The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Bi-weekly press briefing - 05 December 2023
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1:13:09
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4.6 GB
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE UNITED NATIONS INFORMATION SERVICE
5 December 2023
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Humanitarian situation in Gaza
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, speaking from Rafah in Gaza, said that the situation in Gaza was getting worse by the hour, with intensified bombing, including in southern areas. There was an increasing number of internally displaced persons, and people were desperate and in a permanent state of shock. Of the 16,000 people killed, more than 60 per cent were women and children. A child was killed every ten minutes in Gaza. We were close to the humanity’s darkest hour, and a sustained ceasefire was needed, stressed Dr. Peeperkorn.
WHO’s biggest concern was the vulnerability of the health infrastructure in Gaza, which was crippled. There was hardly any functional health facility in the north. What had happened in the north of Gaza ought not be a blueprint for the south, as the health needs were soaring. Dr. Peeperkorn spoke of witnessing horror scenes in hospitals, with patients on the floor not getting the treatments they needed, people yelling and crying. The two major hospitals in the south were severely overburdened. The health infrastructure had to be protected. The European Gaza Hospital had to be protected and its capacity expanded, and more medical supplies ought to be brought in. There were some 86,000 registered cases of diarrhea, as well as cases of chickenpox, skin rash, and meningitis, among other diseases.
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service, reminded of the Secretary-General’s statement from the previous day, in which he reiterated his call for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional and immediate release of all remaining hostages. For people ordered to evacuate, there was nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on. According to an update from UNRWA, at least 130 of their staff had been killed in Gaza since 7 October, said Mr. Gómez.
Responding to numerous questions from the media, Dr. Peeperkorn said that the WHO had secured two adjacent warehouses in Khan Younis in the first weeks of the conflict, preparing for the upcoming humanitarian catastrophe. Thanks to those warehouses, the WHO had managed to distribute medical supplies across the Strip. All movements had to be notified. On 4 December in the morning, the WHO had been advised by Israel to move as many of its supplies from the warehouses as possible, because those two warehouses were likely to be in an active combat area in the coming days. WHO had complied because it wanted to make sure that the existing essential medical supplies could be delivered. A smaller warehouse in Rafah had been quickly identified, and almost 90 per cent of WHO’s medical supplies had now been moved to it. Over the coming days, the WHO was planning to distribute the supplies to the medical facilities in the south and was also hoping to take some supplies to the north, conditions allowing. WHO needed both more warehouses and more supplies, he said.
Without UNRWA, the humanitarian situation in Gaza would be so much worse, stressed Dr. Peeperkorn, and UNRWA had to be supported. For this kind of humanitarian disaster, many more medical supplies, food, water, fuel and so much more was needed. What was available inside Gaza was way too little. What had happened in the north could not be allowed to happen in the south; the health system had to be supported as much as possible. Dr. Peeperkorn also spoke about the need to set up a functioning referral system under the current circumstances. Health infrastructure had to be protected. He repeated the concern over the vulnerability of the entire health system. WHO had a team of 26 national and 6 international staff in Gaza, who were all under immense pressure and some of them had lost family members.
Answering questions, James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), speaking from Cairo, said that the level of destruction and the death of women and children seen in the north was now recurring in the south. Israel had apparently chosen that its precautionary measures meant evacuation to so-called safe zones. Under international humanitarian law, places to which people were evacuated had to have conditions of food, water, medicine, and shelter. Mr. Elder witnessed himself that the evacuation areas in Gaza were woefully inadequate. Critically, there was no sanitation; in some places people had no toilets at all, and diseases were simply waiting to happen. Israel, as the occupying power, was under obligation to provide food, water, and medicine, reminded Mr. Elder. The only way to create truly safe places was to stop hell falling from the sky. A humanitarian ceasefire was the only way to protect civilians in Gaza, he reiterated. The indifference he had witnessed was heartbreaking.
Replying to a question, Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the list of countries which had requested an emergency meeting of the WHO Executive Board on the situation in Gaza would be shared with the public once it had been shared with all Member States. Draft documents could be proposed for discussion until 8 December. The meeting, which would be held in a hybrid format on 10 December, was expected to be livestreamed, unless decided otherwise by the Board.
Human Rights 75: high-level event in Geneva on 11-12 December
Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), informed that the OHCHR was organising a high-level event in Geneva on 11 and 12 December to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The event would be the culmination of Human Rights 75 – a year-long initiative by the Office to reaffirm the values of the Universal Declaration and recommit to human rights as the pathway to address the challenges of today and the future.
Heads of State and Government, and other high-level State dignitaries would gather with human rights defenders, young people, civil society organisations, business, sportspeople, artists, economists, representatives from UN entities and regional organizations at the Palais des Nations. Among the key moments on 11 December, there would be two pledging sessions where States would announce tangible commitments to advance human rights protection. In two segments entitled Voices in defence of human rights, participants would share their testimonies and perspectives on the impact of the Universal Declaration. Panel discussions would be held with experts looking into challenges and the way forward on the universality and indivisibility of human rights and how to strengthen the human rights system.
Ms. Throssell said that the opening ceremony on 12 December would involve a discussion with Heads of State, moderated by the High Commissioner, which would be followed by four round tables on pressing human rights issues and the future of human rights: peace and security; digital technologies; climate and the environment; and development and the economy. The entire event, which was envisioned to be of global nature, would be accessible through a virtual human rights centre that will enable up to 3,000 people to take part online. All details are available here.
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service, added that a note to correspondents with logistical details had been sent out today.
Responding to a question, Ms. Throssell confirmed that a number of Heads of State, Prime Ministers, and Foreign Ministers would be attending in person. She said that some 120 States were expected to present their pledges in person, in addition to pledges by civil society. Those pledges would cover a wide spectrum of human rights’ examples of pledges could include, for example, increasing budget for human rights, ratifying human rights conventions and their optional protocols, or making donations to the OHCHR. All pledges would be shared on the OHCHR website afterwards.
State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2023
Elisabetta Betulla Morello, Acting Fisheries Team Leader at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), speaking from Rome, said that the GFCM was a body of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the regional fisheries management organization for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It consisted of 23 member countries and its main objective was to ensure the conservation and the sustainable use of living marine resources, as well as the sustainable development of aquaculture.
Ms. Betulla Morello informed that the GFCM flagship publication - The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries would be officially launched on 7 December. The Mediterranean and Black Sea was a region with high demand for aquatic foods and a long tradition for fish consumption, both from fisheries and aquaculture. It was characterised by a high diversity in terms of species harvested and in terms of fishing practices. It was also considered a hotspot for climate change impacts and nonindigenous species.
The flagship publication, published since 2016, was able to first identify a reversal in the trend in overexploitation in the region. It had reported the continuous improvement in the percentage of overexploited stocks in line with management efforts. For the first time this year it included an analysis of aquaculture showing the importance of aquaculture and fisheries combined. This year, it would be reporting the advances made from the application of the ten multiannual management plans and ten fisheries restricted areas adopted by the GFCM over the years, confirming that effective management paid off and was the path to secure sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.
Responding to a question, Ms. Betulla Morello said that the management plans covered in the same way European Union and non-EU countries of the Mediterranean. They were based on scientific advice on what was needed to reach sustainability.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service, reminded of several statements by the Secretary-General at COP28, which had been shared with the media.
He informed that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would close its 111th session on 8 December, at 4 pm, and issue concluding observations on the six countries reviewed: Bolivia, Morocco, Germany, South Africa, Bulgaria, and Vietnam.
The Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families would have a public meeting on 7 December, at 3 pm, on the OHCHR Program on the reinforcement of the Treaty bodies capacities devoted to the effects of climate change on the human rights of migrants. It would then close its 37th session on 8 December, at 5:30 pm, and issue concluding observations on the three countries reviewed: Uruguay, Kyrgyzstan, and Sao Tome and Principe.
A high-level pledging event for the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) would be held in New York on 6 December.
Finally, Mr. Gómez reminded that on 6 December at 11 am, the Human Rights High Commissioner, Volker Türk, would hold his end-of-year press conference, which would be webcast live at webtv.un.org.
Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva for this press briefing.
Today, the 5th of December, we have a few items on the agenda including the upcoming **** level event for Human Rights 75 that is the Universal Declaration 75th anniversary events taking place next week.
We also have our guest from speaking from Gaza, Dr Peppercorn from the West World Health, World Health Organisation and we have a briefer from Rome from FAO.
So we'll start off maybe with Liz Throssell of OHCHR for just an announcement on the upcoming events next week here in Geneva.
Yes, thank you very much Rolando.
You will have seen that we've put out a media advisory this morning detailing the events that will take place on the 11th and the 12th of December.
So if I may just sort of run through some of the the key points of that.
The event is the culmination of Human Rights 75 and that's a year long initiative by the UN Human Rights Office to reaffirm the values of the Universal Declaration and recommit to human rights as the pathway to addressing the challenges of today and the future.
I think it's important to to_what the **** Commissioner is saying in the advisory.
We are meeting, of course, at a sombre moment.
Across the globe.
There are levels of violent conflict not seen since 1925.
We're seeing deepening inequalities, increasing discrimination and hate speech, impunity, growing divisions and polarisation.
And of course, adding to this, we have the triple planetary crisis.
So for the **** Commissioner and for us all here at the UN Human Rights Office, this really emphasises the need for us to take stock, to learn lessons and craft a vision for the future based on human rights.
Now to just go into some details, you will see that in the media advisory there is a link to a detailed programme that sets out what is happening on the 11th and then on the 12th the various round tables and panels which will be taking place.
And so so I would encourage you to look at that in detail.
We will have heads of state and government and other **** level state dignitaries, human rights defenders, young people, civil society representatives, businesses, sportspeople, artists, so really a whole array of people attending this event.
We will be updating the programme, of course, as you can imagine that there will be updates, so I would also encourage you to regularly look at it just to outline some of the main things that will be happening.
On the first day, the 11th of December, there will be two pledging sessions where states will announce tangible commitments to advance human rights protection.
There are other sections taking place on those days.
There's one called Voices in Defence of Human Rights and that's where participants will share their stories, their testimonies and perspectives on the impact of the Universal Declaration.
On the 12th of December there will be an opening ceremony involving a discussion with Heads of State and that will be monitored, moderated by the **** Commissioner.
This will be followed by 4 round tables on pressing human rights issues, the future of human rights, peace and security, digital technologies, climate and environment and development and the economy.
Just to highlight some of the practical details, and I know that Rolando is issuing or has issued A detailed note with that.
But to say that it will be an accessible event with sign line, international sign language interpretation, real time captioning and simultaneous interpretation into the six UN official languages.
Also important to stress that this of course is taking place in Geneva, but we have conceived it as a global event.
So there will be links to regional hubs in Bangkok, Nairobi and Panama and also the entire event will be accessible through a virtual human rights centre that will enable up to 3000 people to take part online.
I think I'll leave it there.
Obviously, we remain at your disposal should you have further questions relating to this event and we hope to see you there.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Indeed, lots of interesting things coming up the next few days.
As noted, there is a note to correspondence which I see has not just been sent, but we'll have that.
It contains all sorts of logistical information in terms of media accreditation, which shouldn't affect you, but indeed for travelling journalists, as well as TV, photo, radio, other arrangements that are being put in place specifically for this event on 11 and 12 December.
So you should have that in your inbox soon.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, Thanks, Rolando, and thanks, Liz.
Just to be clear on that, so most of the heads of state and government will speak remotely from this hub or quite a bunch of them coming as well for the Global Refugee Forum and will be able to speak in the room.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Actually there will be an address remotely by the Prime Minister of Thailand.
But if you consult the agenda, you will see that there are a number of heads of state listed there and the majority of those will indeed be be in Geneva will be taking part.
You'll see also from the the advisory and the the first day events take place in Room 20 and then on the second day we'll have the opening ceremony in Room 20 and then a couple of round tables in room 20.
But there will also be things happening in room 19.
So there is a very detailed agenda.
[Other language spoken]
But just to say, yes, we do have a number of heads of state.
We have about four vice presidents attending, a number of prime ministers and about 50 ministers of foreign affairs.
But also, as I said, it's also important to to stress that we have, you know, a whole array of people attending from civil society, young people, businesses, etcetera.
So yeah, I would advise you to look at the agenda.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thanks very much.
Liz Antonio of FA has a question.
Well, it's about the same thing.
The head state that are attending are the ones that are talking in the, in, in all the panels or there will be also some others.
Yeah, If you look at the agenda and it this really primarily relates to the the second day or when you do have the opening ceremony with the heads of state and it will be opened by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Alan Bercy and the **** Commissioner for Kotok.
You'll see that there will be a discussion with heads of state in the room and then it moves to the round tables that that address these pressing issues.
As I as I've said, you will see that there are panellists taking part and then there are people also sort of on the agenda as respondents.
So they will also be participating.
So there is there is quite a detailed list of of people who are in the room and will be taking part in these very important discussions.
Great question also from Nick, New York Times.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And Liz, just wanted to check, I mean there's reference in this note to pledging sessions.
What sort of pledging are you expecting to see there?
And is there any involvement of of funding for OHCHR in this or is there something completely different?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, the, the, the word pledge obviously usually sort of suggests money, but I think it's important, it's something that the the colleagues have been working particularly on this, have stressed that pledging takes all manner of forms.
It's it's really commitments on a whole array of issues.
And there have, we're expecting about 120 states to present their pledges in person during the two days.
But also there are pledges from civil societies and national human rights institutions that so, so the pledges that are coming in, they cover the entire spectrum of human rights, civil and political, economic, social and cultural.
We really do think this is important.
It's something that the office and our field offices have been working very closely with different stakeholders to, to highlight the kinds of issues that may be put forward.
But to just give you an example of the kinds of pledges that we may see, it could be sort of a promise to review or introduce key legislation.
It could be increased facing budgets for human rights and, and that means, you know, within within a country, for example, it could be ratifying human rights conventions and optional protocols.
And that is obviously really important.
We're really talking about the treaty body system there.
And it could of course mean making a financial contribution to the UN human rights office.
And of course, that would be that would be welcome.
We are gathering that there are a huge number.
And if I can just make it clear that the the pledges that are made by states will be made public on our Human Rights 75 website.
But this will only happen after the event.
And I think, you know, this is really sort of logistics because the colleagues working on this will have to collate them and upload them.
But there will be a public record of the pledges.
And I think this is important because these are pledges that that are not just made and then should just lie there in a in a sort of a virtual draw, as it were, but they should be used by civil society in a particular country, all kinds of representatives to really go back and and and push the advocacy.
[Other language spoken]
Great thanks to you, Liz, Much appreciated.
Of course, lots of possibilities, lots of important stories coming out of these two days next week.
So do TuneIn and of course, Liz and ourselves.
We'll keep you informed on with practical and substantive information.
[Other language spoken]
OK, we'll turn now to our colleague who you know well.
And we thank you again for joining us.
[Other language spoken]
We have also Tarek on the line from WHO?
Maybe Tarek, do you want to start or?
Thank you very much, Rolando.
No, not really.
I think the reporters have received yesterday the statement issued.
There was a press briefing last evening.
If you have not followed, let us know and we can send the recording of that.
And now I will give the floor immediately to doctor people going to tell us about the current health situation in Gaza.
Thank you very much, Tarek.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I'm here since last Thursday and we of course had hoped that that that EU return pause would be extended and unfortunately not.
And I can tell you that the situation now in Rafa visit the hospitals, moved around etcetera, working with my team on medical distribution of most of the essential medical supplies, working on trying to set up an kind of referral system, working with emerging medical teams, etcetera.
And the situation is, is getting worse by the, by the hour.
I mean, like there's intensified bombing going on all around, including here in certain areas, hand units and even in a Rafa, even what I've seen over the last couple of days that we see an increasing, fastly increasing number of Idps coming from the so-called middle area and, and even now the southern areas towards furthermore to the to the South.
And, and a lot of people, I mean desperate and, and, and almost in an, in permanent state of, of shock in, in, in less than 60 days.
What we're talking now, we're talking almost about 16,000 people killed of it's more than 60% women and children and, and more than 42,000 people injured etcetera.
And, and we, we know the statistics on average a child is killed every 10 minutes in Gaza.
And, and I think in that sense, we we and, and, and I think we are close by.
[Other language spoken]
And and this it has been the message, I think from WHO the UN in general, this bombings and I would say and senses lost lives must stop now.
[Other language spoken]
Maybe I want to say something about maybe our biggest concern and that is the the vulnerability, the vulnerability of an and looking it for a health perspective, the vulnerability of the health infrastructure.
So the health infrastructure in Gaza, the health system is crippled as we all know that hardly that actually hardly any functional health facility in the north.
There's Allah, there's Al Ahli Arabi Hospital, which is completely overcrowded and is, is working as a, as a, as a trauma stabilisation course, as a trauma centre.
And the, the grave, the reports we get from that hospital are deeply concerned with hundreds of patients flocking to that hospital, multiple trauma cases as a lack of supplies, lack of support and everything we hear about very concerns and, and we refer to verify about situation about Kamal Kamal or Ghadwan hospital.
And if you look around, there's hardly any hospital there left.
So we we've seen what happened in northern Gaza and, and, and of course we're deeply concerned that this cannot be and should not be a blueprint for the South.
I mean, we went from 3500 beds in Gaza to less than 15 hundreds, probably way less than we cannot afford any other loss of hospital beds.
I mean in the health needs are are soaring.
I mean, I was myself in National Complex and I can tell you and that is supposed to be better than the European Gaza hospital.
Those are the two, I would say key hospitals from the 12 hospitals in southern Gaza.
The the the department, the emergency ward was completely congested and, and, and people screaming and and, and and and and yelling.
[Other language spoken]
For me, it was a kind of horror zone where you walked in and over worse under capacitated health working workers doing what they what, what they, what they do, patients on the floor not getting the treatment they should get, etcetera.
I mean, it's it will beyond belief.
And then the hospital grounds are also full with with Idds backup and C rates.
I mean, they're, they're all over 200%.
And maybe if you look at the two major hospitals in the South, there's 350 bed Nasser medical hospital getting close to 1000 patients and 1000 people sheltering.
And then the European Gaza hospital, again 370 beds hospital which included actually a COVID field hospital from a couple of years ago and also 1000 patients and an and an estimated 70,000 people sheltering there.
The last point I want to raise is all linked to this vulnerability.
So the key message is this health infrastructure need to be protected.
We are extremely concerned about the European Gaza hospital which we cannot afford to lose.
In contrary we need to ask that's that's why emergency medical teams are very slowly coming in.
We have to expand the back capacity from 1500 or less than 1500 back in 2000 back to 2500, etcetera and and and get more supplies, medical supplies in and of course we did the displacements.
So let me then actually finish the whole thing with the displacement and, and we see the crowds moving, moving from the middle area and from the southern area now as well going back further down, down South.
We, we already, we can count on that.
We already see many infectious diseases and and and some of the numbers we see close to what we have recorded up to now 120 thousand acute respiratory infections over 20 close to 26,000 people with scabies and lies 86,000 cases of diarrhoea specifically under under under 5 the 4344 thousand, which is much 20 to 30 times higher than you would expect on average.
I think very concerning ABC cases of jaundice eleven 11150 they are all syndromic management.
So we have to check what exactly is this chicken pox skin rash.
That's right.
And and even meningitis all based on one of the 11 case, all based on on clinical diagnosis because lab facilities are malfunctional.
We're trying to get, we will try to get a mobile lab in and and also trying to export samples to to Egypt.
I want to leave it there for a moment.
Over to you.
Thank you very much, Richard.
Another sober update, but very important for important messages there.
I should mention that James Elder of UNICEF is online.
He is currently in Cairo and he perhaps can explain why he's there.
But I, before we take questions and there are a few hands going up here, I just wanted to remind you of the statement that we issued late last night from the Secretary General and of which he, of course, echoes the need very much the need for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire, expresses his deep alarm at the resumption of hostilities and calls on all parties to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.
So that statement is in your inbox.
We'll take a question right away from Nina Larson of AFP in the room.
Yes, hi, thank you for taking my question.
I was wondering, there was an issue yesterday of Doctor Tedros who sent out a message on X about the Israelis having ordered or asked The Who to empty the warehouses in the South, something that the Israelis have have denied.
Could you tell us where you you are?
You are with that?
[Other language spoken]
In what form did you receive this this order?
And are you actually in the process of emptying the warehouses?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
This is a bit of a background so that from the start of this crisis as WHL we wanted to be as operational as possible.
So we, we secured 2 warehouses in Khan units directly almost after the first week to be sure that OK, we, we realise it's going to be an, a maritime humanitarian initiative and make sure that we have warehouse because we couldn't use our warehouse in the north in Gaza City anymore.
So we straight away.
Identified 2 adjacent warehouses in, in Han units together.
And that's how we got very quickly the supplies in.
And, and you've seen this, I think WHL was the first to, to substantially distribute medical supplies to the north to Shiva and, and to our loads twice, but also to the hospitals in the South, I mean almost 9 Times Now.
And and that was the reason, of course, you need this warehouses.
We have a small team which did incredibly magic things that and being operational in incredible unsafe and and environment.
So that's how we how we work now for movements.
Currently this end safe movements, movements have to be notified.
So the day before yesterday we notified that we wanted to bring some supplies from our warehouse to assist an MSF team and to assist on unrung facilities.
Then yesterday morning we were, we were informed like, well you better remove as much as as possible.
Then we clarified and then we were advised and asked, yeah, your warehouses are in an area where the population was, was well was told to evacuate and would most likely become an area of active combat in the coming days.
So when you are of course, asked or advised by any harming to to OK, this is your time, you have 24 hours and and, and after that you will not be, it's very unlikely you can reach your warehouse anymore.
So of course you comply and you comply.
We comply because also we want to, we want to make sure that we can actually deliver essential medical supplies.
So immediately we we, we look around for another place which is very difficult.
We were first thinking about, you know, getting a tent etcetera was impossible.
Fortunately we identified a smaller warehouse in, in Rafa and then we immediately worked on the plants in, again in pretty unsafe environments to get almost 90% of our medical supplies out of our, of our much better, I would say much more professional warehouses we had there.
So we removed them to the to, to the smaller warehouse and that is now the only warehouse we have.
And yesterday another truck with medical supplies session medical Trump supplies came in.
So we straight away also of course made sure that truck went to the to our new warehouse.
We have to reorganise that new warehouse.
We have to not such an easy thing with with the small team and we have to make sure that we start going again, that we, we, we get our supplies in, get new supplies in and we work from that new white birdhouse as good as possible.
So really, unfortunately, the, the, the supplies we were intended to distribute to to and the MSF team and to the Unride team, that had to be aborted and we are reorganising and trying to work as quickly as possible.
I also want to make what we removed 90% including a small consignment from UNFPA.
We were managed to get that out as well.
They're all there.
And over the coming days, we are planning to, to, to, to distribute some of those supplies to a number of hospitals in the South.
We also hope that we can bring some supplies in, in, into the north in, in, in Alafi Hospital where it's so much needed.
Of course, it all will depends on the, on the security issues and if we're able to do that, over to you.
[Other language spoken]
Just take this opportunity to remind you also, in case you haven't seen it, they update as well as a statement from our colleagues from UNRWA on the bombardment in southern Gaza in the increased mass displacement which we shared with you last night.
Nina, did you have a follow up before we turn to Emma afterwards?
[Other language spoken]
All right.
Thank you very much for clarifying that.
But could, could you say how you received the message from the Israelis and and why would they be denying the fact that they they asked you to to empty this warehouse?
[Other language spoken]
Well, I would not go into those details, but I think you, you know, maybe you should not ask me, but I think it's this is the issue how it works if you get advice or asked, I mean like like that, What do you do?
I mean, you want to use the medical supplies.
You want to because the medical supplies is the essential lifeline for hospitals and for patients.
This is what we are, this should be our top priority to get a sustained, A sustained line of the most essential medical supplies, trauma supplies, essential drugs etcetera into Gaza.
And then when in Gaza that we are able to distribute it to the to the hospitals and maybe even the future some of the fields or the the EMTs and related field hospitals etcetera.
That is our role.
And I would argue not only to southern Gaza, I would also hope the the few barely remaining hospitals functioning in, in, in northern Gaza.
So that is of course then you gather the information, you do what you have to do.
You there's no choice.
You remove that immediately and you make sure that you can start working from the other side.
What we of course hope that we will be able to future use our more professional warehouses again and that we can start operating again on a much bigger scale.
Over to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Richard, how critical is the supply situation now?
I know you've got some stocks, but how long will they last?
And is any aid coming in at all from the outside, medical aid since fighting resumed?
And also about foreign doctors and healthcare workers, do you need them?
Has there been any requests to get them in?
Would this be helpful?
May I ask one for James or is that for later?
Why don't you go ahead and pose your question to James now?
Then we'll start off with Richard, though.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, James, thanks for joining us again.
I wanted to ask about the IDF safe zones.
How safe are they really?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, I think your, your question about isn't of course a very good question.
And I just want to say WHO is, is, is among the one UN leading in coordinating health.
We do that of course, big partners and and James will be talking from UNICEF and of course UNICEF is one of the key partner also UNFPA Anra, I want to say please support UNRAP because without UNRAP the, the, the, the Unitarian situation will be so much worse.
And, and they need to be supported in always possible to make make sure that they can maintain an operation.
So are we, so are the other ones, but I want to also make it strongly for UNRAP WP etcetera now and and other partners.
So we work together on this, on this supplies.
There is definitely our supplies they're coming in, but we have more in the pipeline and that has been discussed many times for this kind of humanitarian disaster where we are in and an increasing and increasing disaster, we need much more supplies and equipment in and not just medical supplies, essential supplies, food supplies, water, fuel, etcetera.
We know that and also non food items.
I mean, like you can see that I think it has been shared.
So we coordinate with with all the other key partners and, and, and try to make sure we get it in as much as possible.
[Other language spoken]
And then your, your, your question this relates to there has been of course a flash appeal for 1.2 billion WHO letter the health part for 220 million and then was asked to also come with their own plan.
Our own plan is for 108 million for, for 90 days.
And, and our plan focuses very much on three areas.
And, and the first focus is of course, that we have to make sure that a current system, that the existing system, the crippled system, the system on its knees, that it's, that it works, that it becomes vital again and that it's weak, that it can expand, but that it keeps working without the existing system.
I want to make this point very clear, etcetera.
We are looking at an increase in humanitarian disaster.
So we cannot, we can't afford what had happened in the north.
The, the one by one malfunctionality of hospital is absolutely cannot happen in the in the South.
So strengthening that system and making sure there's some sustained supplies coming in, making sure that we, we, we support the system as good as possible.
And as we expand the number of beds from the 1400s, there's now going to 2002 1/2 thousand for the situation we are in, we actually need 5000 beds.
We will not get there.
That's over ambitious.
But get back to 3003 1/2 thousands hospitals already doing this now.
So medical with Gaza, they they have erectus tents next to the hospitals in NASA you see 2 from 25 beds, so an extra 50 beds assessment.
Besides that emergency and medical teams.
There's a few inside the Jordan from the Jordan government close to NASA medical hospital there, the ICSC, they work from the European, European Gaza hospital in small NSF is assisting also the Emiratis came in.
I was at the opening of the hospital in, in Rafa and and very advanced type of hospitals in in Rafa, which should help also should help that the number of most critical patients can hopefully be referred to those hospitals.
So that's a component.
So yes, we need more in medical emergency medical teams in a coordinated fashion and the emergency medical teams should be linked to those existing 12 hospitals and maybe even to some primary healthcare.
The the International Medical Corps is setting up a small hospital linked to a primary healthcare facilities as WHO we try to also help coordinate that and focus that.
The third part is of course the referral and I want to get back to the services.
We have to make sure that we restore the service and we should not think only a trauma and a multiple trauma cases, but also make sure that Primary Health care level and the Unruff facilities, the government facilities they start operating, think about, think about vaccinations, modern child health, emergency obstetric care, non chronicle disease, diabetes, et cetera.
Linked to that, we have to think about referral, internal referral within Gaza.
That's why we want to help again with for example, referring more critical patients from Al Athli to some hospitals in the South.
But also the second part is outside Gaza into Egypt to set up a system based of course on priority where hospitals can be relieved and and patients really in need get the care they deserve.
So being being referred to in Egypt, there's some other served countries who have reached out and they say we are willing to take up some patients from there, etcetera.
Well, that should be quickly sorted out as well.
I think this is, I think for me, I I think Borsa, any other question related to this?
No, I think I think that covers it.
[Other language spoken]
We do have a question for for James though, but thank you very much.
Well, I'm sure we'll be coming back to you soon.
[Other language spoken]
Hi there.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Hi, everyone.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, it's a really important question, Emma.
I think there's the first part, of course, is the first promise that's been made.
And, and the the guarantee that that we heard from those with the influence around this was that we would not see the level of death and destruction of women and children and, and, and homes that in the South that we saw in the North.
Now, unfortunately, as I've borne witness to and that is continuing today, that is absolutely not the case.
The this war on children has resumed with a ferocity at scale beyond anything we've seen in the South and certainly at a horrendous part of anything in the North.
Now that then of course leads us to to your question on on so-called safe zones.
Now Israel has an obligation, of course, to take all feasible measures to protect the civilian population and they have apparently chosen that their precaution will be evacuation.
Moving to these so-called safe zones.
Now, first, as the United Nations has said a couple of weeks ago, these zones cannot be safe nor humanitarian when unilaterally declared.
Let's look at where we are now, because it's a critical message that we're hearing, that Gazans are hearing, that leaflets are hearing, and that we are being told it's the answer to safe zones under IHL, when the place you evacuate people to must have sufficient resources for survival, that's medical facilities, water and food.
So that is that.
[Other language spoken]
If it's only free from bombardment, as some zones have not been, it's a safe zone when you can guarantee the conditions of food, water, medicine, and shelter.
Okay, now I've seen for myself these are entirely, entirely absent.
You cannot overstate this.
These are tiny patches of of barren land or there's St corners, there's sidewalks, they're half built buildings.
There is no water, not a little bit.
There's no water, no facilities, no shelter from the cold and the rain.
You will turn around 1:00 morning, two hours later there is 5000 people where they weren't, where there where there was no one previously.
And critically in these places, Emma, there's no sanitation.
So currently in a shelter in Gaza, for example, with 30,000 people, there's around one toilet for 400 people.
So adolescence girls will queue for four or five hours.
Now remove those, remove those people and put them in one of the places I mentioned, the so-called safe places.
It's 10s of thousands of people without a single toilet.
Not one.
No clean water, nothing to drink now.
So of course without water, without sanitation, without shelter, these so-called safe zones risk becoming zones of disease.
WHO just expressed there the the 30-40 times we're already seeing of diarrheal diseases and certainly the war zone that is hospital does not allow children to seek attention there.
So we have the perfect storm for disease, disease outbreak.
Remembering, of course, in this specific case of Gaza, Israel is the occupying power.
It's they who have to provide food, water, medicine.
So now given we're talking about hundreds of thousands of people right now, this minute, who are moving somewhere with bombardments at scale, 200 a day yesterday, aerial bombardments as we speak.
The only possible way to create safe spaces in Gaza that are truly safe, that protect human life is for the **** to stop raining down from the sky.
Only a ceasefire, only a ceasefire is going to Save the Children of Gaza right now.
So to be clear, in the current context of the so-called safe zones, they are not scientific, they are not rational, they are not possible.
And I think the authorities are aware, are aware of this.
I think it's callous, I think it's cold, and I think it reinforces the indifference towards children and women in Gaza.
And I've seen in hospitals from the South to the north that that indifference is lethal.
It's heartbreaking and it's confounding.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very, very much, James.
And just to recite one line from the secretary general's statement, which again, was shared with you last night, at present, he says for the people ordered to evacuate, there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on.
That's in the statement of the secretary general.
OK, We have quite a number of questions still.
We have Nick of the New York Times online.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I'm sorry to to labour the point, but coming back to what the Israelis did or didn't say, I mean, in their tweets they said that the UN authorities were advised explicitly and in writing.
It wasn't clear from what they put online what it was, what they made clear.
But the inference was that there had been explicit advice that you didn't need to evacuate the warehouse.
And I just want to come back and be sure if you could, what what the situation was in respect to the advice that they provided in writing.
And secondly, I just also wanted to ask what kind of medical supplies are reaching the North at this point?
Have you been able to get any deliveries of medicine to the hospitals in the North since hostilities resumed?
Thank you, Richard, over to you.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Well, you know, let me again make make this point.
I mean, like we so when you're when you make a movement and I think I I already you notify you notify every moment and you do that the day before as we did.
And then if the next morning and that was actually to bring supplies as I as I informed already to the MSF and to and run.
Then when you get informed like you better remove I mean as much as possible and then maybe further clarify as as well.
[Other language spoken]
The two the two warehouses, they are in the location Khan Unas where people were forced to evacuate and very likely military dead 50s will take place.
So the issue that we advise ask you to take as much supplies as possible.
When of course, when when the Army asks you that, I mean, that is you have to comply.
I mean, you have to comply for the reasons that we want to be able to serve the people.
We want to be able to make sure that we can deliver the supplies to the place where it's needed.
And then when you hear you.
You have to spend for 24 hours to do that because the hostility in that area, active manager might, might start in within a day and then you will not be able to reach your warehouse, your warehouses to, to make your movements from there.
So that's how it works.
And then of course, we, we, we took out and we took out almost 90% the supplies and really had to work hard to do that.
[Other language spoken]
It's not a nice movement.
And we, we had to abort the mission we were planning to do to bring supplies to the, to the hospitals where it was, where it was needed.
And 1st at that, we have to find a new place, which we which we were lucky to do to get.
[Other language spoken]
We get new goods in there as well.
We have to completely reorganise.
[Other language spoken]
We had very little time to do that in an incredibly unsafe environment to get them out.
So we managed to do that etcetera.
And from there we are now reorganising that that warehouse and we will move on.
What I want to stress, the sad thing is like we were operational from the start.
We had these two really good warehouses.
That's where we want to work from.
That's where we should be able to work from.
That's where we should be able to distribute to the people who need it and the hospitals who need it.
And so we want to go back as quickly as possible and use the warehouses, although that's possible.
We we need to continue, we need more warehouse, we need more supplies and all your questions like when facilities resumed, we are planning, we are planning to assist our athlete.
We have not yet been able to do so.
So we are planning for that.
That, of course, needs careful planning and we can only do that when, when, when it is notified and when we are sure that we can go there.
We are not only, we not only want to bring the medical supplies to that area, which is absolutely needless because we, we have information from people inside a likely and from outside who visited.
That situation is incredibly grim.
Over the last couple of days, hundreds of trauma patients came in and I'm not even sure from this morning.
We also need to, we are also asked to, to get patients out to get some of the most complex trauma case and other cases out to places in the, in the South.
So we are planning for that.
We have, it hasn't happened yet now And also I want to, I think James just before we made it very clear and I, I don't, I don't think I have anything to ask to, you know, how we discuss the safe zone and safe zones.
We're, I'm in completely agreement with him.
[Other language spoken]
I've been here almost three years as the OH, over three years and nine months.
I come in Gaza every month, a week.
I know that area that's absolutely not fit as he described, but even everything he describes was right.
So I don't want to go echo in details that I think the the the UN and the humanitarian organisations have been pretty clear on, on, on this as well.
Over to you.
[Other language spoken]
OK, we have a few more questions, Antonio from Spanish news agency.
[Other language spoken]
And now that the situation is deteriorating in the South of Gaza, are you afraid that hospitals in cities like Hanjunis could be an objective of attacks and it it may have to be evacuated like the ones in general have to be in there recent weeks?
[Other language spoken]
I think, of course we are all concerned and and I'm not even, I don't even want to talk about attacks because that's, you know, like it's a better.
I mean, it's more like, why does an hospital become dysfunctional?
An hospital becomes dysfunctional because first of all, patients cannot reach it anymore.
Health workers cannot properly work from an hospital because there's a because it's too insecure, the environment becomes too insecure.
There's a lot of active military actions around that.
It's because there is a combination of the lack of supplies, the lack of fuel for those hospitals, exhaustive stuff, overflow of patients.
That's how hospitals become slowly dysfunctional and we have seen a better in the North.
And yes, I think WHL came out with a statement on, on, on, on specifically on the protection, the need for protection of health facilities, health facilities and health infrastructure with his on his knees, which needs to be protected.
And, and I think referring to it also, Jay, for saying about if we need to protect, we need to protect those sensitive infrastructure, if it is health, if it is of course education and and all kind of other infrastructure which is needed for the population.
It's a desperate and, and completely desperate situation.
And moreover, so, yeah, we are concerned that hospitals will become partly dysfunctional.
What we've seen in veteran in the North, they are already partly functional, that they will become more partly dysfunctional and slowly become dysfunctional.
And with almost 2 million people on an incredibly small place etcetera, we cannot afford to lose any health facility, any functional health facility in any hospital that in contrary we need to expense, we need to we need to assist expand the number of best assist with emergency medical teams in in combination on that and make sure that this cripples health infrastructure on it.
These will be slowly standing up again and provides basic services to a population in need.
And I'm not even talking about we, we hardly talk, for example, on other topics like that, the whole area of reproduction, maternal and child health, the area of mental health, the psychosocial support, you're not even addressing that, which already was a huge, a huge area of under services in, in, in Gaza with everything what's happening here.
We talked about the, the risk of infectious diseases and epidemics.
I think we, we alluded to that.
We don't even talk about the risk.
So we have to restore an update.
And yes, we are very, very deeply concerned about the vulnerability of the system and that we will, we will, we will witness a pattern what happened in the north that cannot happen.
It should be protected.
Over to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Christian of German news agency.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Mr Peppercon, probably a very short 1.
Can you tell us how the supply side has changed since the resumption of hostilities?
Are you getting the same amount of trucks with supplies in and I presume it's easier to get it to the warehouse because it's closer to the border?
Or is the supply disrupted by the resumption of hostilities supply across the border?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, I don't have the full details on that one.
I should also check with my and Ryan Ocha colleagues who actually are in WFP with more overview.
During the pause we definitely saw more trucks coming in and I think after the pause we saw less trucks and also the the fuel was actually halved from 120,000 litres to 60,000 litres.
So which is I would say absolutely a critical issue that that is restored to levels which we would which is needed.
So we definitely when ourselves to start the VFC again and kind of a reduction in a number of trucks.
I need to get the full details on that specifically over to you.
[Other language spoken]
There, Christian.
There are some details in the latest update, flash update from OCHA, which you have at your disposable.
You can always liaise with Yens here should you have specific questions.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, can you hear me there?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I was wondering, Sir, just to follow up on Nina and Nick's questions, the movement that you describe was the paperwork cleared through the political Military Liaison unit of OCHA in Jerusalem, rather than WHO?
And secondly, with reference to one child being killed every 10 minutes, can you give us the latest figures on how many children have been killed and injured since the resumption of hostilities after the end of the pause?
[Other language spoken]
So I think on your first question, there's no paperwork on this.
I mean like it's and no, this was in direct contact with The Who here in in Gaza with my team and my and myself on the on the on the number of people killed.
I think I mentioned that.
So we close to 16,000 people killed off it.
60% is women and children.
You asked about the resumption.
I have to guess those they assured after details.
I don't have them actually in front of me, but we will if needed.
We will get back to you and you maybe you send me a text and I'll get back to that details.
Well, it's by the way, difficult to estimate.
I mean, as, as we all know, that's the normally you get these figures from the Ministry of Health and, and, and, and already for a number of days, it's much more based on, on, on, on estimates.
It's much more difficult for them.
And we get those figures also ourselves later.
But if needed, why don't you contact me directly and I will try to follow up that one over to you.
Thanks very much for that, Richard.
Further questions before we close this.
[Other language spoken]
We have one additional question from AFP and yes, in the room here.
[Other language spoken]
But this would be a question for Tariq.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So it's not exactly on what is going on now in in Gaza, but more on what is scheduled for Sunday, I think Sunday in Geneva.
There is a special session of the Executive Committee of the Bleacho.
So we would like to know if you could give us the list of the 15 if we can, if we can just finish with Doctor Peppercorn questions for him.
And then I I think we've tarek, I think we might have exhausted questions for Doctor Peppercorn.
So, yeah, if you wouldn't mind maybe answering that question on the Sunday meeting, go ahead.
Anya, sorry, please.
[Other language spoken]
So, so my, my question was to know if you could give us the, the list of the 15, give us the, the list of the 15 countries that have requested that session.
And if you have any information of what kind of decision they're going to to talked about, if you have any information about that, if there is a draught decision or anything about what they want to discuss, I know they will discuss the humanitarian situation, but if they want to take any more step any decision.
[Other language spoken]
So, so the, the, the, the, the list of member states that have proposed this special meeting or executive board has been shared with the executive board members, but not yet with the, with all the member states of WHO.
So we can make public this list only once all member states are informed.
So once that happens, we will, we'll make that list public.
Now when it comes to the, to the outcome, and we don't know what will be the outcome, if there is any document that is being proposed for discussion, this, this will be posted on our website.
And the, the rule is that this has to be 48 hours at least before the meeting.
So, so there is still time until Friday to see if any document will be proposed for for executive board members to to discuss.
That's very helpful.
[Other language spoken]
Tarek, I take this opportunity maybe.
Well, we have a couple of questions.
I was going to thank Doctor Peppercorn, but maybe a couple questions if you're still online from Catherine, maybe this has to do with this Sunday meeting.
Catherine Franz Wancat Yes, thank you.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, it's a follow up on the question of Vanius.
[Other language spoken]
My question is who is going to be or contact point from who is it you or someone else?
Because will there be a kind of briefing after the meeting as we don't know when it will exactly end or are you going to issue a document?
It would be very helpful to know in advance what's what the process is going to be?
[Other language spoken]
Well, what I, what I can say is that the, the, the session of the executive board will be on a live stream.
So unless decided otherwise by by executive board members, you can just contact any of us from the media team and we will, we will be, we will be happy to to assist this.
As we said in the media advisory, it's a hybrid format and members of the executive board will decide that whether they what kind of presence they will have, whether it will be a virtual presence or, or in person presence.
When it comes again to the to the to the outcome, we still don't know what what the outcome will be, but whatever it is, we'll make sure it's communicated to to to journalists.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
This is for Doctor Peep Con and it's just a very quick one.
I wonder if you could just tell us exactly where you're briefing us from and what kind of a team you've got with you there?
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for that question.
So I'm in Gaza, I'm in Gaza, I'm in Rafa actually actually moment at the the Unrung where the centre of Unrung and most UN and even some NGOs are operating for it was actually it still is a primary healthcare clinic and and we are all actually operating from the top from there.
Yeah, I have a team and and in Gaza WH OS team of 2627 actually national staff.
We have 6 internationals here, logistics person and one person on emerging medical teams team lead for Gaza and public health physician, A trauma surgeon, a trauma surgeon also deputy and incident manager and myself as SRAP.
We, we will be of course we set up the rotation scheme for the international.
We are the I think for my I just want to make a point as well because it's affecting everyone, this crisis and I think James, I think described it as very graphically and I hope myself as well and all this place too well, specifically all the the health sector, health infrastructure from my national staff from the 27th.
I think that we have at least I think 10 who are amazingly, they were operational from the start.
I mean, like, I want to give them even the most credit.
When we were working to get supplies and supplies and constant this endless planning, they were the ones who were hiring us and, and, and ensuring that we got this weapons that we were operational, making sure that those goods and supplies went to to the, to all the the hospitals in in need, including the Shifa and all the aloofs etcetera.
And so they are, they are the, I would say the backbone together with the operation.
Fortunately, a number of the our nationals, actually all of our national staff are, of course they are just like any Gazan.
They're scarce, they're devastated what's happening.
Some of our staff have been already, they've been moved already four or five times, 457 moving from the north to Gaza City to, to to the middle area, to the South area to another place, etcetera.
They they'll be surrounded by by constants military activity and and and bombing etcetera.
So people are of course, everyone is devastated and expected.
I mean, for your information, we lost a staff member.
[Other language spoken]
She was 29 years old, a really fantastic professional and, and, and working in in in the trauma scene and and and and the right future and moving with her young husband and a young baby boy from six months from the north of Gaza to her parent home in the middle and middle area.
That whole house has been She was killed.
[Other language spoken]
Her husband was killed.
I'm sorry, Richard.
Your, your connection is is not terribly good, I'm afraid.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, I think, I think we're losing you, Richard.
I apologise for the there's a poor connection here.
Maybe maybe I should mention it would be perhaps remiss of me if I didn't cite a very grim statistic that is contained in the UNRWA update.
As of today, a total of 130 UNRWA colleagues have been killed, and that's since the 7th of October.
There were nineteen additional colleagues killed recently from UNRWA.
So as always, our deepest condolences go to all our colleagues at WHO, at UNRWA and, and of course throughout the Gaza Strip.
I, I apologise, Richard, if you can hear me.
I just wanted to thank you once again for joining us briefing our journalists here.
[Other language spoken]
So of course you're welcome to come back at any point in time.
I think on that note, we'll move on to the next subject, which is a update, or rather a announcement from a colleague from the Food and Agricultural Organisation in Rome, Elizabeta Betula Morello, who's a fishery officer at the FAO General Commission for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Miss Morello, over to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yes, indeed.
[Other language spoken]
I must say I'm extremely humbled by the previous interventions, but I go ahead.
[Other language spoken]
My name is Betula Morello and I'm Fishery Resources Officer at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, the GFCM.
The GFCM is the regional fisheries management organisation for the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and also a body of the of the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
And it has the objective of federating the efforts of 23 member countries towards ensuring the conservation and the sustainable use of marine living resources as well as the development of sustainable aquaculture.
As you or you all know, the men in the Black Sea is a region where there is a **** demand for aquatic foods in a long, very long tradition for fish consumption, both from fisheries and agriculture point of views.
And it's characterised by an incredible diversity in terms of traditions, cultures, but also fish species harvested and fishing practises.
And it's importantly considered a hotspot for for climate change impacts for the arrival of non indigenous species from elsewhere.
So the GFCM has a flagship publication.
And on Thursday 7th of December at 10 at 10 in the morning runtime, we will be presenting a special edition of this flagship publication which is entitled The State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries, Zomfi.
So what is ZOMFI?
ZOMFI is a strategic key report for fisheries in the Mediterranean, in the Black Sea and a tool for policy making in fisheries and aquaculture.
But fisheries up until now.
ZOMFI is published in 2016 and was able to identify a reversal in the trend in over exploitation of fisheries resources in the mid and Black Sea region.
And since then, it has reported a continuous improvement in the percentage of of stocks, fisheries stocks that are overexploited and this was found to be in line with the efforts for managing the stocks.
For the first time this year.
It will include an analysis of aquaculture as well as fisheries showing the importance of the two sectors combined.
So we will be reporting on the advances made from the application of 10 multi annual management plans and 10 fisheries restricted areas that have been adopted by GFCM over the years.
Confirming that effective management does pay off and is the path towards securing sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture.
So please join us at the launch of of SELFIE on Thursday at 10 AM.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
We do have a question for you from Ravi Kant.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Rolando.
Thank you, Rolando.
Madam, my question is about RFM was, you know, categorization of fishing activities of European Union, which has a lot of access agreements with several Mediterranean countries.
Now, does European Union's fishing activities beyond its EZ constitute some kind of problem in terms of the depletion of global fish stocks?
Because European Union also gives lot of subsidies for water capacity and water fishing subsidies.
So I, I just would like to know whether you have some information on this use of activities in Mediterranean Sea with because it has access agreements with several countries.
So these are subsidies contingent upon fishing.
So how would you characterise them?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for the question.
In terms of, of how we, how we address, let's say fisheries and fisheries management as an RFMO, we, we are overarching the, all, all the countries in the, in, in the Mediterranean.
And the management that is carried out is carried out at the level of specific fisheries.
And usually it's fisheries that involve transboundary or, or fish stocks that, that go from 1 country to the other.
So management plans that cover, for example, fisheries for bottom resources, the Mercer resources in the Strait of Sicily that manage fisheries equally between EU countries involved and other non EU countries such as Tunisia.
And the same applies to to for example, the Porter fisheries for shrimps and and fisheries for for black spot sea ream between Morocco and EU waters.
So we, we manage, we are there to ensure that there is correct management and and provide the scientific basis for coming up with appropriate management plans to manage these shared fish stocks.
Thank you very much.
Ravi, is that a follow up?
Is that her old hand?
[Other language spoken]
I just would like to know that does EU take appropriate management measures to ensure the bio stocks of the fisheries are again, you know, growing in a healthy state as I, as I mentioned before.
So the management plans that we adopt which are at the centre of this publication that will be will be launched on Thursday, cover in the same way EU and non EU countries in all countries in the Mediterranean according to the fishery specific stock.
And according to this, management plans are built based on scientific advice and based on what is actually required for a stock that is managed under a management plan to obtain sustainability.
So the the the, let's say the rules and the measures that are contained in these in these plans are the same for all and decided based on scientific advice.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks very much, Miss Morillo, and thank you very much for joining us.
Good luck with the launch on Thursday, the 7th of December on your report.
I have a few announcements as usual before we wrap up, just to point you to the various statements that we have shared with you pertaining to the Secretary General's interventions at the COP in Dubai.
We he spoke at the Mr Gutierrez spoke at various events and we shared statements with you, including an event on early warning systems and a **** level expert group of net 0 emissions at the group of 77 plus China meeting as well as a meeting of the group of landlocked developing states.
So all those statements are in your inbox.
The secretary general is currently back in New York here meetings.
We have the treaty bodies underway.
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination will this coming Friday conclude its session, at which point it will issue its concluding observations for the countries it reviewed, including Bolivia, Morocco, Germany, South Africa, Bulgaria, and Vietnam.
And the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families is meeting this coming Thursday, holding a meeting on the effects of climate change on the human rights of migrants.
So that's just Thursday at, I believe, 3:00 PM.
And then on Friday it will conclude its session, at which point it will issue its Glucuca observations for Uruguay, Kyrgyzstan, and Sao Toumei and Principe.
Maybe just a flag that in New York tomorrow there is a **** level pledging event for the Central Emergency Response Fund, the so-called SURF, which we've heard a lot about at these briefings.
Coming back here to Geneva tomorrow in this room at 11:00.
Volcker Turk, the **** Commissioner for Human Rights will brief you here, Mr Turk, at 11 AM here press conference.
And that is it from me if you have any questions otherwise I wish you a good afternoon and see you on otaha.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No, some of the journalists accredited Palladino, Zuni, Bokwan Osun Exige Davara not accreditation.
[Other language spoken]
OK, I will call Catherine and we come up to give you some details.
But as you know, we are responsible, that is information service responsible overall for the accreditation of journalists.
There is a special arrangement that has been put in place for E week which is currently underway at the Southeast E seje, but Catherine can expand on that.
Yes, we effective like credit assume I'm TPO complicate me CV OCCG on the system under the new the new competence of.
OCCG affect my senior on on on acceler long trade dollar dollar CCG control accreditation ceta CETA system key full in full affair the problem the security particular.
[Other language spoken]
Just a quick announcement, I've just learned on on my computer in the room that we may be able to issue a document, a short report by the IMF, World Bank, WTO and UNCTAD on digital trade and development.
I will give you more information.
It will be like a seminar presentation that and we will invite you all more details in the in the coming hours.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Catherine.
If there are no further questions, we can conclude this briefing today and I wish you a good afternoon.
[Other language spoken]