Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Good afternoon and happy Friday, everybody. Amina Mohamed, the Deputy Secretary-General, spoke to the Security Council members this morning at an ARIA formula meeting on education in Sudan. She said that among everything the war in Sudan has taken, One of the most significant is the future of Sudan depriving the education of its children. Today, she said, at least 8 million school-aged children remain out of school, with a disproportionate impact on millions of displaced children, especially those seeking refuge outside of Sudan. Since 2024, the United Nations has verified more than 67 attacks on schools across Sudan, while over 154 instances of military use of schools have been reported. The Deputy Secretary-General said that this year, the UN and its partners have brought more than a million Sudanese children back into some form of learning, but it is simply not enough. She said it is time to stop this war and to pull Sudan back from the brink of losing another generation of its children. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that children and women continue to bear a disproportionate share of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern province of Ituri. The outbreak is unfolding in a province where nearly one million people are displaced, around 80 percent of them women and children. According to the UN Children's Fund, more than 300 children have died from Ebola since the outbreak began. Children make up nearly a quarter of confirmed cases, but almost a third of all deaths. As we mentioned earlier this week, the outbreak is also severely disrupting essential healthcare. In the hardest hit areas, use of health services has dropped by more than 40% in recent months, as fear of infection keeps people away. The UN Population Fund warns that this fear, combined with overstretched health services, is preventing many pregnant women from seeking care. Maternal deaths in Nturi have nearly doubled since the outbreak began. with about six women dying each week from childbirth-related complications. Ebola infection during pregnancy remains associated with almost universal fetal loss. OCHA stresses that restoring community confidence is key. Together with the Ministry of Public Health, the World Health Organization, and the Africa CDC, UNICEF and partners have deployed 13,000 community workers, reaching more than 2.4 million people with information on Ebola prevention and early detection. They've also carried out over 500,000 household visits to counter misinformation and encourage early care seeking. Meanwhile, WHO reports that its technical advisory group on vaccine research is recommending a clinical trial in the DRC for their VABO vaccine, the only licensed vaccine against Ebola. WHO is working with partners to begin the trial as soon as possible. This comes as the virus continues to spread rapidly across eastern DRC, with total cases now surpassing 4,000 and 1,850 deaths reported. And from South Sudan, OCHA tells us that we and our partners continue to support government-led preparedness efforts against Ebola. While no cases have been confirmed in the country, the outbreak in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, coupled with people moving between borders, continues to pose a risk. These preparedness efforts include surveillance to detect cases early, screening at points of entry, training health workers, providing medical supplies, and community awareness campaigns. This month alone, our health partners screened more than 135,300 travelers at points of entry into South Sudan. More than 300 health workers and frontline personnel have been trained in screening, triage, infection prevention and control, referrals, and safe burials. Over seven tons of emergency supplies have also been pre-positioned in Yambio, near the border with the DRC. But insecurity continues to hamper this work. Between January and July, 451 incidents that blocked or threatened humanitarian operations were reported across South Sudan. Along the Yei-Morobo corridor, 32 humanitarian staff abductions have been recorded since January of last year. Underscoring the challenges of operating the areas at highest risk of Ebola, also in South Sudan, the government and our partners have finalized the 2026 flood. and drought preparedness and response plan. Last year's floods affected more than 1.3 million people, while this year's forecast points to a heightened risk of drought alongside continued flooding in some areas. The plan estimates that floods could affect more than 830,000 people this year, more than a quarter of whom are already displaced, while nearly 1.7 million people could be affected by drought. The plan also includes a $215 million government-led resilience package to strengthen flood infrastructure, early warning systems, and anticipatory action through 2027. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon says there's been a significant reduction in kinetic activity in southern Lebanon today, following two days of intensified Israel Defense Force fire. Yesterday, peacekeepers recorded 129 projectiles, the highest daily figure since the 21st of June, all fired by the IDF. Much of this fire focused on Al Mansouri and nearby areas following the 5th of August incident in which two IDF soldiers were reportedly killed and several others injured. Overnight and until 0900 local time today, UNIFIL recorded 44 IDF projectiles with no further projectiles recorded between 0900 and 1600 hours. UNIFIL also recorded 42 Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace today, with a cumulative overflight time exceeding 127 hours. By 1600 today, peacekeepers had recorded a further 26 airspace violations. UNIFIL patrol discovered two improvised devices along a road near Chakra in Sector East yesterday. UNIFIL explosive ordnance disposal experts destroyed the devices, allowing operations in the area to resume. At sea, peacekeepers positioned in Al Nakoura in Sector West observed two IDF boats crossing into Lebanese waters. One boat deployed two unidentified rectangular objects into the sea before returning to Israeli waters. The second boat remained in nearby Lebanese waters. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports limited improvements in the flow of critical supplies into Gaza, even as needs remain immense and people continue to depend heavily on aid. Data collected through the UN 2720 mechanism indicate a 33% increase in the volume of supplies that we and our partners were able to bring into Gaza in July compared with June. There's more than 55,000 pallets of aid, roughly 35,000 metric tons or 26,000 truckloads, bringing us closer to the levels recorded before the regional escalation began at the end of February. About 60% of these supplies were food, followed by smaller volumes of shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene and health items. Additional supplies were brought in by the private sector. Still, our humanitarian partners warn that restrictions remain on the types of supplies allowed into Gaza. Specifically, they say more approvals are needed to bring engine oil and spare parts into the Strip because all humanitarian operations depend on vehicles and backup generators that need to be maintained. Repeated denials of requests to bring in engine oil combined with insufficient quantities of quality lubricant oil coming in through the private sector mean that critical operations at hospitals, pumping stations, and bakeries could be reduced or forced to stop. Another restriction is on durable shelter materials. Most of Gaza's 2.1 million people remain displaced in poor conditions, and so far, our humanitarian partners have mostly been allowed to bring in tents that do not last long. To put this in context, a new assessment by the UN satellite center estimates that the number of destroyed structures across Gaza has increased by 9% since the declaration of a ceasefire in October 2025. Overall, about 82% of the structures in Gaza are damaged. That's more than 200,000 structures that are damaged to some degree, and two-thirds of them are assessed to have been destroyed. Turning to the West Bank, today our partners from across the humanitarian community visited Qalandia Camp in Jerusalem to jointly assess people's needs after Israeli forces concluded a two-day operation there. Our teams identified widespread damage to houses and businesses, and dozens of families reported damage to doors, windows, and furniture after Israeli forces spent time inside their homes. Many reported significant financial losses. Forces had reportedly taken over some of the homes, pushed families out, and used those properties as interrogation centers. Our partners with the Palestine Red Crescent Society say that more than 50 people were injured during the two-day operation. And the UN and our partners are mobilizing support for those affected. From Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that attacks between Thursday and this morning have killed and injured several civilians and have also damaged homes and critical civilian infrastructure. The Dnipro region was the hardest hit, And the Kharkiv region, Donetsk, Kherson, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhia were also impacted. OCHA remains alarmed by the impact of the-- Could someone please turn that off? I think it is you, Evelyn. OCHA remains alarmed by the impact of the hostilities on humanitarian operations. Yesterday, Save the Children said that a guided aerial bomb damaged its office in the city of Sumy, marking the second attack on the organization's facilities in Ukraine in less than a week. Our humanitarian colleagues also said that on Wednesday, two staff members of a local NGO that partners with the International Organization for Migration were injured in a drone attack in Kherson. Despite the growing risk to aid operations across Ukraine, we, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to do whatever we can to provide emergency assistance to people impacted by intensified attacks. An update to share from our peacekeeping colleagues, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, concluded a seven-day trip yesterday to Fiji and Australia. He was accompanied by Acting Military Adviser Lieutenant General Cheryl Pearce and Police Adviser Faisal Shakar. The visit began in Fiji on July 31st, where they met with government officials, including Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, and visited the Black Rock Camp. Mr. LeCroy commended Fiji for its longstanding commitment to UN peacekeeping. The delegation then traveled to Australia, where on August 2nd, Mr. LeCroy inaugurated the second UN Police Training Course in Brisbane, organized by the Australian Federal Police. The course brings together police officers from 11 Pacific nations and Timor-Leste, to prepare them for future deployments. The visit coincided with Australia marking 60 years since its first peacekeeping deployment, which was to Cyprus. In Canberra, he met with senior Australian defense and foreign affairs officials, including the Secretary of Defense and Chief of Defense Force, Admiral Mark Hammond. The delegation visited the Australian War Memorial to pay tribute to Australia's fallen peacekeepers and engaged with academia and civil society at the Australian National University. The trip concluded in Sydney where Mr. Lacroix joined a roundtable with civil society, public servants and academics at the Lowy Institute. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization today said the benchmark measure of world food commodity prices edged up in July as recent heatwaves and energy price dynamics pushed up quotations for cereals, vegetable oils and sugar. The FAO food price index averaged 131.1 points in July 2026, up 0.6% from its June level and 1% higher than its year earlier level. Global wheat prices, for instance, surged by 5.8% amid heightened concerns over continued disruptions to Black Sea export flows and the likely impact of recent heat waves on crop yields in several key producing countries. In July, the FAO sugar price index increased by 5.6 percent, due mainly to concerns about the potential impacts of persistent hot and dry weather on crop yields in the European Union and of El Nino-related weather conditions on production prospects in key producing countries in Asia. You can find the full report on the FAO website. Sunday is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. This year's theme is honoring indigenous midwives, safeguarding life and well-being. In a message for the day, the Secretary General celebrates indigenous midwives as knowledge holders and leaders who improve outcomes for mothers and babies, strengthen trust in health systems, and ensure continuity of care. He also urges governments to gather the missing data that so often leaves indigenous patients invisible in health care systems and to invest more in training for midwives and natal care. 00 p.m., there will be a briefing here by the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations entitled Ukrainian Prisoners of War and Civilian Detainees: Testimonies and Accountability. And we have a quiz for you today. This country is home to the largest freshwater lake in Central America. Also, the only freshwater sharks in the world can be found in this lake. Any guesses? No, not Guatemala, although you're geographically close. The answer is Nicaragua, and the name of the lake is, in fact, Lake Nicaragua. We say thank you to our friends in Managua for their full payment to the regular budget. Nicaragua's payment brings the number of fully paid up member states to 124. Are there any questions? Yes, please.

Thank you. Thank you, Farhan. I have a question on the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Last month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, had expressed concern about the recent developments there, called for an impartial and thorough investigation into the death of protesters. expressed concern over the ban, Pakistan's ban of the Joint Awami Action Committee, arrest of its leaders, as well as restrictions on internet access and public gathering, which is a flagrant violation of the right of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. How does the Secretary General view these very serious concerns and developing situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir? Thank you.

The Secretary General supports the work of his High Commissioner, and we certainly hope that the pleas made by Mr. Chirk will be listened to.

Can you ask for accountability from the authorities there on this crackdown that has happened on peaceful protesters? It's not getting enough international attention, the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Well, it's important that all authorities everywhere allow for peaceful protest, and certainly that is the case here. If there have been people harmed for engaging in peaceful protest, there needs to be accountability for that. Murat.

Thank you. It seems Oman and Iran have reached a framework of understanding regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Have you received any official details from both countries?

At this stage, no. We're waiting to see what the details are. And our colleagues in the International Maritime Organization are also looking to study what this agreement is and what it would imply.

Another question on the situation in Ethiopia and the tensions between the federal government and the Tigray Liberation Front. Have you have you do you have anything to say on that?

Certainly there is a there are concerns about the latest reports of fighting. We certainly hope that this will be brought to an end. But but from our standpoint, we are also looking to see whether this has any impact in terms of any people having to flee across the borders. There have been some signs of some departures into neighboring countries, but we're checking to see whether it has any effect in terms of civilian population movements. Dulcie.

Yeah, I have a few questions about the UN staffer, Yahav Lichtner, accused of spying for the government of Israel and is now placed on administrative leave. Is that with or without pay under Rule 10.4? Is the Secretary General or anyone else in his cabinet consulted on this decision? And is the OIOS investigating? If not, who is investigating? Thanks.

What I can tell you is that UNICEF is aware of serious allegations concerning an employee and is taking the appropriate action. If true, such actions would be inconsistent with staff obligations under the UN Charter. the staff regulations and the standards of conduct for the international civil service, all of which emphasize that the responsibilities of staff are international, not national, and which call for the independence and impartiality of the staff of the UN. I don't have further details on the status of the person involved. to share with you. I believe UNICEF will be in the lead on this and they can answer any further questions.

But you didn't say whether the Secretary General is involved in this decision making.

What I can tell you is that we in the Secretariat are aware of these charges and will be involved in any sort of coordination and information sharing that is needed.

Needed by UNICEF. I mean, it's hard to figure out who's actually.

UNICEF is the agency that employs the person. So they're in the lead on this.

Yes, thank you for Han. This is about. Gaza. Just wanted to ask some clarifying questions. You mentioned that overall 82% of infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed or demolished in some form. So that has been and that is since October 2023.

Yes, since October 2023.

You know, by that measure, I mean, does that I mean, are the conditions even viable for reconstruction efforts in that case?

Well, certainly once the fighting has halted and aid can be brought in, Gaza, like any other place that's been affected by conflicts, can be rebuilt. We at the UN have a long experience, in fact, of rebuilding different areas that have been conflict zones. And the UN Development Program, in particular, has been making the analysis of how much it would cost in terms of both rubble removal and reconstruction. But, as I pointed out, part of what we need is to be able to bring in the sort of equipment that is needed for durable housing. And one of the things I just pointed out is that actually, according to the information by UNICEF, The number of destroyed structures in Gaza has not gone down since the October 2025 ceasefire. It's actually increased by 9% since then. So even in this period of what our Secretary General refers to as lesser fire, there continues to be damage and partial destruction of buildings. Abdulhamid, do you have a question?

Thank you, Farhan. In fact, I have two, and one on refugee camp, Colombia. The Israeli announced officially that they are considering destroying a fourth refugee camp. So it's not just a two-day attack, but it's more a plan of destroying a refugee camp, moving from the refugee camps in the north to the refugee camps now in the center. Do you see that plan is now in place?

We certainly expect that the operations will be ended in that camp. We clearly oppose any effort to harm or destroy refugee camps.

My second question, does the UN recognize that the part of Kashmir under Pakistan is occupied Pakistani Kashmir? That's the first time I hear there is a called occupied Kashmir by Pakistan. We know that the occupied is by India, and there is many reports about the human rights there. So does the UN recognize that?

I would just refer you to the reports and the relevant maps of the United Nations, which do, in fact, mention areas, designate certain areas as India occupied Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Yes, Josie.

Yeah, I just have an additional question about Yahav Lichtner. Can you confirm that he actually was seconded to Sigrid Kaag when she was the Middle East special envoy?

I believe that's part of the public record. All right. Yes, in the back.

Few weeks ago, more than 42 school children and teachers from Nigeria, your state, were released. They were abducted from their schools, and they were released with so much trauma. Two of the teachers were killed in captivity. I want to ask, is there any support that the UNICE agencies are providing to help these teachers and school children reintegrate back to the school environment?

We stand ready to support the government of Nigeria in its efforts to deal with psychosocial support for the children who are affected. And so we would be receptive to any requests from them on this.

So the state governor also called on the UN to offer some form of investigation. He said UN open to maybe convene an expert study to investigate what circumstances led to the abduction of the children and the students.

Well, we do not at present have an investigative mandate for Nigeria, so we would need to get that from one of the legislative bodies of the United Nations. Have a good weekend, everyone.