9/11, Yemen & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right. Good afternoon, everyone. In a short while, I will be joined by a guest, Alexander De Croo, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme. He will join us from Kyiv in Ukraine, where he is currently on a mission. I have the following statement concerning tomorrow's anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. 25 years ago, the heinous terrorist attacks of the 11th of September, 2001, an assault on humanity itself, claimed thousands of lives and left an enduring mark on our world. As we mark this somber occasion on the 11th of September, we remember the nearly 3,000 victims from the United States and more than 90 countries and stand with their families and loved ones. We pay tribute to the survivors and honor the first responders who showed extraordinary courage and humanity in the face of tragedy, many making the ultimate sacrifice. On this solemn anniversary, we stand in solidarity with the people of New York City, the United States of America, and with all those whose lives were affected by the attacks. This year also marks 20 years since Member States adopted the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, a reminder that the fight against terrorism is a shared, unfinished task. As we pay tribute to the victims, let us renew our shared commitment to build a future free from terrorism. Moving to the situation in Yemen, our colleagues there confirmed that eight UN vehicles were seized from our humanitarian hub in Mocha this morning, amid recent developments in the city. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is deeply concerned by the situation unfolding in the country, stressing that the last thing the people of Yemen need is more fighting and more displacement. These incidents are constraining humanitarian operations and our partners' ability to reach people in need. Communities need an end to the fighting, and humanitarian workers must be able to safely do their jobs. Despite the challenges, rapid response partners have reached more than 2,700 households with emergency assistance. More funding and better access are critical to reach all those who need assistance. Once again, we call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law. They must protect civilians, including by allowing them to move to safer areas, and must facilitate unimpeded access for humanitarian relief to reach all those in dire need. And just to flag that later in the afternoon, the Security Council will hold a session regarding the reported Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia earlier this week. Our Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, will brief. We will share his remarks with you as soon as we get them. Turning to Lebanon, where our peacekeepers of the UN Interim Force continue to observe extensive Israeli Defense Force kinetic activity across the south of the country, including in the airspace, on the ground, and at sea. Yesterday, UNIFIL recorded 84 violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF, the highest daily number since the 10th of June. Peacekeepers also observed 56 Israeli airstrikes, the highest daily total since the 4th of June. And UNIFIL continues to detect dozens of IDF projectiles impacting targets across southern Lebanon each day. Since the 21st of June, one Hezbollah projectile has been detected, on the 6th of September. Among the most significant observations yesterday was an incident near Al-Mansouri in Sector West, where peacekeepers saw dozens of Israeli drones dropping jerrycans resulting in multiple detonations in the area. At sea, peacekeepers observed two IDF patrol boats violating Lebanese territorial waters off the coast of Nakoura yesterday. Peacekeepers also continue to report unexploded ordnance in both sectors. Recent finds include an explosive shell and a rocket yesterday, as well as a fiber optic drone on Tuesday. And on the humanitarian side, through its Liaison Branch and in coordination with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNIFIL facilitated six humanitarian missions in Sector West yesterday. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns of the rise in demolitions of Palestinian homes and other properties in the Musafra Yatta area of the southern West Bank in recent days. On Tuesday, Israeli authorities demolished 20 homes and other structures, including a water cistern and solar panels, in two Palestinian herding communities in that area. Combined with the demolition of a third nearby community last Wednesday, these actions have displaced nearly 60 people, half of them children, and otherwise affected 30 people who stay in the area seasonally. Many of the destroyed properties had been built with donor support. Masafi Yatta is home to roughly 1,200 Palestinians living across 13 communities, all under pressure to leave as Israeli authorities have designated this area as a firing zone. Our humanitarian colleagues say that adding to this pressure is a rise in settler violence against those communities, following the establishment of settlement outposts in the area in recent years. Yesterday, the UN and our humanitarian partners visited Masafriyatta to speak with displaced people who are receiving vital assistance, including emergency shelter, food, hygiene, baby products, and psychosocial support. Across the West Bank, 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced so far this year due to demolitions, and more than 2,600 have been displaced due to settler violence and related access restrictions. Turning to the Gaza Strip, yesterday our humanitarian partners visited people who were affected by an airstrike on Al-Bureij area of Deir al-Balah the day before. The UN and our partners are mobilizing rapid support for 30 families who were confirmed to have had their shelters destroyed or damaged. In the first week of September, our humanitarian partners provided rapid assistance to over 100 households affected by 18 incidents reported by communities across the Gaza Strip, including, among others, airstrikes, the collapse of damaged buildings, and domestic fires. Turning to Sudan, the Secretary-General's personal envoy to Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, will conclude his visit to the country on Friday. This week, he joined the quintet the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, the European Union, and the UN on a good offices mission to Khartoum. The quintet held constructive discussions with the chairman and deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council, the prime minister, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and other political and civilian actors, including at a working dinner hosted by the Minister of Finance. The mission was focused on listening to Sudanese stakeholders and connecting international efforts with initiatives emerging inside the country. In a statement issued at the conclusion of the mission, the quintet reiterated its commitment to advancing a credible, inclusive, Sudanese-led, and Sudanese-owned political process towards a democratic, civilian-led government that reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people. Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that we and our partners continue to support national authorities in scaling up the response to the Ebola outbreak. Yesterday, a new Ebola treatment center with 50 beds was opened in Kisangani in Tshimpo Province, where new cases continue to be reported. We and our partners are also strengthening disease surveillance and community engagement in areas at heightened risk of transmission. In Ituri Province, BOCHA recently brought together representatives from the mining sector and local authorities to reinforce awareness and disease monitoring in mining communities. Meanwhile, conflict continues to complicate response efforts. Recent armed attacks in Hotweli and Nturi provinces have displaced civilians into Shopo province, raising concerns about the further spread of disease. We reiterate our call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as sustained international support to help contain the outbreak in DRC and deliver lifesaving assistance for the people in need. Turning to Cuba, our humanitarian colleagues warned that the country's severe power crisis following sanctions is taking an increasing toll on basic services. According to the authorities, electricity generation in August met less than one third of national demand. We are particularly concerned about the impact on healthcare services, including disruptions to critical medical equipment and vaccine cold chain systems, potentially affecting nearly 70,000 children. Humanitarian operations are also facing logistical challenges linked to the over compliance with sanctions, including shipping companies discontinuing services. This is affecting supply chains for medicines, food, water treatment equipment, and other critical supplies across the country. Despite these challenges, we and our partners continue to work closely with authorities to support those with the most severe needs, including hospitalized patients, pregnant women, older people, and children. Since the launch of the Plan of Action last October, humanitarian partners have reached some 1.6 million people with assistance. So far, we have received $42 million of the $94 million required under the Plan of Action, but needs continue to outpace available resources. We reiterate our call on member states to fund the plan of action and facilitate the timely and unimpeded delivery of lifesaving assistance, including fuel for humanitarian purposes. An analysis reached today by the UN Children's Fund shows that more than 171 million students globally, or one in 10 from pre-primary to upper secondary age, had their schooling disrupted by climate hazards in 2025. According to the analysis, storms were the most common cause of school disruptions last year, impacting 109 million students globally. Floods affected at least 70 million students, while heat waves disrupted schooling for approximately 50 million children. UNICEF notes that while students across all income levels were impacted by disruptions, three quarters of students affected live in low and lower middle income countries, where education systems often lack the resources needed to safeguard learning during climate-related emergencies. The report finds that inaction could result in a potential loss of at least $200 billion in lifetime earnings for students who experience climate-related school disruptions in 2025. The report is available online. And we have a quiz for you today. We have two countries to thank today for payments to the regular budget. The first country has the highest percentage of women in parliament in the world, with over 60% of its seats held by women.

Rwanda.

You're exactly right. Good job. It is, in fact, Rwanda. And the second country derives its name from the Lion Mountains, which are located near its capital. You have the right initials, but not the right country. It is SL, so that would be-- Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone, exactly. Oh, you said Sierra Leone? Oh, good. Sorry, I heard Sri Lanka ahead of you. Okay. Yes, it is in fact, Sierra Leone. And we say thank you to our friends in Kigali and Freetown for their full payments to the regular budget. The payments from Rwanda and Sierra Leone bring the number of fully paid up member states to 137. So Edie and Noreen will get the first two questions. Edie, first to you.

Thank you, Farhan. Going back to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ebola. We've been hearing about preparations for possible spread of Ebola to Rwanda and some other countries. Has Ebola actually spread anywhere outside Congo? I know initially It was in Uganda, but Uganda has said that it is now Ebola free.

Yes, at this stage, right now, the Ebola outbreak is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As you know, our humanitarian colleagues have been doing preparatory work, including training work, detection work, and prepositioning of different supplies in Rwanda and Uganda. But right now, those countries do not seem to have active Ebola outbreaks.

I recall the previous major Ebola outbreak, and there was, as I recall, a huge outpouring of financial support to tackle it and I see that for this almost more serious outbreak, the UN hasn't even gotten half of the appeal that it's seeking. Why does the UN think that there's not the same kind of financial support?

It's hard to explain why, when the outbreak is potentially more dangerous, the support has been slower in coming. I can't speak for the governments, but what I can say from our standpoint is, if the threat is real, and it is, then the response also needs to be just as quick and just as solid as it was the last time around. Noreen? Okay, Abdelhamid.

Thank you. I have two questions for now. First, there is a letter sent by the Palestine Mission to the Secretary General and to the Security Council sounding the alarm for the ethnic cleansing and eviction of the Palestinian people, both from Gaza and the West Bank. The letter puts in details all the statements issued by Ben Ghaith, Netanyahu, Katz about the plan to evict and expel the Palestinians from their land. What is the reaction of the Secretary-General?

The Secretary-General has also been raising the alarm including in briefings to the Security Council. And I would draw your attention to the latest report by the Secretary-General to the Security Council about the situation in the West Bank, where he also points out that the scale of activities, as well as the sort of statements that you've cited, create the potential threat of ethnic cleansing. So we are doing what we can. And you heard what we just have been doing right now in the community of Masafriyatta following displacements of people there.

My second question, Erica Guevara Rosas from Amnesty International, she called on the international community to pay attention to the health conditions of Hussam Abu Safi, the doctor who has been in jail since December 2024. She said in her report that he has been repeatedly beaten and now it is time to pay attention to pressure for his release. Does the SG put his weight behind this call to release Hussam Abu Safi?

We stand for the release of all those who have been detained without charge. They either need to be tried or released at once. And of course, anyone with health conditions, including the person you just mentioned, need to have their health needs taken into account. And if they need to be released on humanitarian grounds, that should happen. Yes, Nathan.

Thank you so much. So my question is coming from Africa. So there've been growing concerns about anti-foreigner sentiments, which started with South Africa and now recently Kenya, and also most recently the There's a military leader in Uganda who also made some remarks that he was going to do-- there was going to be a crackdown on foreigners in Uganda. And so it seems like it's a growing trend of anti-foreigner sentiment in Africa recently. So I just wanted to know if there is something that the United Nations is doing, or if there are any plans to do something.

Well, you've seen the statements we put out against xenophobia in various different countries. But across the board, we stand against any xenophobia and any sentiments against immigrants and other excluded or minority groups. We want to make sure that all the countries that deal with migrants countries of origin, countries of transit, and countries of entry respect the rights of migrants. And we continue to push for that, including through our various agencies, such as the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency. And with that, let me turn over to our guest, Alexander Ducrow, who has been waiting patiently and who is joining us from Kyiv in Ukraine, where he is currently on mission. Mr. Ducrow, welcome.

Thank you. Hello, everyone. I'm standing here in Kyiv. You see the Maidan Square in my back. Second day of visit here in Ukraine. I had the occasion today to meet to meet many, many ministers, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure and Local Communities was also at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And tomorrow I will be, amongst others, meeting meeting the Prime Minister. UNDP and the UN family has been standing on the side of the Ukrainians from the start of this of this large scale invasion of of the country. We have a broad range of activity here in here in Ukraine. And UNDP is the largest operator of the UN family here. Over the last four years, we have been able to raise 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in assistance to Ukraine and to the Ukrainian people. And I really would want to use this occasion to thank our our major donors, all of our donors. But I would like to thank the five for the five biggest ones, which is which is Norway, which is Japan, the European Union, Sweden and Denmark. As said, UNDP is active in a broad range of activities, but the largest one is energy. Unfortunately, we are heading into the fifth winter of this conflict. And we see that the energy infrastructure is in a relentless way being being targeted by by attacks. And going into the winter makes it even more dramatic, because we know that the winters here in Ukraine can be incredibly harsh on the on the population. Every day we see that that energy is being attacked and having access to energy makes a difference. in being able to have some kind of life. Having access to electricity keeps the school open. Having access to electricity keeps the hospitals open and make sure that utilities such as water can be accessible. Today, we see that 6.6 million people in Ukraine can have access to electricity because UNDP is assisting them and is rebuilding the energy systems. We are rebuilding the energy systems, but we are especially building them in a better way. We are rebuilding them in a more sustainable way. We are rebuilding them also in a more resilient way. We are moving towards an energy system which is a decentralized system, which in a period of war that we see here, this enables to have a better energy security. And a better energy security is actually linked to security after all. Yesterday, I had the occasion to visit the site of Chernobyl. Chernobyl, which unfortunately is one of the most known places in the world because the biggest human-made, human-caused environmental catastrophe took place there. I had the occasion, together with our partners, to open there a solar plant, a solar energy plant. which we have implemented there, thanks to donations of Lithuania, thanks to financial donations of Japan, and thanks to the leadership of our Ukrainian partners and the technical expertise of the NPP. That solar power plant enables us to provide electricity to cool reactor 4, and reactor 4 was the one that was destroyed during the incident that happened in 1986. But I also had the occasion to go inside to the protective structure that is protecting that destroyed that destroyed nuclear reactor number four. I've also seen how that structure has been attacked during a drone strike. I want to be very, very clear. Anyone who's attacking those protective structures and those protective structures around a nuclear structure is really gambling with the safety of millions of people. A nuclear installation can never be a target. There can absolutely be no excuse. There can absolutely be no ambiguity. This has to stop. A nuclear structure, and especially a nuclear structure after a nuclear accident, can never be a target of drone attacks. This is something which is unacceptable. And there are plenty of rules that make clear that this can never happen, not even in a situation of war. I would like to end my introduction with an impression. You know, everyone who comes in Ukraine We'll always talk about the courage. We'll always talk about the incredible resilience that we see of the Ukrainian people. And yes, Ukrainian people are doing everything to have a life, to continue a life in decency, despite the war, despite the full-scale invasion in which they are confronted. But being here, you also see that the nature of war has changed. You see that civilian infrastructure is in a deliberate way being attacked. You see today that a bus stop is being attacked. You see today that infrastructure such as a petrol station is being attacked. And just a few minutes ago, on the other side of this hotel, a business centre was being attacked by a drone. It is clear that this is a deliberate attempt to make life in Ukraine and life in Kyiv completely impossible. This is not in line with international humanitarian law. Even in war, there are rules to be followed. These rules came after the Second World War. We have those principles that are there to protect civilians, to protect civilian infrastructure. And we have to be very clear that we condemn these types of attacks. Civilians can never be a military target. Civilian infrastructure can never be a legitimate target of acts of war. There can absolutely be no excuse, there can absolutely be no ambiguity, and there can absolutely be no impunity related to those acts that we have seen here over the past weeks. So this was my introduction, I'm obviously open to answer any questions.

I'll turn over the floor for questions. First question goes to Edith Lederer.

Thank you very much, Mr. DeCroat, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association for doing this briefing. As Farhan said, my name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. First, do you know who was responsible for the drone attack on Chernobyl that hit the dome? And secondly, UNDP has obviously made a major effort to try and ensure that Ukrainians have energy over the winter. Is anyone else doing anything? Because you said your effort was aimed at 6.6 million Ukrainians, but there are millions more Ukrainians all over the country. Thank you.

Of such an incident has to take place in a formal way. But being there and talking to the military that are protecting that site of Chernobyl, it is clear that Russian drones are flying above that site on a daily basis. And they're flying above that site on a daily basis, which is really a dangerous thing to do, because things can go wrong, and it is clear that that attack Being it now a deliberate attack or being it an accident, this is something which is unacceptable. And this is also something which should be avoided. Making sure that drones are not flying above that site is one way of avoiding that things like this could happen. As to your second question, look, today approximately half of the energy infrastructure in Ukraine is being impacted by attacks, and these are attacks where there is absolutely no doubt that these attacks are being conducted by Russia. We try to do our best to help 6.6 million people. We are not the only organization doing that. The whole UN, many other UN entities are working on that. But it's quite clear that at this moment, it is never enough. And we are heading for a tough winter. And everyone is aware that as an international community, we have to do everything to support Ukrainians to avoid that this fifth winter would be the most dramatic that they have ever been confronted with. we we put everything in place to assist 6.6 million Ukrainians. But yes, you're right. There's more, there's more Ukrainians than that. So any additional help is is is necessary. And we know that there has been a start of of talks over the past over the past days. And any attempt that tries to bring peace in in Ukraine and that would be a just and the and and and a lasting and a comprehensive peace. Of course, we applaud that. But in parallel to that, today, we need to help Ukrainians to try to live a life in decency, which is incredibly hard, seeing the circumstances with which they are being confronted and especially circumstances with which civilians are being confronted now. It used to be that the front line was in the east. Today, the front line is everywhere. The front line is really across the country, and that makes life particularly hard for the Ukrainian people.

Thanks.

Volodymyr.

Thank you very much. National News Agency, Volodymyr Ilyuchenko, National News Agency of Ukraine. Nice to see you standing, because I live in that 200 meters from that spot is standing. And today I got two questions. Today a Russian attack struck a Sunflower oil production facility in Dnipro operated by Bunge, a US-based business company. Does UNDP have any data on foreign private companies in Ukraine? whose production facilities or other assets have been damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks? And there's another question. Do you believe international partners, including the United States, should do more to protect foreign investment and business businesses operating in Ukraine from Russian attacks? Thank you.

I don't have a centralized data set of how many civilian targets have been struck. But just being here the past two days, we have heard about petrol stations being attacked, we have heard about buses being attacked, we have now just heard about the business centre being attacked. I hear you talk about food processing facilities being attacked. Let me repeat what I said in my introduction. Attacking civil infrastructure can never be a legitimate target. Attacking civilians can never be an acceptable target. This is in contradiction with international humanitarian law. This is in contradiction with the rules of law. And I want to be very clear, we condemn that. There can be absolutely no ambiguity. And to your question, these acts need to be recorded. These acts need to be investigated. so that in the end there can absolutely be no impunity over these acts which are not in line with international rules that we have.

Thank you. Evelyn.

Have the attacks from Russia increased lately? And if so, have they given you any explanation? Because it's rare that there is a clean war and civilians get hit and all sorts of terrible things happen. But is the trend an increase lately of the bombing or the attack?

Look, I am here in Ukraine. And there's many reasons why I'm here. First of all, to support our staff. We have an incredible UNDP staff here. 90% of them are Ukrainians, and they're doing an incredible job. But also to see firsthand what is going on. If you are here, you hear air attack alarms all the time. All the time. Every two hours at least, you hear it, and you hear it the whole night through. And this is exhausting the population. And it's it really population. The Ukrainian population is really, really the end of their capability. And we always talk about resilience. But resilience really has its has its has its limits. And it is it is quite clear that those attacks are deliberate attacks to make life for civilians in Kiev and in other places completely impossible. And this is not something that can be accepted. And this is something that needs to be recorded, that needs to be investigated. And there can be no impunity on this afterwards. But let us be very clear. I mean, we know that this is a war. The Secretary General has been very clear in condemning this full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. And it is quite clear that those drone attacks that we see here have only as goal to weaken the Ukrainian population, Ukrainian citizens, and this is not something that we can accept.

Thank you. I hope you are safe. But have the attacks increased lately? Has the trend been far more bombing and drones and so forth?

So I didn't hear your question 100 percent, but I heard you ask, have the attacks increased? Yes, quite clearly, over the past two weeks, the attacks have increased. The only moment where there were no attacks was when the American envoys were here for the talks that they have had with Ukrainian authorities. And obviously, any type of talks that take place also with Ukrainians, is something that we welcome. But during those two days, there were no attacks. But unfortunately, since then, the attacks have increased again. And I have been here multiple times over the past year, since the start of the war. What we see here, the intensity of the attacks, really show that the front line has moved beyond the eastern part of the country. The front line today is everywhere, and the front line definitely is, unfortunately, also in Kyiv.

Yes, please. Thank you very much. My name is Mona Outul. I'm with Al-Quds Al-Arabi. I have two questions, please. The first one, Regarding the increased attacks you mentioned on civilian infrastructure, with the new school year beginning, can you give us any assessment on how these attacks are affecting children's access to education and their ability to get to school safely? Do you want me to--?

So let me maybe answer that question first. That is that is a great question, because this is one has been one of the choices of the Ukrainian authorities is to keep the schools open and to make sure that there is no lost, no lost generation. We know that life is dangerous these days in in Ukraine. Fortunately, there are shelters. But there is not enough shelters. And there is a shelter coalition that has been started based on the work that Ukraine has been doing with Finland from the start. And many other countries have joined that coalition, and UNDP has joined that coalition as well, with the ambition to create new shelters. Now, creating shelters is expensive, and it takes time. We have also systems of mobile shelters that we can use to bring to places such as schools. But targeting civil infrastructure is, as I said, something which is not acceptable. And definitely schools would be civil infrastructure if they would be a target at some point.

And thank you so much for your answer. And my second question is, a few weeks ago, we heard in a press briefing that happened here on Ukrainian detainees and I mean, civilian detainees, sorry, about 16,000 people still in Russian detention centers. I'm just wondering if you can give us any updates, if you can, on the situation and if there are any new mechanisms being put in place to help families get answers about their loved ones. And thank you.

My apologies on this question. I cannot provide you any fresh information. I mean, this has not been the topic of my visit here and has not been the topic of the work of UNDP here on site.

Last question, Noreen.

Thank you very much. My name is Noreen Hossain with IPS News. I just have one question. By your estimates, how long will it take to restore the energy infrastructures in Ukraine, and if it is even safe to do so in the current conditions?

Well, let me repeat what I said during my briefing. Obviously, condition number one would be an unconditional ceasefire, and an unconditional ceasefire that should lead into a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. If that were the case, restoring the energy infrastructure would, of course, be much easier. Today, I cannot deny that the work that we are doing is dangerous work, and it's dangerous for UN staff. It is dangerous for contractors with whom we work. And unfortunately, life in Ukraine is dangerous for everyone who is here, for the Ukrainians and anyone who is here. An estimate in how much time it would take is actually really, really difficult, because it really depends on the circumstances in which we work. But let me use this occasion to really demand for a ceasefire. A ceasefire would make life for the Ukrainians much less stressful. and would make it easier to help them through winter, which is, in any doubt, even if there would be a ceasefire, it is going to be a tough winter for Ukrainians in any case.

If I could ask a quick follow-up then, I mean, as you've just said that we would need an immediate ceasefire. Now, if Ukraine and Russia were to reach a ceasefire today or tomorrow, by that measure, how long would it take then for work to begin to restore the infrastructures? Like, if you could give us a timeframe.

Well, first of all, restoring the infrastructure is not waiting for the end of the war. I mean, we have been restoring infrastructure from the start of this war, and there is absolutely no reason to wait for the end of war to restore the infrastructure. And thanks to our partners, we have been able to do this, and despite the war, we will continue doing this. Estimates and how much time it would take, obviously, to restore the full scale of the devastation that we have seen here, it would take years. But that goes beyond energy infrastructure, of course. But the latest estimate that has been done by the World Bank and by UN organizations of the cost of restoring the damages of war is beyond $600 billion. I mean, these are gigantic amounts of money. And I think it shows the gigantic endeavor that is in front of us if we would be able to start full-scale restoration, which can only happen if the war would stop. Okay.

I'd like to thank once more our guest, Alexandre de Croo, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme. Thank you very much for this briefing, and good luck as you wrap up your work in Kyiv. Thank you. Have a good afternoon, everyone.