Thank you for joining us here at the UN
office at Geneva for this press briefing today.
Eighth of March, which is
International Women's Day.
Happy Women's Day to everybody.
We have a very packed agenda.
We'll start off immediately, as usual with Pascal Sim,
who has an update on the ongoing session of the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Rolando. Good morning, everyone.
And first of all, I would like to remind you that the
independent International Fact Finding mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran
issued today its first report as mandated
by the United Nations Human Rights Council
on November 24 2022. The Human Rights Council established a fact finding mission
and mandated it to investigate alleged human rights violation
in Iran related to the protests that began on
September 16th, 2022 especially with respect to women and Children,
and to present a comprehensive report on its finding during the 55th session.
the fact finding mission says that the violent
repression of peaceful protests and pervasive institutional discrimination
against women and girls has led to serious
human rights violations by the government of Iran,
many amounting to crimes against humanity.
Members of the fact finding missions are scheduled to present
this report to the Human Rights Council on Friday,
They will also hold a press conference in this room on Monday, March 18th at midday.
The full report of the Fact finding mission is
published online on the council's Investigative Bodies page,
And for more information on this report
and questions about the fact finding mission,
please contact my colleague Ahmad
whose contact information is in the press release
that we shared with you earlier today.
Today, the UN Human Rights Council is holding two panel discussions,
the first one this morning on countering religious hatred,
constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
High Commissioner Volker Turk is participating in this panel as well as Iran Khan,
the special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
And this afternoon we will have another panel discussion starting
at 415 this time on the right to Social Security.
At noon, you will hear from Alice Edwards, the special reporter on torture,
who will present you two reports
one on current issues and good practises in prison management
and the second one on a recent visit to Ukraine.
Ms Edwards will also give a press conference in this room at 1:15 p.m.
And just to remind you that on Monday we will continue our programme of work with our
Semetic experts. We will hear from Ms Eba
the new special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disability In the morning
and in the afternoon you will hear from AIA
Waris, the independent experts on foreign debt
I just want to remind you that the Human Rights Council
yesterday decided to adjust its working hours during the period of Ramadan
starting Monday, March 11th, the council will begin its morning meetings at 9. 30
in the afternoon. The meeting will run from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
so these adjusted hours will be maintained until the end
of this session which is scheduled on April 5th.
Thanks to you, Pascal, for that information and for the, uh,
practical information about the working hours, we do have a question for you from
Mami of Radio France International
OK, thank you very much, Pascal,
We'll now shift gears to the situation in Gaza
and actually the OPT in general occupied Palestinian territory.
We have Jeremy Lawrence of the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights with us,
who will provide an update an overall update on Gaza.
colleague from OH HR who's joining us from East Jerusalem.
has addressed you here before. But first, uh, Jeremy.
Thanks, Rollo. Uh, good morning, everyone.
we are entering the sixth month of a brutal conflict that has
destroyed the lives and homes of countless Palestinians as well as Israelis.
We fear that this already catastrophic situation may slide deeper into
the abyss as many Palestinians mark the holy month of Ramadan,
a period that is meant to honour peace and tolerance.
Should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into
where 1.5 million people have been displaced in deplorable subhuman conditions,
any ground assault on Rafa
would incur massive loss of life and would
heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes.
This must not be allowed to happen.
We also fear that further Israeli restrictions
on access by Palestinians to east Jerusalem
could further inflame tensions.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
repeats that there must be an immediate end to this
conflict and that the killing and destruction must stop.
The hostages who have now endured over 100 and 50 days of suffering and torment
must be released unconditionally and returned to their distraught families.
Israel as the occupying power,
must we repeat fully comply with
its obligations under international humanitarian law
to provide the increasingly desperate civilian population of Gaza
with the necessary food and medical supplies
if it is unable to do so,
ensure that the population has access
to critical life saving humanitarian assistance commensurate
Border crossings and corridors must be fully opened
and steps must be taken to ensure the free
and secure movement of aid convoys to civilians
wherever they are located within the Gaza Strip,
and needless suffering are to be averted.
Since the seventh of October,
parties to this conflict have paid little heed to international law
that protects human rights
and governs the conduct of hostilities.
has been a stain on the collective conscience of humanity.
The laws of war are clear
and must be respected at all times. And in all circumstances,
The High Commissioner reminds all states parties that under
article one common to the four Geneva Conventions,
to respect and ensure respect for the rules laid down by those conventions.
includes not only taking all available steps to ensure
full compliance by the parties engaged in hostilities,
but also means that states must not, through their own policies or actions,
the commission of violations of humanitarian law.
I'd now like to, uh, pass over to my colleague, uh, Ajit Suga.
is the head of our OPT office,
and he will talk to you about
the settlements report that we have just issued.
we are publishing a report on the Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank
detailing the drastic acceleration in
settlement building alongside oppression,
violence and discrimination against Palestinians.
there were reports that Israel plans to build a
further 3476 settler homes in the illegal settlements of Malay
in further violation of international law.
The report also highlights the dramatic increase in the intensity,
severity and regularity of Israeli settler
and state violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,
including east Jerusalem,
particularly since 7th October 2023.
is accelerating Palestinians displacement from their land.
The report finds that the policies of the
current Israeli government appear aimed at expanding long term
Israeli control over West Bank, including east Jerusalem,
and the steady integration and annexation of
occupied territory into the state of Israel.
we remind Israel that the transfer of population
of an occupying power into occupied territory,
the forcible transfer of the population within or
from occupied territory or the annexation of territory
by use of force are all strictly prohibited.
Officials and others involved in such
conduct risk individual criminal liability.
As the high Commissioner has repeatedly stressed,
Israel's unlawful action against the Palestinian population in the West Bank
Ajit. Uh, and of course, Jeremy, just before I turn, uh, to questions.
I just wanted to highlight a couple of, uh, messages.
In fact, uh, the Secretary General concerning Ramadan. I should point you
remind you that we shared with you earlier this week, uh, a
text of a video message on the occasion
of the beginning of Ramadan from the Secretary
beyond extending his warmest wishes to the millions of Muslims around the world
observing the holy month of Ramadan, which, as you know, commences
He expresses a special message of solidarity and support to all those suffering
from the horrors in Gaza.
In these trying times, he says, the spirit of Ramadan is a beacon of hope,
a reminder of our shared humanity.
That's the message from the Secretary General. And also a second,
a statement that I wanted to share with you or
draw your attention to Rather was the one which we
sent out last night. Uh, from, uh, Tor
Salon, the UN special coordinator
concerning, uh, the advancement of Israeli settlement plans
and through which he condemned, uh, the yesterday's yesterday's, uh actually,
the day before yesterday's reported advancements of the Israeli authorities
of plans for over 3400 housing units and settlements in the occupied West Bank.
This was a statement from Tor V
line, which we shared with you late last night.
OK, we'll start with questions. We have, uh, Yuri
Ale from Rio Novosti in the room over to Yuri.
Yes. Thank you, Rondo. And, uh, thank you, Jeremy, My question is for you.
you are talking about the risk of other
atrocious crimes. I think this is a new formulation.
This is the first time from your office I heard atrocious crimes.
I heard about war crimes,
but not this formulation.
And you are talking about the risk of others.
So that means that Israel has already committed atrocious crimes
Maybe that's a one for you, agit.
Uh, no, we have, uh thanks for the question. We have indeed, uh,
used, uh, atrocity crimes before it is it is atrocity crimes.
Um, we've used this before.
Um, we have mentioned that, uh, war crimes may have been committed, uh,
both in Gaza as well as in Israel.
That's also something that we have pronounced in the past.
um I think we have also used, uh, in in, at least in one or two instances,
that crimes of crimes against humanity may be committed.
And that is the atrocity crime
That there could be further of those, um, if the if the incursions into, uh,
Um, yes. My name is Satoko.
very much for doing this.
I just want to ask about the UN.
A has produced less than three.
produced a report documenting the condition and treatment of Palestinian
who were arrested and detained in Gaza
And I just wondering if you, um
um, having the access of the report and then if you read it, uh, what is your
assessment of the report?
I don't know if you had any comment on that, but I'll throw it to you then.
I can just generally say that the report is internal. It's it's not published yet.
So we we certainly haven't commented on it, but maybe Ajit,
if you had anything to add?
Uh, thank you. Um, the report, Uh,
I have seen the report. Um, and and I see some, uh, reports in the media as well.
Uh, what I can say is, uh, the report does talk about ill treatment, uh,
and potentially acts that, uh, may amount to torture.
the findings of the report uh
uh, resonates or or corresponds to
the findings of the information that our office has also gathered. Um, in in many
instances, it talks about allegations
of use of, uh, sleep deprivation, use of loud noises, denial of medical treatment,
enough quantities of of, uh, food, water.
and, uh, and also allegations of, uh, of, uh, torture and and, uh,
would also draw your attention to past statements that OT HR has made,
um, on this issue one on the 16th of December,
Um, followed by, uh, one on the 9/19 of January that I made also from Gaza,
and also the most recent statement of, uh,
uh, the high Commissioner to the, uh, Human Rights Council,
uh, where he also talks about, uh,
uh, detention and detention conditions of of Gazans in Israeli detentions.
we'll go to the platform. A couple of questions. Jan Uh, Herberman.
Uh, yes. Good morning. Uh, Jan Haberman. I write for various German media outfits.
Um, this is a question to the humanitarians on Gaza.
Uh, it's on, uh, US President Biden.
He announced yesterday that the US military should build a pier,
uh, at the shores of the Gaza Strip. And I was wondering,
um, what do you think about this move? Would this be an effective measure,
uh, to deliver more humanitarian aid?
Uh, into the Gaza Strip. Thanks.
Thanks for the question, Jan. Uh, Jens is not joining us.
I don't know if any of our colleagues who are online want to chime in on this,
I can echo what our spokesperson in New York said as well as Sigrid
and that, uh, we welcome, of course,
any effort to scale up the much needed humanitarian assistance, uh, to Gaza.
air and and sea deliveries are are not a substitute for for land deliveries.
And of course, our focus has been the focus of the industrial community.
Has should continue to be on the increasing large scale
distribution entry of aid by land. And it's it's cost effective.
And that's why we've been saying that from the very beginning.
Uh, but of course, any effort to increase um the much needed desperate, uh,
situation to alleviate the desperate situation in Gaza is certainly welcomed.
If there are colleagues who want to jump in, just throw up your hand.
We do have a couple of colleagues online,
but again, uh, jans is not, uh, connected.
So maybe you can liaise with him if you have further questions on that, um
that said, OK, let's turn to John Zara Costa,
Yes. Uh, good morning. Uh, I
was wondering in your, uh,
analysis and reporting from your S, uh,
national staff on the ground if you've collected our evidence or, uh,
testimonies of medical doctors having been tortured
while being interrogate, uh, in in captivity or being arrested,
uh, in Gaza and in the West Bank. And secondly, if you have any
on the number of amputees and how many of these
have been able to leave Gaza for special treatment,
I think It's around 1500. The last figure we were given
by the WHO on number of amputees. Thank you.
mean, uh, maybe I should note that we do have Tarik from WHO online, but I don't know if
AJ, if you wanted to make any comment before we turn to our colleague from WHO.
I, I wouldn't reveal the source, uh, whether it is, uh,
national staff or international staff or if it's other UN agencies.
Uh, I think, uh, it's less relevant at this point in time,
but, uh, what we do know is that yes, indeed, uh, medical, uh, officials, uh,
doctors, those who work in hospitals have also been detained.
Uh, they have also been subject of ill treatment.
Um, I can say that, uh, with a fair amount of confidence.
Thanks very much. Uh, Tarik, I
I don't know if you have any lines that you can share with us If,
limited. Thanks. Thanks for all the text, John. Uh, John, uh, on amputations.
Uh, I don't have anything more than, uh what? Uh, doctor
on on Tuesday on numbers that have been reported by the by the Ministry of Health.
If we get more information, I'll come back,
to you on that on the on the detention.
Well, I will definitely refer to our colleagues from the human rights office.
Uh, what we know is that, uh, uh,
118 health workers remain in detention
and that we are concerned, obviously,
and we are calling for their release and just to go back to the question on the access.
Uh, Rolando, you already,
the question of, uh, of, uh,
efficacy of different means of delivery.
I would just like to add that what is really important for
us as well is to be able to access hospitals once,
uh, humanitarian in this,
uh, in this case, medical supplies.
Uh uh, come into Gaza. Uh,
really, The problem was to reach hospitals
because of the delays because of security, clearance is not being given.
And because infrastructure being so, uh, so, so badly destroyed.
So, I, I just think that we have to really keep in mind that, uh, getting, uh,
Absolutely. Thanks very much. for? For adding that very, very crucial point.
Um good morning, everyone.
Uh, as Holland mentioned already, today is the International Women's Day.
has already said that this war in Gaza is also a war,
So if someone could elaborate on that And what are the main concerns
during this conflict in Gaza?
What message would you like to send in this symbolic day? Thanks a lot.
Actually, I believe we have a colleague from you and women who is, uh, connected.
Uh, maybe, uh, she could I think it's Helen. If I'm not mistaken is online.
Um, as you rightly point out, and as I mentioned at the onset, and today is indeed, uh,
International Women's Day.
It's a reminder to highlight the plight to
that women and girls face around the globe.
Of course, there is a message that I was going to,
uh, pronounce, uh, towards the end of this, uh, briefing.
If I could put my finger on it
from the Secretary General, Of course. Um,
specifically on Gaza. I there may be other colleagues who want to talk about this.
But his message is rather just to talk about,
it's necessary to, um, demolish bound, uh,
barriers and dismantle stereotypes and drive progress towards a
more just and equal or for women around the globe
and the highlights of many, many obstacles,
including in conflict areas that women face.
marginalisation and justice discrimination and persistent
epidemic violence against women disgraces humanity.
Uh, this is a statement of the, uh, secretary general,
which we shared with you earlier in multiple languages.
I know that Jeremy has something he wanted to add from the human rights point of view.
And if other colleagues want to chime in on this important point, please,
please raise your hand, Jeremy?
So the the high Commissioner has just delivered a an address,
A statement on this at the Human Rights Council.
I'd like to read out a couple of, um paragraphs from that
without women at the tables of power, there can be no peace,
In times of conflict, women keep families and entire communities together
bearing witness to their incredible resilience and strength
Courageous women, human rights defenders,
peace builders and women's organisations have powerfully led
efforts to build peace and spur social transformation.
at the negotiating tables,
making the peace and reconciliation decisions that matter today
the voices of women and girls remain marginal at best.
Enduring peace will only be built with women
The international community must urgently make this a reality.
That is, from the High Commissioner's statement this morning.
Thank you very much, Jeremy.
I'm not sure if other colleagues wanted to add in.
Uh, but of course, we'll be addressing this theme, uh, later on in this briefing.
But thanks for the question. Uh, Bianca, further questions on Gaza for either AJ
or Jeremy before we move to our next subject.
I don't see. That's OK, so thank you very, very much.
Jeremy and Ajit, as always for joining us,
you're always welcome to join us at this press briefing.
We'll now move to the situation in Mozambique.
Uh, James, elder of UNICEF is on the line.
I think maybe James, if you'd like to introduce, uh,
your colleague, um who joins us? I believe, um, from
Maputo. Uh, James, over to you.
Well, thanks so much. Morning, everyone. Yes, very quickly. Um,
guy is the chief of communication in Mozambique.
Speaking on a fairly critical situation now that has
been unfolding for quite some time in Cabo Delgado.
Thank you, James. Um, good morning.
So in the past month, uh, attacks and fear of attacks in capital
Delgado in northern Mozambique have triggered
the displacement of almost 100,000 people,
including more than 60,000 Children.
Children separated from their families are at risk of violence and exploitation,
including recruitment and use by armed groups.
More than 100 schools in Cabo
Delgado and the neighbouring Nampula Province have had to close due to insecurity.
And this is affecting the learning of more than 50,000 Children.
Children and families are being cut off from essential services including health,
nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene and child protection services,
and many of those forced to flee. More than 45,000 people have fled to
Nampula, the province immediately south of capital
And this is an area that's experiencing a cholera outbreak,
putting them at serious risk
In the chaos created by displacement,
many Children have become separated from their families.
has so far registered 182 cases of separated Children since the latest attacks in Tu
district on February 24th.
Working with partners and the government of Mozambique,
we have managed to reunify 57 families and we're following up and
providing care for those who have not yet been reunited with parents
without access to nutrition services.
Displaced Children experiencing severe acute malnutrition are at serious risk.
The psychological impact on Children and families is also tremendous.
Our teams on the ground in Capital Garda report that Children are traumatised.
They're having difficulty coping with the
hardships that they're experiencing.
is working closely with our UN partners and civil society
in supporting the operation of cholera treatment centres.
We're deploying mobile health brigades to deliver
immunisation and other central health services.
We're bringing clean water to those displaced through
water trucking and provision of water treatment supplies,
constructing emergency latrines and sanitation infrastructure,
setting up child friendly spaces where Children
can play and receive psychosocial support.
We're registering displaced Children, uh, for school Children distributing,
teaching and learning materials and setting up temporary learning spaces.
And we're sharing information via megaphone mobile media units, theatre groups,
religious leaders and community radio.
But the need is substantial. UNICEF estimates that $5
million is urgently needed to meet the immediate needs
of 90,000 people over the next 90 days.
No additional resources have been mobilised so far,
leaving the response under capacity and overstretched.
Thank you very much, guy.
In fact, maybe let's just stay quickly on the subject of Mozambique.
We have actually William Spindler
of the, uh, refugee agency who also wanted to address the situation in Mozambique.
And then we'll go to questions for both of you. William.
This is, uh, related to, uh, what UNICEF was briefing about, Uh,
because our High Commissioner,
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi
has just been to Mozambique, uh, to the area, uh, where the, uh,
displacement has happened, uh,
province of Cabo Delgado.
And he was also, uh, he was accompanied by the UN Secretary General,
uh, special advisor on solutions to Internal Displacement. Mr. Robert Piper.
we have a joint press release that you will be receiving
very shortly on their joint trip to Cabo Delgado and,
uh, the, uh, dramatic situation
faced by people who have been recently displaced by the violence, but also,
people who have been internally displaced, uh, by previous violence,
Uh, the press release should be arriving, uh, shortly in your inboxes.
Uh, maybe I'll I'll just mention a couple of, uh, the, uh, the main points.
Mozambique has faced significant challenges linked to violence
from non state armed groups since 2017,
as well as the adverse impacts of the climate emergency,
with over 1.2 million internally displaced.
more than 600,000 of those internally displaced
have now returned to their areas of origin
several of those in 2023. But challenges remain.
And, uh, as I said earlier, over 700,000 people still remain, uh, displaced.
In addition to those, uh,
uh that were recently displaced by this latest bout of of violence.
Uh, so you you'll have more information on the, uh,
press release that you will be getting shortly.
Many thanks, William. And, of course, to you, uh, guy. So questions for UNICEF or
all right. Uh, I don't see any hands going up.
I think you've been very, very comprehensive in your briefing,
so I'd like to thank you both
very much. Uh, particularly your guy for joining us from
You're welcome. Any time to join us here at this briefing?
Um, so thanks very much, thanks to you, William as well.
Um, let's let's move. Uh, if William, if you can stay with us.
I know you have another item on Myanmar and Rohingya,
but we're gonna shift now. We'll stay on the African continent.
who is introducing a guest, Uh, who will speak to the Democrat Republic of the Congo.
But before that, I think you wanted to mention something about Women's Day as well.
Yeah, thank you very much. Uh, Rolando, everyone.
I just would like to, uh, read the part of the message of our Secretary General
Uh, he said that today International Women's Day in 2024.
It's all about investing in women and accelerating progress.
As the world is grappling with multiple crises,
achieving gender equality is more vital than ever.
The this year theme resonates closely with the
IFC's ambition of promoting an inclusive
and equitable world where diversity is champion
and where everyone is treated with dignity and fairness,
from our volunteers on the front lines to our dedicated staff.
women play a vital role in shaping the future of humanitarian action.
dedication and unwavering commitment are a source of inspiration
This International Women's Day,
let's come together and work towards creating a brighter future for all
and for the journalists interested in the rumour, of course, connected.
Uh, since yesterday we are profiling the stories of different across
volunteers and staff from just to give you an example from Nepal to Palestine,
Montenegro and other countries.
So if you're interested in
covering it and follow up questions,
you can find all these provided on our social media account.
And now moving to our two speakers.
We have our regional deputy director for Africa, Mr Pierre creme
who is connected from Nairobi. And he is just back from a mission in
Democratic Republic of Congo,
Noivo. And he will speak about the humanitarian needs and what he saw.
And then afterwards we have Sami al
Uh, we are marking today the, uh,
another sad anniversary the six month mark after the earthquake with Morocco.
OK, Mr Crow, we'll start with you on DRC over to you.
Thank you. Thank you. Can you hear me?
Yes, we can please go ahead.
Good morning from Nairobi.
to highlight a crisis of immense scale that is
taking place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
crisis that definitely has not captured the global attention as it should.
and it's a country that has been struck.
We know that by crises, uh,
upon crises from health emergencies to ongoing conflicts,
which has been eroding the coping mechanisms of its people for the last two decades.
um, from last week, uh, when I was in Congo,
I saw the harsh realities I faced by thousands of people displaced
that has happened with different waves.
Um, but the last wave was only a few weeks ago, So
the camps I had a tends to visit, Um, especially the one in Kaka,
was a very recent, uh, set up
and then you could see the the situation of the people, you know,
in makeshift shelters made from plastic bags, clothes, rags
and whatever materials they could find.
And, um, and that was stuck to remind, uh,
definitely of their desperation in one camp
now home to tens of thousands of scarcity
of basic amenities was alarming,
For thousands of people raising the risk, of course, of gender-based violence,
privacy breaches or health risk like cholera. Actually, it's more than a risk.
In other camps, cholera has been already observed,
um, and, uh, and it's all over the place, potentially if nothing is done, uh,
But among those I met was maybe one example was an elderly woman,
a grandmother. Basically, she lost
her son and, uh uh, daughter-in-law.
And she found herself alone with seven grandchildren,
leaving everything behind. Basically, she was the one,
managing on a daily basis. You know, the
the situation of these seven Children in a boarding condition, uh,
struggle for basic needs every day, such as food, water and shelter.
So it's quite a hard, wrenching reminder of the realities that people face them.
Uh, within the camp, a semblance of self-organization emerges
as people establish many shops, uh, striving to maintain a semblance of normalcy
and dignity amongst chaos,
suffering and pain. So that spirit of community self
self organisation is definitely one element to take into account when we design,
um, our response and to try to bolster these, uh, inherent strengths as well.
so in DRCU, we know that there is an alarming escalation in North
Um, and together with the DRC Red Cross,
DIFRC has launched an appeal of CHF 50 million
to urgently assist 500,000 people,
uh, internally displaced, but also the the host communities.
So since March 2022 the conflict has displaced over 1.6 million
people with recent escalation ex
exacerbating the situation
and even threatening Goma
and, uh, with increasing risk of, uh, diseases.
So despite these challenges, the
cross with a significant presence and operational footprint in the area,
has been at the forefront of the humanitarian response.
It's definitely the first local responder,
um, across the lines, actually of conflicts.
Um, but the first responder with over 50,000 volunteers,
and, uh, an international society that is uniquely positioned
beyond the reach of other humanitarian organisation.
So they have this remarkable network access acceptance,
uh, across the conflict line. And, um, and they play again.
They have been playing a CRI
critical role in this crisis response.
Uh, with, uh, uh, impressive dedication. Uh,
you know, some of the volunteers we we met, you know,
have been themselves displaced.
They've been themselves affected
by the conflict, and they were the one leading, basically, the the the response, and
and, uh, and the solidarity being organised, uh, within the camp.
So, um, as I mentioned, you know,
people are living in extremely precarious conditions, really,
at the brink of mental physical
and, uh, material collapse.
And, uh, most aid reaches those in camp around Goma,
But definitely it falls short against the magnitude
of the need to due to the inefficient,
That's what's all organisation operating, I would say in Goma, Will
will tell you as well. So our appeal will, uh
is meant to enable the DC cross to scale up their efforts really to, uh,
to rise to the challenge and the scale, uh, of this of this crisis
and to extend their reach among displaced families and house communities.
it's again a call to partners, international community, of course donors.
And of course, the media in this room
to stand in solidarity with the people in DRC
just to ensure that it's not a silent crisis,
that is taking place, Um, and and really to To ensure that we can at least provide,
you know, the details reports,
uh, for which is a lifeline and for the for the people in the camp. And, um,
and maybe one thought to finish, um, which I came
I came with, I must say, from from the visit in Goma,
when you see the night fold, you know,
the situation for those this place definitely wasn't
casting, casting a shadow over safety, particularly for women and Children
and bringing the mental scars, uh, scars of conflict to the forefronts.
Let's not forget these people come there with trauma,
And, uh, the mental health is definitely, uh uh a
well, a widespread, uh, health issues, I would say across the this camp,
the resilience of the Congolese is remarkable,
but they need swift international
support to navigate this crisis.
Uh, thank you very much, Mr Kerman.
Indeed, there is much needed assistance and attention
I should just mention that our peacekeeping colleagues also
mentioned What have you just shared with us? That, uh, the situation in North Kvo
and the fighting between the members of the M 23 and the Congolese forces has led to,
large displacements of civilians. And, uh, we highlighted this.
I should also just mention that we, uh, as mentioned at our noon briefing yesterday,
Uh, WFP Executive, uh, head
is in the DRC. And she issued an appeal to the international community,
uh, for urgent resources, uh, to stop, uh, the, uh, deepening hunger.
So I just wanted to highlight
Uh, so questions for our colleague
I don't see any questions for you, Mr Klemmer.
If you could, of course, share the notes. That would be most helpful.
Thank you again and to colleagues, please, Uh, spotlighting this very,
We'll stay with Tomaso, as mentioned, we have,
uh he's going to introduce the guest now, uh, to talk about, uh,
the six months since the devastating earthquake in Morocco over two.
Thank you, Tomaso and colleagues. Um,
just to start by by wishing, uh,
all our colleagues a happy international Women's Day.
today, uh, as we stand at
the six month mark following the V,
the devastating earthquake that struck, uh, Moroccan,
uh, mountains on the eighth of September,
I am reminded of the resilience and unshakeable spirit of
the Moroccan people and the solidarity that followed the earthquake.
Yet among amidst this resilience, the scars that fateful day remain deep
with thousands of people still grappling with the loss of their homes,
the scarcity of clean water and the absence
of some sanitation facilities in some areas.
It was just a while ago, a month after the quake that I first, uh, stood before you
sharing the initial impacts of the strategy, tragedy
and our collective response effort. Uh, since then, the challenges have persisted
and the journey towards recovery has unfolded with both strides and stumbles.
deeper into our progress and the hurdles that lie ahead,
I wish to revisit, uh, the personal stories that remain at the heart of our mission,
uh, stories that have grown both
in depth and significance, reflecting the evolving landscape
of the needs and the resilience.
Uh, one of the colleagues from the Moroccan Red Crescent.
Our member, of course, operating in Morocco,
She's based in, uh, the City of
and she frequently visits the affected villages around the the city of Throat.
the dedication of her and the other volunteers transformed
them into a source of hope for affected populations.
She was recalling with emotion when a woman had fallen into her arms and burst
in tears as she recalled the traumatic events from the day of the earthquake.
the woman told her that she appreciated immensely the support from the Red Crescent
just to visit them and listen to them and provided this humanity and solidarity,
aha are the heartbeat of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
coming from and working tirelessly for their communities.
And, uh, while walking through the remnants of what used to be, uh,
bustling communities in the Atlas Mountains,
I've seen on many occasions families living in tents, uh, facing shortages,
sometimes of winterized shelter.
these stories, they paint, uh, the picture of the ongoing, uh,
including on the financial, uh,
support, uh, that they rely on from permanent members
and from the, uh, programmes of the authorities.
The need to access clean water, food,
shelter and hygiene are identified as the top priorities.
And they underscore the community preference for cash assistance
allowing them to prioritise their most pressing needs.
just a glimpse of the vast array of challenges
that confront us and confront the wider humanitarian,
uh, community in Morocco,
the Moroccan Red Crescent. Uh, with their fantastic
8000 plus volunteers have been at the
forefront of addressing these challenges from Rabi
rehabilitating water points to distributing, uh,
hygiene kits and ensuring access to emergency shelter.
they've been working tirelessly since September last year to
reach over 60,000 people in need and counting.
Yet we must acknowledge that the road to recovery is still along with obstacles.
The Moroccan authorities have done a lot in support of the affected people,
and we are closely coordinating our efforts with them.
Reflecting on my statement one month after the
earthquake, it's clear that the landscape has evolved
Uh, the critical need for ongoing support has never been more apparent.
The IRC emergency appeal is still ongoing,
seeking 75 million Swiss franc and is currently covered at 35%.
needs for winterized and waterproof shelters,
access to clean water and sanitation remain a concern
Uh, I appeal to each of you our partners, donor,
the international community and most importantly to you, uh, the media colleagues
to stand in solidarity with the people of Morocco and remember them,
even if it's still if It's six months onward.
is crucial to enable us to rebuild their lives and restore their hopes.
The people of Morocco remember the earthquake devastation every day.
It is incumbent upon us to remember to enact. Thank you very much for listening.
Thank you very much, Sammy. Indeed, it's important to highlight that
these catastrophes don't just happen in a day.
They often, uh, linger for weeks, months, years. Um,
the, uh, struggles ensue. So thank you so very much for
Do we have any questions for Sammy?
I don't see that's the case. So once again, thank you very, very much for joining us.
we we Sorry. Apologies. Uh, we do have one question, John.
Um, is that for Samir or Tomaso?
Actually, it's for Tomaso.
It's a It's a follow up to, uh, uh, touch base with him a few days ago
uh, amputees in in Gaza. Uh, Tomaso, if you have an update
on the situation and what is being done by your national chapter on the ground,
the Palestinian Red Crescent Society thanks.
Yes, Thank you, John, For the question. Actually, I've been following up with our
colleagues, but I don't have a lot of updates. I have to admit on our side
several as I've already told you. Several issues to the
on the two hospitals. The first one in Gaza City was closed for lack of access,
some months ago. And the second hospital
really working in limited capacity. After weeks of again no access,
no medicine entering in and out, no ambulance is able to enter in and out.
So what we heard from colleagues is that there is
not really a clear idea of prosthetics work going on.
what they were telling us that it is very hard to speak about this
and also to give information about the situation because the reality is that,
the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. And the health part of this
it's absolutely desperate.
when there is no access to a hospital where there is
no possibility for a person to access a hospital of course,
it's difficult also to report back
on very important situation as the one that you are
I think, um we've exhausted questions on, um on this subject as well.
So I'd like to thank you once again, Sammy and again Tomaso
and I see our colleague from FA O has joined us. Uh, miso
But before we go to you, we have, uh, William who's still with us, who has, uh,
an announcement on, uh, the situation of the Rohingya.
Thank you, Rolando. Just just brief information to help you with your planning.
Next Wednesday, the third of March
and other humanitarian partners
will launch the 2024 joint response plan for the Rohingya humanitarian crisis.
This will be a call on the international community to redouble
efforts to protect and assist Rohingya refugees and their host communities.
Bangladesh is generously hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees,
most of whom fled Myanmar seven years ago.
This will be a funding appeal to help some 1 million
Bazar and on the island of Basan
and 346,000 from host communities with food, shelter, health care,
access to drinkable water protection, services,
education and livelihood opportunities.
There will be a press release on the day
and the event will be live streamed
so media can follow it live on UN TV.
Unfortunately, uh, there won't be time for a joint press conference.
But if media are interested in meeting Masood Bin moment
the foreign secretary of Bangladesh,
they should contact the Bangladesh mission here.
We can, uh, facilitate contacts if necessary.
Thanks to you, William. Any questions for William?
I don't see that's the case. So thank you very much.
As always, William, for joining us here. Now we can turn to our colleague in Rome.
Uh, in honour of key if you wanted to introduce, um
Tova. Otherwise I'm happy to do so, uh, key over to you.
Hello? Um, this is Keith from FA O.
I think everyone knows the monthly segment of the FA O Food
Price Index and I'm glad to introduce our FA O senior economist Monica
uh, connecting from Rome. So over to you, Monica.
Thank you. Thank you. Ok. Good morning from Rome.
This briefing concerns the FA O Food price Index released this morning
following on its 2022 3 and 20 early 2024 project to
the food price index decline in February by 0.7% spending about 10% below its value
one year ago and more than 25% below the peak it reached in March 2022.
The decline in the food price index in February was led
by decreases in the prices of cereals and vegetable oils,
which more than offset increases in the sugar, meat and dairy prices.
If you allow me to focus on individual commodity groups,
international prices of all major cereals decline month on month
and the cereal price index stood 22.4% below its February 2020
May's export prices dropped
and its expectation of large harvest in
South America and competitive prices offered by Ukraine
International wheat prices declined as well,
mostly due to strong export base from the Russian Federation.
Internationalised prices also declined, although only slightly.
The vegetable oil price index increased one point decreased I'm sorry,
1.3% to stand 11% below its value one year ago.
Most remarkably, the international soil.
Oil prices dropped, underpinned again by prospects of a being
done soybean output in South America.
They also remain ample global export availabilities of sunflower
and eight seed oil that aren't putting prices down.
The world palm oil prices increased but only slightly due to seasonal 11
which has received a lot of attention recently because of the high price levels.
In February, it rose again, although only by 3.2%.
And this increase reflected persistent concerns over Brazil's outcome,
upcoming output of prolonged period of below average rainfall as
well as expectations about production declines in Thailand and India,
which are the two leading exporting countries.
Finally, the meat index rolls
and again only slightly it was 1.8%.
The poultry meat quotation increased the most, followed by bovine
heavy rains in Australia on disrupting cattle transplantation.
Pig meat prices also grow slightly due to
higher demand from China and tight supply situation in
and finally, the international
prices declined due to record breaking production.
Following a fog rebuilding in Australia,
Daily price index recorded only a small increase of 1.1%
led by higher import demand from Asian buyers for butter.
In conclusion so far in 2024 the food
commodity markets continued to sustain their relative cal
calmness despite the presence of external shocks,
including shipping disruptions in different parts of the world.
We and maize export pricing declined even further and they
reached the lowest levels in the past two years.
This morning, FA O also released um
and in this latest one it offered its
preliminary forecast of the global wheat production in 2024
begging it at 797 million tonnes, which is a 1% increase from 2023
I mentioned that the prices,
the wheat and maize export prices have been declining and they reached the low level
levels in the past two years. So obviously this has impact on the planting
prices have elicited a 6% year on year decline in winter
planting in the United States.
it is likely that the output is going
to increase due to favourable weather conditions,
weather conditions are also propping up expectations of increased 2020 for
introduction in the Russian Federation as well as China, India and Pakistan.
continues to monitor significant development to provide timely analysis
of the vulnerability and implications for food security.
Thanks to you, Monica. Uh, do we have questions for our colleague from FA O?
No, I don't see. That's OK, so thank you very much.
Once again to Key and to you, Monica and, of course, key.
If you could share the notes, that would be
the theme of the day. International Women's Day. We have Catherine with us.
She's referring to a press release, I believe, or an announcement
uh, staying on International Women's Day.
We have a Charlotte sector of UN, a S who is connected online and that
has a statement on behalf of UN Aid.
Charlotte, are you there?
Um, I will make it short because I know this has been a long and arduous um,
with all this news coming from DRC et cetera.
but as Jeremy was saying from OHC HR,
um, on International Women's Day, women and girls do suffer the most.
I'll make it quick. UN A I DS has come out with a statement.
3100 girls get infected with HIV every week in sub Saharan Africa.
And as others said, 100 and 2200 and 22 million girls are not in school globally.
you know, kind of conclude, Um,
like justice, health is not one.
I DS is calling to protect women's and girls'
rights so that we can protect women and girls.
Thank you very much, Charlotte.
And maybe just to add, uh, to remind you rather of what Alexander has been
saying for the last two briefings.
Now, about this very nice event taking place today at the University of Geneva that
the UN office at Geneva is, uh, co organising with the UN women.
It's a lovely installation. It's called inside out.
you'll be able to go down there between one
o'clock and two o'clock for a media engagement.
Uh, we'll have a number of, uh, important, um, guests there,
uh, Swiss Peacekeeper Captain Vanessa V
bag, Uh, who is currently deployed,
And that is our peacekeeping second oldest peacekeeping mission that
is in along the India Pakistan border in Kashmir.
Jammu. And then we have a a young peace activist from Cyprus and
among others, who And we also have a colleague from you and women who is, uh,
head of UN Women office in Afghanistan, Among others.
Uh, Marcus Major, who is the state secretary for security policy,
as well. Uh, so we have a quite a a nice event.
A panel discussion will be at the end of the day, but during the day,
there is this inside out ex activation, which we refer to,
where you can take your picture and have it
projected on the wall of the University of Geneva.
Uh, the title of the event again is peace begins with her. So that's a a
very nice event, which we encourage you to attend.
Um, and then now we could Maybe
I can just announce a couple of additional points, uh,
before we wrap up our briefing.
I just wanted to highlight a statement that we did share with you yesterday
from the Secretary General on Sudan. This was his remarks to the Security Council.
we encourage you to keep the reporting sharp and spotlighting on this
continuing, uh, tragedy. And
in in Sudan, uh, with the statement is at your disposal.
We share that with you yesterday. It goes into quite a number of details
in terms of sta uh, rather meetings taking place here.
We have, uh, two committees as well as a conference of disarmament.
The Human Rights Committee today
is concluding this morning. Uh, it's the review of the Report of Somalia.
the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is concluding
the review of the report of Bahrain.
And this afternoon the conference on Disarmament will have starting at 3 p.m.
We'll have a plenary public meeting under the presidency of Indonesia.
the Security Council in New York is holding a meeting this afternoon on Ukraine,
Another subject which we need to highlight.
Of course. Um, press conferences. You heard from Pascal that in this room at 115.
We'll have the special rapporteur on torture, Miss,
who will be briefing you following her
presentation to the Human Rights Council this morning
and maybe just sticking on the subject of women I wanted to flag on behalf of, uh,
There is a report, uh, a new position, paper,
from UN women titled Placing Gender Equality at
the heart of the Global digital Compact.
Uh, it was released, uh, this week, uh,
to support the preparation of the summit of the future
taking place later this year in september.
Um, among other things, the report points, um,
that progress towards gender equality in technology and
innovation continues to be far too slow.
women represent only 20% of employees in
technical roles in major machine learning companies.
12% of a I researchers, 6% professional software developers, et cetera.
So the paper encourages us to tackle this challenge, but also look beyond,
uh, the this numeric presence.
We do have a colleague from you and women online. Should you have questions
for her? Um, either now or maybe later we can connect you.
I have as I look at my scattered notes here.
Yes, that is it from me. Do you have any questions for me before we wrap up?
I don't see how that's the case, so
I wish you bona petit a nice weekend and Happy Women's Day once again.
