Ukraine, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Okay. Good afternoon, everyone. Today we're going to start with Ukraine. The Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Matthias Schmale, today condemned a new wave of large-scale attacks by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and called for the protection of civilians. Our humanitarian colleagues note that following the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, August began with 2 consecutive nights of large-scale attacks that killed and injured civilians in the capital, Kyiv, and surrounding region, while intensified hostilities also impacted other parts of the country. According to the authorities, attacks between yesterday and this morning killed at least 20 civilians and injured more than 120 others, including children. The Kyiv region was the hardest hit, with overnight attacks killing at least 14 people and injuring 22 others. Attacks damaged a mobile health vehicle in the Zaporizhzhia region on Monday, and a warehouse holding essential supplies for children yesterday. No aid workers were injured in either incident. Our humanitarian partners quickly mobilized in response to the attacks in Kyiv City and the Kyiv region. National NGOs, supported by UN agencies, deployed mobile response teams to provide emergency shelter materials, psychological first aid, social support for affected families, and humanitarian cash assistance. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, yesterday, in a social media post, the Deputy Special Coordinator, Dr. Ramiz Al-Akbarov, who also serves as the Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Coordinator, expressed concern over the recent Israeli strikes in Gaza, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and damage to critical medical supplies and civilian infrastructure. Dr. Alakbarov reiterated that civilian and humanitarian facilities must be protected, humanitarian operations facilitated, and all parties must implement their commitments in full, in good faith, and in accordance with international law. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that ongoing military operations near the so-called Yellow Line, coupled with strikes reported in other parts of the Strip, are disrupting civilian life damaging shelters, driving renewed displacement, and restricting access to life-saving services. Meanwhile, the UN and our partners are responding wherever and whenever they can. On the shelter front, just last week, humanitarians improved nearly 3,000 makeshift shelters in Gaza City and distributed emergency shelter and essential items to 9,000 households, including kitchen sets, tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses, solar lights and clothes. However, to scale up assistance and carry out further upgrades of makeshift shelters, it is critical that timber, ropes, more solar lights and tools are allowed to enter Gaza in a timely manner. On the education front, our partners continue to provide support. More than 250,000 preschool and school-age children are participating in summer learning activities. Helping to provide a sense of routine and stability, while helping students recover some of the learning lost during the hostilities. Yesterday, UNICEF brought into Gaza more than 600 pallets of recreational kits, school bags and soap. These supplies will be distributed ahead of the new school year, expected to begin in about 2 weeks. From Lebanon, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that the Israeli Defense Forces posted a new displacement order on the social media platform X today for the village of Mansouri in Thir District in South Governorate. This is the first such order for a location in Lebanon since the latest ceasefire announcement on the 19th of June. According to local authorities, around 1,500 people were in the village as of the end of July. This new order comes as displaced families have been cautiously making their way back to their homes in southern Lebanon in recent weeks. Underscoring how fragile the situation remains and the uncertainty that people continue to face. Hostilities continue to affect civilians in southern Lebanon. Demolition operations, shelling, and other military activity are damaging homes, agricultural land, and civilian infrastructure. Many families are returning to severely damaged homes, limited access to essential services, economic hardship, and the threat posed by unexploded ordnance. Meanwhile, the 6-month flash appeal, which calls for $639 million through the end of August, is currently less than half-funded, with $295 million received. Earlier today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, concluded his visit to Jordan, where he met with senior officials, as well as representatives of the National Center for Human Rights and Civil Society. Mr. Türk noted Jordan's important role in the region, acknowledging the country's critical leadership as a major refugee-hosting country and in advocating for respect for international humanitarian law. The High Commissioner encouraged further strengthening of judicial independence and fair trial guarantees, and said that the UN Human Rights Office would continue to advocate for ensuring an enabling environment for meaningful participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The Security Council held a briefing today on the threat posed by Daesh to international peace and security. Ogul Yerin Niazberdieva, Chief of the UN Office of Counterterrorism, briefed the Council on behalf of the Acting Under-Secretary-General, Alexander Zuev. She said affiliates continue to exploit fragile security environments, notably in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, where the Islamic State West Africa Province remains the most active Daesh affiliate globally and has increasingly used commercial drone technology. She added that affiliates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique remain resilient despite counterterrorism pressure, continuing attacks while expanding recruitment. She said that the closure of Hawl Camp in Syria in February has heightened security concerns, with thousands of individuals unaccounted for, underscoring the Secretary-General's call for safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation in accordance with international law. In Iraq, counterterrorism pressure has significantly constrained the group, while in South Asia, ISIL-Khorasan remains one of Daesh's most capable affiliates, retaining the intent and capability to support or inspire attacks beyond Afghanistan. The Council also heard from Carmen Cantor, the Deputy Executive Director of the Counterterrorism Committee Executive Directorate, who briefed on behalf of Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman. She said Daesh and its affiliates have remained resilient and adaptive despite sustained counterterrorism pressure, and warned that propaganda has become an operational enabler that helps terrorist groups recruit supporters, mobilize resources, and extend their reach across borders. Ms. Kanter added that the use and weaponization of unmanned aircraft systems for terrorist purposes have evolved into a significant operational threat, including in parts of Africa, and pointed to persistent gaps in addressing the nexus between terrorism and organized crime. Turning to Somalia, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that humanitarian agencies and the government are stepping up preparedness efforts ahead of the anticipated impacts of El Niño during the upcoming rainy season between October and December. Forecasts indicate a high probability that El Niño will persist throughout the season, increasing the risk of widespread flooding. Building on lessons from 2023, when floods and drought displaced 2.3 million people and affected millions more, Our humanitarian colleagues are supporting contingency planning, risk analysis, and coordination at national and state levels to strengthen readiness for potential flooding and displacement. These efforts come as Somalia continues to grapple with successive droughts, floods, conflict, and shrinking humanitarian funding. OCHA notes that 6.5 million people, nearly one-third of the population, face high levels of acute food insecurity in Somalia, with one district in the south, Burj Qaba, at risk of famine. Some 1.9 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, including nearly 500,000 facing severe acute malnutrition. Humanitarian assistance remains a lifeline for millions of people, but funding shortfalls have forced our partners to scale back life-saving services, even as needs remain exceptionally high. More than halfway through the year, This year's $852 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only one-third funded. Our humanitarian colleagues point out that the ripple effects of the conflict in the Middle East are also impacting the humanitarian supply situation, with food prices surging by up to 20%. Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, OCHA tells us that efforts to scale up the Ebola response continue as the outbreak expands in the country's eastern provinces. Yesterday, a new 100-bed Ebola treatment center opened in the town of Bunia in Ituri Province to help address the growing number of patients. The DRC Humanitarian Fund has recently allocated more than $38 million to support the Ebola response, sustain essential services, and address urgent humanitarian needs in affected areas. Ituri Province remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for nearly 87% of confirmed cases. The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, arrived in Kinshasa late yesterday. Today he met with the humanitarian community alongside Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leadership to review the Ebola response. As we have mentioned, the scale-up comes amid persistent insecurity in areas most affected by the outbreak. In the province of Ituri, local sources report that dozens of civilians were killed and others abducted in the last 2 weeks of the month of July. Several thousand were also reportedly displaced. And in neighboring North Kivu Province, local authorities report that at least 3 civilians were killed during an armed attack in Beni territory on August 2nd. We reiterate our call on all parties to protect civilians and ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access, which remains essential to containing the outbreak — to containing the outbreak and delivering life-saving assistance to all people in need. And an analysis released today by the World Food Programme shows that the strengthening El Niño weather pattern is set to significantly worsen food insecurity in some of the world's most vulnerable countries. WFP warns that drought, flooding, and extreme temperatures are already putting communities at risk, and El Niño could push at least 49 million more people into acute food insecurity by the end of 2027. The World Food Programme expects that countries already grappling with poverty, conflict, economic instability, and repeated weather extremes will likely bear the brunt of El Niño. The largest impacts are expected in parts of Central America and Southern Africa, with significant effects also anticipated in Eastern Africa and South and Southeast Asia. WFP is working closely with the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and other partners to take early action. They have active anticipatory action plans in over 50 countries, are supporting governments in their preparations, and helping communities to reduce risks. The analysis is available online. That's it for me. Are there any questions? Yes, Edie, and then Murad.

Uh, thank you, Farhan. Has the Secretary-General of the United Nations received any indication that the Strait of Hormuz might be reopened today or in the nearest coming days?

Uh, we have no firsthand information at this stage about that. We're, we're aware of the same reports that you are, and we certainly encourage the parties to move forward with any effort to have a negotiated solution to this issue. Murad.

Thank you, Farhan. In light of the Security Council meeting this morning on Daesh, and given the SCG's repeated warnings about the growing threats of far-right terrorist groups, Why the UN has been unable to establish sanction regime, uh, on these groups such as the one on Daesh and Al-Qaeda? And what the concrete steps that the SG encouraged the state members to take on this regard?

Well, certainly he wants member states to take united action to prevent the financing of terrorist groups. As you're aware, the Security Council itself maintains its own list of entities affiliated with Daesh and others who are subject to Security Council sanctions, and it's up to the Council members to add individuals or other entities to that list. Again, that can include that depending on the agreement of the 15 members of the Security Council. Yes, Abdul Hamid.

Thank you, Farhan. 9 years ago, India changed the status of Jammu and Kashmir and consider Jammu and Kashmir now part of India, which is a flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions. What is the position of the UN Secretary-General on this development?

You are certainly aware of the Security Council's resolutions dating back to 1949 concerning the status of Kashmir, and those resolutions have not changed. But regarding our concerns, you'll have seen, uh, what was expressed, including by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, uh, regarding, uh, our concerns that all basic rights are respected for the people of Kashmir.

My second question, Mr. Mladenov visited recently the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu. He went back and he changed his position. Now he's exactly adopting the Israeli position that disarmament of Hamas should come first before the withdrawal of Israel, the way the roadmap spells out that it should be parallel. Disarmament goes with the withdrawal. Now he changed his position. What is the UN— what does the UN say about that?

Well, as you know, Nikolai Mladenov works for the Board of Peace and not for the United Nations. We don't really have any comment on his views or his work with the Board of Peace. Obviously, the Security Council continues to receive briefings, including sometimes from Mr. Mladenov, and they can evaluate his work as needed.

Thank you.

Yes, please.

Thank you, Farhan. Just a quick question on the update you gave us on schooling in Gaza. You said it's about to begin in about 2 weeks, and there are UNICEF supplies coming in, which is great. Just wondering, given everything that is happening on the ground, what does that rollout actually look like? And are we talking about a formal, official academic year? And how are UN peacekeepers managing to pull that off? And thank you.

Well, it's not a question of UN peacekeepers. A lot of the educational work is done actually by our colleagues at the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, and we trust that they will do what they can to have as many people in Gaza educated as possible. Obviously, there are still problems with having educational facilities, having all of the resources including textbooks, but they're ramping up to make sure that they can get education going hopefully in the next few weeks. And with that, I wish you all a good afternoon.