there's been many warnings about fuel and I understand no new shipments have come in at all since this began.
And, and really getting to a breaking point on fuel.
Martin Griffiths mentioned on Friday in the meeting in the UN in New York that there had been some progress, but I haven't actually seen any sign of that.
Could you just update us on where we are with getting fuel into Gaza?
And could Yens, you say, or maybe Christian wants to weigh in, what is going to happen if it doesn't come in in the next couple of days?
What are the first systems that are going to break down and what consequences?
Thanks a lot.
Yeah.
Thank you, Emma.
Unfortunately, I, I don't have any updates for you on that.
It is of course an issue that that that's constantly on the table and has been for a long time.
And as you rightly mentioned, we are we are reaching a breaking point of the of the trucks that that have gone in.
As you know and as as as question talked about, the latest update as of yesterday is a total of exactly 569.
And that is since the 21st of October when the when the border crossing was open.
But none of them has contained fuel, which is still banned by the Israeli authorities.
Thank you.
I see Katherine.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
Good morning.
Yeah, Sorry, sorry, sorry, Catherine, I think Christian had something to add.
Yeah, because we were asked about about the hospitals and the impact of of if fuel doesn't come in.
Just to reiterate, everything is nearly depending on fuel.
Desalina tion plants, bakeries, ambulances, incubators for babies need power.
Half I I don't have the exact figure how many hospitals are out of power and therefore not functioning or damaged.
But again, the the cancer hospital has been out of function because of a combination of this, 22 out of 36 hospitals are still functioning.
That means 14 are not functioning out of a combination of lack of fuel or lack of or damages.
14 not functioning.
We are closing coming close to to half of the available hospitals.
As you've seen the reports Al Shifa reported Al Shifa hospital reported that the the solar panels on their roof have been had been struck too.
That means the only remaining electricity source they had gone.
Other hospitals have reported similar situations.
So you ask, I think when will we start to be critical or something like this?
When will this start to be an issue?
Be in the middle of it?
More and more facilities are closing down and more and more, yeah, life saving means are closing down.
Thank you.
OK, so now let's go to Catherine.
Yes, thank you.
Good morning, Jens.
Questions to to the three of you and to Jens.
To Jens, first question, is Martin Griffith going to participate to the humanitarian conference on Gaza Thursday night in Paris?
That's my question to you and to the the three of of you, what's happening in this in the northern part of Israel?
They are in fact bombing the South of part of Lebanon and you have thousands of people that are fleeing from the South of Lebanon to tea and everything is closed in, in the, in the southern part of of Lebanon.
You all know that the situation, the social and economical situation in Lebanon was already very bad.
So could you provide us with more information about the help that you can can provide to Lebanon also Lebanese ID PS Catherine, thank you very much.
I don't know, maybe let Ian start and then William is here also from UNHCR to maybe he can say something on the people fleeing towards Lebanon.
If you can come to the podium, Jens.
Yeah, thanks, Catherine.
I I think Alessandra confirmed that the UN indeed is invited to to the conference on Thursday and it will be announced who will who will go there in due course.
Katherine, sorry, William didn't was moving here so he didn't hear exactly your question.
Can you repeat the the issue about the people fleeing towards Lebanon?
Of course, Alessandra.
Good morning William, nice to see you.
My question was related to the Lebanese inhabitants that are fleeing the South of Lebanon, leaving the villages because the South of Lebanon is bombed by Israel and so you have more than 20 or 25,000 ID PS that are moving from the South of the country to the northern part.
They are moving to Tia.
So do you have any information about it?
Hi, Catherine.
I'm afraid I don't have any information about that.
So let me get back to you on that.
Maybe we can also, you could also ask this question, Catherine, to IOM colleagues.
Maybe they would have something to to share with you on that.
Nick, is that a question for William?
No, it's a question for Christian.
Thank you for taking it.
Christian, the numbers you just gave showed there had been more attacks on health facilities or assets in the West Bank than in Gaza.
Could you shed a bit more light on what is going on with the health facilities there and the access you may or may not have to them and any casualties sustained in these attacks?
Thank you.
Yeah, thanks.
Thanks for shedding light on this.
But unfortunately I don't have further information right at with me right here now.
So I'll have to get back to you on this one.
But yes, there there's.
But again, the health attack on health is, is anything is against the healthcare worker, against an ambulance, against the hospital.
So it's not just an attack against a building or anything, but I'll, I'll have to come back to you.
OK.
Thank you.
OK, so I'm looking at the yeah, please go ahead.
I'm, I'm, I'm realising, I think I may have misspoken on the amount of healthcare workers killed on duty.
I may have added a zero there.
I believe it is 16, not 160 on duty.
That's quite an important difference.
So pardon my error here, I believe it's 16 healthcare workers killed on duty, but the the total amount of healthcare workers is still much higher.
Thank you very much.
Important to note and we will put it in the summary.
OK, So thank you very much to all the colleagues we've been talking about this subject.
And I think Christian, you have two announcements then I, I, I maybe before I give you the floor for the announcement, I'd like to maybe just spend word on, on something more positive, if we may.
You know, we've been through weeks and weeks of very dire issues that are important and needs to be talking about.
But I just wanted to sorry to remind you that next week we have the fantastic opportunity of listening to positive stories of young activist that are coming to Geneva in person.
And unfortunately for one, virtually because he can't travel to take part in the UN Young Activist Summit, which is at its 5th edition this year.
And we are going to have a the participation, sorry, of these five young people will tell us about what they have done to change the life of their communities this year under the theme of peace and reconciliation between humans and with between humans and nature.
And also I would like to announce that we will have soon also the confirmation and participation of a personality that will join the Young Activist Summit.
We are preparing the information for you.
It's coming out very soon.
But I really just wanted to remind you that we have had this very beautiful stories of people who have been working for peace and reconciliation.
They're all young.
They come here and they'll talk to you about direction.
You have a couple of other announcements, then we also have another couple of ones and we will close.
Go ahead, Christian.
Yeah, on different topics.
Just to remind you today, this afternoon is the Winchell press conference on the launch of the 2023 Global Tuberculosis report.
You were sent already this morning, I believe the, the press release on the embargo and the, the data or the the necessary background material.
So this afternoon, 4 O clock 1600 hours, the Global TB report.
Second, the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties, COP 10 of the WTO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the third third session of the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products will take place this year in Panama.
From 20 to 30 November.
The main tobacco control decision making bodies will discuss various topics that will drive the global tobacco control agenda for the next two years.
We'll send today an invitation, the opening press conference of the global tobacco control governing bodies.
This press conference will be next Tuesday, 14 November in the afternoon, three to four o'clock 15 to 1600 hours CET important.
Now for any background material or actually also to register, but we'll send this out again, please send an e-mail to Media FCTC at WHO dot int.
So not to your usual address, but Media FCTC at WHO dot Int because they will then send you a personalised link.
Thank you Christian and speaking about the press conferences there, I remind you that is also the anchored one at 2:00 PM today with Rebecca Greenspan and the Secretary General and Junior Davis, the Chief Policy Analysis and Research Branch of the Division of Africa and the season Special programme that present to you the latest least developed countries report, the 2023.
This is embargoed until today at 4:00 PM.
And William got a some information about the situation of the people going towards the north of Lebanon.
So I let him make this.
Thank you Alessandra.
So to answer Catherine on her question about the people displaced in southern Lebanon, the response to this situation is being led by the government of Lebanon and we are supporting it by by providing core relief items, including mattresses and blankets and on the the leadership of the Union of Municipalities entire since the start of the crisis, we have been providing these relief items, including 400 blankets, 500 mattresses and 150 plastic sheets to collective shelters entire with together with our partner, local partners Shield.
We are also providing online psychosocial support to Lebanese and Syrian refugees who have been affected by by the situation and who have also been displaced.
And we are also repairing the German Lebanese University in Tyre, which is hosting a number of IDP families and we are providing shelter and helping to ensure the privacy of IDP families there.
That's, that's information that I just got, but I'll see if I can get any more details for you, Catherine.
And, and Catherine is thanking you in the chat.
William, I'm pretty sure that because you've given some numbers, if you could eventually share these figures with the journalist in writing as soon as possible.
So if there are no other question.
And thanks, William, for for this update by looking at the room or at the platform, if there are no other questions.
I'll thank all the people who have been, all the colleagues who have been briefing us and thank you very much.
I wish you a very pleasant day as much as possible.
And I'll see you on Friday.
Thank you.