Armenia, Middle East & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Great. Good afternoon again. We will be joined just a programming note tomorrow we'll be joined virtually by Jose Barahona, who is the resident coordinator in Djibouti, who will brief you on the current humanitarian situation in Djibouti having to do with the issues surrounding migrants. We were just in Bangkok, so let's stay in that area. The Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed is also in Bangkok, where she arrived to participate in the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, just like the Administrator. As part of her engagements, Ms. Mohammed met with senior officials from governments, the World Bank, and World Bank Group, and the UN system, and members of the Secretary General's the members of the Secretary General's expert group on debt. At a ministerial event on food security, maritime choke points, and crisis solutions, the Deputy Secretary-General warned that the war in the Middle East risks triggering far-reaching economic and development crisis. She stressed the importance of cooperation between the UN, the World Bank, and member states to sustain essential civilian trade and strengthen food security, underscoring that today's conflict must not become tomorrow's hunger crisis. On Thursday morning, the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will arrive in the Armenian capital Yerevan, and he is there to attend the Leaders' Summit ahead of the 17th meeting of the Conference of Parties on the Convention on Biological Diversity. That will be COP17. During his stay in the country, the Secretary-General will have bilateral meetings with the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vagan Kocharyan, and the Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan. Late in Today, the Secretary-General will attend the official opening ceremony of the Leaders' Summit, and he will also participate in the media launch of the State of Biodiversity Action Report. The Secretary-General will be joined by the Minister of Environment of Armenia and the President of COP17, Humbardzum Metezvoryan, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Program, Inger Andersen, and the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schumacher. On Friday, he will deliver remarks at the opening and plenary session of the Leaders' Summit. In his remarks, he's expected to warn that right now our world is being rocked by conflict, shocked by climate change, and famished by food insecurity. He also will say that biodiversity is not a separate challenge. He's expected to underscore that progress on all these crises depends on progress on the others, and the window to act is closing. Calling on governments and financial leadership, he will urge all to act with the urgency this moment demands for our future, for our children, and for all life on Earth. The Secretary-General will also meet and engage in discussions with civil society groups, including groups of young people. Also traveling is Jean-Pierre Lacroix, our Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. He is he arrived in Beirut in Lebanon today for meetings with Lebanese authorities, including President Aoun, Speaker Berri, Prime Minister Salam, as well as the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, General Rodolph Heikel. He will also be meeting members of the diplomatic community in Beirut. Discussions are focusing on the implementation of Resolution 1701, the work of the Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, as it prepares for its drawdown at the end of the year, as well as the perspectives for Lebanon after December 31st, once the UNIFIL mandate ends. On Thursday, Mr. Lacroix will go to Nakhoura to meet with the leadership of the peacekeeping mission as well as its staff. And from whoops, sorry. And from there, he will travel to from Lebanon, he will travel to Syria, where he will meet with the authorities of as well as representatives and the leadership of the UN Disengagement Force, UNDOF, which is based, as you know, in the Golan. He will then visit the headquarters of the UN Truth Supervision Organization, UNSO, which is in Jerusalem, where he will also meet with the mission leadership and staff before concluding his regional visit by traveling to Iraq. There, he will meet with colleagues from the UN Mine Action Service and partners to see firsthand the impact of their work in addressing explosive ordnance threats and supporting the recovery and safety of impacted communities. He will also meet with Iraqi leadership in Baghdad. And just to know, yesterday he was in Jordan, where he met in Amman with representative of the kingdom's security institutions. They discussed Jordan's continued support for UN peacekeeping as well as the situation in region. Throughout his visit, Mr. Lacroix will have opportunities to express solidarity and support for UN peacekeepers, troop-contributing countries, mission partners, and of course, the communities they serve. The visit comes as peacekeeping operations face a significant financial and operational challenge while carrying out their mandates in an increasingly complex environment. We will share additional details of his travel as they become available. This morning, the Secretary-General was in the Fifth Committee, where he presented the proposed 2017 program budget. Presenting his proposal, the Secretary-General described it as part of his broader reform agenda that he has pursued since his first day in office almost 10 years ago. And he has pursued that with urgency and with purpose. The challenges before us are profound, he said. Geopolitical divisions continue to deepen. conflicts persist across regions, and humanitarian needs are soaring. International law is being trampled. Climate change disruption is hitting every continent. Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies and societies. And the Sustainable Development Goals are slipping further from reach. In this year of uncertainty and fragmentation, the need for the UN has never been greater. Mr. Guterres reiterated that member states must fulfill their financial obligations in full and on time, as required by the charter of this organization, to which every member state has signed on to. The Secretary General also stressed that the organization also needs predictable financing and timely payments of these contributions to implement the mandates the member states themselves have approved. Those remarks were shared with you. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that we and our partners continue to bring supplies into Gaza despite the ongoing restrictions, the ongoing insecurity, and the ongoing funding shortfalls. Yesterday, our humanitarian colleagues reported airstrikes in the vicinity of the Israeli holding point at Rafah, where humanitarian convoys, alongside commercial traffic, often wait for extended periods of time for Israeli security clearance to actually proceed to their destination. Planned movements and teams en route to the Karim Shalom/Abu Salem crossing had to hold their positions before they could continue to the crossing. Such incidents highlight the risks associated with prolonged waiting at the holding point. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but this, as we said, underscores the clear and present danger that our colleagues who face every single day as they go about their work in Also yesterday, UNICEF collected 450 pallets of tarpaulins and more than 450 pallets of winter clothing kits from the crossing. UNICEF says it's scaling up its response in order to reach about half a million children in Gaza and their families, helping them stay warm, safe, and protected during the harsh winter months. On food production, our friends at FAO said over the past year, it's distributed the equivalent of more than 430 metric tons of animal feed every month. This is four times the rate before the ceasefire agreement. We continue to call for the full and unrestricted entry of agricultural inputs and equipment to allow for full recovery. of the agricultural sector in Gaza. Turning to the West Bank, our humanitarian colleagues and their partners are supporting Palestinian farmers and olive pickers ahead of the olive harvest season. Our partners have identified areas that require working to protect farmers from attacks by Israeli settlers so they can harvest their crops safely and on time. Partners have called for flexible funding for interventions to help respond to the needs of the affected Palestinian communities. Turning to Yemen, I can tell you that we continue to remain deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. We're also alarmed by the intense hostilities across multiple front lines, particularly in Taiz, which is having a devastating humanitarian consequences for civilians, as we've been telling you. We call upon the parties to exercise restraint and prevent any further escalation. We continue to urge them to also uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to refrain from direct attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and take constant care to spare both civilians and the infrastructure they use. There is no military solution to this conflict, as we've been saying repeatedly, and we're not the only ones saying it. We urge all parties to find a pathway to inclusive dialogue to reach a negotiated political settlement, and I can tell you that our Special Envoy for Yemen, Mr. Hans Groenberg, continues his work actively. Also, just a bit more on the humanitarian situation, especially around Taiz, which is leading to large-scale displacement and growing shortages of supplies. Despite the challenges, our colleagues on the ground report that we and our humanitarian partners have reached nearly 148,000 men, women, and children with emergency assistance since the start of August. Our partners say that basic supplies in Tai city are becoming increasingly scarce and, as a result, increasingly expensive. They warn that current wheat and flour supplies could out in less than three weeks. Petrol prices have tripled, and cooking gas is largely unavailable to the population in Tizi city. Food prices have reportedly risen about 50 percent. Fuel shortages are also affecting the water supply, putting water services at risk. And, of course, that creates some very dangerous conditions for public health. Also, overcrowded displacement sites, inadequate access to clean water, and minimal health services. Today, WHO warns that suspected cholera cases in Yemen have surged, not unsurprisingly. Of the more than 8,000 cases reported this year, a quarter were reported in the last four weeks alone. Children are also facing a growing risk for measles, while vaccination coverage remains critically low. Once again, we reiterate our call on the parties to allow for the safe, unhindered, and rapid distribution of humanitarian aid wherever it is needed and for whomever it is needed. Just to mention that yesterday, Claudio Cordone, our Deputy Special Envoy for Syria briefed the Council. He said that his office continues to engage with Syrian authorities on plans for future electoral events and possible UN support. The UN is also exploring with the government the possibility of supporting an international recovery and reconstruction conference grounded in Syria's own priorities. For his part, Mohamed Yaya, our Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that Syria presents a real opportunity for recovery, but without investment, it risks being missed. He noted that the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently 32 percent funded, highlighting the gap between the growing humanitarian needs and what is actually available for us to use. And earlier this morning, the Security Council heard a briefing from the Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia. He said that diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC have continued to make progress, including on the disarmament of the FDLR and the work of the expanded Joint Verification Mechanism Plus. At the same time, Mr. Shah warned that the security and humanitarian situation in the eastern DRC continues to deteriorate with ongoing hostilities, growing regional tensions, and the continued spread of Ebola. He stressed the need to sustain efforts to build confidence, strengthen regional cooperation, and ensure that peace processes are more inclusive, including through the meaningful participation of women and youth groups. And on the ground, I can tell you that our humanitarian colleagues are also concerned about the growing insecurity, especially in Ituri Province, which is putting displaced families at greater risk and disrupting both humanitarian operations and the response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak. According to civil society organizations fighting around the Rho displacement camp in Jugu territory, killed at least four civilians and forced additional displacement. That took place yesterday. A health facility serving more than 5,000 people was just burnt down. The Ro sites host more than 50,000 displaced people. Since last September, at least five humanitarian organizations have relocated staff and temporarily suspended operations because of insecurity, which has an obvious knock-on effect on services available to the people in the camp. OCHA warns that the security situation could further hinder the Ebola surveillance, contact tracing, and referral of suspected cases. This comes as the national authorities report more than 9,000 reported Ebola cases and over 4,300 deaths. Meanwhile, the peacekeepers tell us that MONUSCO remains vigilant and continues to deploy robust patrols in response to heightened insecurity in Ituri. Once again, all parties must protect civilians. They must respect international law, and they must ensure safe and unhindered access for humanitarian goods and services. Staying in Africa, yesterday in Addis Ababa, the quintet focusing on Sudan, excuse me in Addis Ababa, the quintet on Sudan, which brings together the UN, the European Union, the League of Arab States, IGAD, and the African Union, continued its consultations with Sudanese civilian and political stakeholders, meeting with a broad platform of antiwar civilians and political forces, including entities such as the group known as Somoud. The consultations form part of the ongoing engagement with a broad political spectrum of Sudanese political and civilian stakeholders aimed at supporting preparations for an inclusive, Sudanese-owned and Sudanese-led political dialogue and future political process. Further consultations with policy stakeholders are planned for the coming weeks. Building on these discussions, Peika Havisto, the personal envoy of the Secretary-General, looks forward to the sixth consultative meeting on enhancing coordination of peace initiatives and efforts in Sudan, which he will co-host with the Swiss Confederation in Geneva. The meeting will bring together member states sponsoring major initiatives, members of the so-called Quad, neighboring regional countries. and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Staying in the Horn of Africa, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that humanitarian access is gradually starting to improve in some areas in the north of Ethiopia that had been impacted by recent fightings. Aid organizations are now reaching North Wollo and Wagh Anra zones in the Amhara region, as well as some of the areas in Afar and Tigray regions. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that incidents of looting are continuing in Tigray. Humanitarian partners tell us that a hospital in the town of Adwa was looted on Monday. They also receive reports of looting impacting other public infrastructure and institutions. Our partners also report that displacement continues across northwest Tigray, although reliable and verified figures are not yet available to us. We reiterate our call there as well for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all impacted areas and the full protection of civilians and resources that we need to help them. A quick note from Panama, where UNICEF colleagues tell us that estimate that more than 8,000 children are in need of humanitarian assistance following the earthquake. Authorities tell us that 656 educational facilities were damaged and classes continue to be suspended. Yesterday, in coordination with the government, UNICEF and its partners have scaled up emergency response, deploying additional personnel and relief supplies, installing emergency tents next to hospitals, assessing water, sanitation, and education needs. UNICEF is appealing for $2.5 million to help with this critical work. I want to read into the record that yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General welcomed the decision by the General Assembly to approve his nomination of Isabelle Mercier of Canada as the new Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services. OIOS for a five-year, non-renewable term, as the resolution requires. She succeeds our friend Fatouma Tain Diallo of Senegal, to whom the Secretary-General expresses his gratitude for her dedicated service to the Organization. Ms. Mercier serves as the Director of the Independent Evaluation Office at UNDP. She's done that since 2023, as well as Chair of the UN Evaluation Groups. She brings over 20 years of leadership in multilateral organizations and government, and we congratulate her on her announced promotion and new job. We wish her luck. It's a tough job. Before I go to questions, we have a little quiz for you today. Not a money quiz. It's an international day quiz. If you already know what the day is, don't shout it. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earliest known reference to unusual animal behavior before a significant natural event comes from Greece in 373 B.C. Which animals reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days Before the earth shook, before an earthquake, what kind of animals do you think?

I think cats.

No, I mean, no, try again.

Dogs.

Nope.

Rats.

Yes, rats. Okay, very good, Edie. Rats, weasels, snakes, and centipedes. So what day do we think this is?

The day of the rat.

No, it is the International Day for Disaster risk reduction. Listen, watch your animal's behavior. This year's theme is marked under the theme "Resilience Starts at Home," I guess with pets. In his message it's this is actually a very serious subject. In his message, the Secretary General says millions of homes are damaged or destroyed every year, displacing families, deepening poverty, and he calls on all of us to commit to making every single home a resilient one. I don't want to say speaking of rats, but Edie, you got the animal, so you go first.

Those furry critters are pretty sneaky.

Yes, exactly. Tell me.

A question about the drone sinking of ships in the Black Sea. Two more were hit today. One sank. Sailors are missing. This has been going on off Bulgaria for recently. Does the Secretary General have any comment about these attacks?

Sure. We, of course, condemn attacks on these civilian ships that took especially the most recent one that took place in off the coast of Bulgaria. You know, it's very worrisome because these attacks on ships carrying grain, food, and other products destined for the global market have multiplied and have expanded recently. And it's also, it has a terrible knock-on effect on the price of commodities worldwide when you're also seeing the situation around the Strait of Hormuz. in the Red Sea, not to mention the risk, and often the fatal risk, faced by seafarers operating not only in the Black Sea, but in the Strait of Hormuz and in other parts of the world. And I think, in a sense, we all owe a debt of gratitude for all of these seafarers who continue to operate in extremely dangerous circumstances, just so that all the goods that we rely on for our lives keep moving. Namu. Sorry. Then Islam.

Thank you, Stefan. Earlier today, the General Assembly voted to elect 15 members of the Human Rights Council. There were exactly as many candidates as there were open seats. In other words, zero competition. Does the Secretary General think uncontested elections help or hurt the Council's credibility? Thank you.

Look, obviously, how the member states organize their elections is up to them. But what we've always said is that member states who are elected to this organization's highest human rights body have an added responsibility to protect human rights, not only in their own home country, but also to be strong advocates for the human rights globally. Islam, nice to see you in person.

Thank you, Stéphane. I have a couple questions. One is on Gaza. The U.S. State Department just released today a press release calling the ceasefire remarkable achievements. and, quote, "making real progress toward the demilitarized Gaza, where the Palestinians can live without Hamas rule, and Israel can have genuine and lasting security." Looking at the past year and almost 1,500 civilians died in Gaza, two questions. How hopeful Secretary General about the he called lesser fire, especially the further step, further phase on that ceasefire, while Israel keep pushing the yellow line? And second, what is the Secretary General take about the big gap between how United Nations described the success of ceasefire while the one of the hegemon power describes it.

Well, I don't think we're using any adjective to describe the ceasefire, which, frankly, sometimes the Secretary General has described as a lesser fire. I think two things are true at the same time. We continue to see Palestinian civilians suffer. We continue to see them being killed. We continue to see the expansion of the so-called yellow line. At the same time, what is also true is that we've been able to expand the volume of humanitarian aid that we bring in from what is being allowed by the Israelis for us to bring in. I mean, I just noted about the FAO. I think they brought in four times more animal feed since the cease-fire as they'd done before. So I think two things are true at the same time, and we will continue to talk about both of them. The Gaza peace plan was approved by the Security Council. We strongly believe that all of the parties involved in the peace plan have a responsibility to ensure that it moves forward for the sake of the Palestinian civilians, for the sake of Israelis civilians as well, for the sake of people living in this on that land. Our part of the our mention in that peace plan talks about the humanitarian distribution, which is what we've been doing at risk. I mean, I talk today I mean, about an airstrike near a holding point for humanitarian workers. I mean, our colleagues, day in and day out, continue to put their lives on the line to try to get that humanitarian aid in. It's incumbent on Israel to allow us to bring in more aid and more types of aid, as we've been talking about.

And if I may ask on West Bank, recently a video is cycling in the social media and also local media, including Israeli media, one of the Israeli settlers poisoning his own livestock, apparently to frame the Palestinians in the region, while the soldiers walk nearby. Does the Secretary General share concerns that the settler violence in occupied West Bank is merely the work of what Netanyahu called juvenile delinquents, But may you reflect more about the broader pattern of the state-enabled violence?

Well, I mean, I think if you look at the briefings by Dr. Lakbarov and others talking about the situation in the West Bank, we've been very clear in condemning the Israeli settler violence, in calling on the Israeli Government and the security forces to do what they are obliged to do, which is to protect the civilian population, the Palestinian civilian population as well, and to ensure that all those who are involved in violence are held to account. As for the video you mentioned, I haven't seen it. Yes, sir.

Eric Stadin, IT24 News. Regarding Lebanon, you mentioned UN officials meeting with Lebanese officials tomorrow, and the mandate for the UNIFIL ends this year by December 31st. How does the Secretary General sees the way forward security-wise, and does the European initiative is being considered positively also by the Secretary General?

Mr. Oh, the situation Currently, we've not been told of a post-December 31st plan, right? The Secretary General brought forth a number of options for a kind of a continued international presence under a UN mandate. The Security Council has not acted on that. Until it acts on it, we can't move forward. Come January 1st, unless there's some change, the mission will move into the drawdown and liquidation phase. The situation on the ground is not going to get magically better on January 1st. It will continue to be extremely dangerous, extremely worrying, and we very much hope that the international community comes up with a plan that will serve the populations of southern Lebanon and will also enable the population of northern Israel to go home.

Just one more thing, Just one more thing, excuse me. Regarding Yemen, you mentioned the involvement of the special envoy to Yemen. Does he speak to the Houthis? How is the communication going?

Yeah, he speaks he I mean, he speaks he has regular interaction with Houthi interlocutors.

Could there be diplomatic solution to this case?

Well, there has to be a diplomatic solution. If you're asking me, like, do we Are we optimistic or are we pessimistic, we continue to be determined to find one, Alex.

Thanks, Steph. I have a quick follow-up on the Secretary General's trip to Armenia. What will be on the agenda for the meeting between the SG and Armenian Prime Minister besides the COP17?

I would expect, obviously, the work of the UN in Armenia to be on the agenda, and of course, the regional security situation. Linda.

Thank you, Steph. Regarding the payment of UN dues for.

Peacekeeping -- Apropos of the payment of UN dues. Yes, I'm excuse me.

Apropos the payment of UN dues, both for peacekeeping and regular budget, again, how many of the 193 members are paid in full as of October 30th?

I will need to get you we every time we announce a payment, we tell you how many have paid. We will I should know that in my head. But I think it's about anyway, I'll get we'll get you the number as soon as the briefing's over. All right. No more questions online, in person, in the air. See you guys. No, you'll have Farhan tomorrow. I'm leaving with the boss.