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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 27 September 2024
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Press Conferences | OCHA , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WHO , OHCHR
UN Geneva Press Briefing - 27 September 2024
UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
27 September 2024
Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Health Organization, and UN Women.
War in Lebanon
Imran Riza, United Nations Humanitarian Coordination in Lebanon, speaking from Beirut, said that recent escalations in Lebanon were nothing short of catastrophic. The surge in violence had extended to previously unaffected areas, leading to widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure across the country. In less than a week, at least 700 lives had been lost, thousands had been injured, and nearly 120,000 people had been displaced within mere hours, with these numbers continuing to rise. This was the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation, and many feared that this was just the beginning.
The UN and its partners were closely coordinating with the Lebanese Government to support the response efforts, which included aligning aid distribution, conducting joint assessments, and identifying urgent needs for affected populations. Lebanon's health system was already overwhelmed, and the events of the previous week, including the explosions of communication devices, had nearly depleted health supplies. The system was struggling with limited resources to meet the growing demands.
Together with its partners, the UN was delivering food, mattresses, hygiene kits, and emergency medical supplies to those affected by displacement. Nearly 500 shelters were accommodating around 80,000 displaced individuals, including 300 schools that had been repurposed, impacting the education of over 100,000 students. Mr. Riza said that critical funding gaps persisted in various areas, including shelter repair, site management, food stocks, fuel, and coordination. He emphasized that civilians had to be protected, civilian infrastructure should not be targeted, and the safety and security of all UN personnel and assets had to be guaranteed. International law had to be upheld. The priority now had to be to secure an immediate ceasefire to halt further civilian suffering and destruction. The humanitarian community urged all countries to leverage their influence to facilitate an immediate de-escalation. The region could not endure further bloodshed.
Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Syria, speaking from the Syria-Lebanon border, said that thousands of Lebanese and Syrians had crossed into Syria, following the escalation of violence in Lebanon. The Government of Syria was leading the response to the crisis, while keeping an open-door policy: the border was open to both Syrian and Lebanese nationals. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent was taking the lead on the ground, informed Mr. Vargas Llosa, while the UNHCR was also on the ground, working closely with other UN agencies and NGOs. Over the past 72 hours, well over 30,000 people had crossed into Syria; up to 80 per cent of them were Syrian and some 20 per cent Lebanese. Both groups were making a difficult choice by deciding to cross into Syria, which itself had been in conflict and economic crisis for over a decade. Over 50 per cent of those who had arrived so far were children and adolescents. Those who crossed had a palpable sense of relief, said Mr. Vargas Llosa. Numbers of injured people had also been observed; a woman carrying two dead children had been seen crossing the border the day before. Mr. Vargas Llosa said that the provision of water, food, and blankets was for now largely covered by the Syrian Government.
Assisting people when they reached their final destinations would be a different kind of challenge, noted Mr. Vargas Llosa. UNHCR had established structures across the country for some time already, including 114 community centres providing a whole range of services. Those services were now providing support to both Syrian returnees and Lebanese refugees. The Government was establishing a number of collective centres to welcome those Lebanese who did not have families or relatives to stay with in Syria.
Ivo Freijsen, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Representative in Lebanon, also speaking from Beirut, said that the UNHCR had been preparing for the current scenario for almost a year. Two UNHCR employees in Lebanon had been killed, reminded Mr. Freijsen, asking once again parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and avoid targeting civilians and humanitarian workers. Fewer people were moving now than in the beginning of the week, but the movement of people from the most affected areas continued, and it was now increasingly expensive to rent housing in the center of the country. Compared to 2006, the humanitarian community was larger and had more resources, noted Mr. Freijsen. Over 140,000 relief items had been provided to the displaced people so far. He reminded that Lebanon had been hosting large numbers of refugees, both from Syria and Palestine, for decades. It was not easy for Lebanese to have access to shelter, so the UNHCR was working with the authorities to address this challenge. UNHCR pled to donors to step up their assistance so that the humanitarian actors could respond adequately and timely.
Replying to questions from the media, Mr. Vargas Llosa, for the UNHCR, said that the preparations were underway to receive more refugees. The Government of Syria had allowed Lebanese to enter the country as long as they had any kind of document with their name, not only a passport or a national identity card. They were given an open-ended authorization to stay. Fortunately, over the past 72 hours, the border crossings had been safe and working 24 hours per day. Mr. Riza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Lebanon, said that over the past five days, 118,000 newly displaced people had been registered, bringing the total number to over 210,000. Some people had been displaced for the second or third time, displacement was spreading, and it was difficult to establish exact numbers. In the 34-day war between Israel and Lebanon in 2006, twice as many people had been killed as in one single day, 23 September 2024. The health sector had been completely overrun; luckily the UN system and partners had prepared trauma kits and undertaken other preparedness measures. Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that, as of the previous day, there had been 738 recorded deaths and 5,908 injuries. Many of the injured were currently waiting for their surgeries. Some 37 health facilities had been closed due to the escalation. Mr. Freijsen, for the UNHCR, said that Lebanese or Syrians trying to reach Cyprus or other parts of Europe by boat was not a new phenomenon.
Gender alert from Sudan
Hodan Addou, Regional Director a.i. for East and Southern Africa at UN Women, speaking from South Sudan, presented findings from a UN Women report published today which put a spotlight on the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan on women and girls. The report found distinct and disproportionate impact on women and girls, which had led to a twofold increase of sexual violence. The violent conflict had exacerbated risks for women and girls for sexual violence, exploitation, and abuse. Some 5.8 million internally displaced women and girls were particularly vulnerable, and a lot of sexual violence was going unreported. Those trends had to end, and appropriate justice mechanisms needed to be introduced, stressed Ms. Addou.
With 64 per cent of female-headed households experiencing food insecurity compared to 48 per cent of male-headed households in ten states, women and girls were eating least and last. Access to health care services was another challenge: 1.63 million women of reproductive age are without adequate services. Among them, over 160,000 are pregnant, and an estimated 54,000 childbirths are expected in the next three months.
Women and girls in Sudan were facing unimaginable challenges, yet their strength and resilience continued to inspire. Sudan should not become a forgotten crisis. Now, more than ever, the international community had to rally together to support women in Sudan, ensuring they have the resources and protection they need to survive and rebuild their lives. Together with its partners, UN Women urged the international community, donors, and humanitarian partners to prioritize the protection and empowerment of Sudanese women and girls, including through the increase of funding for local women-led organizations, which received less than two per cent of the Sudan Humanitarian Fund’s financial resources in 2023. The atrocities in Sudan were simply unacceptable, and UN Women stood with the people of Sudan during this deteriorating humanitarian crisis and called for an immediate halt to the war and a return to the negotiating table for peace dialogues, which would include full women’s participation.
UN Women’s report can be found here.
Responding to questions, Ms. Addou said that UN Women was calling for a cessation of hostilities and protection for all women and girls, accountability, and provision of justice for all victims. Rape and sexual violence were used as a despicable weapon of war, and all perpetrators had to be held accountable. Ms. Addou stressed that the looming famine was another grave concern; shocking numbers of people were facing dire conditions in IDP sites. Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that the access to healthcare continued to be extremely limited. People were dying due to the lack of access to basic health care and medication. While surveillance was very poor, there were reports of cholera, measles, meningitis, and dengue, said Ms. Harris.
Tacking insecurity in Haiti
Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that a new OHCHR report found that tackling insecurity in Haiti, where hundreds had been killed, injured, or displaced as a result of gang violence, had to be the utmost priority. Latest figures documented by the OHCHR indicated that at least 3,661 people had been killed since January this year, maintaining the high levels of violence seen in 2023.
“No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed. “I welcome recent positive steps, such as the establishment of a Transitional Presidential Council, the new transitional government, and the deployment of the first contingents of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). It is clear, however, that the Mission needs adequate and sufficient equipment and personnel to counter the criminal gangs effectively and sustainably and stop them spreading further and wreaking havoc on people’s lives.”
The report detailed extremely serious patterns of human rights violations and abuses taking place across the capital of Port-au- Prince and in the Artibonite Department – as well as in the southern part of West Department, which until recently had been largely unaffected by the violence. The number of victims of sexual violence, including rape, had also increased in the first half of the year. According to the report, gangs had continued to use sexual violence to punish, spread fear and subjugate populations. During the reporting period, at least 860 people had been killed and 393 injured during police operations and patrols across Port-au-Prince, including at least 36 children, in what could constitute use of unnecessary and disproportionate force.
Full report is available here.
Answering questions from the media, Ms. Shamdasani said that any multinational force in Haiti had to be adequately funded and resourced, which was not the case now. It would be up for the Security Council to decide on a possible deployment of a peacekeeping mission in Haiti. The continuous flow of weapons into Haiti had to be immediately stemmed, stressed Ms. Shamdasani. The gangs operating in Haiti seemed to be after both territorial and financial gains by using various methods, including kidnapping, asking for ransom, racketeering, killing and raping people.
UNHCR guidance against penalization of asylum-seekers for irregular entry
Elizabeth Tan, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Director of International Protection, informed that the UNHCR had issued its latest legal guidance today on the way States should treat asylum-seekers who arrived at their borders in an irregular way. Under Article 31 of the Refugee Convention, States were prohibited from penalizing asylum-seekers and refugees merely because they had entered a country irregularly, if they met certain requirements. This was because the fact that many fled life-threatening situations and might have no other available means to seek safety. In addition to a dearth of legal or safer pathways to seek asylum, many might face impediments in accessing or retrieving essential documentation during their flight.
Ms. Tan informed that the Refugee Convention stated that refugees could not be punished for irregular entry as long as three conditions were met – “directness”, “promptness” and the showing of “good cause”. UNHCR’s legal guidance provided an interpretation of these terms, including that refugees and asylum-seekers had to present themselves to the authorities without delay and show valid reasons why they had entered without a visa. If these requirements were met, refugees and asylum-seekers should also not be detained for entering irregularly – including for the purposes of deterrence. UNHCR’s guidance also addressed the issue of penalization due to smuggling: refugees could not be penalized if they were suspected or found to have been involved in organizing, assisting, or facilitating their own or others' illegal entry or stay, as long as they were the ones being smuggled, or if they had taken these actions to secure their own, their family's, or others' entry for humanitarian reasons.
UNHCR press release can be found here.
Replying to a question on Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Ms. Tan said that more than one million refugees from Sudan were in Egypt. Following this large influx, the Government of Egypt had put in place visa procedures. Ms. Tan said that UNHCR advised that those who had arrived to the country without a visa should not be penalized. The guidance issued today was of global nature and not directed at any specific country, she explained.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights would conclude its 76th session at 5:30 pm today and issue its concluding observations on the countries reviewed: Iceland, Poland, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Cyprus, and Malawi.
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances would have a meeting with States and then with NGOs, National Human Rights Institutions, and intergovernmental organizations in the morning of 30 September.
The Human Rights Council today hear from Hilda C. Heine, President of the Marshall Islands. It had been followed by an interactive dialogue with José Francisco Calí Tzay, Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, on his reports on indigenous persons with disabilities and visit to Colombia. Following that, an interactive dialogue would take place with Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, on the report of the Secretary-General’s report on cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights (reprisals). In the afternoon, the Council would adopt the final outcome documents of the fourth Universal Periodic Review of North Macedonia, Viet Nam, Argentina, and Cyprus.
On 30 September at 5 pm, a hybrid press conference would take place to provide an update on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. Speaker would be Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General.
Several journalists expressed appreciation for François Subiger, the radio assistant at the UN Information Service, who would be retiring shortly.
Teleprompter
very good morning.
And thank you for joining us here at the
UN office at Geneva for this press briefing today,
the 27th of September.
We have a very packed agenda. We have the situation
as it unfolds in Lebanon.
We have speakers, uh, from, uh, Beirut,
actually joining us as well as from the Syrian Lebanese border.
We have the situation in Sudan.
We have an expert, uh, from you and women joining us as well, as well as our colleague,
uh, Ravina from human Rights to speak to Haiti
afterwards. And also a colleague from UN HCR who will address
the penalization of asylum seekers.
Uh, so very packed agenda. We'll take the first three speakers on Lebanon.
First, uh, then we'll take your questions and move on to the second subject
thereafter. So we turn now immediately to Mr Imran.
Marisa, I'm very pleased to have, uh, Mr Reza join us.
He's a humanitarian coordinator,
um, in Lebanon, who again is joining us from Beirut. So over to you, Imran,
Uh, thank you very much. Um,
as I think you've all seen,
the recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing
short of catastrophic For nearly a year
what the future holds.
Many have expressed concerns about exper experiencing a situation
similar to Gaza
and for the past year we have consistently urged
all parties to de escalate to prevent that from
happening.
Unfortunately, in just a few days earlier this week,
hundreds of thousands feel that they are now facing a comparable fate.
The surge in violence has extended to previously unaffected areas,
leading to widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure across the country
In less than a week, at least 700 lives have been lost,
thousands have been injured and nearly 100 and
20,000 people have been displaced within mere hours.
With these numbers continuing to rise as we speak today,
the crisis has also affected us directly the UN
with the tragic loss of two UN HCR colleagues
and one of their sons. The situation, as I said before, is catastrophic.
My colleague from UN HCR will speak more about that.
We are witnessing the deadliest period in Lebanon in a generation
and many express their fear that this is just the beginning.
The UN and its partners are closely coordinating with the Lebanese government
to support the response efforts.
This includes aligning aid distribution, conducting joint assessments
and identifying urgent needs for affected populations.
Lebanon's health system is already overwhelmed.
The events of last week, including the explosions of communication devices,
have nearly depleted health supplies.
With the recent escalations in hospitals reaching capacity,
the system is struggling with limited resources to meet the growing demands.
However, together with our partners, we are delivering food, mattresses,
hygiene kits
and emergency medical supplies to those affected by displacement.
Nearly 500 shelters are accommodating
around 80,000 displaced individuals right now,
including 300 schools that are being used that have been repurposed,
so that impacts the education of about 100,000 students. Pupils.
Critical funding gaps persist in various areas, including shelter, repair,
site management, food stocks, fuel and coordinations.
We are now assessing the amount of funding required to address
the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.
We have been working diligently to ensure
safe access for those seeking humanitarian assistance
and for our teams delivering aid.
Expanding efforts to secure unimpeded access for humanitarian actors
remains essentially particularly for those still
in affected areas and collective shelters.
We will continue to emphasise this tirelessly civilians must be protected.
Civilian infrastructure should not be targeted.
The safety and security of all UN personnel and assets
must be guaranteed. International law must be upheld. Looking ahead,
the path forward is fraught with uncertainty.
The priority now must be to secure an immediate ceasefire to halt further civilian
suffering and destruction.
The humanitarian community urges all countries
to leverage their influence to facilitate
an immediate de escalation in fact,
what we been talking about for the last 11 months.
However, even if hostilities cease,
the aftermath of the violence will require a massive
co-ordinated humanitarian response to address the widespread displacement,
rebuild critical infrastructure and restore es
essential services.
The health,
education and economic systems are already stretched through the limits.
You all know what Lebanon has gone through over the last four or five years.
So there will be beyond immediate relief what we need
right now our parties to lay down their arms,
prioritise diplomacy and recommit to the full
implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Um, the region cannot endure further bloodshed.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Mr Riza and I should note that, uh,
Mr Riza's marks were shared with you previously by Jens Here.
Um, Now I throw to, uh, Ivo Freon.
Who's UN HCRS representative
in Lebanon, who also joins us from Beirut. Uh, Ivo over to you.
We have a connection with evil.
Hm.
OK, perhaps we're having a little difficulty connecting with. I saw
you on the call just a moment ago. Maybe in this case, what we can do is skip over
and go to, uh, Gonzalo Vargas
Josa. Who is you's
representative in
Syria who's actually joining us from the Syria Lebanon border.
Gonzalo,
let's try connecting with you.
Hm?
Yes. Can you hear me now? Yes, we hear you, Gonzalo. Please go ahead.
Good morning.
So, yes, as you mentioned, I'm here at the main border point between Lebanon and
Syria, about an hour
away from
from Damascus by car colleagues and I have been
here and that other three main border points between Lebanon
and Syria for the past 72 hours since the latest
crisis started
and thousands of Syrians and Lebanese started to to to cross fleeing the violence in
in Lebanon. I. I will just make 33 points,
uh, first in terms of who's leading the
the response to the crisis. And here I want to be
absolutely clear that this is being led by the
government of Syria and the people of Syria.
Uh, thanks to their generosity and to their open doors Uh
uh, policy not only, uh, of course to their own citizens to the Syrians
who are crossing back, Uh, but perhaps symbolically,
even more important to the Lebanese to whom
they refer as their brothers and sisters.
Now, operationally, who is leading the response?
At the national level is the Syrian Arab red,
uh, present,
who are doing an amazing job and who have been here really 24
7 since the first arrivals started in terms of the international response,
of course, given that we're dealing with two
different caseloads in terms of our arrivals both Syrian refugees in
Lebanon who are coming back at home or crossing back home,
Uh, but also Lebanese refugees who are crossing into Syria. UN a
R is is leading
the response with the support with the help
and in very close coordinations with UN agencies
and, um and NG.
And we're also very grateful for the support that the resident
Coordinator humanitarian coordinator has been
providing us now, uh, in terms of what we have been witnessing at
the border over these last 72 hours, Uh, I mean,
uh, a large numbers of people uh uh, returning.
Uh, the estimate is that this figure,
uh, is now well over, uh, 30,000.
Um, a a about, uh, 75 80% of those Syrians and and and the other 20% or so,
Um uh, Lebanese. Now these, of course, are people who are fleeing
bombs and who are crossing into a country that has been
suffering from its own crisis and violence for 13 years now.
And a country, of course, that is also in economic collapse.
And I think that this just illustrates the kind of extremely
difficult choices both Syrians and Lebanese are having to make at
the moment. We are seeing many women and Children, but also some some men,
um, crossing,
um, the the the estimate is that at least 50% of those crossings are, uh,
Children and and adolescents.
Uh, they are exhausted. They are scared. And they are, um, in in in need.
Um, but I think there is also a palpable sense of, uh, of relief.
in spite of the uncertainties about what will happen over the coming
days and weeks as they cross the border into into Syria.
Now, most side of all, we have seen quite
a few injured arriving people who have been injured not only through the very out
journey on the way
here, but also injured as a direct result of the bombings in, uh,
in Lebanon yesterday, for example, we were here also,
and we saw
a
woman
crossing with two dead Children from Lebanon
who were to be buried here in, In, In, in Syria.
Now, what is it that they, uh, they need,
um
I think there are two parts here.
One, of course, is the absolute immediate needs that need to be addressed at
the border. The provision of water of medical services by the, uh, by the,
um, Ministry of Health of the government of Syria.
I should say very much the provision of food, blankets, et cetera.
I think that for the time being, those immediate needs are largely being addressed.
Also because we were fortunate
enough to have large quantities of relief supplies
in our warehouses when this latest crisis,
Uh, started now, we will have to see what happens over the next few days.
But of course,
uh, if the situation
continues to be the same, uh uh,
those stocks will need to be, uh, will need to be rep replace replenished. But
the second, I think perhaps a little bit more conflict.
Uh, complex part of the response, of course, will be to assist,
uh, people when they,
um when they return to their communities of, uh
uh, destination. Because, of course, they are not going
to locations very close close to the border. They are going to,
uh, Damascus. They are going to homes. They are going,
uh, tart.
I mean, they are even going as far as Raqqa on the northeastern
side. Now here, uh, fortunately,
uh, for the Syrian um arrivals.
Um, UN HCR and its partners already have substantive structures inside
the country which have been used now for some
time, uh, to support Syrian, uh, returnees. Particularly like the 114
community centres that we have all over Syria and which provide a whole range
of services like psychosocial support, child and gender,
uh, based protection and specific programmes. for the elderly and disabled,
uh, shelter repair, uh, et cetera, et cetera.
Now the point is that those structures are so far
have been used
to to support Syrian
Syrian returnees. Syrians crossing
from the region back into Syria.
Now they are being expanded so that they can also support and assist the Lebanese
refugees and final point still on the Lebanese
and specific in terms of the accommodation.
Fortunately, most of the Lebanese who are arriving
we are seeing that they are able to stay
with relatives with friends or take care of their own
accommodation. But the government of Syria is establishing
a number of collective centres around
the country so that they can also
accommodate those destitute Lebanese who may not have a place to stay. Thank you.
Thanks to you, Gonzalo.
I think now we have Evo connected and his, um his audio is is fine.
So, Evo, we're gonna go back to you, uh,
joins us from Beirut,
Evo.
Thank you.
Which, um, I
think Iran was very elaborate
and comprehensive, so I just add a few points.
Um, first of all, let's stress that, uh, we have been,
unfortunately, preparing and and and partly expecting this.
The current scenario,
uh, for one year. So we should all be totally surprised. But when I say preparing
its its planning and and and also doing part of the practical work, Uh,
but these plans have been impeded by a lack of funding.
Uh, so the goal for funding,
uh, rapidly now so that we can still step up is, uh, is extremely important.
Uh,
we thank all friends and partners for the
condolences received in the wake of the horrendous,
tragic killing of, uh, two members of the UN HR Lebanon
family.
Uh, we're trying to derive positive energy out of this and new resolve,
uh, to pursue and discharge our mandates. But we, of course, couple it with a
reinvigorated call, uh, for respect directed to parties to the conflict, uh,
evolving around respect for, uh,
uh, international humanitarian law. The safeguarding of civilians.
Uh, the more targeting of civilians and aid workers,
uh, result in Gaza.
And the same messages applied very much in the level
context.
question, uh, we often get is, are people still moving in its numbers
Less than in the beginning of this week. Uh, but people are still first
moving out of areas,
Uh, where they are in danger. And when people arrive to other areas,
uh, many still struggle to find a place to go to.
Uh, that is partly capacity, uh, challenge capacity problem. But for many also,
uh, financial challenge.
It's simply expensive to rent an apartment, for example,
in the centre of the country.
Uh, so, uh, the more, uh, resource constraints uh, Lebanese.
And that is an increasingly large group due to Lebanese. Uh
uh, ongoing. Uh uh. Previously, um,
developed, uh, economic, uh, challenges almost struggled for
much more than, uh than, for example, in 2006, when a similar situation happened.
Country is in a much more fragile state,
and many Lebanese, uh, are are much more vulnerable Exposed through this, uh,
specific, uh, crisis, let alone, uh, during the current, uh, situation
relative positive news is that again, compared to 2006,
the humanitarian community,
uh, is larger, stronger
and more resources.
But these resources are still primarily actually for our ongoing programming.
Uh, not enough than that.
So there is not enough of a backbone to additionally quickly ramp up
and address, uh, new needs and that is now increasingly, of course,
couple also with logistical and access challenges.
Uh, and then, of course, we keep our fingers crossed that we're not going to see that,
uh, become even further complicated with, For example, uh, the airport closing
UN
HCR has been very much part of the cross population response.
Uh, in a variety of sectors, I will not dwell on all the details,
but again important to underscore that, of course,
we have refugees in the heart of our mandate.
Uh, but the response is, uh, is cross border cross population
to the greatest possible extent?
Uh,
and for now, we have provided over 100 and 40,000 for relief items
and cash
system to 60,000 people. Majority of our beneficiaries are actually over
spending practical assistance, measures or revenues.
a
key, uh,
concern is that, uh, as you all know, presumably, uh, Lebanon has been hosting, uh,
large numbers of refugees and others,
um, for over a decade, 1.5 million Syrian refugees.
And that has become an increasingly
challenging topic and challenge and challenge in general for the country,
and that is now playing a role in this full
text where we see renewed and enhanced and strengthened
goals for accelerated return of the Syrians to Syria,
which is now depicted
much safer, uh, than Leon,
Uh, for example, in many social media posts that we track,
we also see other challenges where it is a little easy for Lebanese to, um,
have access to, uh to shelter as, uh as mentioned.
So we are engaged in active discussions with the authorities to ensure
that the, uh, response is, of course,
fullen, uh,
that we should not ignore.
Uh, but also, uh, in line with military principles, impartiality,
non discrimination, and so on, so forth.
Um, because refugees often have a
preceding previous vulnerabilities that we need to take into account.
And at the end of the day, they are also on the move.
And having them exposed and not provided
with adequate flow of assistance is not something
that we would like to see, uh, further um,
take place and and become, uh, more serious in the context of, uh, la,
uh, of course, we wholeheartedly join,
uh, the the overarching plea, uh, for a solution, uh,
perhaps initiate a temporary solution,
but subsequently a structural political solution.
Uh, a renew plea for donors to step up in this context.
Um, so that we can address, um,
better than we currently do more comprehensively than we currently do.
Uh, emergency, um,
assistance needs,
uh, with also indeed a look at, uh, a a phase
possible
that hopefully will emerge after the emergency phase in terms of recovery.
Um, should that not happen, um, should assistance. Uh um, stay or not pick up.
Uh, substantially.
Uh, then we will be faced with a situation of increased, uh, complexity, uh,
more deeply rooted needs, uh,
which will actually be more difficult and also more costly to address.
So the time to respond, uh,
adequately and comprehensively and generously is indeed very much not.
Thank you.
Thanks to you, Ivo. And and, of course, to Imran. Um and, uh, Gonzalo.
So we'll turn now to our colleagues here in Geneva for questions.
We have a question starting off with
ANAs
from
France pre
and yes,
yes, thank you. This would be a question to the UN refugees and to
I know they are listening as well.
So two specific questions
concerning Syria.
How many refugees and not only refugees,
people are you expecting to cross into Syria?
Do you have a figure
and the same question to
concerning the displaced people?
Or maybe China or displaced people inside Lebanon?
Do you have any contingency figure? Um, plans on that. Thank you.
Thanks.
And yes, maybe Gonzalo on the first question, uh,
numbers are expected to move into Syria if you can take that, please.
Yes. Uh
um, yeah, this is a very difficult question to answer, because, of course,
it's going to depend very much on the situation,
uh, in, uh, in Lebanon. I mean, our hope is that, uh, there are no more,
uh, crossings. But what is also clear is that,
uh,
already before, but of course, particularly over the past,
uh, 72 2 hours, We'll be working very closely,
uh, with the government, uh, but also with, uh, with partners
at all the border points,
Uh, where we have seen crossings.
Uh, al already to beef up and strengthening and strengthen the capacity,
uh, for reception.
And,
uh,
and processing.
So should,
uh, more crossings happen. I think we're in a better position
now than we were, uh, 72 hours, uh, to make that reception. more. More? Uh
um, More, more, more smooth. I think that,
um I will add a point. Uh uh uh uh, Here that I didn't mention,
uh before. And I think, um,
it's It's the the the the fact that the government has instituted,
um
uh, smoother. Faster procedures for Lebanese
to arrive, you know, Lebanese to cross into Syria.
Normally one, they need a passport or an identity. A fixed identity. A set identity
document for the past 70 to our Lebanese have been able to enter the country.
Um, as long as they have any type of paper,
Uh, that shows their, uh, their name. Now, this is something very exceptional.
Not only that,
but,
um, when they arrive and let's say, for those who are carrying passports or I DS,
um, they are not
getting a stamp that says that they have a fixed time
by which they need to leave
Syria. So for the time being, it's an open ended authorization to stay. Thank you.
Thanks to you. Um, Gonzalo, I think maybe, uh, imam
is very well placed to maybe respond to the question about,
um, projections for displaced in inside Lebanon.
I know that you point to the question IOM We do have somebody from IOM online,
and of course, Ivo might be able to chime in as well. But let's start off with
Imran. Uh, on the question about, uh, projections of displaced inside Lebanon
Sure. Um
OK, uh, up.
You know, up up till last Monday this this past Monday,
we had about 100 and 10,000 displaced, and IOM has, of course,
been working with the government and tracking this from Monday onwards.
Um, in the last five days,
we've had 100 and 18,000 displaced that we've recorded so far,
so it's moved to it's double the figure.
Now it's over 200,000 that we have displaced.
OK, thank you very much. Uh, Imran,
uh, I I
if you have something to add, please, um
just let us know.
I think you Mike Yep. Go ahead.
But just to add that that esposo
says it, it's It's all
unfortunately closely correlated and and and links to conflict dynamics.
and we increasingly know that some areas are virtually empty now.
Some people still there can really not move,
uh, to, uh, insecurity
become more intense and widespread.
Also, these people live and other areas will see, uh, larger departure.
So our contingency spending,
uh, documents and processes that cater to, unfortunately, also, these scenarios,
Uh, where you talk?
Several hundreds of thousands of people, uh, on on the move.
Thank you very much for adding that note.
I know that, uh, and yes, you point to the question to IOM We do have Kennedy online.
I don't know if Kennedy if you have anything, I just throw up your hand.
otherwise, if you could
maybe connect with ANAs
afterwards with any specific points from IOM.
OK, so let's maybe move ahead. Uh, OK.
Jamie Keaton from Associated Press has a question.
Thank you. Orlando.
Um, my question is for Mr
Vargas.
Jos
also,
um, I, I wondered.
I think a lot of people are gonna be a bit somewhat
surprised that people will be leaving Lebanon to go to Syria,
which is a country that of course, has faced, uh,
what is it now? 13 years of of of conflict.
Um, so I, I want my question really is, um,
just the the the safety of the of of a move into to, um, Syria for example,
not only the conflict within Syria that's existed,
but also, um,
uh, military action in the current conflict.
Maybe Israeli strikes in Syria, for example. I understand that
there may have been a strike in, um,
Kabus,
not too far from the border crossing. So
how safe is that crossing? Um, given the hostilities that have befuddled and, um,
confounded Syria for for many years both a long time and and recently Thanks.
Thanks. Jamie. Gonzalo.
Yeah. Thank thank you very much. I mean, I think that,
uh, I mentioned at at the beginning the fact that,
uh, yes. Uh uh, both, uh, Syrians and Lebanese.
I mean, they are crossing from a country
at war,
uh, to one that has, uh, faced
a crisis conflict for 13 years. Now we can imagine, Or or or maybe we can't imagine.
Uh, you and I just
what an incredible
difficult choice to make that is. Now, the fact is that
in the past 72 hours, well over 30,000 people have made
that choice that extremely difficult choice.
And we will have to see over the next few days how many more
do so?
Uh, that is not the ideal, Uh uh, situation,
uh, either
for refugees to return back home or for refugees to leave a war
and cross an international border seeking
safety. So, in that sense, this situation is extremely,
uh,
atypical.
now, on your specific question about the safety of the,
uh, uh, border posts.
Uh, yes, that is a very good question.
And, uh, the answer to that question, of course,
uh, is only with those who are doing the bombings.
Uh, not with us. Uh, what I can say is that fortunately, fortunately over the past 72
hours, the full border points where there are
UNHCR stuff there.
But much more importantly, where people are crossing into Syria so far,
they are safe.
Uh, and they have been open 24 hours a day.
And and we of course, we would make a plea not only for the bombings in general
to stop, uh, but also, of course, to To To to avoid,
uh uh, bombing people who are trying to,
uh, to flee.
Thank you.
Thank you for that, uh, comprehensive answer, sir. Um,
if I could just get you to maybe give us
a flavour about the actual situation where you are.
In other words,
um, you mentioned the bombings. I mean,
that's it's a relatively small region. Um, and, you know,
you may hear explosions, um,
off in the distance. But,
um
uh, Kerri
Abu
is not very far from where you are. I don't think so.
How how close are these explosions that you're hearing?
Do you Do you have concern that the bombings are are could possibly
be close to the areas where where the refugees are are are,
are fleeing.
Well, look, all all I can say is that I hope that that is not, uh I mean,
that that is not the case.
But of course, what we hope is that there's no bombings anywhere.
Uh,
so, you know, it's very difficult to answer that That that that that question,
uh, all we can do really is make a plea for the bombings is to stop.
yeah, that's all we can do. Uh, at this stage.
Thank you.
Thank you, Gonzalo. Ok, let's move to the next questions.
We still have a few, um, not in the room, but we will turn online now. John Zarak
Costas, our correspondent from the Lancet and Franz Franquette.
John.
Yes. Uh, good morning. Thank you for the briefing.
I've got AAA couple of, uh,
questions concerning some of the information just mentioned,
uh, on the number of displaced, uh,
UNICEF
are reporting out of Beirut that
it's, uh, 211,000 displaced, including a, uh,
74,000
Children
and say the Children are reporting 400,000 people displaced,
including 100 and 40,000 Children.
So I'm wondering, uh, perhaps Jens,
What's the latest from the UN co-ordination
on the displaced and especially the Children.
And since Margaret is online, she can bring us up to speed
on the number of killed and injured
and people waiting for emergency operations Still
in, uh, Lebanese hospitals. Thank you.
I think, uh, Imran actually was starting addressed some of this,
but maybe we'll go back to Imran to clarify
or maybe elaborate on some of those figures.
He, uh he recently, um, announced So Imran, back to you.
OK, thanks.
Um, yeah, as as you can imagine, Um,
I think from Monday we've had such a level of escalation.
Um, let me just put it in in in context, In a sense, um,
in 2006 in the 34 day war that happened in 2006.
You had twice as many people killed as you had in one day,
um, on on Monday, this week. So
the level of displacement, the level of trauma, the level of panic has been huge.
What we have been able to do, and and it's primarily IOM that's working through this,
uh, displacement tracking mechanism.
Um, together with the governmental authorities is get the figures that I told you,
um, earlier,
uh, which is 100 and 10,000 that were earlier, um, displaced.
And now an additional 118,000 to today, as the official figures that we're using.
Now, does that mean
it's comprehensive because many people will have been
displaced for a second or third times.
So give us a little bit of time on coming back with with exact numbers on this,
it's the same same situation with the hospitals. The
health sector is completely overrun at this time.
Um, we had done a great deal of preparedness work. Um, and luckily, we had had
managed to do to get trauma kits and the like in,
um, and try to have them distributed also throughout the country.
Because now the displacement
is happening, not just in the South. For the 1st 11 months, it was mainly the South.
It was the mainly the Becca,
um and and within particular parameters there.
But now it's throughout the country. And,
you know, here in Beirut, you have
thousands of people that have arrived
and are wondering where they go next.
Um, many people, I mean, anecdotally,
you're running into people that are saying What's the way to Tripoli?
How do we get to there? So the displacement is is spreading, and there is
a huge effort to to make sure that we get the right numbers.
You were mentioning the number of Children affected. That is key.
the other element is that that right now we're
going to have a real crisis in terms of education
because it's basically public schools that are being used as shelters at this time.
So we have to a make sure that we can manage these properly, um,
but also try to find alternatives and try to make sure that that, um,
the kids that are being displaced right now are also getting education.
Thank you so much. Thank you. Uh, we, uh, do have Margaret online from WHO. If, uh,
if you wanted to add something on that question from John Margaret, go ahead.
Yes, certainly.
John, Uh, the latest figures I have are from yesterday,
and they're the figures we have from the, uh, Lebanese health Ministry.
So you may want to,
uh, get more recent numbers. Uh, the numbers I have are
awful.
Um, that 738 people are known to have died as of yesterday,
and there were 5908 injuries.
You ask who's waiting for surgery? The hospitals, just as my colleagues said,
are overwhelmed. So
essentially anybody injured in the last few days is waiting for help. Uh,
and also remember the the hospitals were very,
very busy with very specific injuries from the pager blasts and the, um,
walkie talkie blasts,
because they had a lot of injuries to their hands and their eyes,
which required very specialist treatment.
And there there still are a large number of people we've got According to my numbers,
707 seven injured remaining in hospitals and 152 of those are critical cases.
That means they're not leaving the hospital for quite some time.
And so every day of bombing and blasts fills up beds that that can't be unfilled,
You just you don't just operate on somebody and move them out.
Uh, we also have 37 health facilities closed due to these events
now, 11 in the south. Um
uh, and, uh, two in the Bekaa
Valley and 20 in
Nabaa.
And Marion,
Uh, I think those were your main questions. But also, it is important to
understand that just as my colleague said, we did do a lot of preparatory work.
We did place, um,
to trained most of the health workers in most of the hospitals for
casualty, um,
at a mass casualty event.
But, you know, in our planning scenarios,
we didn't have anything like the numbers that have actually been affected.
It was way beyond anything that normal planning,
even for a horrific event like this, would have expected
over th
Thank you very much. Uh, Morgan, of course, you'll appreciate colleagues at the
She's very fluid. And, of course,
Jens and colleagues will certainly update you
on the latest figures as this progresses.
Sadly,
Um, we have a couple of questions left before we move to the next subject.
So we'll go now to Katherine Fianca
and Franz Franca
and then Lisa.
Slander VA,
starting with Catherine.
Thank you. Rolando. I'd like you to come back
on the figures. Could you kindly repeat clearly The figures. Meaning
what is the global number of refugees who arrived in Syria until now?
I have also a question on refugees that arrived in Cyprus
because many people left Beirut for Cyprus. Do you have figures on that one too?
And, um also the financial needs.
Uh, what are the financial needs? Uh, for, um
I mean, the people, particularly the, uh for the people arriving in Syria.
Thank you.
OK, so I think we'll have to go back to Gonzalo for the first question,
and they will take it from there. Uh, Gonzalo,
uh, you know, the figures are being, you understand? This is a very fluid,
uh, situation. And so the figures are being,
uh, refined I. I spoke about well over 30,000. We know that it's more than 30,000.
Hopefully by the end of the day, we will know exactly how much more than 30,000.
But it's at the very minimum of 30,000
who have crossed. That is both Syrians and Lebanese. And I also said that about 80%
of those well over 30,000 are Syrians. And about 20%
are, uh, Lebanese. And I also said
that of those who have arrived,
um, about 50% or just over 50% are Children.
And,
uh, adolescents and I also said that out of the well over 30,000,
it is women and Children,
but also in smaller numbers. Men.
That is all I, I think as precise as we can be,
uh, at this precise at this at at this moment.
Thank you. Thanks. Uh, go
solo.
And I think if I understood correctly, Catherine,
your question was about financial needs inside Syria.
Or is this for the broader, um,
Arena?
Because maybe Gonzalo, you could add something on, um, the need. Uh,
Syria, Syria, and Gonzalo. Thank you for the figure. It's 30,000. So meaning 30,
if you can clarify that
goal.
Yeah, The expression I I am using and quite deliberately,
is well over 30,000 because
we know it's not 30,000. We know it's more, but,
uh, we are trying to refine the figures with our partners, You understand?
Very fluid
situation.
People coming in from several different border points.
It's difficult to give you a scientific figure this M this this precise
moment.
But I can tell you that it is well over 30,000, and hopefully by this evening,
we will have a more precise,
uh, figure.
Thank you.
Thank you very much. If we can stay with you just for a second.
Gonzalo, I think, uh, the question also pertain to the
financial needs. I know you touched upon this already.
The financial needs, uh, for Syria. Um,
if you had, uh, anything that you could add to elaborate.
Yes. Sorry, I. I didn't catch that part of the figure.
I mean, uh, and as I think that the situation is a bit the same in Lebanon
here, uh, I mean, the
the international actors on the local actors
working on the humanitarian front have,
uh
I mean, been facing
a situation of serious
underfunding already,
three days ago, uh, before, uh, this crisis. This latest crisis started,
uh, three days ago. So,
um, I said at the beginning that
fortunately, we have some stocks in the warehouse
that are able to address the immediate needs, uh, at the border right now.
Uh, but, you know, that is only a very small part of the of of the of the equation.
Um, now, uh, you know,
there are the huge needs that existed here already three days ago.
Now, this is
a a country where we have, you know, millions of internally,
uh, displaced, uh uh,
persons. So now this latest crisis is just adding,
uh, to that. So,
uh, so our hope, uh, is really that this will be, uh
uh I wake up Paul, Uh, and those appeals that we have all been
making for additional funds for, you know, the past months, uh,
and months,
uh, now, we'll we'll we'll finally, uh, produce some, uh, some results. Thank you.
Thank you very much.
And I know Catherine, you also had a question about, uh, those who may have fled, uh,
to, um, to Cyprus.
I'm not sure. Maybe Ivo, Or if you had any information on that,
actually, that has not really featured, uh, in exchanges in recent days,
and we I just checked with our protection team, and we don't have,
um, updates of this.
And there are for the moment of indications that something new is happening.
But we need to be clear and precise what we're talking about.
Attempts by primarily Syrian refugees, but also other nationalities,
including sometimes very destitute Lebanese, to reach Syria by boat.
That is not a new phenomenon
that has been ongoing.
Uh, although, uh, of,
uh,
perhaps less than than previously.
Uh, but then we also have, of course, other departures.
Lebanese with the financial means
have been making arrangements, different choices in terms of where to be or where
to send part of the family.
Uh, for most of the past year, and that was accelerated for recent days.
And we all know that, uh, that, uh, Cyprus is, uh is a location where,
um, where a lot of Lebanese can go to all other place, uh,
with which they have closed eye, uh, certain countries in Europe, for example,
uh, to, uh, to await, uh,
what is happening And to see if, uh
uh if, uh a moment comes for them to return. Um,
so Yeah. You see all kinds of, uh, different movements,
uh, of people and places where they can go to and if it means being used, depending,
uh, essentially on the socio-economic status.
OK, thank you very much. Uh, Evo, I
think we'll just take one last question, um, to exhaust this item.
This is, uh, Lisa Schlein of Voice of America Online.
Thank you, Orlando. Good morning. Uh, my question is for Gonzalo,
Uh, earlier You seem to indicate that the, uh,
Syrian government was welcoming to the Lebanese refugees and that they extended
their stay in the country for as long as necessary. I'm wondering whether
the government is extending the same kind of generosity to returning Syrian,
Uh uh, Syrians from, uh, from Lebanon or whether they are
in greater danger,
uh, having come back to this country which remains in in a serious conflict.
Thank you. And what,
what can be taken to perhaps protect them in a way that, uh,
uh is not necessary? Perhaps for the Lebanese. Thank you.
Thank you. Lisa. Gonzalo.
Yeah, II. I think I missed, uh I mean, uh, the connection is not very good. II.
I think I got maybe the gist of your,
uh, question Lisa MM. But maybe not the full,
um, the full extent.
Look, Lisa, you know,
I'm happy to have a conversation with you separately
on the broader issue of the situation of,
uh, Syrians who are returning from the region to Syria.
I don't think we can make justice
to that,
um, complex issue, you know, in a couple of minutes, which is what we have.
But what I would say is that,
in the past 72 hours, you know, we've had dozens of colleagues from UN
Asia
present,
uh, at the, uh, four border points where Syrians are crossing back.
Um, and we have not
seen any situations which
would
be a cause of major
concern for us in relation,
uh, to to to those, uh, Syrians crossing back. And I did add,
uh, that among the Syrians crossing back are also,
uh, young men.
Uh, so, so far, what we have seen,
uh, here is is, uh is not a cause
for alarm. Now,
what we do, um, in Syria and we've been doing this before the past 72
hours is working very closely
with the government on the issue of safety of
Syrian returnees whether they are coming back from Lebanon,
whether they're coming back from Turkey,
whether they're coming back from from Jordan, this is a key,
uh, a key issue. So I understand the importance
of your question.
Um
uh,
my staff and I have over 400 staff in in Syria. Much of their time
is dedicated,
uh, now to monitoring the situation of Syrians returning to Syria, including,
of course, of, uh uh of men and of persons of a certain,
uh, profile.
So that work of monitoring, uh, returns,
but also of working with the government is because, of course,
it's the responsibility of the government to ensure the security
of their own citizens that work will continue and intensify.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Uh, Gonzalo And to, uh, Imran and Ivo as well for joining us here at the briefing.
And, of course, uh, you're most welcome to, uh,
join us at any point in time. Stay, stay. Well, stay safe. And, uh, thank you.
Once again,
uh, we're going to move to, uh, the situation in Sudan now, and I thank, uh, M hoan
ado.
Uh, the regional Director for East and South Southern Africa for UN women.
I thank you very much for
your patience and for joining us here. Ms
Ado,
uh, who is joining us from South Sudan? I believe so. Over to you. Um, M, Uh, ado.
Thank you so much. I hope you can hear me perfectly. Well, thanks again. Yep.
Go ahead.
Great. Thank you. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to share with you
the, um uh, findings of a
report which we call a gender alert.
Um, that is, uh, published today by you and women,
um, which, uh, gives a spotlight a much needed spotlight to the
just
impact.
Uh,
the findings of this study are based on the work that we're doing inside Sudan.
in, uh,
looking also at the data from our United
Nations and humanitarian partners as well as,
uh,
um, consultations and analysis from the vast number of women's, uh,
led organisations that we work with inside Sudan.
this gender alert um found a distinct and disproportionate impact
of the escalating conflict in Sudan
on women and girls, which has led to a two fold increase in sexual violence,
finding that sexual violence is being used as
a weapon of war throughout this conflict,
the ongoing violent conflict has exacerbated
the risks faced by women and girls in Sudan
with rising reports of conflict related sexual violence,
sexual exploitation and abuse, particularly
in the states of Khartoum,
al Al Jazeera, the
Darfur
and Kordofan
states.
Nearly 5.8 million women and girls who are internally displaced
are particularly vulnerable,
with many cases of sexual violence going unreported due to fear of stigma,
retribution
and the lack of adequate support.
The high levels of sexual violence
and exploitation
need to end and appropriate justice mechanisms and support service
has to be instituted with appropriate justice mechanisms
and support for um for all of the victims
Sudan
is facing, as you all know,
the worst levels of acute, uh,
food insecurity
ever recorded in the country.
The UN Women Gender Alert report
shows that women and girls are also eating least
and less,
with 64% of female headed households experiencing food insecurity
in over 10 states.
Given the high levels of food insecurity
and the looming threat of famine,
the negative consequences for displaced women
and Children
will intensify unless urgent measures are implemented.
Women and girls also continue to be disproportionately impacted
by the lack of safe, easily accessible and affordable water,
sanitation and hygiene.
With more than 80% of the internally displaced women
unable to secure clean water,
access to health care services is also a huge challenge,
with over 1.6 million women and girls of reproductive age,
Um, not having adequate services
among them. We've seen the reports from our sister agencies
that over 160,000 are pregnant women, and
an estimated 54,000 childbirths are expected in the next three months.
It is really terrifying reality
for women,
um, in Sudan.
And as we've seen and discussed with a a 26 year old women, um,
we've talked to when compiling this report.
She has told us that she was displaced
from
Oman to
at
Barra
and has shared her harrowing experience
of fleeing violence
while four months pregnant,
facing constant threats of murder, rape and looting.
Now a
refugee in her own country,
she experiences the severe psychological toll the conflict has taken
and calls for urgent psychological support,
protection for herself, her family, her community
and an end to the war,
women and girls in Sudan are facing unimaginable challenges,
yet
we found that their strength and resilience can continue to inspire
all of us.
Now more than ever, the international community must rally together
to support the women and Children in Sudan,
ensuring that they have the resources and protection they need
to survive and rebuild their lives.
UN women
is working
in three of the areas that ah three states.
Ah, we have a physical presence. Um, among the other UN agencies in Port Sudan,
we also of course, have a presence in bru Nile State.
Our other offices due to the conflict
um uh had to be closed.
But we're working closely with the women's organisations,
um that have been providing
and continue to provide direct services to the
displaced and to those who are surviving,
um, from sexual violence,
the the work that we're doing, um is supporting community based initiatives
in partnership with women led organisations
aimed at mentoring women and building their resilience
together with our sister UN agencies and humanitarian partners,
we urge the international community to prioritise
the protection and the empowerment of Sudanese women
and girls, including through the increase of funding
for local led organisations
that have received less than 2% of the
funding from the Sudan Humanitarian Fund in 2023.
The atrocities against women,
Children, the elderly and the larger civilian community of Sudan
are simply unacceptable.
UN women stand in full solidarity together with our UN system
and support for the brave and strong women and girls of Sudan
supporting them in their call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
It is imperative
that there is protection of civilians,
full humanitarian access,
support and pursuit
of an inclusive path
to peace That includes women's,
uh uh full participation in the process.
Thank you
so much for this opportunity.
Thank you so much, Miss Ado.
We do have a question for you from Lisa Schlein, the Voice of America Over to you,
Lisa.
Thank you. I'm speaking up. I hope you can hear me better than, uh
than Gonzalez apparently did last time.
Uh, yeah. I'd like to know who are the major perpetrators I had heard.
Perhaps you confirm this.
That, uh, the rapid support forces, uh, somehow are more implicated in this, uh,
weaponry of, uh, war weaponry of raping women and Children and so forth.
If you could speak a bit more about that.
And, uh uh, also, what sort of psychological support, if any is is there
in, uh, getting these people, um, the women who who need help, help,
uh, and how do you manage to break through the stigmatisation
that they, uh, experience from their communities?
Perhaps you are also, uh, Margaret. Hi, Margaret WHO.
I could speak a bit more about the, uh, health problems
which actually are arising from,
uh, women and girls being raped. Hi, Margaret.
Uh, sorry. It's not funny being raped, sexually abused.
Uh, and whether, uh,
this is also whether there are many women who are actually having
Children that,
unfortunately, come out of this situation. Thank you. Thanks, Lisa.
Over to Miss a do.
Yeah, thank you so much for those questions.
And glad to see that we have, ah, colleagues from WHO that could perhaps address
the issues related to health. But
But what we're looking at is, um, various, um ah,
data and analysis that we've gathered,
um, through the, um ah, our UN system.
But also through our own partners and so forth. As you all know, the the recent, um Ah.
Ah.
Investigations. Or, uh, that has taken place. Um, in in regards to
the, um, Human Rights Council's report
on the Independent, uh,
international fact finding mission that they they've had really does show.
Um, uh uh uh, um, A very high level, in fact, in our data is is about 100% times,
uh, the the
the the the rape and the sexual violence that
women and girls are experiencing as well as,
um, humanitarian actors.
Uh, including, uh, women led humanitarian actors, Um,
the the the the the Nationals in particular.
Um, and of course, that report does, um, uh, target,
uh, the two,
pies
of of the violence, the conflict.
It's taking place.
Um, and we are, um, calling for, um uh,
um, a cessation of of of hostilities. We're calling for, uh, protection
for, um, for all women and and girls in particular.
Um, uh, the retributions that they need to, um, address.
We're a a, uh, calling for accountability
and the provision of justice to all of the victims.
Um, including a comprehensive approach to transitional justice
based on inclusive dialogue and consultations. Very much.
Led by, um, and supported by the women's organisations who are on the ground.
Um, the high level of sexual violence and exploitation
is it is used as a weapon of war. Um, it's preventing women from accessing,
um, the much needed resources, whether it's on access to health care to, um,
of course, education.
Um and, um, food
and and water.
And it's really preventing women from even having the, um, psychosocial support
because of the the the chaotic nature of this conflict that all of, um, uh, actors,
um, who are, um, engaged in this violent conflict have to be,
um, you know, accountable to providing safety and security
for all of the for all women and and and And girls, of course.
You know, um, in as we've seen in many conflicts and as well as in Sudan
rape, Uh, sexual violence has been
used as a, um as a weapon of war. It is a way of breaking communities. It is a way of, um ah
uh, of, of of of, you know, tarnishing.
Um, you know, social fabric of a community.
By targeting the most vulnerable, it is a despicable
and, um, and human right violation and humanitarian um uh uh
um
um you know, violation that. We need to,
uh, hold
anyone accountable. And we need to ensure that
all of the actors of the conflict, including their armed militias,
are held accountable.
Uh, and but most importantly, this war has to end,
and we need to find a a solution of peace.
But also retribution to the victims that have suffered,
um, for, uh, more than,
um uh uh, um, the war has has has dragged dragged on for more than 50
months. So we need to really end this This the situation is grave,
the the level of psychosocial support that is needed especially for the survivors.
And as as as I had told, uh uh, mentioned the the 26 year old, uh, who was displaced from
Orman to at at Barra and all of the other women, um,
that we have interviewed in this report, uh,
states the need for psychosocial trauma, uh,
whether they are inside the country or they fled to neighbouring countries.
This is a huge,
huge task that we need to do to ensure that we have
a comprehensive response that looks at the totality in terms of the impact
this horrendous conflict has had
on the lives of women and Children,
many of them seeing their loved ones killed in front of their eyes.
Um, having seen
brutal sexual violence against the Children against women,
Um, as a way of as I said,
um uh, you know, putting,
uh, more trauma, more fear on communities, more repression
and abuse and sexual exploitation for even,
um, accessing basic human needs for water for food,
um, and and and shelter and and so forth.
So we need to really, um, as this report gives a spotlight to, uh, the situation
in in Sudan, which has been,
um, uh, really been forgotten.
The brave humanitarian workers are UN staff who are there
in the country risking their lives on a daily basis
to provide
the support and the much needed support needs to be topped up.
We need to ensure that there's adequate
funding and resources for the humanitarian crisis.
But we need to ensure
that there is, um, uh, peace, that peace that comes with justice that includes, uh,
the voices, the participation of women,
uh, so that their lives, their realities of this conflict takes into account
the the type of peace and intervention. But we need to hold all actors accountable.
Um, to this really desperate situation that,
um we're seeing the famine gloom is is really, really, um
um
you know, it's a terrible situation that we're in.
And as we've seen reports coming out,
um, from
from
the data that they have, um, shared as part of the UN system,
um, gives us really, um uh, shocking numbers of, uh, huge,
uh, numbers of population of of people, particularly in north of Dur, uh,
who are facing,
uh,
dire situations in the ID P sites,
Um, and and and the cute,
um, food insecurity.
Um, that that is, is there, um, it's really, uh,
detrimental to the survivor of of many
of the women and girls in the communities that are in a desperate situation.
Um, let me end there.
But, um, I hope I had responded to those questions,
but but I'm sure there's other colleagues who could provide
additional support.
Thank you. You have indeed answered, uh, various horrific angles to the crisis.
Among them is the whole situation. Maybe on that note, we will now go to Margaret.
I think Lisa had a question pointed to you, Margaret.
Yes, indeed. And thank you, Lisa, And thank you.
Also to my colleague for for raising this forgotten crisis.
The access to healthcare continues to be
severely constrained due to the insecurity,
the attacks on health care, the shortage of medicines and medical supplies,
shortage of health personnel and and and and no
cash to cover the health facility's operational costs.
In the conflict hotspots, 70 to 80% of hospitals are nonfunctional,
and so people are dying simply from a lack
of access to basic and essential healthcare and medication.
You asked specifically about women and indeed critical services,
including maternal and healthcare.
Uh, maternal and child health care.
The management of severe acute malnutrition which, as you know,
is just rising every day.
And the treatment of patients with chronic
conditions have been discontinued in many areas
at a time when they need it the most. Across Sudan,
women are dying from pregnancy or childbirth related complications.
Whether or not those pregnancies are a result of, um,
gender based violence or whatever, Uh, women are not getting the standard care
that saves your life and saves the life
of your child during childbirth or before childbirth.
Also, childhood vaccinations have been disrupted,
as has disease surveillance and vector control,
and, um, coupled with access issues in the natural disasters,
it's created the perfect conditions for the spread of disease outbreaks.
And indeed again, As I said, surveillance is poor, but we have reports of cholera,
measles, malaria, dengue,
meningitis being received from several states. As of 16 September 24
I do have some numbers 5000
491 suspected cases of measles and 100 and 20 associated deaths,
uh, reported from 11 states.
And remember, this is in the context of very, very poor surveillance,
So the real situation will be a lot worse.
But we have had also 9484 suspected cases of dengue fever, with 75 associated deaths
reported from 12 states
and 1.8 million,
uh, clinically um, identified malaria cases
and
100 and 78 deaths from 15 states.
And again, as I mentioned, meningitis is on the rise. 155 cases of meningitis,
19 deaths from 10 states.
I, I I'll stop there, but it But you know the situation is just horrendous. No access,
no means of providing the basic care
that is a human, right?
Absolutely. Thank you so very much, Margaret.
Indeed, it is a horrific situation, And, uh, in terms of the figures,
we'll make sure to capture that
in our summary colleagues.
And, of course, if you need clarification, do reach out to colleagues
speaking here. Uh, John, did you have a question for, um,
for Miss Ado?
Uh uh. My question is to, uh, Margaret.
She was, uh, reading out all these, uh, latest, uh uh,
depressing figures from Sudan.
I was wondering, Margaret, if you also have, uh,
figures from the field on the number of, uh,
pregnant women and Children that have been dying,
especially in south Sudan.
There was a very, uh, moving report by MS F from the field on that issue.
John, I don't have specific numbers. Um, on that
I will ask my colleagues in Sudan if they've got
if they can provide those given our surveillance and the the limitations,
I doubt we'll have accurate figures, but we may have estimates.
OK, that that would be helpful. Thank you, Margaret. Um and and thank you again, Miss
a very much for for joining us here and for
your patience. Of course.
Uh, the aim is to make sure this is not forgotten in this crisis.
So your interventions here are really supremely important in that regard.
Uh, and thanks for sharing the report.
Um uh, with our colleagues here in Geneva.
OK,
now I turn to my colleague Ravina from the
office of the High Commission for Human Rights,
who has an update on the insecurity situation
in Haiti and the situation there Overall.
Ravina.
Thanks, Rolando.
Um, another very difficult, very dire situation, Um,
and another very neglected situation as well, I'm afraid
tackling insecurity in Haiti, where hundreds have been killed,
injured or displaced as a result of gang violence has to be an utmost priority.
Latest figures documented by the UN Human Rights Office indicate that at
least 3661 people have been killed since January this year in Haiti,
maintaining the high levels of violence seen in 2023.
No more lives should be lost to this senseless criminality.
We welcome recent positive steps such as the establishment of a trans
transitional Presidential council,
the new transitional government and the deployment of the
first contingent of the multinational Security Support mission.
It is clear, however,
that the mission needs adequate and sufficient equipment and
personnel to counter the criminal gangs effectively and sustainably,
and to stop these gangs from spreading
further and wreaking havoc on people's lives.
Our report details extremely serious patterns
of human rights violations and abuses taking
place across the capital of Port au Prince and in the Artibonite department,
as well as in the southern part of the West Department,
which until recently had been largely unaffected by the violence.
The number of victims of sexual violence, including rape,
also increased in the first half of the year,
according to the report.
Gangs have continued to use sexual violence to punish,
spread fear and to subjugate populations.
During the reporting period from January to June this year,
at least 860 people were also killed and 393 injured
during police operations and patrols across Port au Prince,
including at least 36 Children.
In what could constitute news of unnecessary and disproportionate force
on the impact on Children,
the gangs have also recruited large numbers of Children into their ranks.
in Artibonite,
which is the country's agricultural Heartland.
Increasing gang violence and extortion have forced farmers
to abandon more than 3000 hectares of land,
further imperilling Haiti's food production.
And this at a time when an estimated 1.6 million
people in the country face emergency level acute food insecurity.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
urges the Haitian authorities to take robust
steps to strengthen the police and other
state institutions crippled by endemic corruption,
including the judiciary,
if the rule of law is to be restored and
those responsible for violations and abuses held to account.
We also call on the authorities to redouble efforts to protect Children from gangs,
to tackle gender and sexual violence
and to protect internally displaced people.
We urge the international community to
comprehensively implement the targeted arms embargo,
the travel ban and asset freeze imposed by the
UN Security Council to stem gang violence in Haiti.
Thank you very much, uh, Ravina and maybe just to add that in in,
um
consulting some of our latest figures that we note that nearly half of the
Haitian population that is 5.5 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.
And many of them are women and Children. So this is indeed a very
dire situation. So thank you very much for your briefing.
Do we have questions for Ravina? Yes and yes. From a FP?
Yes, thank you.
Yesterday the Haitian leader said that,
um is is looking for transforming or turning the the mass,
the multinational policing operation
into a peacekeeping operation.
I was wondering if you think that would be a
better way to to protect the civilian population
facing all these human rights violations. Thank you.
Thanks.
Yes, yes, yes, indeed. I'm aware of those reports.
What? Our immediate concern is that any force that is there.
So currently,
the multinational security support mission needs
to be adequately and sufficiently resourced
with the equipment that they need to be able to do their jobs properly,
as well as the numbers in sheer numbers of people.
What we are currently seeing is that they
are very inadequately funded and inadequately resourced,
so that should be the priority.
Thank you very much. Um,
yes. Please, sir.
Third row.
We,
uh
de
la
Masque.
No, thank you.
Thank you for that question. Indeed.
This is why, um, the UN High commissioner for Human Rights,
is urging the international community to make this an utmost priority.
Unfortunately, with the proliferation of crises and conflicts in the world,
sometimes the situation in Haiti is neglected.
But as I said, more than 3600 people have been killed so far this year,
and this maintains the high levels of killings and violence, extortion,
kidnapping, sexual violence that has been carried out over many years now in Haiti.
exacerbated also by the humanitarian situation by gangs
that are blocking off key arteries that prevent
resources. Um,
you know, essential resources, food, water,
fuel from reaching the people who need to reach it.
We are raising the alarm.
Illicit flows of arms are continuing to go into Haiti in spite
of Security Council resolutions calling for for these to be stemmed,
humanitarian appeals are chronically underfunded as well.
So we are raising the alarm here and saying that the situation in Haiti needs to
be an urgent priority ahead of the UN Security Council meeting next week on this.
My goodness,
Uh, just to remind you, indeed, that the Security Council is is taking, uh,
taking this up and we expect a decision.
Maybe, uh, before the, uh But next week at this point.
And of course, it's imperative that the, uh, Haitian national police, um,
be provided with the resources they need, including equipment.
Uh,
donor coordinations training provided to the H and P is also paramount important.
So these are the issues that
are being discussed? Um,
in New York?
Yeah, Jamie, go ahead.
Hi, Ravina.
shouldn't it just be a matter of course,
that the Human Rights office would support the idea of a peacekeeping mission?
I mean, from a from a human rights perspective.
You know,
uh, one would think that
I mean, I.
I know it's not your decision whether or not to deploy a PKO, but, uh,
but from a from a sort of basic level, wouldn't you support that?
And
could you also comment?
Uh, if I understand correctly, Uh, President Rutto, um,
while in New York mentioned that he's planning on,
uh uh augmenting the number of, uh, uh,
Kenyan forces that are gonna be sent to to Haiti.
So
could you, um please address each of those, please? Thanks.
Thanks, Jamie.
As you pointed out,
it wouldn't be our decision whether a peacekeeping mission is deployed or not.
That would be a matter for the Security Council.
What is crucial for us is that any force that is deployed is adequately resourced,
Adequately funded.
They have both sufficient and adequate equipment to respond
to the crisis that's happening. Bearing in mind
the geographic,
um, you know,
realities of Haiti bearing in mind that the strongholds where the gangs have them.
And of course,
also the what is crucial is that the international community
takes action to stem the weapons flow into Haiti.
That is continuing,
and that needs to be stemmed immediately.
I have forgotten your second question.
Ah, yes, of course.
No,
we would we would support any augmentation of
the MSs of the multinational security force.
Absolutely. We would encourage
further, um, resourcing of this force.
Thank you very much. Uh, we do have a question for you. Ravina from Lisa.
Go ahead.
Uh, hi. Hi. Ravina
Uh uh II.
I don't I don't know how to qualify. My question may be naive or whatever it is,
but, uh,
it appears that the government is toothless and not in the position to be able to,
uh to protect the, uh, the people of Haiti.
Um, I was wondering what is the ultimate goal of the gangs? Is it to take O?
I mean, to take over the government?
I'm kind of wondering whether there is a chief bandit who is, uh,
in charge of, uh, most of these gangs. And, uh,
I mean, can they just keep on raping, pillaging,
extorting whatever it is horrible things they do.
and And this keeps on without any Stop
it. Could conceivably one of them take over the government?
That's a question.
What
we understand, Lisa.
I mean, of course, the intent of these gangs, you will have to ask the gangs.
But what we understand,
based on their modus operandi and what they've been
doing is they are trying to maximise territorial gain
as well as financial gain.
So, through all sorts of illicit methods of of getting money, extortion,
uh,
from people charging people charging shopkeepers so that they will
not attack them so that their shops will be protected.
Um, charging people for crossing checkpoints,
kidnapping people and charging high ransoms,
illicit financial flows, illicit arms flows, and taking control of territory.
This is what's happening and they are doing
everything that they can to maintain this control,
including raping women, raping Children,
uh, killing people that they perceive of opposing them.
killing people that they perceive of being affiliated with
rival gangs of being affiliated with the police.
Wanton violence. And, as I said, they are also controlling access roads
so that people can not access food, water, electricity,
fuel Hospitals are having to operate using generators as
opposed to electricity to carry out essential functions.
The designated expert of the high commissioner was in Haiti recently.
William O'Neill
and I spoke to him, and he said he spoke to AAA child.
A girl, um, who hadn't eaten in two days.
Uh, he spoke to a woman who has diabetes but has no access to insulin.
These are basic things.
You shouldn't have to die of diabetes simply
because you don't have access to insulin.
But this is what's going on in Haiti right now.
And this is why, in spite of the proliferation of crises around the world,
we need to raise the alarm.
We need to draw the attention back to Haiti.
Absolutely.
Uh, Lisa, is that a follow up question? Go ahead.
Yes, a quick follow up Ravina
who is furnishing these gangs with the arms.
How can that be stopped? They are not, uh, a a
country. So you can't put sanctions on them,
but,
yeah, what can be done
And who? Who, who who was giving them the arms? Thank you.
So the weapons are weapons and ammunition have continued to
flow into the country primarily from the United States,
but also from the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Thanks very much. And of course, this is indeed unprecedented levels of law,
lawlessness and brutality, which we're hearing about in in
Haiti. So thank you very much. OK, we do have one last question. Maybe
yes, from a
FP.
Oh, sorry. We have another question afterwards. So
a FP then,
sir? Yes. This is just a quick follow up to the answer you just gave to
Lisa on the on the weapons coming from United States and the other two countries.
Um, could you specify if it's, um,
you are talking about the country about state companies or about,
or about private companies.
Thank you.
Thanks for the question. And yes, I am going to refer you to the report as well.
Now, if you go to paragraphs 47 and 48 of the report that you have received,
there is more detail on this.
And in fact, there is further detail
in a UOC
report,
which has really got into substantial detail about where these
arms are coming from and how they are coming in
what needs to be done to stem this. So, for example, they have the UN
says that firearms and ammunition have continued
to enter Haiti through poorly monitored airspaces,
unpatrolled coastlines and porous borders.
And, of course, the gangs exploit those gaps, and they obtain high calibre weapons,
drones, boats and a seemingly endless supply of bullets.
Similarly, drug trafficking has also continued unabated,
often using the country's many clandestine airstrips.
Thank you very much, sir.
Sorry. Sorry about that. Um,
some countries have already been taking measures and of course,
there have already been Security Council resolutions on this.
What is still lacking is implementation.
So we are saying that the, um
there need to continue to be urgent and stricter measures taken to prevent
the direct or illicit
supply, sale, diversion or transfer to Haiti of weapons,
but also to keep updating the list of individuals
and entities who are subject to the
Security Council sanctions regime for engaging in
directly or indirectly or supporting criminal activities
contrary to international human rights law.
So the implementation of these travel bans,
asset freezes and other sanctions on
targeted individuals needs to be strengthened.
Thank you so very much rovina
for the questions on Haiti.
No, it's not the case. So thank you. Once again as always, for joining us here. Ravina
and I thank uh, Elizabeth Tan of UIR for her patience and for being here with us.
As you know,
uh, Elizabeth is no stranger to you.
She is the UN refugee agency director of international protection.
Who's going to address the situation of asylum seekers?
Elizabeth.
Thank you.
so this week, UNH
has issued new legal guidance on the way states should treat
asylum seekers who arrive at their borders in an irregular manner.
Article 31 of the Refugee Convention states that
states are prohibited from penalising asylum seekers and
refugees merely because they've entered a country irregularly.
And
so UNHCR's
guidance is explaining what that article of the convention means.
That article is there because many people flee life threatening situations,
and they have no other choice but to take irregular
manners of travel.
And they often don't have the opportunity to obtain a travel document or a visa or
retrieve it before they were able before they fled their country.
So
at
the same time,
the convention does not provide a
blanket protection from penalization for breaching
immigration rules.
It's only
when three conditions are there that that protection from penalization applies.
Those three conditions are directness of travel
promptness, of
declaring oneself as an asylum seeker to the
authorities and showing good cause for having contravened the
immigration rules.
So that means that, for example,
the guidance explains that
refugees and asylum seekers must present
themselves to the authorities without delay.
And they must show show a valid reason why, for example,
they've entered without a visa.
If these three requirements are met, then refugees and asylum seekers should not
be detained for entering irregularly,
including where detention is used for the purposes of deterrence.
UNHCR's
guidelines are also
they address the situation of penalization linked to smuggling.
It makes clear that refugees cannot be penalised if they
are suspected or found to have been involved in organising,
assisting or facilitating their own or others
illegal entry or stay as long as they were the ones being smuggled.
Or they took these actions to secure their own lives,
the lives of their family members or others entry and for humanitarian reasons.
Whilst the concept of non penalization is the core,
principle is one of the core principles of refugee law.
It's often misunderstood or deliberately disregarded in practise by some states,
and some states are imposing penalties on refugees and asylum seekers
simply for the reason of having illegally entered the country or
illegally being present in the country.
So this guidance is released at a time of
increasing legal and practical barriers to accessing asylum,
and the guidance is aiming to promote
consistency in the application of international law.
It explains the Article 31 of the Refugee Convention,
and it serves as a timely reminder that seeking asylum is not a criminal act.
It's rather a life saving measure and a fundamental human rights
at the same time is coming out with this legal advice. UNH
is also urging states to respect and ensure
not only compliance with refugee law, but also
to work together to advocate for other alternatives, for safer journeys,
for providing access to asylum in safer
in safer ways and through legal routes.
So that's what I wanted to share with you this morning. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Elizabeth,
do we have questions?
Yes. Uh, we'll start. Uh, maybe Jamie, then Taha,
go ahead.
OK, go ahead. Taha.
Thank you for giving us this information.
I have a question
about Sudanese refugees in Egypt.
We have noticed that you aren't concerned about this.
Uh
uh, refugees in Egypt.
Uh,
these refugees are suffering from discrimination
and deportation from Egypt as well.
Uh, in, uh,
olala
Sudanese refugees in
Olala Forest.
Also,
they are facing the same situation.
Could you give us any information about this bad situation?
Thank you.
Yes. So, indeed there are. There are more than a million
refugees from Sudan in Egypt, and
many people fled during the recent crisis and at the beginning,
the people were allowed to cross the border.
There was, in fact, a very large influx.
Subsequently, the government of Egypt put in place visa restrictions. So
the fact of having crossed the border without having that visa and
using a smuggler which is happening quite regularly
right now
should not
be penalised by the government of Egypt. That is what the convention says.
That is what is explained in the guidance that UNHCR
is putting out this week.
So we know that governments are struggling with the numbers of asylum seekers.
But this is what,
and putting in place visa restrictions is not something
that we're saying is not
fine.
Governments should be able to regulate immigration and
border crossings that is their sovereign right and indeed
necessary for many reasons. However, when people circumvent those
immigration and border controls and they're claiming asylum,
they should not be penalised for doing that.
So people should still be able to access the asylum procedures. Thank you.
Thank you very much. Elizabeth. Uh, Jamie,
thank you for your presentation.
Um, you mentioned that, uh, there's this new legal legal guidance.
Um, is that just a regular matter? Of course.
Or are you thinking about specific instances where countries
have flaunted their obligations under the refugee convention?
I'm particularly thinking about the United States, which has recently, um,
enacted some new measures to curb the flow of, uh,
of of people across the border from Mexico.
Is that specifically that you have in mind?
And is this a message directly to Washington
that it needs to abide by its commitments?
Um, this is the first time that we're issuing guidance on that particular
article of the convention.
it's not directed at the US. It's directed at all states.
This is an obligation for all states, and
we are concerned there are indeed
countries, including the US,
that are trying to manage their situation at their southern border.
And we are working very closely with the
US government on the methodologies that they're using to
to restrict access to the country, to
somehow manage that situation. So
when new
legal restrictions come into place, we do, of course,
analyse that with regard to in this case, Article 31.
But there are many other
obligations on states in terms of granting access to
territorial asylum and giving access to the asylum procedures.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Do we have further questions for Miss Tan?
No, I don't see. That's the case. Uh, so thank you very much for joining us.
Thank you for your patience.
Thank you, Colleagues. I still have a couple of announcements. Um,
before we wrap up
and, uh, just as usual,
just to keep you on track with the proceedings here in Geneva at the UN,
we have a couple of committees, uh, underway.
We have the committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
uh,
76 session, which is concluding this afternoon after having reviewed, uh,
reports on Iceland, Poland, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan,
Albania, Cyprus and Malawi.
And the Committee on Enforced Disappearances is also,
um, meeting.
And on this com it actually concludes next week, next Friday, a week from today,
the fourth of October.
But on
Monday,
there'll be a meeting with states and NGO S and national human rights institutions
and intergovernmental organisations. That's
on, uh, Monday the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
Human Rights Council. Also well underway.
It's, uh, now at the at its halfway mark the 57th session of the Human Rights Council.
Today,
the council heard a an address from the president of the Marshall Islands.
Um, Miss Hilda Hein.
Um, that was, uh, at 10 o'clock this morning,
you can take a look at her statement which addressed climate change nuclear testing
in the South Pacific.
there was interactive dialogue which I think should be concluded by
now with the special rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Uh, the UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights. Um,
Bryce.
Kris is also presenting a report on Reprisals. Very important subject,
uh, Reprisal
against those who cooperated with the UN entities.
Uh, that is a report being presented today,
and lastly, this afternoon,
the outcome of various reports from the universal periodic review
the subsidiary body of the council will be addressed,
uh, North Macedonia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Cyprus.
And maybe just to
shift direction to the other side of the pond,
the Security Council today is discussing this
afternoon the situation in the Middle East,
which has been, of course, dominating
our agenda here as well.
And on that same subject, I wanted to announce the press conference, uh,
this coming Monday, the 30th of
September
at 5 p.m. in this room, Philip Lazzarini, who is, as you know, the
Commissioner general of the UN Relief Works Agency. Um,
UNRWA.
We'll be here. So 5 p.m. Philip Lazzarini in this room.
We sent out the announcement already.
Uh, I should just mention on as a side note,
the SECRETARY-GENERAL delivered remarks at a high level ministerial meeting,
Uh, in support of UN
R. Uh, earlier this week. Actually, it was yesterday,
Uh, we share those remarks with you. So do take a look at the statement.
That statement from the SG.
That's all I have. Do you have questions for me?
Uh, a couple of hands on the platform. Peter,
Go ahead.
Sorry, Peter, We can't hear you. Maybe we can try to unmute him again. Yeah.
There you go. Let's try. Yeah,
yeah. Hi.
Yeah. Can you hear me? Remember,
I do. I do hear.
Ok, you know, I, I just, uh this is the last day that, um,
Francois
siga
is gonna be working with the
the the UN at at press conferences. And I just wanted to,
uh,
pay tribute to him on behalf of a lot of journalists who have received help from him
in doing radio reports and, uh,
and, uh, sending out other reports from the UN.
And, uh, he will be sorely missed by all the journalists. Thank you.
Thank you very much. And, uh and, um
uh, indeed, Monday is actually his last day, but, uh,
thank you very much for raising it here.
Indeed, I would echo those sentiments. Francois has been with the UN for
quite a while while quite a while now, working with the information service.
And he's been an invaluable, uh, team member. And we're going to miss him. Of course.
Um, he's been providing a very vital service to you,
which will try to continue in his absence.
So we just, uh,
want to applaud all the hard work and dedication that Francois soI
has been given,
uh, to you, correspondent and, of course, us at the information service. So
thank you, Francois.
John
Zaro.
Yeah, I I'd like to, uh, agree with Peter and
and thank, uh, Francois
service to us for more than two decades and also his invaluable technical
support to many of us that are not technically gifted like his.
Uh, but I've got, uh, two questions. One is, uh do we know if the,
uh, U
OG director General, uh, will be applying for a second term?
Uh, for the post, Uh, and when that decision will be made by the
Secretary General in New York. And secondly at UN HCR.
Uh, have the application started for the successor
to Mr Grundy, who steps down at the end of next year.
And will they be posting the applicants and their CV S
as they come in? Thank you.
Thanks. On the first question, I will have to get back to you on the UN.
Director General Tao
Valo
Vallas, um, intentions for his second term.
I I'll certainly get back to you on that, but, uh,
let me just check here because our you and H ER colleagues
have left the room.
But I'm not sure if there's anyone online who can address that, but perhaps better
if you reach out to them directly with that question on, um, Mr Grandi, Uh uh,
successor,
Uh, or, um, on the terms for that position. So, uh, yeah, no one's online. I'm afraid
so. If you can reach out to them
on that note, I bid you a nice weekend. Bon appetit.
And see you here in this room on Tuesday.
But beforehand, of course. With Mr um Mr Lazzarini on Monday. Thank you.