OK, So sorry, first of all for being late.
Welcome to this press briefing today.
It's Tuesday, 2nd of July.
We have very long briefing.
So I will ask everybody's patience and above all to try and be a little bit brief.
And as Pascal is already on the podium, I will start with him for an update.
And from the Council, thank you.
Today the Human Rights Council will hear from 2 somatic expert.
The first one will be Eliza Mojihad, the new Special Rapporteur on climate change, and the second one will be Olivier de Scooter, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty.
If you don't have time to read to Mr de Scooter's reports, you are advised that you read his opinion article that was published today in the Guardian on eradicating poverty beyond Gross.
Tomorrow the Council will start considering 5 country situations.
Belarus was the Special Rapporteur, Anais Maher, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria.
**** Commissioner Turk will speak on Venezuela and you will hear from Tom Andrews, the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar.
And on Thursday morning you will hear from Fortune Negate on Zongo, the Special Rapporteur on Burundi.
And on Thursday late morning, we should start considering the Universal Periodic Review adoption.
Just to remind you that 14 countries should have their reports adopted in this during this session.
These countries are Saudi Arabia, Senegal, China, Nigeria, Mauritius, Mexico, Jordan, Malaysia, the Central African Republic, Monaco, Belize, Chad, the Republic of the Congo and Malta.
And today is the deadline for Member states who wish to that wish to submit a draught resolution proposal for adoption.
This is 1:00 PM this afternoon.
And I don't see questions on the council, so let's go to the first of our topics.
Just to explain a little bit.
We have a lady talking calling in from Gaza for WHO she can only speak at 11:30.
So we'll have to play by ear with the timing.
Just just for your information.
So I will start by asking our colleagues of UNICEF to come to the podium.
James is here with an invitee that we welcome.
So James, you've brought us Meritel Rella Nirana with your representative in the Central African Republic.
Would you like to start or we give immediately the word no, only to say that that that to match your brief in English, but can answer questions in French and Spanish.
Today, the 3,000,000 girls and boys of the Central African Republic face the highest registered level of overlapping and interconnected crisis and deprivation in the world.
We are talking about conflict, we are talking about malnutrition crisis, food insecurity, possible water borne diseases, epidemics, floods etc.
The Central African Republic now holds the tragic distinction of being ranked first among 191 countries as the most as at risk for humanitarian crisis and disaster.
The dire status underscores the severe and urgent challenges faced by its youngest citizens, the children.
10 years of protracted conflict and instability in CAR has left every single one of children in CAR at risk.
There is a lot of distressing data that speaks to the lives of the children in CAR.
But I will just mention for for the briefing the that James has has quite a lot of data.
So let me let me tell you that one in two children do not have access to health services.
Only 1/3 of the children, around 37% of them attend school regularly.
Nearly two in three young women were married before the age of 18.
This is almost 61% and almost 40% of the children in the country suffer from chronic malnutrition.
In addition, only 36% of the population has access to water.
So this weakened institutions and a very weak social services to provide water.
Health Protection and nutrition compound multiple risks to the rights of children.
The fact that the crisis in CAR has been stretched out so over so many years, and that, sadly, so many other crises are unfolding in parallel, means that the children of CAR have become painfully invisible.
But their pain and loss are profoundly evident.
However, there is hope now.
It's a critical moment indeed.
It's the moment for the international community to rally for a change of course for the children of CAR.
The Government new National Development plan that is going to be published very soon, alongside all other major commitments to improve children's rights, mean UNICEF and its partners have a viable mechanism to push for a change of course to chart a new future for the children and the country.
Amid this rare moment of opportunity, the greatest risk is that the Champions, these children rely on, international donors, the global media and inform public might turn their backs and look away in the face of simultaneous global crisis.
And let me say in my most clear and candid language, this will mean many children will unnecessary die.
Many more will see their features destroyed.
And let me finish by saying that a child is a child.
And as such, it is imperative that the international community does not forget the children of Car Mercy.
Thank you very much, Merit Cell.
And I'll open now the floor to questions first in the room if there is any.
So let's go to the platform research line.
I'd like, I'd like to know how many children actually are you talking about?
They're up to age 18, I guess.
And you say there is a new national plan which will change the course of these children's lives.
Could you be more specific about that?
What is the national plan?
How will this change things?
Are you getting the money that you need?
I I guess not from what I have heard.
So I mean, from where will the improvements come?
OK, thank you very much for your question.
There is 3,000,000 children in the Central African Republic.
It's a very young population.
Half of the population is actually under the age of 18 years old.
And the the moment, the moment of truth is now because this is the first time that the country has a national development plan.
This is the one that is going to guide investments in human capital investments in the country for the first time to improve also the social services for children.
I'm talking about improving the health system substantially, improving the education system, making sure that all the children can go to the school, making sure that there is a payment for all the teachers that are needed in the country, the health personnel.
So it's the first time after the last one, the RCPCA that the government is going to put in place.
And we believe that the international community should rally around this national plan, development plan, support the plan to make sure that the social services in the country will be a, a reality for for the children, especially those that are more in need, which are the the majority.
I have to say, thank you very much.
Yes, Lisa, as a follow up just quickly, you mentioned a lot of children are malnourished.
Could you be more specific about this?
How many children are malnourished, How many of them are at this stage of severe acute malnourishment which puts their lives at risk?
And what is it that you and other agencies are doing in order to try to alleviate this situation?
So 40% of the children suffer from chronic malnutrition.
So this is basically more than 1/3 of all the three million children, more than one million children suffer from chronic malnutrition.
And then there is a five, 5.5% more or less that suffer from severe acute malnutrition.
This is around 80,000 children in the country that if not treated immediately would die.
So those are the children that you see in, in, in the media, unfortunately, that are barely bones and, and, and skin.
They are being treated with, with the different treatment for malnutrition with the, the therapeutic milk and ready to use therapeutic food.
It's been supported actually by the by BHA, by the American government.
And we are we have a national programme actually to support the treatment of malnutrition.
However, for the prevention of the malnutrition, for the prevention of chronic malnutrition, we do need sustained investments in social in social protection to make sure that the families, they have the money that is required to buy the food.
We need to overcome food insecurity, which is quite **** in the country.
We need to invest in the society for the families to be able to afford the nutritious food that are needed for for the children in order to prevent these cases of chronic malnutrition.
Thank you very much Merit Cell Any other question?
I think you have maybe something else to No, no, there's there's very the mic.
So beyond the briefing that we've just shared, there are very thorough one page advocacy briefs across all the sectors for children in cars.
So I've emailed you all those as well.
They're good, sharp, succinct and fresh off the printer.
Thank you very much to both colleagues.
Let's go ahead with our thank you With our next topic, which is DRC Online.
We have Fabian Sambusi, who is the Chief of Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for IOM to talk about the humanitarian crisis in Eastern DRC and the vulnerable population.
Let me give you the floor.
OK so I see your mic is open but I don't have the image.
Maybe you can try to speak.
We we can see if we can hear you.
I think there's a problem with the connect.
OK, now you have the image.
Can you go ahead, Sir, please.
And thank you for briefing us here in Geneva.
I we can't hear in the room looking at my colleagues.
It's not it's not working, right.
OK, so let's let's do this.
If it's possible, if you could just reconnect.
Why we are going ahead with the briefing on another subject and then I'll take you just after because we we have the image, but we can't hear you and you are unmuted.
So there's not a question of Mike mix.
It's probably a question of the connection.
If you can just re get out and and and re connect and I'll ask we may.
So I'm going to ask our colleagues from UNHCR and OCHA to come to the podium for the briefing on Sudan and we will reconnect to you immediately after if you can just get out and in again.
OK, so let's go, let's stay in Africa and go to Sudan.
I have the pleasure to not to introduce you because you know Evan Watson from his side past life with the ICRC, but as the new head of Global communications for UNHCR.
It's your first briefing with us.
We're really happy to have you here.
And you have been in Sudan recently.
So you would like to brief on what you've seen and then we will hear from Manisa for Archer.
Thank you very much and good morning, everybody.
Nice to be with you in my, in my new role with the UNHCR.
So yes, I'd like to talk to you about Sudan and the repercussions in neighbouring countries and to say that today we are launching the regional refugee response plan for those forced to flee Sudan.
And we're looking for 1.5 billion U.S.
dollars, which is required for our aid partners and that is up from 1.4 billion in January to assist and protect up to 3.3 million people forced to flee as well as the local communities that are hosting them.
This is currently under 20% funded.
I have, as Alessandra said, just returned from Sudan, where I was in White Nile state with the **** Commissioner Filippo Grandi, and also in South Sudan around rank, the Jamjiang refugee camp in Unity State.
And the situation there is incredibly difficult, confusing, dangerous and appalling tragedy for civilians both still in Sudan and those who have had to leave the country due to the violence.
It's one of the most neglected crises globally and for us, it is the most pressing displacement crisis in the world right now.
The the people that I met there were talking to me about horrendous violations of human rights.
And I think what's important here is just the complexity of factors facing people.
We are, as you all know, extremely close to famine like conditions in Sudan.
But horrific though that is, it is not just about famine.
It's about brutal human rights violations.
It's about floods that are expected to be the worst in many years this year, and that not only hampers the delivery of humanitarian aid, but it means that people are trapped where they are, with little aid and not able to flee.
It's schools that have closed, leaving a generation in in in peril if not lost, with schools that I visited in Kosti in the White Nile state, having been converted essentially into makeshift shelters and a classroom harbouring 80 people who are who are sleeping in there in abysmal conditions.
So it is extremely difficult.
You've seen in White Nile state alone a situation where the population in the state has doubled.
You've got 1,000,000 internally displaced people who have fled from other areas of Sudan into White Nile state, and they're living in cramped conditions, either in refugee camps or in these makeshift shelters that I've talked to you about.
And of course, many people tragically fled war in South Sudan going north to Sudan, and have now had to go in the opposite direction, many fleeing Khartoum and other places back down to South Sudan where often they have no roots anymore.
They left years ago and are once more displaced by war and conflict.
So it is an appalling situation and humanitarian access in Sudan is is brutally difficult and the floods are not going to help that at all.
So ultimately less aid reaching people in Sudan is going to force more people to flee.
You're talking about 10 million people that have fled either in the country or outside the country.
Outside the country is about 2 million people that have fled into neighbouring countries and and the situation for them is brutal.
The person I met Samira in Jam Jam refugee camp, just as an example, had fled Khartoum, had arrived in South Sudan, had to leave her husband behind, who who then had not been able to contact her.
So she's no idea where her husband is.
And she said to me, I'd rather my kids die here of hunger than in Khartoum of the war.
And that just gave me a snapshot of just how horrific the choices that people are making.
The, the, the impossible choices that people have to make.
The, I'm going to come back now to the regional refugee response plan.
The, the news here in a sense is that this plan adds 2 new countries, Libya and Uganda, into the different countries that are hosting refugees from Sudan.
And who needs international support?
And that is of course, in addition to other countries who are hosting many, many refugees, Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and of course South Sudan that I mentioned, where upwards of 700,000 people have fled since the war began in Sudan 14 months ago.
In Libya, we have registered 20,000 new arrivals from Sudan since the war broke out.
They are primarily fleeing Darfur.
And we understand that thousands more have arrived in Libya that are not registered and are in the east of the country.
Clearly there the situation is extremely difficult for these refugees.
Local services available in the country are really overstretched.
Refugees families are forced to sleep in the open and medical facilities just cannot keep up with the growing needs that that we are facing through there.
In Uganda, which already is the is the largest refugee hosting country in Africa, more than 39,000 Sudanese refugees have arrived since the outbreak of of the war, with 70% of those fleeing just this year, which is 3 times more than than was initially expected or predicted.
Most of them are arriving from Khartoum and have.
University level education and are looking to rebuild their lives.
So through this appeal we will be working with host governments to support access to territory and to asylum systems for these Sudanese refugees fleeing the brutal war.
Through there, we'll be working to strengthen government LED efforts to deliver critical assistance to those most vulnerable, to provide services for gender based violence survivors and to provide services such as mental health, food, transport, healthcare, education services, among other critically needed services for these people.
And ultimately trying to help refugees build a normal place, a normal life in the places where they've fled to finding jobs, schooling for their children and other essential services that can help them rebuild after this tragedy that's unfolding in Sudan.
And thanks for this reporting.
And I'll go to Vanessa, who's replacing Yens, who's away.
So you also have a snapshot on the situation of the mental situation, Sudan.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra, after hearing you.
And I think we we kind of run out of work to qualify the situation, which is certain which it is, that it is a man made human tragedy.
It continues to unfold in Sudan after more than 14 years of conflict with time running out for millions of people who are at risk of famine, are displaced from the land under bombardment.
The fighting continues to spread across the country and we have received reports of new displacement in recent days following clashes between the Sudanese Armed Force and the Rapid Support Forces in Sinja town, which is in the state of Sinar in the southeast of the country.
Our latest figure indicates that more than 60,000 people have already fled the fighting in Sinjar but also in security in Abujar and Adali localities which are nearby but still in the Sinar state.
The fighting continues and more people are on the move as we speak.
So the situation is volatile and the number could as well increase in the in the coming days.
We and our partners are present in Gedaref where most of the people are fleeing.
We have food and retention supplies.
The World Food Programme has enough supplies in Gedaref for 50,000 people and can bring more as needed.
What we need, and this is not different in in any other part of the countries, is for the parties to de escalate immediately, spur civilians and ensure safe passage for those fleeing the fighting in Sinjar and again elsewhere in Sudan.
We need unimpeded access so that those in need can receive the life saving support they rely on and we need to be able to reach people in need wherever they are in the country.
Once again, women, children, entire families had to flee, leaving everything behind.
I the situation continue to be extremely dire across the country, which is now facing the worst food insecurity.
Food insecurity in 20 years.
And it bears reminding that all of this could have been avoided, but the window of opportunity for us is still there.
But time is running out, and we need funding and we need access.
And as my colleagues say, it is especially critical as the rainy season arrives.
They're already flooding in the country.
So time is really of the essence.
OK, let's open the floor to questions.
Is there any question on Sudan?
Emma Farge, Reuters on the expansion of the response plan.
Can you give us an idea of how recently those refugees have arrived in those two new countries?
Is that recent or has that been over a long period since the war began?
And what's your interpretation of why they're going to Libya?
I wouldn't imagine it's a very appealing country to go to.
Are they headed on somewhere else?
The for Libya refugees have been crossing really since the war began.
But it's true that since October of last year we saw a greater movement of people into Libya.
And I think in terms of the motivation here, the fundamental point is that because war is continuing, there is no safe space in Sudan.
People are forced to leave the country.
And what we're finding is that of course, conditions are harsh in some of those countries neighbouring Sudan.
We've seen an enormous amount of solidarity and support from host communities in Chad, in Central African public in South Sudan and elsewhere.
But ultimately, without the international support needed for those host states, people will continue on looking for a better life, a safe place.
And I think that's what's brought them there.
And it just speaks to the desperate situation and desperate decisions that people are making that they end up in a place like Libya, which is, of course, extremely, extremely difficult for for refugees right now.
Other questions, I look at the room or the platform, don't see any other question on this.
So thank you very much even and very happy to have you with us.
And thanks, Vanessa, for this update.
Let me try and see if Fabian Sambusi is back and if we have the audio.
Mr Sambusi, I can see you.
Let's see if we can hear you.
It's a little bit far away, but I think we can.
Ladies and gentlemen, the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to face a complex and persistent humanitarian crisis, which is seeing a rapid, sharp and also alarming deterioration.
The situation today is not business as usual.
As the IOM Chief of Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I'm extremely worried about the vulnerable, displaced population.
We are bearing the brunt of this crisis.
The eastern provinces are characterised by the presence of several active armed groups, aggravating the ongoing cycle of violence, causing significant displacement of population and straining an already fragile humanitarian context.
As of October last year and the last national round of the IOM displacement Tracking matrix, 6.9 million individual were displaced around the country, a figure that is expected to rise with the next report.
The data collection for the 2024 report is currently ongoing in North Kiboula.
At the end of May 2020, four 1.77 million people were displaced by the M23 crisis, making a 60% increase since the last report.
We are also receiving regular report of attacks on displacement waves.
Earlier this month, a massacre of around 42 individuals occurred in Liberal territory and in the recent days the strategically located town Kenya Bayonga as reportedly being seized by the N 23 rebel groups.
The city of Goma is currently surrounded and isolated from supply routes, further deteriorating the social economic situation and living conditions.
Despite the authorities continuous implementation of strategies to reduce and deter crimes in the city, theft, Burberry ***** and harassment continue to affect civilian, including a large number of the displaced population.
We are witnessing an alarming increase in violation of protection of civilian.
The growing proximities of the front lines and the presence of weapons within and around displacement sites significantly compromise the security of displaced population.
Despite the advocacy of from protection actors and the broader international community, this sites remain exposed to violence and violation of their civilian.
So far in 20/24/16 incident have been reported in IDP site resulting in the death of at least 37 people injuring more than 50.
Furthermore, we see an alarming increase in gender based violence, particularly sexual violence and exploitation targeting women and girl in conflict areas.
The crisis is not confined to North Kibu.
Almost 80,000 individuals have fled from North Kibu into S Kibu since April 2024.
Conflict have intensified in Fiji Territory, S Kibu causing repeated displacement of over 30,000 individuals.
The security situation in three provinces remains also very volatile and unpredictable with violation and ***** against civilian.
Additionally, recent rising water levels in Lake Tanganika, heavy rains and over flooded rivers have causes flooding and landslides in several areas, especially across S Kibu and Tanganika provinces.
In May, this resulted in significant damages to infrastructure and agricultural lands, displacing over 50,000 individuals.
Despite challenges, humanitarian organisation remains committed to stay and deliver, providing life saving support to people affected by the crisis.
However, the current response is not enough to meet the overwhelming needs.
The majority of displaced population are staying with all family while around one millionaire inside under the camp Coordination and camp management umbrella.
Of this, 421,000 resides in the 81 sites managed by IOM but we provided site and coordination management, shelter, water and sanitation facilities.
Both IDP in host communities and sites are experiencing overcrowding, facing protection concerns and receiving limited assistance, access to essential resources such as food, shelter and healthcare, other main needs reported.
the United Response Plan 2024, which aims to assist 8.7 million people and requires 2.6 billion U.S.
dollar, yet is nearly 16% funded as of May 2024.
IOM as reflected in our Crisis Response Plan 2024 appeals for 190 million to target 2.4 million people.
Out of this, only 24.8 million have been receiving for humanitarian assistance.
IOM as well as the humanitarian country team is looking into improving efficiency and bringing durable solution to displacement.
But without an increase in humanitarian capacity and resources, the catastrophic situation in the DSC will continue to worsen.
Furthermore, the IOM Director General, Henry Pope has been appointed as the advocate of the Interagency Standing Committee for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Through this role, we will continue to advocate for continuous support to the vulnerable population, provincial authorities and humanitarian peace building and development Organisation must collaborate to implement a stronger and coordinated response, to provide immediate relief to the space population and to improve access to basic services.
And at the same time, we need to look for medium and long term durable solution, including potential voluntary ITP return when safe to do so, and addressing the underlying grievance and the root cause of the conflict.
Thank you very much, Sir.
Merci Boku, questions to IOM in the room.
I don't see any hand up and on the platform, not many questions this morning.
But thank you very much, Sir.
I'm asking your colleagues in Geneva.
I'm looking at yes, you're on, you're nodding.
The journalists are asking if you can share your notes, and I'm sure your colleague in Geneva will do that.
So thanks again for this briefing and let's move.
We we're still waiting, as I told you at the beginning, for WHO to join.
We are not sure they'll make it.
But in the meantime, let me ask our colleagues of WMO to come to the podium.
We have Claire with us, who brought us and Claire Fontaine, the scientific officer of WMO, on the tropical cyclone programme.
OK, so welcome colleagues from WMO.
OK, so we have two record-breaking cyclones to talk about today, one from last year and one unfortunately from now.
So to start with, the World Meteorological Organisation has recognised a new world record tropical cyclone.
We had a very, very detailed, lengthy evaluation with a team of experts from our Weather and Climate Extremes archive who have said that Tropical Cyclone Freddy, which crossed the entire Indian Ocean basin last February and January, has set a new world record as the longest lasting tropical cyclone on record at 36 days.
That was, that was quite incredible.
It's information like this, you know, it's always fascinating for, for, for, for weather geeks, people who love trivia.
But what we also need to bear in mind is the very real impacts of this.
So Tropical Cyclone Freddie started off the northwest coast of Australia, then made its way across to southeastern Africa where it had, it didn't make just one landfall, which is what we normally see with a tropical cyclone.
It had, you know, multiple landfalls in one of very vulnerable countries, Mozambique, Madagascar also had big impacts in Malawi, other southern African countries.
So the reason that we keep these records is it's obviously of interest to to weather historians, but it's also really to inform policy making to, you know, to understand our changing climate and the impact of extreme weather.
Freddie was second only to Hurricane John in terms of the number of days.
In terms of distance, John still retains the record.
John travelled more than 13,000 kilometres back in 1994, and to keep that in perspective, that is nearly 1/3 of the Earth's circumference.
Freddie travelled 12,785 kilometres, which is still not bad going.
So that's a new world record will be updated in the WMO Weather and Climate Extremes archive.
When we were preparing the briefing notes today, I certainly was not expecting to have to talk about another record-breaking tropical cyclone.
We do not normally talk about Category 5 hurricanes in in July, but unfortunately Hurricane Beryl is now at Tropic at Category 5 strength.
That is the top level on the Sapphire Simpson scale.
It developed very, very rapidly over the weekend.
It started the weekend as a tropical storm.
Within the space of 24 hours, it became a Category 4 storm, first ever in June.
And now today it's intensified into a a Category 5 storm.
It's the earliest Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Central American basin.
And it sets a precedent for what we fear is going to be a very, very, very active, a very, very dangerous hurricane season, which will impact the entire basin.
A number of factors are involved here, which my colleague and Claire Fontan will elaborate on.
One of them is the very warm ocean surface temperatures.
Sea surface temperatures have been at record level, global level for 14 months now.
That is till the end of May.
We'll get the figures for June, hopefully later this week.
So we've got very, very warm waters and we need to bear in mind that it, it only takes 1 landfalling hurricane to set back, you know, decades of, of development.
And, you know, we fear what is happening with, with Hurricane Beryl, which has hit very, very, very small islands in the Caribbean who are not used to this size of, of, of hurricane.
You know, we, we fear that, you know, this is going to have a major knock on socio economic development.
And it's why we are making our top priority the early warnings for all campaign just to make sure that people get those early warnings they need.
So with that, my voice is getting hoarse.
I'll pass over to Anne Claire Fontaine, who is a scientific officer in the Tropical Cyclone programme who can elaborate.
Thank you, Claire, thank you for having me today.
Just a few more information regarding hurricane burial.
Claire mentioned about the rapid intensification, but it's at this time of the year, this is completely atypical to have a system going from a tropical depression which is a basic to a major hurricane like that in less than 48.
I was precisely in 42 hours.
And there is as well the fact that it is, it is really the the earliest Category 4 hurricane we have since all the records we have in the in this area.
So one of the explanation is of course, the fact that the ocean are very warm.
It's the area where it's warm.
It's called the main development region.
It is the the place in the ocean where the hurricane are developing.
And in this area it's it's the warmest ever that we we have currently.
So it's not the only reason, of course, but it's one of the reason for this kind of, I mean, for, for the potential of fueling this hurricane and becoming so, so intense.
I just wanted to to add that burial is a kind of illustration of what the IPCC is predicting regarding the evolution of the tropical cyclones within a in a warmer climate.
It's really about happy intensifying more intense associated with more rainfall and with storm surge that are exacerbated by the sea level rise.
So it's it's really a a textbooks case about about this hurricane burial now buried is category 5 after having impacted Granada, Sinn, Vincent, San Degridi, Nadine as a category 4.
It's keeps on intensifying within the Caribbean Sea.
There should be some impact from for the South Coast of Espanola, which is now in tropical storm warning.
And for tomorrow on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Centre, who is WMO mandated centre for the tropical cyclone forecasting, is expecting hurricane conditions for Jamaica.
So Jamaica, there is some expectation of destructive winds, heavy rainfall 100 to 200 millimetres during the episodes, storm surge as well it would be 1.5 to 2 metres higher than the normal tide and further further during the the week.
Cayman Islands will be on the target and they expect that hurricane burial while weakening, we'll make a landfall in in bodies in the UK 10 area.
So this is what I could tell.
Now if you have any questions, just to say we have sent out the briefing notes, but there's a lot of quite detailed facts and figures.
So if you haven't got them, just let me know and I'll send them again.
But you should have them.
OK, so let's start with Christian, Christian Erich, our correspondent of the German News agency.
This microphone is still not working on that side.
One is to Claire on record means since when, if we say this is the Freddie was the strongest on record, so since when?
And another question to the expert.
Can you explain in layman's terms why warm surface ocean temperatures fuel a hurricane?
On record normally for sort of climate records, we talk about 1850, but for for the weather and climate extremes archives, we actually use different baselines according to the, you know, according to the according to the category.
So for the longevity of tropical cyclones, I will double check, but I would imagine that it probably wouldn't go back much further than the middle of the 20th century.
I will, I will double check.
But I, I know as part of this evaluation, they also re evaluated the data for tropicals for Hurricane John, which was back in 1994.
And they said that one of the reasons was the information we've got now is, is actually so much better than they had back in, back in 1990, back in 1994.
Having said that, you know, the, the heat record that we have, which is Death Valley, that is from that dates back to, to I think 1912 or 19/19/14.
So it's, it, it, it varies according according to the category, But they, they do take this, you know, very seriously.
That's, that's a painstaking in their, in their evaluations.
Regarding the records, I would say that about the records and the tropical cyclones, it's much more since the satellite era.
We can assess very precisely this kind of records.
Before the satellite era, we couldn't see all the planet of course, so we couldn't assess precisely what was going on regarding the tropical cyclones regarding the, the ocean.
It's it's basically the energy, it's, it's like the, the petrol you put in your in your car.
It's really the energy that fuel the, the, the Hurricanes really without the warmth of the ocean, the energy they will not be able to, to, to develop.
And actually when when you have tropical cyclones and when you follow on the satellite imagery, the difference of the sea surface temperature, you can see there is a strong cooling down to 60 metres.
So it's, it's really one of the ingredients for tropical cyclones to develop.
It's really the energy that is within the 60 metres deep into the ocean.
That's not simple enough, Christian.
I'm writing for, they will say to me, the ocean is here and the hurricane is there.
You know, does the ocean water is sucked into the air or what happens?
So really in layman terms, please.
Well, the hurricane is not up in the air.
It's through from the surface of the water up to the very ****, as **** as the flights basically.
But it's really that there is evaporation from the ocean that feed the tropical cyclone that feed the airs and the airs goes into the spiralling into the tropical cyclones.
OK, so every everything is interconnected.
This is This is why WMO often talks about an Earth system approach.
This is why as an example, El Nino, La Nina, it's not just the atmosphere, it's not just the ocean, it's a combination of the two.
So with, with, with, with hurricanes, you know it, it takes two to two to tango.
You cannot have a very strong powerful category 5 hurricane with cold ocean waters.
It's as Aunt Claire said, it's like petrol into into the car's engine.
There are other factors as well, you know, wind shear and things.
But you know, one of the core ingredients is, is this is this is this ocean, which is this ocean heat.
If there are no other questions, let me see on the platform.
Hi, Jamie, sorry Jimmy Keaton is our Associated Press correspondent.
I just could you explain what if any connection there is with global warming and human anthropogenic global warming for these increased increasingly long or this increasingly long storm and the case with barrel at the moment on the longevity and Claire can correct me.
I'm not aware of any literature which says that climate change is making hurricanes longer and Claire can correct me, but certainly on intensification, yes.
And and Claire again can talk about that.
So yes, regarding the IPCC, what they say at the last report, it's really about the the frequency of the tropical cyclones.
It's expected not to change or even decrease a little bit, but there will be a shift towards a more intense tropical cyclones worldwide and within a warmer atmosphere there will be it.
It's a possibility for them to absorb more water.
So they will be associated with far more important amount of rain.
And so this is for you know, this is a findings life findings.
Now the storm surge as well when they are associated with tropical cyclones, storm surge are posing a real ****** as well because you know, the sea level rise because of the expansion of the ocean because of the fact that glasses are are melting.
So this is a real ****** as well, coming with a global.
Christiana is thinking about her readers.
What, what, what is the message for people to take away from these kind of new storms?
I mean, in other words, does there need to be stepped up action to combat climate change to help reduce these storm surges and help reduce, I mean, do people need to start being even more concerned about global warming when they hear about storms like these?
More extreme weather and hurricanes is just one example of of it.
It's something which our Secretary General Celeste Salo keeps saying over and over again.
You know, the climate crisis is the overriding challenge that humanity faces.
It's connected with with other crises, but it is the overriding climate crisis.
We need to really take urgent action to cut greenhouse gas emissions to get to carbon neutrality.
Otherwise, we are going to see be seeing more and more of these at an individual government level or an individual level.
Governments obviously have made a lot of progress in both in forecasts but also in preparedness.
There's better coordination now with disaster risk management authorities in the US, for instance, in many island nations you have weather ready campaigns and this is, you know, really helping people.
You know, how to how to spot the danger signals, how to act on them and how to protect yourselves and your loved ones.
So in general terms, the mortality rate from tropical cyclones has really fallen dramatically in, in the past 50 years.
That is a success story, if we can call it a success story.
And This is why the World Meteorological Organisation, we are one of the partners in the UN, Well, in the international Early Warnings for All campaign initiate initiated by the UN Secretary General.
You know, it's not good enough just to issue an early warning.
We need to make sure it reached the people, reaches the people who needs them and that they can act on that information.
Thanks for this briefing, Miss Buku.
Madam, from then and Merci Claire, let's now go to Gaza.
As I told you at the beginning, you've seen on the programme we had to have a briefing by Doctor Balky, the regional letter for the Eastern Mediterranean, and Rick Peppercorn, both from WHO, as you know.
However, apparently they are still in the hospital, so they have not yet hit a place where they can talk to us.
But we are very happy to have with us Louise Wattage.
Louise, as you know, because she spoke to you already, is the senior communications officer and spokesperson for UNRWA in the Near East.
She's talking to us from Gaza.
So we will hear from Louise and then we will see with with Margaret who's connected, whether you have questions for WHO and or if the colleagues from WHO can can join while we are still connected.
So let me start with Louise and Margaret disappearing on our screens.
So she's ready to take answers in case.
Louise, welcome and thank you very much for being with us.
I'll give you the floor because you wanted to give us an update on the evacuation, new evacuation orders from Eastern Kanunis, please.
So in Eastern Kanunis, there were new evacuation orders, displacement orders issued last night.
We have seen people moving families moving, people starting to pack up their belongings and try and leave this area.
UNRWA estimates that around 250,000 people have been impacted by these orders.
Of course, as usual, we expect these numbers to grow.
But you know, for us this is it's another devastating blow to the humanitarian response here.
It's another devastating blow for the the people and the families on the ground.
It seems that they are forcibly being displaced again and again.
You know, making these decisions is now impossible.
How do parents decide where to go?
Where is there to go already?
And our drive this morning, just through the middle Gaza area, along the coastal Rd, you can see the makeshift shelters right up to the shoreline, right up to the water coming in.
It is absolutely packed with family who have already had to move.
Khan Yunis just a few weeks ago was a ghost town.
It was completely empty because there's so much damage and destruction in this area.
There is so limited, um, infrastructure in terms of water availability, in terms of resources.
And after the Rafa incursion and military operation there, that is forced families back into this area.
And now already because of the orders last night, the same families are having to move again.
We do not have this answer.
There is absolutely no safe place in the Gaza Strip.
This is something we have maintained for the duration of this war, but really physical space we're talking about now.
Where do these families go?
Where can they physically go?
Families in Gaza Strip are trapped here.
There is not an option to leave.
There is so much military operations in the north from Beit Hanoon to Gaza City.
In the middle area last night we had bombardments all through the nights.
We had air strikes very near to where we are.
We are staying ourselves in the Nusuriya area.
We have bombardments in Kanunas and in Rafa.
With all of this military preparation ongoing, it is very difficult for families to make this decision.
It's a very highly active military zone.
There is no safety to leave and as UNICEF reported earlier in the year, 17,000 children are unaccompanied or separated.
What about these children?
What decisions are these children making?
It is over 30°C here every day.
There is very limited availability for fresh drinking water.
It is not easy for anyone of full health to be able to be making such a move in the circumstances that we are facing now.
There is trash everywhere, there is disease spreading is the options on the ground are very, very difficult for for families and and for people here to be making.
And thank you for having me today.
And over to any questions.
Thank you very much, Louise, for coming and briefing us.
I'll open the floor to questions now and again.
As I said, Margaret today, if you need to ask her anything, I don't see.
Hi, Louise, thanks for briefing us again.
You mentioned 250,000 had been impacted by these orders.
And do you have a count for the newly displaced within sort of 24 hours?
Do you know roughly how many people have been newly displaced?
Any update on the fuel situation?
I know your operations were grounded for a while over the last week.
Have you got any in and can you operate?
So these recent orders came through overnight.
We mobilised teams almost immediately to the areas and we are trying to get some kind of count on.
So we will be reporting those counts.
If you keep watch of the owner of Twitter feed that will update with the most recent numbers, 250,000 is our estimate for the entire area impacted.
But we will be updating regularly with the the numbers of people moving throughout the the coming days.
In terms of the fuel, yes, we did receive some fuel.
It was 2 days ago we received some fuel.
So we have now some limited fuel for the vehicles.
Diesel and fuel is both still restricted.
We're still, you know, operating on a, on a day by day basis.
And it really restricts the humanitarian response when we don't have the ability to plan long term, knowing when we will receive fuel, knowing how much fuel will reach us in order to keep, you know, hospital generators running desalina, tion plants and of course the fuel for our vehicles as well.
So as always, we are we are really living hand to mouth in this humanitarian response.
And just to add that the the most recent evacuation orders will severely impact our ability to reach the Karen Shalom crossing as well.
This area is, is where we have been driving through.
Of course, we used to be based in Rafa until the military operation is there.
We have now since been operating out of Nusuria.
But to get to the carousel on crossing with the aid, we do travel through Kanunis.
So this evacuation order also impacts our ability to receive aid and distribute aid to the population.
Other question in the room before I go to the platform.
Antonio brought to the Spanish news agency.
Hello, So can you tell us which direction are this evacuees going and and are they going South to Rafa, which also have some evacuation orders in recent weeks or are they going to the coast?
So if you have more information and also I know it's difficult, but the total of people that have left Han Junis in in recent months.
So this is, you know, family by family basis.
When the Rafa Miniature operation began, people were making decisions based on what they could do, how far they could move as family.
Like I said, there's people with the elderly, people with the sick.
So for each family they will be making decisions based on what they can do themselves, maybe where they have other family.
Our understanding so far is people are going towards the West, so that is towards the coast, but we will have more information on this throughout the day and as this unfolds.
And we also have a lack of, of as we have for eight months, a severe lack of communications on the ground.
So even to communicate with our own staff who are currently out reporting on this, it's very difficult for us to to receive this information, even those ourselves in Gaza in real time because the comms continuously cuts out because of the fuel restrictions that we have.
So all of these things are, they're not only impacting our ability to have the humanitarian response, but also our reporting and communication among each other becomes very difficult.
So as I said, as soon as we have more information on this, we will be sharing across our platforms.
In terms of the numbers from Kanunis, this is something I will be able to look up and and get back to you on.
But there were 1.4 million people originally in in Rafa before May 6th.
These people, you know, relocated to various areas, including Khan Unis and now again in Khan Unis, 250,000 people impacted by the current evacuation orders there.
Thank you very much, Louise.
I see Margaret wants to add something and I see Richard Peppercorn is now just connected.
Margaret, you want to say something on the question of Antonio?
Well, I was going to actually give a quick update on the health situation because I was concerned that my colleagues would not make it in time given the logistical difficulties.
But if if Doctor Peppercorn's joined already.
I was just going to give a very quick update on the situation in in, in the health situation that the system's lost 70% of its bed capacity and there are no functioning hospitals in Rafa for the third consecutive week except for the ICRC field hospital and fuel shortages as as Antonio asked, impacting health functionality drastically.
The generators that the hospitals are barely functioning as they've been operating over time and the limited access to electricity, fuel and solar system hinders the proper functioning of health facilities and aid operations.
Power blackouts particularly affect newborn and ICU services and kidney dialysis, putting people who are desperately or critically ill at risk.
But if Doctor Pepper can't join and we've got Doctor Balki, I will hand it over to them.
Thank you very much, Margaret.
Yes, I see Richard, don't see the other colleague, but maybe they're in the same room, I don't know.
But in any case, just before I give the floor to to Rick, just if there is any other specific question to Louise on what she just told us, I don't see any.
So Louise, if you can and want to stay, please do.
And now we will listen to the other colleagues from WHO.
So we have a Rick doesn't need to be introduced of course, but I see also another colleague who has joined maybe is Doctor Hanan Balki is that yes, I see her nodding.
So Doctor Balki, as I said, is the regional director for the Eastern Mediterranean for WHO.
So I don't know who would like to start to give us an update on the on the health situation.
I think you just coming out of the hospital right there.
I will go first, Rick and then I will hand over to you.
And again, sorry a little bit for the slight delay that we had.
It's a pleasure to be with you today.
I think we we can hear you, Madam.
I arrived, of course, to the occupied Palestinian territory on Sunday with the goal of gaining some first hand insights into the scale of the health crisis, most pronounced of course in Raza and escalating in the West Bank.
When I took office as the Regional Director in February this year, the crisis in Raza had already reached catastrophic levels.
Today, the situation continues to deteriorate rapidly.
In my meetings with partners and senior Unsun officials on Sunday and yesterday on, one message was clear, WHO and humanitarian partners are committed to staying and delivering in Gaza.
We have the capacity and the resources needed to alleviate the catastrophic suffering of the people in Gaza and that are facing but lack and enabling environment to expand our operations.
Is is is one of our biggest challenges.
So we need peace and we need sustained humanitarian access.
Against all odds, The Who teams are working tirelessly to save lives and resuscitate and restore the health system.
Today, WHO has procured $30 million worth of medicines and medical supplies, 59% of which has already been delivered to the Registrar.
We have also provided and continue efforts to provide fuel to hospitals in dire need.
International emergency medical teams coordinated by WHO have conducted around 900,000 medical consultations and 25,000 surgical operations in 2024.
Medical evacuation of 4913 patients outside the Reza have been supported by WHO and partners.
Together with them, we have also worked to to restore NASAR Medical Complex and Shippa Hospital and specialised services such as dialysis, emergency care, surgery, orthopaedics, burn care, laboratory services and maternity and paediatric care.
But these efforts, faced with obstructive denials, delays and great risk to the safety of our own teams cannot replace a well functioning health system that is so desperately needed in Raza today.
Until a sustainable solution to this crisis is found, our work will continue to face challenges.
One key challenge is shortage of fuel, which is needed to keep all humanitarian operations, including health, running the needed at the needed capacity.
Since the closure of the Rafah border, which was the main entry point for fuel in Teresa, our health response operations have been significantly compromised.
From 25 to 27th of June, only 190, five, 200,000 litres of fuel entered Raza via Karam, Abu Salem, Karam, Shalom border to be shared by all sectors including Health, Wash, Nutrition and others.
Since then, no fuel has entered Raza.
To maintain full operations, health alone needs 80,000 litres of fuel a day.
The water and sanitation sector alone needs another 70,000 litres of fuel a day to operate critical services that remain accessible that remain accessible.
As a result, hospitals are once again short on fuel, risking disruption to critical services.
Injured people are dying because ambulance services are facing delays due to shortage of fuel.
Fuel shortages are also affecting essential water and sanitation services such as water delivery, sewage pumping, trash collection, and trash collection.
So from June 15 to 23rd, the water and sanitation cluster received less than 5% of the fuel needed each day to keep these services running.
As a result, water services water service providers are forced to to ration operations of municipal groundwater wells and the two working water desalina tion plants, reducing water production even more.
Lack of safe water and sanitation is significantly contributing to the spread of diseases.
There are concerning increases in the number of adults and children suffering from waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A, diarrheal illnesses, skin conditions and others.
This situation must be prevented from worsening, potentially leading to devastating consequences.
Closure of the Rafah border crossing is also preventing Critically I'll patients from receiving the specialised medical care they need outside Raza.
While a few patients were able to be evacuated recently via Term Abu Salem, more than 10,000 patients remain stranded inside the Strip waiting to be evacuated.
Medical evacuation corridors must be urgently established for the sustained, organised, safe and timely passage of Critically I'll patients from Gaza via all possible routes.
This includes Rafa, Karam Shalom to Egypt, West Bank, East Jerusalem and from there to other countries when needed.
At the Makasa Hospital in East Jerusalem yesterday, where I visited, the hospital director told me that the facility is ready to receive up to 100 patients from Raza as soon as they can be medically evacuated.
The hospital has the capacity today to provide specialised services for even the most critical cases.
Patients in Rezza should have timely access to the medical care they need and that can be provided and is available less than one hour away at the hospital.
I saw triplets almost 10 months old who were born prematurely before the war in Rezza.
Their mother had to travel to Rezza to take care of her other children since the infants needed extended care in the incubator, so they were alone in the neonatal care area.
Once we we started, she was, she was unable once the war started, she was unable to return to Alma Qased and has not seen her baby since and that was quite heartbreaking.
I also saw a baby, a boy scheduled for surgery for hydrocephalus, which his parents and siblings remain in Gaza unable to be with him.
There are just these are some of just the realities and not the worst case realities on the restrictions of access and their consequences.
Over the coming days, I hope to visit the West Bank where the situation is becoming increasingly volatile.
Attacks on healthcare have reached alarming levels and access to Healthcare is further impacted has further impacting health service and delivery.
The need for a sustainable solution in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is more urgent than ever.
Despite the challenges, WHO and our partners are unwavering in their commitment to provide critical health services.
However, a long term solution to this crisis requires concerted effort from all international communities to resume and continue with political discussions to address the root causes of this conflict and to create peace.
Today, the implications of the crisis extend beyond the Reza and the West Bank, impacting Regional Health security as hostilities also escalate in Lebanon and Syria.
Only through collective action can we ensure that people receive the healthcare they desperately need and deserve.
Today, once again, we need peace today to secure access for all the people within Gaza, the West Bank, and to save the fragile healthcare systems that exist in the neighbouring countries and in money and in many within the region.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to this cause.
OK, Thank you very much, Madam.
And I understand Rick Peppercorn has something to add about the visit to the hospital right now.
Also, Doctor Hanan, I will focus on three areas.
First, of course, European Gaza hospital.
So we've seen and, and, and all of you have witnessed the latest evacuation orders in Han units and, and it includes the European Gaza Hospital area.
And I want to stress though, the hospital itself is not under evacuation order.
A hospital like that is like an island.
And, and I think the health workers unfortunately have witnessed several times that that when the military activities expand around that hospital, first of all, health workers live often close cannot come now they are they have evacuated.
So they cannot come to the to the hospital.
Patients cannot access ambulance can access we WHO cannot come with medical supplies, fuel, water, etcetera.
So very quickly that hospitals have you seen over time, they become from partly functional, non functional.
And this time the the hospital staff and and the the the the patients they decided to already evacuate themselves very sense that yesterday reportedly 270 patients self evacuated along with medical staff mainly to the NASA Medical Complex.
The this morning more patients were evacuated and only three patients remained at small to European Gaza Hospital and three in ICSC Fields Hospital.
So the majority of the patients have been referred to NASA Medical Complex, the the the hospital Ministry of Health, they have requested to transfer now valuable medical equipment and supplies out of the hospital.
So who will be trying to support and will be supporting this mission whenever that is feasible.
And again, European Gaza was one of the few remaining key referral hospitals S body Gaza where the majority of the population is 1.9 million.
I'm not sure medical complex.
So hospital which we know became non functional and then incredibly work resilience for the the Gaza and health workers together with WHO and partners make it partly functional again.
The hospital is already old well needs more fuel.
We try to WH was trying to resupply the the hospital and also expense helped to expand the debt capacity with another 100 beds on top of the current capacity 450 beds.
So that called me to the hospital functionality.
Currently 16 out of 36 hospital partly functional, 43 out of 99 primary healthcare centres partly functional from the field hospitals.
Eight of the 10 field hospitals are functional for fully for partially.
And I want to stress on the partly functional hospital 12 are partly accessible due to insecurity, physical barriers and damage.
And also it's an it even gives a better picture than it really is because the larger hospitals as Shiva as we know they're, they're not non functional.
The only function of the trauma stabilisation point and that's where most bets hospital beds are.
Last point is on fuel and, and, and this is important not only just for health.
So from the based on our data from 25 to 27 June, only 195,200 litres of fuel enter Gaza via care and Shalom border to be shared by all sectors so that that includes health but also wash nutrition, think about bakeries and others.
So since then no fuel has has actually entered Gaza WHOFC delivered to come out at one only 10,000 for it to remain partly functional.
All hospitals are also in some areas partly hospital because of the lack of fuel.
They have to save on fuel on constantly the water and sanitation.
The wash sector alone needs 70,000 litres of fuel a day and the house sector needs 80,000 fuel per day to operate critical services.
So as a result, once again, short and full, risking disruption of fitful service, ancient people, etcetera and morbidity and unnecessary morbidity and and mortality.
Ambulance services of course delays your shortage of fuel as well.
So it's affecting all DOVA.
So is trying to keep possible resupply this fuel and medical supplies that the lack of fuel has and is compromising our operation, is actually compromising our humanitarian operation.
And, and the latest fuel we live in was on 29th of June, the 10,000 litres of fuel come out of 1.
And it is of course quite striking that nine months in this crisis, we still talk about something basic as fuel.
Thank you very much for your attention.
Indeed, you're absolutely right.
So let's see if there are any questions.
I think you've been extremely exhaustive.
I don't see any end up in the room.
The Spanish news agency, Antonio, brought on the line.
My question is for Miss Balky.
I would like to know if the attacks to health installations in Gaza have been reduced in the recent weeks and if it happens that this this is the case.
If the situation on health services is also improving.
Yes, thank you very much.
Maybe I'll then I'll hand it over to Rick for the for more details.
Of course, the health situation and the health infrastructure and services have been extremely damaged and destructed, but I will hand it over to Rick for the actual details of the numbers.
So of course, and, and, and, and kiosk as well.
We've seen the evacuation orders.
So that's very likely there will be military activities in that area around Kai Humus.
So we plea, I mean, that that the, the European guys hospital will be spared, will be no damage.
So I mean, and, and we, I cannot say that over the last week, we have have not seen more attacks on, on healthcare.
We just, I just want to say WHO, because I think it's always a little bit confusing about that.
So WHO is mandated by the World Health Assembly by all member states to monitor, to analyse and to report on attacks on healthcare.
And that we we're doing that with all conflicts, the acute conflicts, the chronic conflicts all over the the world.
And as of 25 June, if you look at at the Gaza, we reported 474 health attacks and related to death, 740 people were killed in those attacks, 961 people were injured in these attacks and 128 health workers remain detained and arrested.
We have seen 103 health facilities affected at 32 hospitals damage and besides that 113 hospitals, ambulances affected at 61 which sustains damage.
Any other question MFR Reuters.
Thank you Doctor Peppercorn.
Just a clarification on the European Gaza hospital, did, did the staff also leave along with the patients?
And just more broadly in middle and southern areas of Gaza, how were the field hospitals coping?
Because it seems to me they're trying to do the job of real hospitals with all of the equipment and infrastructure and personnel that they have.
So how are they coping with this task of trying to replace them?
Do they have what they need to do, for example, complicated surgery from the injuries coming in?
How are they coping with that challenge?
OK, Thank you very much for the question.
So yes, most staff have left also the European Guys hospital, as I said, there is, there's still 3 patients remaining with some staff and ICSE Field hospital also reported to us as three patients as well.
And and I think the ICAC what I understand, at least that's what got I understood from yesterday evening, 10 ICC staff were also still remaining in European Gaza or in the adjacent ICRC field hospital, which is part of the European Gaza complex.
Now you raise a good point.
So first of all, I still think that the what I said that the the partly function hospitals and, and I described them to you.
This is still the focus on the health functionality the the 16 out of the 36 hospital they provide still most of the of the secondary and referral care, including the 43 out of 99 Primary Health care services.
The eight out of the 10 field hospitals are incredibly important and unfortunately increasingly important and eight out of 10 where four are working fully and four partially.
For example, if you look at the Rafa, which used at 3 hospitals, none of those three hospitals are functional.
That's only one field hospital, ICFC field hospital, which is functioning in that area.
Now when you go to, so there's A and, and a few others and UK Met field hospital which in Han units in that field there of course the the Jordanian hospital and the IMC hospital in there.
Bala, there's a few other places where there's fields hospitals, PRCS has that's actually still one of the partly functioning hospitals as well.
So there's a small string of field hospitals mainly along the coast and in, in, in along the coast and, and also assisting in the north.
And yeah, they, they're becoming increasingly relevant.
And some of the like ICSC field Hospital UK Met Field Hospital, Inc field hospital, which are, I would say the bigger field hospitals, they get a lot of referrals from other places.
And, and we as well WHO refer to that all hospitals, including the field hospitals, they suffer from the same problems.
They suffer from the, the lack of fuel as well as we will help to provide and including some of the medical supplies, consumer consumable and essential medicines.
I don't see other hands up.
So thank you very, very much for this really fresh briefing out of I'm sorry, sorry.
I, I there's a, there's a last minute hand from the AFP please.
Thanks for taking my question.
It was about the head of Al Shifa Dr that has been liberated I think yesterday morning and has accused the Israelis of being having been tortured with other prisoners.
I was just wondering if you had a chance to talk to him, to see him, to contact him and can can you give us any?
If so, can you give us any idea of the allegations, if they're, if they're true?
I think he asked you or whoever else in WHO wants to answer.
I want to say, well, first of all, we welcome the release.
We've welcomed the release.
No, none of The Who staff have actually talked to the doctor, to the director of Oshiba.
We are, we remain concerned about well-being of health workers that remain in detention and, and, and we've been raising this for months and for months.
And of course, and not only we many other organisation, UN has raised that not only concerned, we also call for their immediate, immediate release.
I think Chris has a follow up.
So that I think was the last question.
Thank you very much, really to Louise, to Margaret, of course, to the Doctor Barky and to Rick for for this update.
And that leads me to our last two briefers.
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Turn to David, David Irsh.
David, thanks for your patience.
You also have a big quick announcement of an event, I think in July.
All this 100 the just an announcement that GIGA, the joint ITU UNICEF initiative which aims to connect every school to the Internet by 20-30, will hold the first Giga Connectivity Forum next week.
Reporters are invited to cover the opening session of the Get Get Connectivity Forum in person on 9 July that runs from 9 O clock to about 12:30.
Location is ITU headquarters.
Advance registration is required, but we will try to make that simple for you if we can.
And we would just request a an e-mail to pressreg@itu.in T to request accreditation from that at that event.
**** level representatives from government ministries and experts from countries that are engaged with GIGA, the initiative again that aims to connect schools to the Internet and they will share experiences of their experiences of how they've connected school, their schools to the Internet.
I see Emma as a question for you.
It's actually about a meeting that took place at the ITU last week with the Radio Regulations Board.
I I'm just curious now that that board has has found has condemned Russia for its actions, its harmful interference in other countries, satellites, I'm just wondering what could it potentially do?
What tools does the ITU's RRB have it have at its disposal?
Could it potentially sanction Russia down the line or exclude Russia?
Are there any kind of things that it could actively, any steps it could actively do down the line?
So the the Radio Regulations Board did meet last week, as it does up to about four times a year, 24th to 28th of June it met in Geneva.
The summary decisions of those meetings are available and beyond that, there's, there's really not much that, that that I would offer beyond that the, the decisions that the RB have presented are, are, are listed in, in the summary of decisions.
And those give you a sense of of how the RB works and how they could pursue these these matters with the interest of ensuring that there's radio communications or free of harmful interference.
Jamie, is that a question?
I mean, if I could just follow up on that.
I mean, I don't think you really answered Emma's question.
She's trying to find out what tools that ITU has it as it at its disposal to possibly enforce those decisions.
Can you just tell us procedurally how that works?
Procedurally, the matters are raised before the board.
The contributions are made and those are listed on our R BS website.
The RB will take up matters that are presented to it and it's during its sessions and then it will release through the summary of decisions as one looks at it, you'll, one can tell how the RB kind of considers these matters and the types of provisions or that it tries to provide for, to, to settle any sort of matter between administrations.
So the some of your decisions are fairly complete and they do give a sense of of how the RB approaches its work to again to ensure that radio communications are run free of harmful interference.
You want to go ahead with it.
Thanks for your patience again.
Just a very quick couple of announcements for the end.
Just to remind you that the Human Rights Committee, which opened yesterday, it's 141st session, we'll begin the exam of the report of Croatia this afternoon and the other countries.
That's what I wanted to give you.
I don't know if you have already look at the list of countries to be examined, to be looked at this this session are Croatia, as I said, but Malta, Honduras, Maldives, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic and India.
And in terms of press conferences, I remind you of the background briefing that the Human Rights **** Commissioner, Forker Turk will give on Wednesday, on the 3rd of Wednesday or 3rd of July at 10:30.
This is in Parley Wilson.
It's a background briefing again, but he, I think, I think he will take short Q&A on record at the end of the briefing.
So that is at 10:30 at Parley Wilson Salon, the Dam and then on Thursday 4th of July at 2:00 PM, the UNHCRIOM and the Mixed Migration Centre will launch their new report on risk faced by refugees and migrants on the Central Mediterranean route.
The title is on this journey, nobody cares if you leave or die.
Everything is under embargo until Friday 5th of July at 10:30.
And the speakers will be Banson Costell that you know well, the UNHCR Special Envoy for the Western and Central Mediterranean situation, Lawrence Hart, IUM, Director for the of the Coordination Office for the Mediterranean and Chief of Mission for Ethereum Malta and representative for the Holy See, and Brown Fraus, the director of the Mixed Migration Centre.
And as you have heard from Catherine, there will be a press conference on the 10th, but this we don't have the time yet.
She will keep us updated.
So if there are no other questions, I'd like to thank you all for following this very long briefing, very interesting briefing and Bon appetit and I'll see you on Friday.
