Nicaragua, Sudan, Central African Republic & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right, good afternoon. Welcome, y'all. Tomorrow— we don't have a guest today, so just me, but tomorrow we will have Carla Quintana, who is the head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria. She will be here to discuss the situation in Syria following her briefing to the General Assembly, which takes place this afternoon. Also want to mention that starting today until the 24th of July, The General Cooperation Meeting between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and their specialized bodies is taking place at our own offices in Geneva. This is a gathering that takes place every 2 years, co-chaired by Dr. Ahmad Kawesa Sengendo, the Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs for the OIC, and Khaled Khiori, the Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. and social issues. Back here this morning, the Secretary-General addressed the Security Council on a debate on natural resources governance, and he said that across our world, the control and exploitation of natural resources are dramatically altering the causes, the dynamics, and the outcomes of conflicts. Mr. Guterres said that critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements are gaining in strategic importance. He noted the illegal mining and mineral smuggling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the exploitation of gum and gum arabic that is taking place in Sudan, which we have flagged for you not too long ago. The Secretary-General stressed 4 urgent priorities for the way ahead: ensuring justice for countries and communities that have resources, curbing illicit flows and strengthening transparency across mineral supply chains, the peaceful settlement of disputes over natural resources, and taking climate analysis into account. The Council also heard remarks from the head— the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. The SG's remarks, I think, were shared with you. I had been asked about the Secretary-General's reaction to the recent statements made by the government of Nicaragua on elections, and I can tell you that the Secretary-General is closely following developments in Nicaragua and is concerned about the continuing erosion of civic and political space in that country. Also to note, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, earlier released a statement deploring Nicaragua's deepening restrictions on civil and political freedoms. The Secretary-General recalls that authorities have a responsibility to uphold human rights and ensure that all citizens can participate freely and safely in public life, including by exercising their right to vote in elections that guarantee the free expression of the will of the electorate. Turning to Sudan, I can tell you that we remain deeply concerned that deadly drone strikes and other hostilities are continuing to harm civilians across Sudan, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions. Our friends at UNICEF report that on Monday, an attack on a market in Rahad in North Kordofan reportedly killed at least 6 people, including 2 children, and it wounded others. We condemn the killing of all civilians in Sudan wherever they occur. In addition to the human toll, these attacks are damaging and destroying homes. They're destroying schools. They're damaging or destroying health facilities, water systems. That also— all of that increases insecurity. It increases displacement. And of course, it dramatically increases humanitarian needs among civilians. Elsewhere in North Kordofan, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that airstrikes in the Barra locality reportedly caused casualties in property damage. We cannot say this enough: all parties need to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. They must protect civilians, they must protect civilian infrastructure, and they must facilitate safe, unhindered, and unimpeded humanitarian access for all those who need it. Staying on the continent, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our colleagues at the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that insecurity continues to impact humanitarian operations in the eastern parts of North Kivu Province. This includes our efforts to respond to the ongoing Ebola outbreak, which is only getting worse. According to local civil society organizations, at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured in a series of attacks in Beni territory between the 13th and the 19th of July. The violence has further displaced civilians and restricted humanitarian access in affected areas. OCHA also tells us that at least 6 humanitarian organizations, including partners supporting the Ebola response, have suspended movements to several localities in Beni territory due to the deteriorating security situation. Meanwhile, as of July 20th, national health authorities in the DRC had reported 2,470 73 confirmed Ebola cases across the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Otwile and Tshopo. We, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to support the authorities in scaling up surveillance, lab testing, treatment, and community engagement activities in all areas that have seen the Ebola virus. You'll recall that on Monday we shared how our peacekeepers in the DRC are helping to deter further attacks against healthcare facilities and civilians in Ituri Province. We reiterate our call on all parties to protect civilians and ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access. The safety of all health workers and humanitarian workers remains essential to containing the outbreak and delivering the assistance to all those people who need it. Turning to the Central African Republic, where our UN mission in that country has an updated— is updating us on the situation in Amdjar. in Vakaga Prefecture, nearly 3 weeks after the attacks that we saw on that town on June 30th. The UN mission reported that the security situation remains calm, though still fragile. The UN mission has reinforced the presence of peacekeepers and continues its efforts on 3 priorities: the protection of civilians, of course; support the extension of the authority of the state; and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance to close to 18,000 displaced displaced human beings. All these 18,000 have sought refuge near the UN base in that town. As part of its support to the Central African authorities, the UN mission has continued to facilitate the deployment of additional personnel from the Central African Armed Forces together with the transport of equipment to strengthen their operational presence in the area. The peacekeepers also facilitated another humanitarian rotation, delivering 1,200 kilograms of supplies to displaced population. Since the attack on June 30th, the UN mission has facilitated the delivery of more than 4 metric tons of humanitarian assistance to the area, helping humanitarian partners reach people in need under challenging security conditions. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, we continue to receive reports of dire conditions for people living in overcrowded shelters across the Gaza Strip amid ongoing military operations, insecurity, and repeated displacement. On Monday, an OCHA team visited 2 displacement sites in Gaza City where domestic fires had damaged 2 family tents and destroyed some of their essential items, including blankets and mattresses and other things. Such incidents are becoming increasingly common as families continue to resort to burning waste, cardboard, and trash, or anything else to prepare their meals. Gas cylinders and cooking stoves have not been permitted to enter Gaza since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023. Cooking gas is only available in very limited quantities and at very high prices. During the second week of July, according to the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, fewer than 2 dozen truckloads of cooking gas were collected by the private sector for distribution inside Gaza. That's only 2.5% of all truckloads they registered. Cooking gas must be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip regularly, together with supplies from the private sector, to complement humanitarian aid, so as to try to meet the needs of the people there. Our human rights colleagues also reported yesterday Israeli attacks have intensified in recent days, hitting civilian infrastructure and crowded areas. They recorded that from July 13th to 20th, Israeli forces killed at least 57 people, including women and children. Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners continue to provide critical shelter and household assistance to families in need. In the first 10 days of this month, some 2,300 households received bedding items, tarpaulins, and tents. Some 13,000 families received kitchen sets. However, stocks are severely depleted, leaving fewer than 1,000 tents available currently and enough essential household supplies to support only about 7,000 households. And from Ukraine, our OCHA colleagues tell us that we and our humanitarian partners are launching the Winter Response Plan to support the most vulnerable people during the next cold season. Winter does seem very far away, but given the current temperatures, but preparations need to start now. The 2026-2027 Winter Response Plan calls for $358 million dollars to support 2.1 million people from October of this year to March of next year through heating assistance, shelter repair, healthcare protection, food, and humanitarian cash assistance. And those— that will just complement the efforts by the government of Ukraine itself. To complement donor support, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund has already allocated $50 million to support the Meanwhile, attacks continue in Ukraine. In the region of Donetsk, over the past 2 days, attacks damaged the premises of the Ukrainian Red Crescent Society in the city of Druzhkivka and a hospital in Kramatorsk, which are supported by our friends at the UN Population Fund. Pay attention, we have money. First—

I know.

First in a while. This country is the first tropical country in the world to reverse deforestation. Thanks to extensive conservation, over 25% of the country's total land is protected across 28 national parks.

Brazil?

Nope. Nope. Do you want another hint?

Yes.

This country in 1949 abolished their military and redirected their military budget to care

Costa Rica.

Yes, Costa Rica. Yes, yes, Costa Rica. I think you won that one, Abdelhamid. So we say thank you to our friends in San José for their payment to the regular budget. They become the 121st member state to pay in full. Costa Rica handed over to the United Nations $2,004,323, and I can tell you we appreciate every single one of those dollars.

Abdelhamid.

The Islamic monuments and heritage points in Jerusalem are under threat according to UNESCO. UNESCO in its meeting called for the protection of all Islamic heritage in Jerusalem. Does the SG support this?

Monument needs to be protected, and it's UNESCO's mandate to express that opinion. Yes, Edie.

Thank you, Steph. You were talking about tents getting into Gaza. Is the number still being limited, and has the UN been able to get in any more substantial shelter materials?

No, we have not. We're still making do with what we have. We don't have enough tents. We're trying to get more tents in. But as we've been saying for quite some time, we need hardened shelter material to be allowed in.

And are talks still going on to try and—

Every day, almost.

And the number of countries that have paid their dues We're up to 121. How does that compare to last year?

We'll give you a comparative chart. Namo, then Gabriel.

Thank you, Stefan. Local officials in Iraqi Kurdistan say that more than 100 acres of forest have caught fire in the mountainous area with Iran after Iran bombed the area. Does the Secretary-General have a response to these cross-border attacks on Iraqi territory, and is there anything the United Nations can do to assess the environmental damage there? Thank you.

I think in terms of the damage, I think you'd have to contact our colleagues in the UN Country Office in Iraq. I think as we said yesterday, the Secretary-General wants the fighting to stop. The territorial integrity of every country in the region needs to be respected. We had what I think the 11th night of kinetic activity between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. There needs to be a return to diplomacy, and that is the message we're delivering publicly and that the Secretary-General is delivering in private conversations as well. Gabriel.

Thank you, Steph. Does the Secretary General think that the current conflict in the Gulf is making the world less safe or more safe?

Less safe? Yeah, I mean, clearly. Sorry, I didn't mean to be pithy, but of course it is making us all less safe. It is making us less safe in a sense because there's a risk of even greater conflict. Right. And is making the world less safe in terms of the economic— the impact it has on energy prices, trade and everything else.

The United States revealed yesterday that the war has cost so far $37.5 billion. And the United States, the Secretary of War, as the department is now called, is asking for another $70 billion, with a B, from the US government. I know you don't speak for the US government, of course, but what is the Secretary-General's reaction to a government spending tens of billions of dollars on a war that clearly is making the world less safe?

Look, as you can anticipate, I'm not going to get into commenting on the legislative hearings we're seeing in this, in this country. I would refer you to what the Secretary-General said in the past, especially following the publishing of the annual numbers on military spending done by the Swedish Institute, and that the numbers being spent on military spending compared to what is being invested in development, compared to what is being spent on on humanitarian is tragic. And some of that money should be reoriented, of the global military spending should be invested in more positive things for the long term.

Sorry, if I can just get one more follow-up, Steph, and then I'm done. I ask this question because the United States, as you well know, speaks publicly, including their permanent representative to this organization, about how in the United States' view, the UN is overspending, that it needs budget cuts. And in the same sense, it's the same member state that is spending tens of billions of dollars on a war that you have said is making the world less safe. That's more of a comment than a question, so I'm trying to figure out how to phrase this as a question on the fly. But I guess I'll say, does the Secretary-General have any thought, big picture thoughts, given what I just—

Look, I mean, we, we are very concerned about the state of our own budget, right? Both the regular budget, the peacekeeping budget, let alone the humanitarian budget. Every day I tell you about how underfunded our humanitarian appeals are, and we ask member states to pay their dues when it's assessed contribution and to be more generous when it comes to the voluntary funding. Okay, Linda, apropos.

Apropos of the budget.

The microphone a little closer.

Okay, apropos of the budget, How is the new decision by the General Assembly affecting the liquidity crisis at the UN?

Well, it'll give us more breathing room, not only for this year but especially for next year. How much breathing room? Well, just more breathing room in the sense that we're no longer— we're not in the same Kafkaesque death spiral on the budget where Every year the money that we don't spend because we don't collect it, that we still have to return to member states, creating this kind of budgetary death loop. Okay, speaking on that bright note, uh, I shall leave you and we shall see each other later.