Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

I know. I expect more out of you. Yeah. All right. Good afternoon. Bear with me, since we had no briefing yesterday, we have a bit of a data dump for you, but perhaps even some news. But you will be the judge of that. As you heard this morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the last official session of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, which he said took place at a moment of profound challenge. All right, let's try it again. Yeah. Not you, Noreen. Good afternoon. Bear with me, since we had no briefing yesterday, we have a bit of a data dump for you. This is hell for me, having to listen to myself, right? This is a sixth circle of hell. All right, should we try again? All right. So I mentioned the Secretary-General spoke. He said the session took place at a moment of profound challenge for humanity amid multiplying conflicts, inequalities and injustice, record-breaking heat and the challenge of artificial intelligence. and the financial gap. The United Nations, he said, was created precisely for moments like this. And by wielding the timeless tools of diplomacy, debate, and dialogue, this 80th session of the General Assembly came together to develop solutions. He paid tribute to the outgoing president of the General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, and congratulated the newly elected president of the 81st session, Kelliher Rahman, whom you just heard from, I think, at the stakeout at 3:00 p.m. The General Assembly will reconvene, this time for the 81st session of the General Assembly, under the theme, "Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All." The Secretary-General will also speak at that session, and he is expected to say that rebuilding trust in the multilateral system is the defining challenge of our time, pledging to work with the new President to continue critical efforts. And earlier this morning, the Secretary-General laid wreath to honor the late Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold, who died 65 years ago. He said he's received the latest report from the former Chief Justice of Tanzania, Mohammed Chande Othman, on the investigation into the crash that killed Dag Hammarskjold, adding that he will soon convey his recommendations to the General Assembly for consideration. Moving to Sudan, the Secretary-General's personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Havisto, is continuing his visit to Khartoum. Today, he joined his quintet colleagues, which, as you know, comprises of the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the European Union, and, of course, ourselves. They met in Khartoum. This is a good officers' mission for the quintet to listen to Sudanese stakeholders' assessment of the current political and security situation and share reflections on efforts to advance inclusive political track towards peace in Sudan. The quintet envoys held meetings at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by engagements with UN agencies. They're also set to engage with political and civilian forces next, followed by other engagements, which we will keep you updated on. As we mentioned, Mr. Javisto arrived in Khartoum last Friday. Since then, he held a series of constructive meetings with the chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, the Prime Minister, as well as the Foreign Minister and other senior government officials. He also met with various civil society and other political leaders. In his discussions over the weekend, Mr. Havisto focused on practical measures to advance de-escalation and protect civilian lives. He also discussed the release and exchange of detainees, further stressing the importance of ensuring a single national examination process for all Sudanese schoolchildren. Mr. Javisto also called for an inclusive political process alongside tangible steps to reduce violence, stressing that a negotiated settlement remains the only viable path towards a comprehensive ceasefire and a sustainable resolution to the conflict. Mr. Javisto will stay in Sudan until the end of the week, and we'll keep you posted on his activities. Just heading south to South Sudan, our peacekeeping colleagues there are supporting the deployment of a court in the Bentiu camp for internally displaced persons that is being done in collaboration with the unity state government and the country's judicial and justice authorities consistent with Security Council Resolution 2820, which mandates the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan to support national and local authorities investigating and prosecuting violations and abuses. The mission is supporting the court, which began operations yesterday and will run through 26 September. The courts will hear cases relating to sexual and gender-based violence, drug and gang violence, all in response to concerns and requests from community for stronger justice and rule of law mechanisms. particularly affecting children and youth. The deployment aims to bring the formal justice system directly to residents of the camp, building on the reestablishment of judiciary in Unity State in May after 13 years of absence, and on seven mobile courts deployed across the state since 2024, with support from our peacekeeping colleagues. And in nearby Central African Republic, our peacekeeping colleagues there from MINUSCA report that encouraging sign of gradual return to normal in Am Dafok, near the border with Sudan, following the attack by armed groups on June 30th, as you all recall. That attack left 29 people dead, including members of the Central African Armed Forces and the gendarmerie, injured civilians and peacekeepers, and displaced more than 17,000 human beings. More than 5,000 people have now returned to their homes. The peacekeeping force has reinforced its military presence and increased patrols in the town and surrounding areas, alongside the deployment of the Central African forces to help protect civilians. The mission has also supported dialogue with local communities, facilitated visits by national authorities, supplied clean drinking water, helped deliver humanitarian assistance. The peacekeepers stressed that the reopening of the market is a positive development but the situation remains fragile and security and stabilization airport excuse me, security and stabilization efforts must continue. Turning to Lebanon, I can tell you that we're very concerned by the sharp escalation we've seen in the south of the country over the weekend into the beginning of this week, particularly in Nabatieh. Our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that civilians, including children, have been among those killed and injured. OCHA says the escalation is also forcing people to flee their homes. According to local authorities, around 5,000 families and/or about 20,000 people left Nabatieh district last week. Health care is also under increased pressure. We reiterate the need for full respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians, health care, and civilian infrastructure. Humanitarian access must also be maintained so we can reach people in need affected by the renewed escalation. While these reported incidents occurred outside of the peacekeepers' area of operations, our colleagues at UNIFIL continue to monitor developments closely and remain concerned by the broader deterioration of the security situation. Over the past few days, UNIFIL recorded a significant increase in kinetic activity from the Israeli Defense Forces within and around its area of operations, including ground operations, projectile fire, airstrikes, and violations of the airspace of Lebanon. Between Thursday and Monday, UNIFIL detected 528 projectiles fired by the IDF. For the first time since June 21st, UNIFIL also detected one Hezbollah projectile that was on Sunday. On Sunday alone, UNIFIL recorded 62 violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF, one of the highest daily occurrences since June. UNIFIL detected airstrikes in both sectors of its area of operations, as well as north of the Litani River. Peacekeepers continue to report roadblocks and IDF checkpoints that are hindering their movements within the mission's area of operations. We call on all parties to respect the mission's freedom of movement and ensure that peacekeepers can carry out their mandate safely wherever they need to be, and that should be done without any obstruction to their activities. And just add that on the humanitarian front, between Thursday and Monday, UNIFIL facilitated 13 humanitarian missions through its liaison branch and in coordination with OCHA. All of these missions were conducted in the sector west of UNIFIL. And heading south to the occupied Palestinian territory, over the weekend, our colleague Tom Fletcher, our emergency relief coordinator, called for increased funding and access for essential supplies and equipment to help avert a potential humanitarian crisis in Gaza as winter approaches. Despite ongoing restrictions, insecurity, and funding shortfalls, we and our partner continue to provide supplies and services to people in need wherever we can. In social media posts, there World Health Organization said yesterday they had reached over 9,000 people, nearly half of them children, through the expansion of rehabilitation services at Al-Amal Hospital that is in Khan Yunis, and also the Ahmad Rehabilitation Hospital in Gaza City. This expansion has implemented with funding from the Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund, which is managed by our colleagues at OCHA. WHO also tells us that the Ahmad Rehabilitation Hospital is the only facility in Gaza offering prosthetic and advanced rehabilitation services as well as hospital, excuse me, advanced rehabilitation services anywhere in Gaza. The hospital also received beds, equipment, assistive products, and other aid. Al-Amal Hospital received 40 beds, gym equipment, furniture, as well as a generator. WHO reiterates that some 43,000 people in Gaza need long-term rehabilitation, but specialized care remains severely limited, as you can imagine. We and our partners continue to call for unimpeded, expedited entry of essential medicines and other humanitarian supplies at scale. And just turning to the latest developments in Yemen, I can tell you that the recent escalation we have been witnessing over the past few days, and that we condemn the Houthi cross-border attacks against multiple sites in southern Saudi Arabia. These attacks affected civilians and energy infrastructure, and we, of course, express deep concern over the reports of civilian casualties. We're equally concerned by the intensification of military clashes across multiple front lines in Yemen, particularly reports of possible civilian casualties resulting from this fighting. We call upon the parties to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation, and further urge them to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from directing attacks against civilians or civilian infrastructure, and to take constant care to spare the civilian population, civilians, as well as civilian objects. The Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grunberg, continues engaging directly with the parties with the aim of containing the current escalation and preserving space for dialogue. Continued military escalation risks devastating political, economic, security ramifications for Yemen. The parties should engage constructively with the UN-led political process. And on the ground, our colleagues tell us that stepped-up fighting is devastating communities already struggling to survive after more than a decade of conflict in Yemen. More than 5,600 households have been displaced across Taiz and southern Al Hudaydah since the escalation of the fighting on September 3. At least 11 civilian casualties were reported in the last week, including two children killed and nine people injured. In Marib, there are reports that shelling struck displacement sites over the weekend, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuries to 15 other people. Shelters have been destroyed and families forced to sleep in the open. Humanitarians are mobilizing the response. As of yesterday, partners reached about 2,340 households, mainly in Taiz, but also some in Marib and Abyan. Those reached were given some emergency supplies. Reaching many people in need remains a major challenge. We call on all parties, again, to respect international humanitarian law and to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to whomever needs it, wherever they may be. We urgently need funding to scale up the response. $7 million is required for the rapid response mechanism alone, and a further $3 million for shelter and household items. now that's especially now that stocks have been depleted. The $2.2 billion humanitarian appeal for Yemen overall remains grossly underfunded at just 20% with only $438 million received in the bank. Moving to Europe. On the situation in Ukraine, I can tell you that the Secretary-General is encouraged by recent diplomatic efforts, including the visits by senior U.S. envoys to Moscow and to Kyiv. The Secretary-General hopes that the latest initiatives lead to a resumption of talks between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, paving the way for an immediate, full, and unconditional ceasefire, leading to a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace in line with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and relevant resolutions of the United Nations. The United Nations stands ready to support all meaningful efforts to that end. At the same time, the Secretary-General remains deeply concerned by the continuing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, as well as the Russian Federation, and calls for their immediate end. He urges the sides to ensure to ensure conditions conducive to the continuation of diplomatic efforts. And on the ground in Ukraine, the impact on children is particularly concerning. According to our friends at UNICEF, at least 18 children have been injured and one killed across Ukraine in the past seven days. We, along with our partners, continue to respond despite the growing risks. Following the latest attack in Kyiv, our partners provided first aid, emergency construction material, psychosocial support, and food. Our humanitarian colleagues note that attacks are reaching more areas, driving humanitarian needs far beyond the front lines. In the second quarter of this year, more than 120,000 people were directly impacted by strikes, and civilian casualties from missile and drone attacks rose by 90 percent as compared in the first quarter. That's according to OCHA's latest analysis of the situation within Ukraine. just to flag that the Alexander de Kru, the administrator of the UN Development Programme, is in Ukraine for a four-day visit. Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, Ukraine is UNDP's largest operation, covering all 24 oblasts, including frontline and high-risk areas. The administrator's visit is focused on UNDP's support to critical energy infrastructure, winterization, and recovery, with about 50 percent of Ukraine's electricity generation capacity damaged or disrupted, UNDP is helping keeping the lights on, heating, water, and essential services running, while supporting a more resilient, decentralized, and sustainable energy system. The administrator will meet with government ministers, war-impacted communities, veterans, and young Ukrainians who have been living through four and a half years of war. Ukraine is one of UNDP's largest operations in the world, with about 500 UNDP personnel on the ground. And just to flag that Mr. Ducruet will be joining us from Ukraine to brief you here at noon on Thursday. A quick note from the DRC on Ebola. Our humanitarian colleagues continue to say that the virus continues to spread in the eastern provinces, with more than 3,200 deaths reported to date. Today, our humanitarian coordinator in the DRC, Damien Mama, began a four-day visit to North Kivu to assess response efforts and review the broader humanitarian situation. Last Friday, the government, together with WHO and the African Center for Disease Control and Prevention and others, launched a revised Ebola multi-sectoral response plan requiring $1.3 billion over the next six months. The plan calls for a major expansion of surveillance, contact tracing, treatment, community engagement preparedness activity. And the FAO, meanwhile, is scaling up its support in Ituri and North Kivu, helping communities reduce risks of animal-to-human transmission through veterinary surveillance and training, while also providing seeds, tools, poultry, and cash assistance. Humanitarian needs across the country remain immense. The $2.1 billion humanitarian response plan is only about half funded. We stress the urgent need for additional resources to sustain humanitarian operations and support efforts to contain the outbreak. You will see, and over the weekend, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General said he remained deeply concerned about the continued discriminatory policies imposed by the Taliban on Afghan women and girls, pointing out that yesterday marked one year since Afghan women have been prevented from accessing U.N. compounds across the country. He emphasized that the restrictions are contrary not only to international law, including the Charter, but they also undermine our capacity to carry out our mandate and deliver lifesaving and other assistance to the Afghan people at a time where their needs remain high. He calls and urges the de facto authorities to lift all restrictions imposed on women and girls and to uphold their rights to full, equal, and meaningful participation in all aspects of Afghan society. And just a quick note from Venezuela, where our UNICEF colleagues tell us that in coordination with Venezuelan authorities, they will start rehabilitation work in October on key water and sanitation infrastructure in Lagaria state that was damaged by the earthquakes in June. The work will focus on the pumping station in Mamo, and the Naguata water treatment plant is expected to benefit up to 250,000 people. And the UN Environment Programme, the Climate Clean Air Coalition yesterday released a report showing that every dollar invested in tackling climate change and air pollution together can generate about $15 in economic benefit. I encourage you to read that. Speaking of reading, and I promise you this is the last note, today is International Literacy Day. close enough. close enough. Marking its 60th anniversary under the theme literacy for people, planet and prosperity. Literacy is a fundamental human right, but 60 years on, only 739 million young people and adults worldwide still lack basic literary skills, literacy skills. Four in 10 children are not reaching minimum proficiency in reading. This year's day is a chance to look at what has been achieved and the challenges that remain and what is needed to do so that everyone is literate. Stefano, I saw you first. There we go.

Thank you, Stefan. Haaretz reports that a UAE president warned Prime Minister Netanyahu about a major mass operation roughly 10 days before October 7. The Israeli government denies this, but opposition leaders are calling for an investigation. Given the consequences of October 7th, does the Secretary-General believe this allegation and the warnings that preceded the attack should be independently investigated?

I have no information one way or another. I read the article, but it's really not for us to comment. Iri.

Thank you, Steph. The Israeli ambassador today said he was shocked at the Secretary-General's proposal to keep 5,000 troops on the ground in Lebanon along the border. And he rejected the Lebanese president's call for an extension of UNIFIL. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to these comments?

I don't really understand what he was shocked about, given that these proposals were given weeks and weeks ago, and very openly so. The Security Council has them. They will, in their wisdom, come up with a decision which will either which will give us instructions or not give us instructions. But we're waiting for the Council to make its decision. Yoshita.

Thank you, Steph. Do you have any details on the Secretary General's visit to India for BRICS? When he goes, who all he'll meet and what his message will be?

Thank you. Given that we have not yet officially announced it, I don't have anything officially to tell you except that he will be there at the BRICS summit. And I think you can expect him to meet with Prime Minister Modi. But we'll share more details as we can. Islam, and then Georgia.

Thank you, Staffan.

On Lebanon again, does the Secretary-General confirm that the sharp escalation over there is caused by one side? Since you said Hezbollah didn't throw any trajectory since June 21st, and in contrary, Israel, Thursday to Monday, 528 trajectory.

Well, I mean, I think we read out what our UNIFIL colleagues observed. We're doing it very transparently. I think everyone can draw their own conclusions pretty clearly. Georgia, and then Pam.

Thank you, Stephane. Secretary General's personal envoy to Cyprus cancelled her trip to Cyprus this week. Can you share any information about this cancellation?

Sure. I can officially confirm that Mia Holguin had to cancel her visit to both New York, where she was going to meet with the Secretary General, and to Cyprus. She did this for health reasons. She will be speaking to the Secretary General by phone to keep him updated on her work. She, of course, also remains in close contact with the Cypriot leaders and their representatives. Pam, and then Alex.

Thank you, Steph. Because, again, comments by the Israeli Ambassador this morning. that the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu's visit will be very, will be limited to 24 hours, both because of the Jewish holidays, but also because of the mayor's threats and the protests that are expected. Do you expect the Secretary General, or has there been any outreach on the Secretary-General's part or on the PM's part to meet?

Thank you. I have no information on a potential meeting. The Secretary-General is always open to any request from a head of delegation coming to the General Assembly.

And just on that, will you have a list of expected not till the week before anticipated bilats.

Yes, we'll have those. I mean, those, we'll try to see what we can share with you ahead of time. Obviously, it's always a moving feast, to say the least. Thank you. Alex.

Thanks, Steph. President Trump has claimed that the moon belongs to the United States. Does it?

We believe in the peaceful uses of outer space. And I will leave it at that. Gabriel.

Thanks, Steph. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to the UK government's announcement on the ban of the import of all goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank?

It's a sovereign decision by the United Kingdom. I think the Secretary-General's position and the UN's position on the illegality of settlements in the occupied West Bank is crystal clear, to say the least.

So that's clear. So the purchasing of products from illegal settlements is a separate issue, or does the Secretary General consider them to be linked at all?

Look, it's there's the illegality of the settlements. The issue of of trade between Israel and the United Kingdom is an issue, is a bilateral issue. Namo.

Thank you, Stefan. I know you don't comment on-- Then I won't. On local elections, but on the implications you might. So the major electoral victory by AFD, the far right group in Germany, this is a political party which is called for re-immigration and deportation. How concerned is the Secretary General about the rise of a political party like that in Germany, and does he consider the platform on which this party run to be at odds with international law?

Look, I'm not going to get into the intricacies of German domestic politics. There was an election. The results are what they are. As a matter of principle, the Secretary-General has always believed that issues having to deal with migration need to be dealt with holistically between the countries of origin, the countries of destination, and the countries of transit. And they need to be dealt with in a way that is humane and that respects not only the law, but also human dignity. Yes, Evelyn.

Thank you, Steph. With the PGA president being replaced by a man, is the Secretary-General concerned that there aren't any women in these very large, visible positions?

I think you'll hear the Secretary-General speak about that during his speech to the General Assembly, and I think it would he would tell you that as a global legislature, it would be great to see more equal representation within the General Assembly. Mr. Vaccaro.

Yes, it's about that election of the new Secretary General. There are reports that says that the Security Council is very divided in this issue.

The Security Council is divided.

Yeah, well, particularly in this. So in the sense that it's very far, very far, looks like unlikely that they will find the right candidate, at least on those that have been in the list. My question here is that if they don't find the right candidate by, I would say, end of the year. Does the Secretary-General think, I mean, will accept an extension of his mandate for how long?

I will not get into that. The crystal ball that I have that looks at the next Secretary-General's election is full of fog, and I see nothing in it. So I will let Member States and the Secretary-General will let Member States, again, in their wisdom, do their work not only in their wisdom, but in accordance with their responsibility under the charter of this organization. Yes, sir.

Thank you, Stephen. I'm from Bangladesh. Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. presides over the opening of the 81st UN General Assembly today, a momentous and proud milestone for Bangladesh. How does the Secretary-General view this historical leadership from the Global South?

I think it is obviously a moment of pride for any member state to see one of their own elected at the helm of the General Assembly. And I think as the President of the General Assembly said himself, he is serving not in his national capacity, but as a representative of the General Assembly, and the Secretary-General very much looks forward to working with him during the 81st session or during at least the time this Secretary-General has during the 81st session. Okay. On that note, I wish you a good day.