We have listened to Robert Piper,
the special advisor on solution to Internal Displacement.
Um, you will have his address on the website on the web. TV. Very, very soon.
Um and, uh, now we go ahead with our regular programme.
for the Human Rights Council for an update of the programme. Pascal.
Thank you, Alessandra. And good morning, everyone.
Uh, as you've just heard from Robert Piper,
the issue faced by the internally displaced persons
are addressed on a regular basis at the Human Rights Council.
The council this morning will hear from Paula
the special rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.
Her report this year focuses on the planned relocation of people in
the context of the adverse effects of climate change and disasters.
will also present a report on a recent visit to Mozambique.
This coming Monday is the International Day of Women in Diplomacy.
And this will be the opportunity to hear from three female experts.
The Council will first hear in the morning from TNG
the special rapporteur on the right to health
and in the afternoon, we will hear from Farida Shahid,
on education, and from Margaret
Satou, the special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.
I just forgot to remind you that in the afternoon on Friday this afternoon,
the council will also hold two interactive dialogues with two other experts,
the new special rapporteur on the elimination of discrimination
against persons affected by leprosy or incense disease,
the special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences,
who will present two reports,
the first one on prostitution and violence against women
and the second one on a recent visit to Poland,
Salm will give a press conference here in this room on Monday at 3:30 p.m.
As I said, we have the International Day of Women in diplomacy and for the first time,
the council will observe this day in Room 20
with a discussion that will recognise female diplomats contribution with the
The celebration is co organised by the Office
of the President of the Human Rights Council,
together with the gender focal points
at the council, the ambassador of Bolivia
and the UN Women's Office in Geneva.
The speakers at this celebration will include the director general of Eunuch,
the secretary general of UN Trade and Development, the executive director of
the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights.
And we also expect to have video statements by the President of
the General Assembly and the Secretary
General of the International Telecommunication Union
and the last note that is not related to this 56 session.
But just to inform you that the president of the Human Rights Council this morning
announced the appointment of the members of the new group of experts
on human rights in Belarus.
this new investigative mechanism was established by the Council last April.
Karina Moskalenko from the Russian Federation and Monika Stanislava Platek
are the members of this new investigative mechanism,
and Ms Moskalenko will serve as the chair of this group.
The group of experts on Human rights in Belarus will
present an oral update at the 57th session this fall,
and a comprehensive report at the March session in 2025.
A press release on this appointment was shared with you earlier this morning.
Thank you very much. Pascal
le. Let me see if there's any question for you.
Thank you very much for these updates.
Good luck for this, um first Friday of the briefing.
so and let's go now to the subject I know
you are waiting for Which is the briefing on Gaza
today we have a few colleagues from the field
to brief you on the situation there. So I'd like to welcome first Maurice Guimont,
who is the special representative of the UN Women
going to tell you about the situation of women and
girls in Gaza following a mission to the Gaza Strip.
And we also have two colleagues from
I don't need to introduce them to you know them well. Lo
the WHO representative in the
who is the WHO trauma surgeon and emergency officer. Both
all of them, in fact, briefing from Jerusalem.
and then we will go to the colleagues of WHOB
Maris. Welcome to the Geneva Press briefing. We listen to you.
Thank you very much, Alexandra. Good morning, everyone.
I have effectively just finished a one week mission inside Gaza.
What I have seen defies description.
The moment you enter at Karim
crossing and the fence closes behind you.
You feel that you're locked in a world of devastation.
Homes, hospitals, schools, universities, daycare centres have been demolished.
As you move toward the metal area,
All you see are crowds of people men, women, Children
trapped in a world of scarcity.
people in Gaza are in constant displacements to nowhere safe.
There is nowhere safe for women and girls in Gaza,
many of whom have already been displaced multiple times, some five, some dead.
And I've had no access or very limited access to basic services.
People are moving to any available open space,
agricultural land, damaged buildings.
They are displaced into increasingly smaller areas that
are unable and unequipped to support them.
After nearly nine months of war,
almost entirely dispossessed of means and
capacities to ensure food security shelter,
When can we go back to our homes?
Each dispersement has brought
The people of Gaza are asking for the war to
stop Every day that this conflict continues brings more destruction
There must be an end to this.
Boys and girls were asking me When will this war be over?
Gaza is more than 2 million stories of lost.
Every woman I met has a story of lost.
More than 10,000 women lost their lives.
More than 6000 families have lost their mothers.
1 million women and girls have lost their dignity,
their loved ones, their memories.
I met with women led organisation who,
despite the challenges of war, destruction and reduced funding,
continue to provide vital services.
in a meeting with one of these organisations,
they had emphasised the following and I'm quoting
the question is not what women need.
The question should be what they don't need.
They don't want to bury their loved ones.
They don't want to be left alone to suffer
my experience in Gaza clarified
the gravity of this message.
Palestinian women's organisation provide life saving services
such as shelters and psychosocial support,
despite facing significant challenges such as destruction of their offices,
and reduce funding, it is essential
that we provide financial support to ensure
that they can sustain their vital humanitarian efforts
the representation of women in
and the dignity of the people of Gaza,
especially the women and girls who have borne the brunt of this war.
We are watching this live every day on TV and on social media.
Women tend to step up when there is a crisis. We have seen this across the world.
We are seeing this in Gaza.
The women who I have met have called for an end
to this war while at the same time they are responding
to the situation they are facing,
their families are facing,
their communities are facing,
and this is why it is so crucial for all of us
to ensure that men and women
sit at the decision making tables as well as fully access humanitarian aid.
Thank you very much, Marisa.
And and the journalists are already asking for your notes.
So I'm I'm trying to coordinate with your office
so that we send them very quickly.
Um, I see there are already questions, but I'd like to first give the floor
to Christian Christian. I don't know how you want to organise this.
Do we speak first with Richard or or Thanos or
We'll start. Start straight with Rick
Peppercorn. Yes, please. And, uh, just just a note.
Yes, we will have notes afterwards.
Thank you. So, Richard, would you like to give your introductory remarks, please?
Yes. Uh, we I have some remarks. So good morning to all.
And I also hand over the floor to Doctor
Thanos who just actually comes back from another long mission in, uh,
having been myself also for three long mission and
my last mission was actually the month of April,
and February. So we've seen the process very close by. We have a very strong, uh
uh, team on the ground. I want to focus on a number of issues, which is very important.
We all know about, uh, the the let's say displacement of people in Rafa. Uh,
since the seventh of May.
an estimated 60,000 to 75,000 people remain in all
nawahi area of Rafah and only less than 1000 in the
challenge humanitarian environment, and I want to describe this very clearly.
First of all, the closure,
has cut off the access to what was a
UN logistics hub where church were receiving uploading,
that has hindered and normally the flow of supplies.
The number the supplies entering from uh through kong
is much less because the hub is much smaller and the access
road access is much more challenging, including a volatile security situation.
Fuel is still the big topic.
The lack of regular flow and without fuel there's no humanitarian operations.
Hospitals will not get a fuel,
bakeries will not get a fuel
and humanitarian operations are severely constrained.
I want to say a few positive things for us. At W,
we delivered through Arsenal
ports. The first cargo uh,
you know, over last week which contains contains antibiotic,
etcetera and we will definitely explore and and and proceed with that we also
we were allowed to get supplies from West Bank and Jerusalem,
which we managed to get in
This is really I would say positive
and we will explore all options. What is the most cost effective way
to get the most needed medical supplies? Trial
supplies, essential medicine in
there are some issues. And I leave that to
time to describe about security procedures related to international staff
all the supplies I just want to say we want all options open,
And we are not the only everyone requests for for
rough crossing to open and just give an example.
26 WHO trucks, including six from Medecins
Sans Frontieres, are waiting in
and five of them are temperature
control trucks at the moment.
uh, the so called coast are not allowed from
sensitive medicines, for example, Salbutamol,
aces, effusions, etcetera, other cool chain, uh, drugs.
So for a lost shipments which enter Gaza from
We need much more of the supplies in
the second area, and it's really critical that
roughly 4008 4800 patients have been medevaced
Most of them have been received in Egypt and in the region.
estimates there's a need to medevac.
At least another 10,000 patients are out of Gaza. Half of them is related to the war
and half of them is related to what we call the chronic diseases, uh, cancer,
cardiovascular diseases and other non
clinical disease, including severe mental health cases.
So we have two clear requests on this
is again the opening of the rough crossing
and help to ensure a safe
and organised matter that
uh, as I think, a really good alternative that we use Karen Shalom
again only when it is safe for sustained transfer of patients
from Gaza to the West Bank and East Jerusalem, referral hospitals,
just like it was prior to the war,
that 50 to 100 patients per day were referred to the East Jerusalem
and the West Bank hospitals.
WHO is ready to support to make sure that happens in an organised way
to make sure that ambulance services will be
supported and also the receiving receiving hospitals.
area I wanna raise is, of course, diseases
and what we say we are now in the middle of the of the of the summer.
We've seen massive, again massive displacement over the last weeks
pollination and the yeast can cause a rise of diseases and
most likely already happening. We don't get all the right data. We have water
because of hot water, and and
we we will have much more food spoilage because of the high temperature,
we will get insect mosquitoes applied,
dehydration, heat stroke, et cetera,
in combination already with
the incredibly poor water. And, uh, and sanitation, uh, circumstances. Uh,
we we have seen already more than 2020 25 times as much diarrhoea as normal.
We see a huge number of people with, uh with hepatitis A
I want to stick to this. I think this is my main point. And I want to quickly hand over to
Thanos again. Uh, Doctor Thanos is our trauma surgeon.
He's also the deputy incident manager of Gaza, and he just comes back from
Thank you very much, Richard. Yes, Thanos, please.
With the brief remarks and and then we'll look into questions, please.
dear colleagues. Uh, I would like to thank you all for the great opportunity.
And I would like to stress again that right now what happens in
Gaza is that the United Nations are trying to operate in an unworkable environment
Right now, the combination of closure of Rafa crossing,
the increase of the military operations,
the movement of population
and the complete destruction of law and
order have resulted in an unworkable environment.
let's all take a moment and contemplate a bit and
think that right now what is achieved in Gaza?
of what we should be doing. And B,
really, really difficult,
given the current circumstances.
And I know that we are saying this repeatedly over and over again.
everybody needs to understand that for every international that is now entering in
and it requires a huge amount of resources, material
and other kinds of resources to make this happen. Right now, through the Karem
Shalom, we have to lead ourselves.
We have to drive the armoured vehicles ourselves to make sure
that international community continues to go in
and rotate out of the Gaza Strip.
This is just one of the major issues that we're facing.
Second, when it comes to security again
the expansion of the humanitarian zone as we is described by the ID F,
it does not reflect what happens in reality.
No place is safe and this is what happened and we realised
a couple of weeks ago with the attacks in
N right in the middle area.
No place in Rafah is safe. No place in the middle area is safe.
No place in the north is safe.
consider again that right now,
the World Health Organisation and the United Nations are delivering
in a really challenging context
on the, uh on the summer temperature and the the rise of the, uh,
the spike of the disease that we see.
There's not the right moment to be sick in Gaza right now.
Right now. This time in this period,
we have issues related to the heat.
But later on, we'll have issues related to the humidity.
We'll have issues related to the, uh, cold weather. So
of the health system in Gaza right now
affects people in different ways during different seasons.
And thank you to reach an to Marie
and I'll open the floor to questions starting with the room.
If there is any question here, I don't see Hands up. So let's go to the platform.
And my second question is for
This is, uh, just about to know how many hospitals now are working in Gaza because
the the figures are always changing. So just to know
for today, how many hospitals are working? Thank you.
Yes, thank you very much. So
if we look at hospital functionality and this has been changing
actually all the time since the crisis, and we constantly
monitor it. Currently, we say
17 out of the 36 hospital are partly functional, and I want to stress this
because what we do not look at.
For example, the largest hospital may look at, for example, the
Chief Medical complex, which is by far the largest hospital in Gaza.
It's only a small trauma stabilisation point at the moment,
but it's not taking any inpatient.
Other large hospitals are also,
uh, minimal functional, partly functional. So
the 17 out of 36 we went as low
hospitals out of 36 during this crisis. It's
what we see. It's a movement up and down.
It's always surprising to see a couple of weeks ago come out at one, for example,
and and and and a lot of hospital in the north.
They became out of service because of
the siege around those hospitals and the military
activities around hospitals,
and when that stops, within two weeks, actually they were back in parking services.
And this I would say tribute to the incredible health workers,
the resilience of the health workers.
supporting this. So, currently, if you look at the seven out of 36 in Rafa,
there is none of the hospitals are functional
Yunis four in Dere Bala, three in Gaza City. Seven.
So there's a plus of smaller hospitals
And there's roughly, I think, 30 out of the the 90 primary health care centres,
which are also partly functional
Thank you very much. John De
um I just want to say something about the field hospitals.
um a total of 10 field hospitals in the Gaza Strip and in Rafa
five field hospitals. Uh, the IC C Field Hospital is fully functional and
and accessibility remains extremely difficult.
Chas Field hospitals in and, uh,
and and and the the PS, CS and Kuwait Hill,
plot are partly functional,
and UK Mets and Jordanian Field Hospital are fully functional.
there's the IOC Field Hospital, which is fully functional over to you.
if you don't mind these numbers because you you've given a lot of figures.
If you could be put into the into the note by Christian, that would be really useful.
Uh, I was wondering if you've got, uh, up to date information
If you've been able to import into the Gaza Strip prostheses for,
uh, paediatric amputees and adults as well.
And if, uh, what are the latest estimates of the amputees?
I've had some figures of more than 3000
of these. More than 3000. How many of these would be Children? Thank you,
I think. John, thank you very much for the question. It is really important.
And and And And I apologise, we we Should
we we will try to get better estimates and figures of that
we've seen you've seen the the the UNICEF estimates on on on that as well.
We cannot confirm, you know,
said the only thing we can confirm.
Thanos just having been in again on a long mission.
He might want to speak to that because he's gone.
He did a lot of missions again to hospitals in the
north and in in the middle area in the south.
even after some of these, uh, military activities I remember there about
so he will have some more, uh,
details on that. What? He, uh the way we support, but also what he witnessed.
But we do not have proper figures.
The only thing would be every time what we can say, like with
the the the, the tens and the tens, and the tens of missions we did
and and estimate the assessments.
Yeah, we've seen an an an amazing amount of trauma cases, but also definitely of, uh,
empties, including among Children. But I also would say a lot among a dollar cents.
Thanos. Maybe we want to add something on that.
please Um of course. Whenever you want to intervene, just raise your hand.
Thank you very much, Colleagues. Thank you very much. Uh everyone.
The data that we're having right now on trauma and amputation. It's
based on estimates and extrapolations
when I'm saying extrapolations means that we have
an estimate based on the number of cases
that are seen in the field hospitals that
have a better data management system right now
let's say feedback compared to the partially functioning Ministry of Health ones.
What is important, though, is that the estimate numbers are always
up to the numbers that you have mentioned. We estimate that we're talking about 3000
amputees. We cannot do the the the distribution, the
between adults and Children.
We hope that we'll be able sooner to be having solid data on this.
On another note, though, I have to highlight and stress again.
The situation at any hospital right now in Gaza is not looking promising,
and the reason is that the combination of lacking of resources
and scarce of scarcity of, uh, human resources and again
human resources that are national ones and that are working
day and night since the beginning of the war with
minimal or no salary at all, make a really,
really dangerous cocktail for the outcome of these complex cases.
Thank you, Thanos. So let me go to the next question. Musa
Richard, would you have anything to add on the issue of
or women who have just given birth?
we know, of course, from the, uh, from the data that that 50,000 pregnant women,
uh, with approximately 5000 deliveries per month in Gaza,
the normal regular situation.
what I just described the hospital functionality
hospital functionality has really gone down,
So what? We call MC H Hospital. The MC a hospital in Raha,
hospital is nonfunctional.
think the hospitals in the north a few MC a places we were there are
are are partly functional. So there is an enormous problem with with access
do not have and together with you and FP A.
But especially also with the hospitals and and and and the Ministry of Health.
We try to get a better handle on this
in what we call simply here and and and from the health workers in Gaza
babies and low birth weight babies
you normally, though you see that often of course, in times of conflicts,
But we even had these stories where women
were going when they were when they had access to a hospital.
Would, uh, would kind of ask for an early Caesarean
and they live in safety because they were
they were. They were completely unclear.
And well, and they were, of course, scared about the access.
Uh uh, yeah, if they would be able to access the hospital, uh,
because of all the the the volatile security situation and the constantly, uh,
we want to get a better handle on on that. But I, I think for
what we also constantly get from, uh, from from from women, I wanna,
make another point that because of the displacement
and displacements and people do not have access,
there is there's hardly any proper antenatal post natal care.
And and and and even after birth,
we looked and to go back to the to the camps because of lack of hygiene
and and and I because I listened partly to what Marie was saying.
I'm not sure if she raises as well
the point every time on all my missions, uh,
the women, but also the men make.
There's a huge need for, for example, the the dignity kids,
etcetera and specifically the women
and specifically it is overcrowded.
It is overcrowded regular shelters,
and it is completely overcrowded ad hoc shelters and makeshift camps.
And there's a lot of issues, of course,
with hygiene and specifically in in a culture within in Gaza,
which is much more complex.
uh, yeah, for women and girls risk of, you know,
newborn babies and I think that we get a lot of stories.
Unfortunately, of gender based violence.
Let me go to the next journalist, Jeremy.
Well, thank you, Alexandra. It's kind of a follow up on the previous question. Um,
uh, I will ask it in English, but please, uh, Ms Guo,
if you can answer in French if you have any, uh,
anything to say on that, uh uh, we're talking about women. And, uh, and earlier WO
in Gaza because of the heat pressure on on on
on water pressure on on the storage of food.
I would like to know if there's anything, uh,
you can say on on on the pressure that maybe heat has on, Uh,
does it have an effect on on women?
um, heat and and and And women basically. Is there any sanitary, uh, issue where?
Yes. Good morning. I would like to ask on the uh,
Yeah. Now you're back. Can you start again, please?
Yes, of course. Thank you.
Um, I would like to ask on the
tactical process that, uh,
was were announced by the ID F, uh, on on this weekend.
And then, uh, it was RJ directed by the Prime Minister.
And I would like to know if there, uh, you have served,
if you have observed any change in the access of humanitarian aid,
uh, to to Gaza by by the South. Thank you.
Um I don't know if he wants to come to the podium, and maybe I'll start with the
the our colleagues in in Jerusalem, I think. Maris,
you you were hinting to that and the fact that you heard the fighting continuing.
But maybe you wanna add something on that Or or Or Richard Or or Thanos,
But effectively, as I said, we saw the the the fighting continued,
but I think Rick was making the the comment earlier that
the fuel has not been coming in and so on.
So maybe Rick, You wanna take this one and show some of the
some of the challenges that we're still facing?
Maybe he wants to make some some more
observations from the ground because he's been there so
overall, I think the UN we can say that we we did not see
an impact on, Let's say, the humanitarian supplies, I mean in Since that,
uh, I would say the unilateral announcement of this type of
that is the overall I mean, I think, uh,
channels. You want to add something on on the practising
we have the announcement of this humanitarian pause. But
we have not managed to see anything on the ground that
was actually about to make some some of the difference.
these humanitarian pause was not reflected on the ground.
There was not a single day where we would be able to say that today we
are going to take advantage of this humanitarian
pause and go forward and bring from Karam
the supplies that are waiting for us.
many things are said publicly, but in reality, on the ground, on a granular level,
nothing gets real. Thank you very much.
That was very clear. Maybe an institutional word from
a on this particular issue.
Yeah, thank you very much. Um, just to to add on that
it's important to remember that the
Israeli defence forces also confirmed that military
operations in Rafah would continue as planned when they announced this pause.
Of course, we welcome any initiative that aims at facilitating aid delivery.
And we did reach an understanding
for windows of co ordinated movements intended
to facilitate safe movements of humanitarian aid.
In reality, as we hear from from from the ground, it has come to very little.
Fighting in the area might have decreased as a result of those
But it is not the only impediment for our colleagues to pick up aid
in the area between Keram
The lack of public order and safety is also a major obstacle
and requires concerted effort and concrete measures to find a solution.
the responsibility of the Israeli authorities as the
occupying power to ensure that assistance reaches those who
need it the most and create the enabling environment
for UN and partners to actually reach them.
sent me where this is stated in the law.
It's in the international humanitarian law treaties under the
Article 43 which states the following the authority of the legitimate power,
having in fact passed into the hands of the occupant.
The latter shall take all the measures in his power to restore and ensure,
as far as possible, public order
and safety while respecting,
unless absolutely prevented the laws in force in the country.
having the responsibility
to address the lack of public order and safety that we are seeing in Gaza,
from the crossing of Karem
and further further into the strip
that has become a major major problem as well. Thank you.
Um OK, so it's very clear that the there there has not been a any improvements, but,
um yes. Could you give us, um, an order of idea of,
I mean, what is the amount of aid that has entered in the last last week, for example,
Well, it has been minimal for the reasons that I say that they cannot get to Guam
and pick it up safely because
of this lack of public order and safety.
So there has not been much movement on that.
There was some entry of fuel not through that corridor, but through the fence road.
A minimal delivery a couple of days ago, I believe.
But otherwise another major problem, as our colleagues are telling us,
is the lack of fuel as well.
Thanks also to the other colleagues.
John, Is it a follow up from before? Sorry I didn't see your hand before.
I see you are asking for the
and also perhaps to Jens.
if, uh, they've been able to bring into the Gaza Strip uh, prostheses,
or has that been a problem and held up
because of problems and clearance of medical supplies.
Thanos. I see your hand up.
thank you very much for the kind of question.
So, uh, professors is something really unique.
uh when I'm saying professors is something
really unique is that if I'm amputated and
I will have to be having my own professors so that I freely,
uh I'm able to freely mobilise
it requires a certain team of people to work
with me and identify the right prothesis for me.
Unfortunately, the destruction
that now we witness in the Gaza health system is not allowing for such a
team to be deployed or to be operated there.
we are focusing on life saving and limb saving operations.
This is part of the rehabilitation
process and rehabilitation process started already with
a a rehabilitation task force that's already
working to make sure that all trauma patients
are having a proper follow up. However, until now we have no prothesis coming in,
no specialised group coming in.
And in the near future, when we are, we will be able to estimate better the needs.
The such a team will be available.
It will either be through the emergency
medical Team initiative or through individual initiatives.
I also have to address that in the past, IC RC
was responsible for the prothesis
and, uh, the, uh the rehabilitation of amputees in the Gaza Strip. However again,
their operations have been severely impacted by this war. Thank you very much.
Thanos. And unless anybody else wants to add anything, I go to the next one.
E is the German Press Agency.
Um, yes. My question is to Rick, Could you please remind us? Uh,
I might have gotten lost in the numbers of the
number of births and pregnancies that you have seen in the
in the first few months of this conflict.
And more importantly, have you seen a significant drop in, uh, pregnancies? Um,
in other words, is the the the problem of safe birth?
Um, I don't know how to say that is Is is the problem easing a little bit?
Because there are not as many pregnancies anymore. Thank you.
I one of two things. I also want to get back to, um uh
just was referring to the question of John.
the number of of of, of deliveries, etcetera and pregnancies.
Unfortunately, no, we don't give an overview.
And And we gave you the figure from from what it was before,
and we will give that again.
Uh, we will have to monitor and analyse. Uh, So what we see is anecdotal.
And what we hear as anecdotal is that there is according to the to the health workers,
obstetricians, doctors in hospitals, they see much more preterm
meant much, much more than they used to be.
We need to analyse the data together with the Ministry of Health, U,
There's, of course, a real issue with safe delivery And what has happened The whole,
postnatal care, etcetera kind of collapsed
the primary healthcare boards tried to do some of that.
Some of the field hospitals and the hospitals, you know,
functional try to do some of that.
But the excess is incredibly limited.
And and I think also referred to what Marie,
Uh, clearly that simply women
and girls are much more affected with a complete lack
of privacy in in in many of these areas.
Now, I wanna go back also to what John said on the on on on on an
Asano's address. Most of it
and Reconstruction Centre,
which was part of national Complex.
so WHO and also I think, the park I cannot mention them all.
They have invested millions in that centre and it was doing wonders
not only related to foreign escalations, et cetera, but it prevents
we get to AAA sustained peace, a peace process, cease fire, whatever you call it,
we have to, of course, look at
This is one of the area which of course,
will be a huge and there will be many areas in the health which we have to prioritise.
But this also will be one of the areas.
Uh, including, of course, all everything related to mental health.
I wanna make a point for that as well.
I see again. You still have your hands. So,
My question was, have you seen a drop in pregnancies in the last nine months?
And could you remind us of how many pregnant, Uh,
how many births or pregnancies you were estimating, uh,
to have per month in the first few months of this, uh, war.
Yes, there was 5.5 1000 estimated 5.5 1000 pregnancies per month.
So you talk about 183 per day
I cannot say anything about a drop
in this crisis. I mean, like, that's
normally, um, I think that
what we know from Trump from,
let's Say, from other war situations, when a war takes long, you see,
indeed in the air and then a trump.
And after the war, you see again an increase.
we we don't have data for that.
I will go to the next question. Uh, Nika in
Thank you. A question for Rick. Um,
when was the last time you had a medical evacuation from Gaza.
And I recall you saying previously that, um,
there was a need to set up a A system for a
systematic evacuation process and that there was going to be discussions with C,
Did those discussions take place?
Is there now, uh, in principle, at least an agreement on how to do this?
Um, and it's not working because of continuing hostilities.
Or has that conversation not actually happened yet? And if not, why not?
And the second question, if I may.
And I I apologise if you've addressed it a little bit already, but, uh,
and I came a little bit late, but on the subject of water,
we hear anecdotally a lot about, um,
increasing problems of dehydration among patients and, uh,
as well as the general population.
So is is water reaching the partially functioning hospitals is water reaching
the nutritional stabilisation centres that you've got working there. Um
uh, can you give us an update on that? Thank you.
Yeah, thank you very much.
I think there are two important question second question that we ask to Taos
because he he visited more recently than me. All those, uh, hospitals.
But the first, uh, questions on on on
since the closure, actually, of Rafael,
since the seventh of May. And even since that period, seventh of May to now,
we even with the slow number of people which, uh,
of critical patients were which were medifacts before the time,
like the 50 per day. So we
have been unable to leave Gaza
Now, your report is completely right. And this is why the A HO. Has proposed.
And yes, we are raising this everywhere.
and including with the key partners and and And
we've said from the start,
we want an orderly medevac. It always has been complex. And
uh, it it's never been orderly.
Unfortunately, there was a lot of restrictions and including age restrictions,
went out and we assisted as soon as possible. That's why I said, up till now,
That's and they are mainly
UAE, Qatar, Oman, region, turkey,
et cetera and a few in Europe. But that's the the region.
More countries. I think there's a little bit of good news.
Also the EU and and, uh, they vote a mechanism to facilitate,
uh, more patient transfer there.
And more countries have expressed interest to assist.
that 10,000 at least 10,000 patients are
currently in need of medevac outside Gaza, roughly half
The chronic patients, uh,
And if the rough crossing
cannot be opened for whatever reasons, that's of course.
First request not just for medevac, for for humanitarian groups, et cetera,
crossing to be opened as soon as possible.
and we only are with currently the Carlo,
then we want to make sure the Carlo
The most logical place that for patients to go
would be East Jerusalem hospitals, the the
East Jerusa hospitals and the West Bank hospitals,
where I just want to remind everyone
Gaza referrals were always gone through.
90% of the Gaza referrals were actually, um
I hope I address your question. Yes, we are. So we are raising this everywhere.
That is our two key requests Opening of the rough crossing.
For all the reasons I mentioned, including
a workable alternative. I think we should have more options.
Workable alternative Karem Shalom.
And make sure those patients critical patients can
be moved to east Jerusalem and West Bank.
And WHO is ready to support because, of course it will.
It will need ambulance services make.
We have to make sure that the hospitals are ready
and they will be supported over the next months.
We all know that these 10,000 will not happen in a couple of weeks.
Unitarian, uh, initiative process. Uh, but we need to start going now.
Thank you very much, Nick.
I'll take your follow up quickly because we have more refers.
And, uh, I still have Dina who has a question.
Sure. Well, II, I still hope that tenants will be able to talk Address.
This is the question. My question on water,
But before the water one. Rick just on this. Where is the con
You know you've been talking about the need
for this medical evacuation process for weeks.
Where is that conversation? Now, where is it stuck?
Why isn't that agreement already in place? Thank you.
I think I just want to say that we raised on all levels with all partners.
Uh, including with all authorities over
and Thanos. Would you like to add something on the issue of water?
I would like, uh, thank you again.
I would like to say out bluntly that simply with the current conditions in, uh,
in the entire Gaza Strip, access to water is really challenging
access to water for, uh, for daily use is problematic.
Access to water for medical purposes is problematic,
and we end up with people having to, uh, use
and properly treated water.
What happens right now is that we estimate
that 67% of water and salutation facilities have been destroyed or damaged
We would like to add that for every facility that remains to become operational,
Fuel is really limited right now in the entire Gaza Strip. So one can only imagine
the level of pressure, the population
and the health workers are experiencing when it comes to drinking quality water and
proper water for medical purposes. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for this, uh, important detail. Um, Dina Abi,
a last question. And then we will go to Bavar.
Yes, Thank you. Thank you. Alessandra, my question was a follow up on, uh what
Jens was mentioning about the croissant
and the problem is that Jens had to leave. So he's not here?
Yes. Can I ask Chris about this? Maybe he may give an answer.
This is about the the floating crossing
which was we heard that it was used recently
Actually, I asked the Palestinian Health Ministry if it is
legal crossing to Gaza, we know that
is to reach people and to bring AIDS.
But is it legal to use this
Since the Palestinian Authority mentioned already that it is illegal
because they did not ask for having this crossing.
Is it a legal crossing for the
your operations? And are you using it?
don't know which colleague would like to take this up. Maybe I don't know
don't see anybody volunteering this.
maybe I'll take this to Jens or Di.
Maybe you can just write to him. He had another commitment. He had to leave, but
it is obviously available through the usual
before I close the subject of Gaza.
There is a question in the chat
you know, you mentioned this on
Uh, that had, uh, about, uh, 25 toilets for thousands of people.
Uh, he's asking which school you were you talking, uh, about, uh,
I don't know if you know the name of the school, at least the place.
rep Boys school. If I'm not mistaken, I can double check and send it back.
thank you very much. And also Marie, Thanks.
I like to thank your colleagues who have sent me the notes while you were talking,
and I've already distributed them to the journalist.
So, colleagues, you have Mary's talking points in your
email boxes, so I'd like to thank everyone
for this extensive briefing. Not only Marie, but also Rik
Very important updates we got today before we leave the issue of
just to remind you because I think you have received the invitation
that on Tuesday, the 25th of June at 1 p.m.
the Commissioner General of UNRWA,
Philippe Lazzarini will brief you here in this press room
and give you an update on the situation in light. Also of the
meeting that they are going to hold here in Geneva. Their advisory commission,
which will meet on the 24th and 25th.
And so, uh, Philip afterwards will brief you. And that's on Tuesday 25th.
I think it's been announced.
since we speak about the situation in the Middle East,
the Secretary General will have a press take out this afternoon.
So that will be at 5. 10 Geneva time, 1110 New York time.
And he will speak from the Security Council, take out position
to make brief remarks on the situation on the blue line.
And I think that's what I had on the issue of Middle East. So thanks again to Marie,
Thanos, and we go ahead with another subject.
I know Everybody is very concentrated on Gaza,
but there are lots of other difficult situations that we don't have
uh, to tell us about one of those, uh, the situation. The Rohingya
Alexandra. Good morning, everyone. Good to be back.
I wish I was back in happier times.
We're trying to highlight the issue of nearly a million Rohingya refugees
in Bangladesh who have been battered again and again by climate events.
the UN refugee agency and its humanitarian partners are stepping
up support to assist some 8000 Rohingya refugees who were affected
on Wednesday by landslides in Cox's Bazar refugee settlements in Bangladesh.
Initial reports suggest seven Rohingya refugees have been killed,
There are more reports that many others may have lost their lives,
but that information is being verified.
The landslides happened in the aftermath
aftermath of the first monsoon rains which
began and this week bringing more misery to residents of the camp.
While detailed assessments continue in the camps,
initial reports indicate nearly 1200 refugee
shelters have been destroyed or damaged,
2000 Rohingya refugees refugee camps in
Coccis Bazar are vulnerable to the effects of
climate change and prone to natural disasters.
Bazar is projected to be one of the hardest hit areas in Asia by climate change.
Let's not forget some 930,000 Rohingya refugees are living in 33 congested camps in
who have been impacted by over 770 landslides
and floods since the camp's rapid expansion in
nearly a million Rohingya had to flee
Myanmar and more damage is expected with further
forecast, according to local
and partners are supporting the survivors and injured
teams have been mobilised
to find shelter for those displaced as work continues to rehabilitate
affected refugees also urgently require food and household
items as well as access to healthcare and
The disaster has left families, especially Children traumatised.
the UN refugee agency and with our humanitarian partners
in Bangladesh are urgently appealing to
donors to make additional resources available
as humanitarian efforts in the camps are severely hampered by acute underfunding.
UNHCR's financial requirements for Bangladesh amounting to 200
are just 25 per cent funded right now
despite reaching the mid year mark.
The 2024 inter agency appeal for the
Rohingya situation led by the Bangladeshi authorities,
which is called the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis
Joint Response Plan which was launched here
in Geneva earlier this year requesting $852
million is less than 30% funded. Thank you.
Thank you very much, Babar,
for this, um uh, briefing on this very dire situation.
Is there any question on the Myanmar?
Let's keep talking about this crisis.
Just a couple of other points.
So we've spoken about a couple of press conferences.
There is another one I haven't mentioned you've been invited to.
press conference on Wednesday 26 June at 1:30 p.m.
That's about regulating autonomous vehicle calls
and the international developments related to it
with the deputy executive secretary of the UN
We have heard about the council, and as I said last time, there is no
treaty body meeting foreseen until the first of
July, so I have no updates on that.
Just a reminder for those who haven't heard
the secretary general will launch the
UN Global Principle for Information Integrity,
which is a framework for co ordinated international action
to address the pressing global challenges of misinformation, disinformation,
and other risks to the integrity of the information ecosystem.
So you will have access to this press conference which will, of course,
be on UN Web TV, and we then distribute to you the material
for you to have a look at this important is really important for our common activity.
This guiding principle to ensure information integrity.
This morning you may have seen on the lawn of the
doing yoga because today is the International Day of Yoga,
which recognises the ancient practises and much power to deliver healing,
inner peace and physical, spiritual and mental well being,
the secretary general said in a message for the day
He said that on this important day,
let us will be inspired by yoga's timeless values,
and it's called for a more peaceful and harmonious future.
I think this is all I had for you.
If there are no questions,
I don't see any hand up. So thank you very much.
I wish you a very good weekend
and I'll see you on Tuesday. Thank you.
