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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 pax agenda.
We have the situation as it unfolds in Lebanon.
We have speakers from Beirut actually joining us, as well as from the Syrian Lebanese border.
We have the situation in Sudan.
We have an expert from UN Women joining us, as well, as well as our colleague Ravina from Human Rights to speak to Haiti afterwards, and also a colleague from UNHCR who will address the penalisation of asylum seekers.
So very packed agenda.
We'll take the first 3 speakers on Lebanon first, then we'll take your questions and move on to the second subject thereafter.
So we turn now immediately to Mr Imran Riza.
Very pleased to have Mr Riza join us.
He's a humanitarian coordinator in Lebanon, who again is joining us from IBERI route.
So over to you, Imran.
Thank you very much.
As I think you've all seen, the recent escalations in Lebanon are nothing short of catastrophic for nearly a what the future holds.
Many have expressed concerns about experience 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 bait.
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 120,000 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 UNHCR colleagues and one of their sons.
The situation, as I said before, is catastrophic.
My colleague from UNHCR will speak more about that.
We are witnessing the deadliest.
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 and 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 coordination.
We are now assessing the amount of funding required to address the increasing number of displaced people and the rising humanitarian needs.
We've 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've been talking about for the last 11 months.
However, even if hostility cease, the aftermath of the violence will require a massive, coordinated humanitarian response to address the widespread displacement, rebuild critical infrastructure, and restore 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.
The region cannot endure further bloodshed.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Mr Reza.
And I should note that Mister Reza's marks were shared with you previously by Yen's here.
Now I throw to Evo Fryson, who's Unhcr's representative in Lebanon, who also joins us from Beirut.
Evo, over to you.
We have a connection with Evo.
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 Gonzalo Vargasiosa, who is UN Asia's representative in Syria, who's actually joining us from the Syria Lebanon border.
Gonzalo, let's try connecting with you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So yes, as you mentioned, I'm here at the main border point between Lebanon and Syria by the 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 of Syrians and Lebanese started to, to, to cross fleeing the violence in, in Lebanon.
I, I will just make 3, three points.
First, in terms of who's leading the, the response to the crisis.
And here I want to be absolutely clear, this is being led by the government of Syria and the people of Syria, thanks to their generosity and to their open doors policy.
Not only of course to their own citizens, to the Syrians who are crossing back, but perhaps symbolically even more important to the Lebanese to whom they refer as their brothers and and and sisters.
Now operationally, who is leading the response at the national level is the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, who are doing an amazing job and who have been here really 24/7 since the first arrivals started.
In terms of the Internet national response, of course, given that we're dealing with two different caseloads in terms of our arrivals, both Syrian refugees in Lebanon were coming back at home or crossing back home, but also Lebanese refugees were crossing into Syria.
UNACR IS, is leading the response with the support, with the help and in very close coordination with UN agencies and and NGOs.
And we're also very grateful for the support that the resident coordinator, humanitarian coordinator has been provided us.
Now in terms of what we have been witnessing at the border over this last 72 hours, I mean large numbers of people returning.
The estimate is that this figure is now well over 30,000, about 7580% of those Syrians and, and and the other 20% or so Lebanese.
Now these of course are people who are fleeing bombs and were crossing into a country that has been suffering from it's 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, and, and children, but also some, some men crossing the, the, the estimate is that at least 50% of those crossings are children and, and adolescents.
They are exhausted, they are scared and they are in, in, in need.
But I think there's also a a palpable sense of 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 arduous journey on the way here, but also injured as a direct result of the bombings in, 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 they need?
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 by the Ministry of Health of the government of Syria, I should say very much the provision of food, blankets, etcetera.
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 started.
Now we'll have to see what happens over the next few days, but of course if the situation continues to be the same, those stocks will need to be will need to be replenished.
But the second I think perhaps a little bit more conflict complex part of the response of course will be to assist people when they when they return to their communities of destination because of course they are not going to locations very class close to the border.
They're going to Damascus, they're going to homes, they're going to even going as far as Raqqa on the north eastern side.
Now here fortunately for the Syrian arrivals, UNHCR and it's partners already have substantive structures inside the country which have been used now for some time to support Syrian 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 based protection and specific programmes for the elderly and disabled, shelter repair, etcetera, etcetera.
Now the point is that those structures that so far have been used to re to to support Syrian, Syrian returnees, Syrians crossing from the region back into Syria.
Now they're being expanded so that they can also support and assist the Lebanese refugees.
And final points 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 they can also accommodate those destitute Lebanese who may not have a place to stay.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I think now we have Evo connected and his his audio is is fine.
So Evo, we're going to go back to you joins us from Beirut.
[Other language spoken]
I have one of these for the pitch.
I think Imran was very elaborate and comprehensive.
[Other language spoken]
First of all, let's stress that we have been unfortunately preparing and, and and partly expecting the current scenario for one year.
So we should probably totally surprised.
But when I say preparing it's it's planning and, and, and also do part of the practical work.
But these plans have been impeded by a lack of funding.
So the goal for funding rapidly now so that we can still step up is extremely important.
We thank all friends and partners for the condolences received in the wake of the horrendous, tragic killing of two members of the UNHCR Lebanon family.
We're trying to derive positive energy out of this and new resolve to pursue and discharge our mandates.
But we of course couple it with a reinvigorated call for respect directed to parties to the conflict evolving around respect for international humanitarian law, the safeguarding of civilians, the more targeting of civilians and aid workers resort in Gaza.
And the same messages applied very much in the level of context.
Question we often get is are people still moving in which numbers less than in the beginning of this week, but people are still first of all moving out of areas where they are in danger and when people arrive to other areas many still struggle to find a place to go to.
That is partly capacity challenge, capacity problem, but for many also financial challenge.
It's simply expensive to rent an apartment for example in the centre of the country.
So the more resource constraints Lebanese and that is an increasingly large group due to Lebanese ongoing previously developed economic challenges are not struggled for much more than than for example in 2006 when a similar situation happened.
Country is in a much more fragile state and many Lebanese are are much more vulnerable and exposed pre this specific crisis, let alone during the current situation.
Relative positive news is that again compared to 2006, the humanitarian community is larger, stronger, has more resources, but these resources are still primarily actually for our ongoing programming, not enough funded.
So there is not enough of a backbone to additionally quickly ramp up and address new needs and that is now increasing of course, coupled also with logistical and access challenges.
And then of course, we keep our fingers trust that we're not going to see that becoming further complicated with, for example, the airport closing.
UHCR has been very much part of the cross population response in a variety of sectors.
I will not dwell on all the details, but again important to_that of course we have refugees in the heart of our mandate but, the response is is, cross-border cross population to the greatest possible extent and.
For now we have provided over 140,000 for relief items and cash assistance to 60,000 people majority.
Of our beneficiaries are actually of these kind of practical assistance measures are Lebanese A.
KEY concern is that as you all know, presumably Level has been hosting large numbers of refugees and others 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 poll text where we see renewed and enhanced and strengthened calls for accelerated return of the Syrians to Syria, which is now depicted as much safer than let alone.
And for example, in many social media posts that we track.
We also see other challenges where it is not easy for Lebanese to have access to, to shelter, as as mentioned.
So we are engaged in active discussion with the authorities to ensure that the response is of course full text sensitive that we should not ignore, but also in line with human term principles, impartiality, no discrimination and so on so forth.
Because refugees often have 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 persistence is not something that we would like to see further take place and and become more serious in the context of animal.
Of course, we wholeheartedly join the the overarching plea for a solution, perhaps initially a temporary solution that subsequently A structural political solution, a renewed plea for donors to step up in this context so that we can address.
Better than we currently do, more problem density than we currently do emergency assistance needs with also indeed a look at the phase possible that hopefully will emerge after the emergency phase in terms of recovery.
Should that not happen, should assistance stay or not pick up substantially, then we will be faced with a situation of increased complexity, more deeply rooted needs, which will actually be more difficult and also more costly to address.
So the time to respond adequately and comprehensively and generously is indeed very much not.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks to you, Evo and and of course to Imran and Gonzalo.
So we'll turn now to our colleagues here in Geneva for questions.
We have a question starting off with and yes, from Argent France Press and yes, yes, thank you.
This would be a question to the UN refugees and to Iomi know they are listening as well.
So 2 specific questions, the concerning Syria, how many refugees and not only refugees people are you expecting to to cross into Syria?
Do you have a, a, a figure and the same question to IOM concerning the displaced people or maybe our China know displaced people inside Lebanon.
Do you have any contingency figure plans on that?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And yes, maybe Gonzalo, on the first question, numbers expected to move into Syria, if you can take that, please.
Yes, yeah, this is a very difficult question to answer because of course it's going to depend very much on the situation in in Lebanon.
I mean, our hope is that there are no more crossings.
But what is also clear is that already before, but of course, particularly over the past seventy to two hours, we'll be working very closely with the government, but also with with partners at all the border points where we have seen crossings already to beef up and strengthening and strengthen the capacity for reception and and processing.
So should more crossings happen, I think we're in a better position now than we were 72 hours to make that reception more, more, more, more, more smooth.
I think that I will add a point here that I didn't mention before.
And I think it's, it's the, the, the fact that the government has instituted 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 72 hours, Lebanese have been able to enter the country as long as they have any type of paper that shows their their name.
Now, this is something very exceptional.
Not only that, but when they arrive and let's say for those who are carrying passports or I DS, they're 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 authorisation to, to, to stay.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I think maybe Imran is very well placed to maybe respond to the question about 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 Evo might be able to chime in as well.
But let's start off with Imran on the question about projections of displaced inside Lebanon.
[Other language spoken]
OK, up, you know, up up till last Monday, this this past Monday, we had about 110,000 displaced.
And IOM has of course been working with the government and tracking this from Monday onwards.
In the last five days, we've had 118,000 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.
Imran Evo, if you have something to add, please just let us know.
I think you might Yep, go ahead.
Just to add that test goes out as 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.
Insecurity become more intense and widespread.
Also these people leave and other areas will see larger departure.
So our continuously planning documents and processes definitely cater to unfortunately also these scenarios where you talk several hundreds of thousands of people on on the move.
Thank you very much for adding that note.
[Other language spoken]
And yes, you've pointed the question to IOM.
[Other language spoken]
I don't know if Kennedy if you have anything add you throw up your hand.
Otherwise, if you could maybe connect with and yes, afterwards with any specific points from IOM.
[Other language spoken]
OK, Jamie Keaton from Associated Press has a question.
Thank you, Rolando.
My question is for Mr Vargas.
You also I, I wondered, I think a lot of people are going to be a bit somewhat surprised that people will be leaving Lebanon to go to Syria, which is a country that of course has faced what is it now 13 years of, of, of conflict.
So I, I want my question really is just the, the, the safety of the of, of a move into to Syria, for example, not only the conflict within Syria that's existed, but also military action in the current conflict, maybe Israeli strikes in Syria, for example.
I understand that there may have been a strike in fairy ***** not too far from the border crossing.
So how safe is that crossing given the hostilities that have befuddled and confounded Syria for for many years, both a long time and and recently?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
I mean, I think that I mentioned at at the beginning the fact that yes, both Syrians and Lebanese, they mean they're crossing from a country at war to one that has faced a crisis conflict for 13 years.
[Other language spoken]
We can imagine or, or or maybe we can't imagine 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.
That is not the ideal situation 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 a typical.
Now on your specific question about the safety of the border posts, yes, that is a very good question.
And the answer to that question of course is only with those who are doing the bombings, not with us.
What I can say is that fortunately, fortunately over the past 72 hours, the four border points where there are UN Asia stuff there, but much more importantly where people are crossing into Syria, so far they are safe and they have been opened 24 hours a day.
And, and we will, of course, we will make a plea not only for the bombings in general to stop, but also of course to, to, to, to avoid bombing people who are trying to, to flee.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for that comprehensive answer.
Sir, if I could just get you to maybe give us a flavour about the actual situation where you are.
In other words, you mentioned the bombings.
I mean that's it's a relatively small region and you know, you may hear explosions far off in the distance, but Kfedia boost is not very far from where you are.
I don't think so how close are these explosions that you're hearing?
Do you, do you have concerned that the bombings or, or could possibly be close to the areas where, where the refugees are, are, are, are fleeing?
Well, look, all, 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.
So, you know, it's very difficult to answer that, that, that, that, that question.
All we can do really, is make a plea for the bombings to stop.
[Other language spoken]
That's all we can do at this stage.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
OK, let's move to the next questions.
We still have a few not in the room, but we will turn online now.
John Zaracostas, our correspondent from The Lancet and Franz Foncat.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for the briefing.
I've got a a couple of questions concerning some of the information just mentioned on the number of displaced.
UNICEF are reporting out of Beirut that it's 211,000 displaced, including 74,000 children and say the children are reporting 400,000 people displaced, including 140,000 children.
So I'm wondering, perhaps Yens, what's the latest from the UN coordination 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 Lebanese hospitals.
[Other language spoken]
I think Imran actually was starting addressed some of this, but maybe we'll go back to Imran to clarify and maybe elaborate on some of those figures he he recently announced.
So Imran, back to you.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, as, as you can imagine, I think from Monday we've had such a level of escalation.
Let me just put it in, in context, in a sense in 2006 in the 34 Day war that happened in 2006, you had twice as many people killed as you had in one day 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 displacement tracking mechanism together with the governmental authorities is get the figures that I told you earlier, which is 110,000 that were earlier 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 of 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.
We had done a great deal of preparedness work and luckily we had managed to do to get trauma kits and the like in 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 Becker and within particular amateurs 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.
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, but also try to find alternatives and try to make sure that that the kids that are being displaced right now are also getting education.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We do have Margaret online from WHO if if you wanted to add something on that question from John.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, certainly.
John, the latest figures I have are from yesterday and they're the figures we have from the Lebanese Health Ministry.
So you may want to get more recent numbers.
The numbers I have are awful.
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.
And also remember the the hospitals were very, very busy with very specific injuries from the pager blasts and the walkie-talkie blasts, because they had a lot of injuries to their hands and their eyes, which required very specialist treatment.
And they, there still are a large number of people we've got, according to my numbers, 777 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.
We also have 37 health facilities closed due to these events now living in the South and two in the Becker Valley and 20 in number Tier and Marion.
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 to trained most of the health workers in most of the hospitals for mass casualty and 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.
Thank you very much, Margaret.
Of course, you'll appreciate colleagues at the situation.
She's very fluid and of course, Jens and colleagues will certainly update you on the latest figures as this progresses.
Sadly, we have a couple of questions left before we move to the next subject.
So we'll go now to Catherine Fiancana, Franz Foncat and then Lisa Shlander, VOA, starting with Catherine.
[Other language spoken]
Rolando, I'd like you to come back on the figures.
Would you kindly repeat clearly the figures meaning what is the global number of refugees who arrived in Syria until now?
I have also question on refugees that arrived in Cyprus because many people left Beirut for Cyprus.
Do you have figures on that one too?
And also the financial needs, what are the financial needs for, I mean the people, particularly the for the people arriving in Syria?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So I think we'll have to go back to Gonzalo for the first question and then we'll take it from there.
[Other language spoken]
You know, the figures are being, you understand, it's a very fluid situation.
And so the figures are being refined.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Hopefully by the end of the day we will know exactly how much more than 30,000, but it's at the very minimum 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 Lebanese.
And I also said that of those who have arrived, about 50% or just over 50% are children and 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 think as precise as we can be at this precise at this at this moment.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And I think if I understood correctly, Catherine, your question was about financial ease inside Syria.
Or is this for the broader arena?
Because maybe, Consolo, you could add something on the knees, Syria, Syria.
And Gonzalo, thank you for the figure.
[Other language spoken]
If you can clarify that, yeah, the expression 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 we're 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 meant 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 figure.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
If we can stay with you just for a second, Gonzalo, I think the question also pertained to the financial needs.
I know you touched upon this already, the financial needs if for Syria.
If you had anything that you could add to elaborate, Yes, sorry I I didn't catch that part of the figure.
I mean, as I think that the situation is a bit the same in Lebanon here.
I mean, the the international actors on the local actors working on the humanitarian front have, I mean, been facing a situation of serious underfunding already three days ago before this crisis, this latest crisis started three days ago.
So I said at the beginning that fortunately we have some stocks in the warehouse that are able to address the immediate needs at the border right now.
But you know, that is only a, a very small part of the, of the of the equation.
[Other language spoken]
You know, there are the huge needs that existed here already three days ago, Mahmoud.
This is a, a country where we have, you know, millions of internally displaced persons.
So now this latest crisis is just adding to that.
So, so our hope is really that this will be I wake up Paul and those appeals that we have all been making for additional funds for, you know, the past months and months now we'll we'll, we'll finally produce some, some results.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
And I know Catherine, you also had a question about those who may have fled to to Cyprus.
I'm not sure, maybe Evo, if you had any information on that.
Actually death has not really featured in exchanges in recent days.
I mean, I just checked with our protection team and we don't have attention for this and 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, although of late perhaps less than than previously.
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 for most of the past year.
And that was accelerated, of course, in recent days.
And we all know that that Cyprus is is a location where where all of Lebanese then go to all other places with which they have closed eyes.
Certain countries in Europe, for example, to to await what is happening and to see if if a moment comes for them to return.
So yeah, you see all kinds of different movements of people and places where they can go to and if it needs being used depending essentially on the socio economic status.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Evo.
I think we'll just take one last question to exhaust this item.
This is Lisa Schleiner, Voice of America Online.
Thank you, Rolando.
[Other language spoken]
My question is for Gonzalo.
Earlier you seem to indicate that the 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 Syrians from from Lebanon OR whether they are in greater danger having come back to this country, which remains in in serious conflict.
[Other language spoken]
And what what can be taken to perhaps protect them in a way that is not necessary perhaps for the Lebanese?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, I think I missed.
I mean, the connection is not very good.
I, I, I think I got maybe the gist of your question, Lisa, but maybe not the full 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 Syrians who are returning from the region to Syria.
I don't think we can make justice to that 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 UNH are present at the 4 border points where Syrians are crossing back.
And we have not seen any situations which would be a cause of major concern for us in relation to, to, to those Syrians crossing back.
And I did add that among the Syrians crossing back are also young men.
So, so far, what we have seen here is, is is not a cause for alarm.
Now what we do in Syria, and we've been doing this, but before the past 72 hours, is working very closely with the government on the issue of safety of Syrian returnees, whether they're coming back from Lebanon, whether they're coming back from Turkey, whether they're coming back from from Jordan.
This is a key, a key issue.
So I understand the importance of your question.
My staff and I have over 400 staff in in Syria.
Much of their time is dedicated now to monitoring the situation of Syrians returning to Syria, including, of course, of of men and of persons of a certain profile.
So that work of monitoring 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.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Gonzalo, and to Imran and Evo as well for joining us here at the briefing.
And of course, you're most welcome to join us at any point in time.
Stay, stay well, stay safe and thank you once again.
We're going to move to the situation in Sudan now, and I thank Miss Hodan Adu, 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.
Miss Adu, who is joining us from South Sudan, I believe.
So over to you, Miss Adu.
[Other language spoken]
I hope you can hear me perfectly well.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to share with you the findings of a report, which we call a gender alert that is published today by you and women, which gives the spotlight, a much needed spotlight to the.
Impact The findings of this study are based on the work that we're doing inside Sudan in looking also at the data from our United Nations and humanitarian partners, as well as consultations and analysis from the vast number of women's LED organisations that we work with inside Sudan.
This gender alert found a distinct and disproportionate impact of the escalating conflict in Sudan on women and girls which has led to A2 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 *****, particularly in the states of Khartoum, Al Jazeera, the Dafaurs 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 **** 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 all of the victims.
Sudan is facing, as you all know, the worst levels of acute food insecurity ever recorded in the country.
The UN Women Gender Alert Report shows that women and girls are also eating least and last, with 64% of female headed households experiencing food insecurity in over 10 states.
Given the **** levels of food insecurity and the loaming threats 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 healthcare services is also a huge challenge with over 1.6 million women and girls of reproductive age 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 in Sudan and as we've seen and discussed with a 26 year old women we've talked to when compiling this report, she has told us that she was displaced from Alderman to Attbara and has shared her harrowing experience of fleeing violence while four months pregnant, facing constant threats of ******, **** 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 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 the three states.
We have a physical presence among the other UN agencies in Port Sudan.
We also, of course, have a presence in Brune Nile State.
Our other offices due to the conflict had to be closed, but we're working closely with the women's organisations that have been providing and continue to provide direct services to the displaced and to those who are surviving from sexual violence.
The the work that we're doing 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 stands 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 a inclusive path to peace that includes women's full participation in the process.
Thank you so much for this opportunity.
[Other language spoken]
Miss Adu, We do have a question for you from Lisa Schleiner, Voice of America.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I hope you can hear me better than than Gonzales apparently did last time.
[Other language spoken]
I'd like to know who are the major perpetrators.
I had heard, Perhaps you confirm this, that the Rapid Support Forces somehow are more implicated in this weaponry of war, weaponry of ****** women and children and so forth.
If you could speak a bit more about that and also what sort of psychological support, if any, is, is there in getting these people, the women who who need help help and how do you manage to breakthrough the stigmatisation that they experience from their communities?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
WHOI could speak a bit more about the health problems which actually are arising from women and girls being raped.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry, it's not funny.
Being raped, sexually abused and whether this is all, whether there are many women who are actually having children that unfortunately come out of this situation.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Over to you, Miss Adu.
Yeah, thank you so much for those questions and glad to see that we have colleagues from WHO that could perhaps address the issues related to health.
But but what we're looking at is various data and analysis that we've gathered through the our UN system, but also through our own partners and so forth.
As you all know, the the recent investigations or that has taken place in, in regards to the Human Rights Council's report on the independent international fact finding mission that they've they've had really does show a very **** level.
In fact, in our data is, is about 100% times the, the, the, the **** and the sexual violence that women and girls are experiencing as well as humanitarian actors, including women LED humanitarian actors, the, the, the, the, the nationals in particular.
And of course, that report does target the two perpetaries of, of the violence, the conflict where it's taking place.
And we are, I'm calling for a cessation of, of, of hostilities.
We're calling for protection for, for all women and, and girls in particular, the retributions that they need to address.
We're ACT Acts calling for accountability and the provision of justice to all of the victims, including a comprehensive approach to transitional justice based on inclusive dialogue and consultations, very much led by and supported by the women's organisations who are on the ground.
The **** level sexual violence and exploitation is it is used as a weapon of war.
It's preventing women from accessing.
The much needed resources, whether it's on access to healthcare to of course, education and food and and water.
And it's really preventing women from even having the psychosocial support because of the, the, the chaotic nature of this conflict that all of actors who are engaged in this violent conflict have to be, you know, accountable to providing safety and security for all of the, for all women and, and, and, and girls.
Of course, you know, in, as we've seen in many conflicts and, as well as in, in Sudan, the ****, sexual violence has been used as a, as a weapon of war.
It is a way of breaking communities.
It is a way of, of, of, of, of, you know, tarnishing, you know, social fabric of a community by targeting the most vulnerable.
It is a despicable and, and human right violation and humanitarian, you know, violation that we need to hold anyone accountable and we need to ensure that all of the actors of the conflict, including their armed militias are held accountable.
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 for more than the war has, has has dragged on for more than 15 months.
So we need to the 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 mentioned, the the 26 year old who was displaced from order man to Attara and all of the other women that we have interviewed in this report states the need for psychosocial trauma, whether they are inside the country or they've 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, having seen brutal sexual violence against the children, against women as a way of, as I said, you know, putting more trauma, more fear on communities, more repression and ***** and sexual exploitation for even accessing basic human needs for water, for food and, and and shelter and and so forth.
So we need to really, as this report gives a spotlight to the situation in in Sudan, which has been really been forgotten.
The brave humanitarian workers, our 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 peace, that peace that comes with justice.
That includes the voices, the participation of women 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 to this really desperate situation that we're seeing the famine glooming is is really, really, you know, it's a terrible situation that we're in.
And as we've seen reports coming out from from Ultra, the data that they have shared as part of the UN system gives us really shocking numbers of huge numbers of population of, of people, particularly in north of the four who are facing dire situations in the IDP sites.
And, and, and the acute food insecurity that that is, is there.
It's really detrimental to the survival of, of many of the women and girls in the communities that are in a desperate situation.
Let me end there.
But I hope I had responded to those questions.
But, but I'm sure there's other colleagues who can provide additional support.
[Other language spoken]
You have indeed answered various horrific angles to the crisis.
Among them is a whole situation.
Maybe on that note, we'll, we'll now go to Margaret.
[Other language spoken]
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 healthcare, the shortage of medicines and medical supplies, shortage of health personnel and, and and and no cash to cover the health facilities operational costs.
In the conflict hotspots.
70 to 80% of hospitals are non functional 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, maternal and child healthcare.
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 pregnancy is a result of gender based violence or whatever.
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 coupled with access issues and 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, 5491 suspected cases, measles and 120 associated deaths 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 clinically identified malaria cases and 178 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'll stop there.
But but you know, the situation is just horrendous.
No access, no means of providing the basic care that is a human right.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you so very much, Margaret.
Indeed, it is a horrific situation.
And 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.
John, did you have a question for for Miss Adu?
[Other language spoken]
She was reading out all these latest depressing figures from Sudan.
I was wondering, Margaret, if you also have figures from the field on the number of pregnant women and children that have been dying, especially in South Sudan.
There was a very moving report by MSF from the field on that issue.
[Other language spoken]
I don't have specific numbers on that.
I will ask my colleagues in Sudan if they've got if they can provide those.
Given our surveillance and the limitations, I doubt we'll have accurate figures, but we may have estimates.
OK, that that would be helpful.
Thank you, Margaret, and thank you again, Miss Adu, very much for joining us here and for your patience.
Of course, the aim is to make sure this is not forgotten, this crisis.
So your interventions here are really supremely important in that regard.
And thanks for sharing the report with our colleagues here in Geneva.
OK, Now I turn to my colleague Ravina from the Office of the **** Commissioner for Human Rights, who has an update on the insecurity situation in Haiti in this situation there overall, Ravina.
Thanks, Rolando.
Another very difficult, very dire situation 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 **** 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 Transitional Presidential Council, the new Transitional Government and the deployment of the first contingents 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 ****, 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 use 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 **** 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.
[Other language spoken]
And maybe just to add that in, in consulting some of our latest figures that we note, that's 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 Ravine?
Yes and yes.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yesterday the Haitian leader say that 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.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks And yes, yes, yes, indeed.
I'm, I'm aware of those reports.
What our immediate concern is that any force that is there so currently the, the, the multinational security support mission needs to be adequately and sufficiently resourced with the, the equipment that they need to be able to do their jobs properly as well as the numbers and 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.
Yes, please, Sir, Thank you for that question.
Indeed, This is why the UN **** 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 **** 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, 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.
The humanitarian appeals are 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.
Yeah, indeed I was.
My goodness, just to remind you indeed that the Security Council is is taking, taking this up and we expect a decision maybe before the but next week at this point.
And of course, it's imperative that the Haitian National Police be provided with the resources they need to including equipment.
Donor coordination training provided to the HNP is also paramount, important.
So these are the issues that are being discussed in New York.
[Other language spoken]
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, one would think that.
I mean, I know it's not your decision whether or not to deploy PKO, but, but from a, from a sort of basic level, wouldn't you support that?
And could you also comment, if I understand correctly, a President Ruto, while in New York mentioned that he's planning on augmenting the number of Kenyan forces that are going to be sent to to Haiti.
So could you please address each of those, please?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
You know, 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 as adequately resourced, adequately funded, they have both sufficient and adequate equipment to respond to the crisis that's happening.
Bearing in mind the, the geographic, 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.
[Other language spoken]
We would encourage further resourcing of this force.
Thank you very much.
We do have a question for you, Ravina from Lisa.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I don't, I don't know how to qualify my question, maybe naive or whatever it is, but it appears that the government is toothless and not in the position to be able to, to protect the, the people of Haiti.
I was wondering what is the ultimate goal of the gangs?
Is it to take, I mean, to take over the government?
I'm kind of wondering whether there is a chief bandit who is in charge of most of these gangs.
And I mean, can they just keep on ****** 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.
[Other language spoken]
I mean, of course the 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're trying to maximise territorial gain as well as financial gain.
So through all sorts of illicit methods of, of, of getting money extortion from people, charging people, charging shopkeepers so that they will not attack them, so that their shops will be protected, charging people for crossing checkpoints, kidnapping people and charging **** ransoms, illicit financial flows, illicit arms flows and taking control of territory.
This is what's happening.
And they're doing everything that they can to maintain this control, including ****** women, ****** children.
Killing people that they perceive of opposing them, killing people that they are perceive of being affiliated with rival gangs, of being affiliated with the police, wanton violence.
And as I said, they're also controlling access roads so that people cannot 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 **** Commissioner was in Haiti recently.
William O'Neill and I spoke to him, and he said he spoke to a child, a girl who hadn't eaten in two days.
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.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yes, a quick follow up, Ravina, who is furnishing these gangs with the arms, How can that be stopped?
They are not a country, so you can't put sanctions on them.
But yeah, what can be done?
And who, who, who, who is giving them the arms?
[Other language spoken]
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, you know, this is indeed unprecedented levels of lawlessness, lawlessness and brutality which we're hearing about in in Haiti.
So thank you very much.
OK, we do have one last question maybe.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Oh, sorry, we have another question afterwards.
So AFP then you Sir.
Yes, this is just a quick follow up to the answer you just gave to to this on the on the weapons coming from United States and the other two countries.
Could you specify if it's you are talking about the country, about state companies about or about private companies?
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for the the question.
And yes, I am going to refer you to the report as well.
If you go to paragraphs 47 and 48 of the report that you've received there, there's more detail on this.
And in fact, there's further detail in a UNODC report, which has really, you know, gotten into substantial detail about where these arms are coming from and how they're coming in, what needs to be done to to stem this.
So, for example, they have the the UNODC says that firearms and ammunitions 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 **** calibre weapons, drones, boats and in 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.
We allow the visitors you need to Canada block Kelly cont already these are the multi to the personality ICN KLFX how you just come out now KLFF with this.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry, sorry about that.
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 their 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, Ravina, 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 Elizabeth Tan of UNICIA for her patience and for being here with us.
As you know, Elizabeth is no stranger to you.
She's UN Refugee Agency Director of International Protection who's going to address the situation of asylum seekers.
[Other language spoken]
So this week, UNHR 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 UNHERS 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 penalisation for breaching immigration rules.
It's only when three conditions are there that that protection from penalisation 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 authority was 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.
UNHER guidelines are also they address the situation of penalisation 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 penalisation 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 the Article 3031 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.
UNHR 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.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, we'll start maybe Jamie then Taha, go ahead.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for give us this information.
[Other language spoken]
We have noticed that you aren't concerned about this refugees in Egypt.
These refugees are suffering from discrimination and deportation from Egypt as well in Olala.
Sudanese refugees in Olala forest also they they facing the same situation.
Could you give us any information about this bad situation?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So indeed there are, there are more than a million refugees from Sudan in Egypt and many people fled during the the the recent crisis.
And at the beginning of 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 be penalised by the government of Egypt.
That is what the convention says.
That is what is explained in the guidance that UNHR is putting out this week.
So we we, we, we, we know that governments are struggling with the numbers of asylum seekers, but this is what and 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 those immigration and border controls and they're claiming asylum, they should not be penalised for for doing that.
So people should still be able to access the asylum procedures.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Elizabeth.
Jamie, thank you for your presentation.
You mentioned that there's this new legal guidance.
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 enacted some new measures to curb the flow of, 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?
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're working very closely with the, the, the US government on the methodologies that they're using to, to restrict access to the country to, to somehow manage that situation.
So when new legal restrictions come into place, we do of course analyse that in, with regard to the the to, 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.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Do we have further questions for Miss Tan?
No, I don't think that's the case.
So thank you very much for joining us.
Thank you for your patience.
[Other language spoken]
I still have a couple of announcements before we wrap up.
And just as usual, just to keep you on track with the proceedings here in Geneva at the UN, we have a couple of committees underway.
We have the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 76 session, which is concluding this afternoon after having reviewed reports on Iceland, Poland, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Cyprus and Malawi.
And the Committee on Enforced Disappearances is also meeting.
And on this come, it actually concludes next week, next Friday, a week from today, the 4th of October.
But Monday there'll be a meeting with States and NGOs and national human rights institutions and intergovernmental organisations.
That's on Monday, the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, Human Rights Council also well underway.
It's now 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, Miss Hilda Hein.
That was 10:00 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 in the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights, Mr Jose Brands Karras is also presenting a report on reprisals.
Very important subject repository against those who cooperate with the UN entities.
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.
[Other language spoken]
And maybe just to shift direction to the other side of the pond of the Security Council today is discussing this afternoon the situation in the Middle East, which has been, of course, dominating agenda here as well.
And on that same subject, I wanted to announce the press conference this coming Monday, the 30th of September at 5:00 PM in this room.
Philip Lazzarini, who is, as you know, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief Works Agency, ANRA, will be here.
So 5:00 PM Philip Lazzarini in this room.
We sent out the announcement already.
I should just mention on as a side note, the Secretary General delivered remarks at a **** level ministerial meeting in support of UNRWA earlier this week.
Actually it was yesterday.
We share those remarks with you.
[Other language spoken]
That's all I have.
Do you have questions for me?
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.
[Other language spoken]
There you go.
Let's try.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Do you hear me real longer?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
This is the last day that Francois Subiga is going to be working with the the the UN at press conferences.
And I just wanted to pay tribute to him on behalf of a lot of journalists who've received help from him in doing radio reports and and sending out other reports from the UN.
And he will be sorely missed by all the journalists.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
And indeed, Monday is actually his last day, but 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 team member and we're going to miss him.
Of course.
He's been providing a very vital service to you, which will try to continue in his absence.
So we just want to applaud all the hard work and dedication that Francois Subige has been given to you correspondents and of course, us at the Information Service.
So thank you, Francois.
John Zaracostas Yeah, I, I'd like to agree with Peter and, and thank Francois's service to us for more than two decades and also his invaluable Technical Support to many of us that are not technically gifted like he is.
[Other language spoken]
One is, do we know if the Uno Director General will be applying for a second term for the post and when that decision will be made by the Secretary General in New York?
And secondly, UNHCR, 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 CVS as they come in?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
On the first question, I will have to get back to you on the UN Director Journal, Tetanovalovaya's intentions for a second term.
I I'll certainly get back to you on that, but let me just check here because our U&HE, our colleagues have left the room, but I'm not sure if there's anyone online who can address that.
Perhaps better if you reach out to them directly with that question on Mr Grandy's.
Successor or on the terms for that position.
So, 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 Mr Lazarini on Monday.
[Other language spoken]