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

All right, good afternoon. I see Carl up on the screen. If we could, I see him in the back. If we could put it up on the screen, that would be fantastic. Okay, it's coming. Carl, give us two seconds. bear with us. oh, there we go. carl, welcome. it takes us having a guest to start on time. so we're happy you are you're with us. as promised, we have with us carl skow, the acting from the World Food Program. He's connected from Jerusalem to discuss the impact of the funding cuts on WFP's operations in Gaza. And I know you were just there. So, Carl, please, you have the floor, and then we'll take some questions.

Thank you, Steph, and thanks to everyone who's dialing in and joining in the room. Like you said, I've been to Palestine over the past few days, and Israel. I've been in Gaza, West Bank, also in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv. And I wanted to be here now because we are about to enter the fourth winter. It's also the start of the olive harvest season. Attention seems to be moving away, and we are about to have to cut half a million people from our assistance, and we need to manage that. So that's the backdrop and the reason for why I'm here. As you know, I've been frequently to Gaza. I think it's my eighth time. We are now a year into the ceasefire. Three years into this terrible war, and so it was important for me to be on the ground again as acting executive director. I can start with what what hasn't changed since my last visit and then I'll move to what has changed. I mean, what hasn't changed? Number one, life in Gaza remains absolutely brutal still. People are living in flimsy makeshift shelters or their destroyed homes among sewage and piles of garbage. They line up with buckets at water trucks to get the clean water they need for the day. There are no jobs, no wake. no way of making an income. So, so, you know, life overall remains absolutely brutal in Gaza. On top of that, and what hasn't changed is that it's incredible dangers to be there. You know, my team has recorded or the U.N. teams have recorded around 50 attacks per day in the past week. And just to illustrate, I was at a hot meals distribution site close to the yellow line, and the day before, someone had got killed at that distribution point. They had since moved it behind some walls. As I was about to depart, we were delayed because they were shooting near one of the checkpoints. So this is just to illustrate that, you know, the security situation remains extremely, extremely dire. Moving to what has changed, I mean, clearly we have been able to push back on famine. The food security situation has somewhat stabilized, but this is all because of this massive effort from WFP over the past year. You know, we have been reaching basically the entire population every month with hot meals, with food parcels. We are supporting 80% of the bakeries in Gaza. We've also began as UNICEF, UNRWA partners began opening up the learning centers. We are providing school meals to children in those learning centers. So it's been a massive effort, and that's what has been the reason behind this progress. But this progress is still very fragile. I mean, these gains can be reversed. People are still not eating enough. You know, everyone I met yesterday in Gaza has, you know, they're eating once a day. in the camps that rely on hot meals, people were telling us that they don't have cooking gas. And so it's clear that-- and in the schools, I spoke to the girls in the schools who said that they had not been eating any breakfast. The first thing they had was the date bar and the apple that we provided them in that school. So again, just to illustrate that there has been important progress. We pushed back on famine. But the situation is far from stable and people are still not eating enough. And it's against that backdrop that we are now forced to cut our assistance by half a million people. And I want to be clear, this is not because the needs are going down. And it's not because we aren't able to bring in the food. This is only because we have less funding, that we don't have enough funding to continue at the levels that we have been at. We will do our best to prioritize those in most need. This is not an easy exercise. It will be those who are sick, the mothers and the children that are at risk of malnutrition, those who live closest to the yellow line, where whose safety are at risk and who are often pushed to move. And but it's clear these cuts are going to have an impact on the food security situation, and probably more broadly, because if I end on something in terms of changes, is that, you know, people are beginning to lose hope. There was hope at the start of the ceasefire, still also in January, February, that things would change for the better, that there would be tangible difference, that they would be able to rebuild their lives and I think now there is this sense of a standstill, that life is in a standstill. Many I spoke to feel forgotten by everyone, frankly. And so my message really coming out this time is that This isn't the time to look away. On the contrary, we need to make sure we step up now. We protect the gains we've been able to make. We sustain these programs that has been pushing back on famine, but also that we go beyond that. And I would point to three things. I mean, one is, yes, funding to sustain the lifesaving emergency food and cash work that we do. But second is to, you know, really resolve these restrictions on critical material, the so-called dual use, so there can be real improvements also in other sectors, you know, where UNICEF and other partners are engaged on the water and sanitation, you know, get some decent shelter. I mean, this is critical, really, especially as we head in now to another winter. It's hard to imagine what will happen when the rains begin to hit with these terrible shelters where hundreds of thousands are living and with, you know, sewage all over the place. And thirdly, as it relates to the food side, we need to get the markets to function. I mean, so that there is more diverse foods and cheaper foods on the markets. With that, the money we have available would get us much further and we could expand on the cash side instead. You know, commercials hasn't now also been entering at all for the past five days. And this is at a time when we need to scale up on the commercials. We need to build now on the people's ability to get food on their own. We would also like to begin some, you know, even if small scale production inside, you know, to grow food, but also to fish from the sea. So, you know, this is really my key message. One, to sustain the funding to keep up the work that we have done that has pushed back famine. Second is to do away with some of these restrictions on dual so that our partners, UNICEF and others, can move forward on shelter, sanitation, water. And third is to really make the markets function so that there will be more foods available, more diverse foods, and at a cheaper price. If I, before I conclude, Steph, just turn to the West Bank. I mean, I was you know, driving through the West Bank for a full day, going through many, many checkpoints, you know, I saw burned down olive fields and deserted camps and villages. It's now, as I mentioned, the start of the olive season, but the settler attacks over only these first two weeks of harvest have already surpassed the whole of last year in terms of number of attacks. And so, You know, this used to be a human rights and protection crisis, and primarily it's still a human rights and protection crisis, but it's now also becoming a hunger crisis because food insecurity has more than doubled in the last three years. Almost a million Palestinians now need food assistance. And yet, also in the West Bank, we are now forced to cut back. We have cut back from assisting some 400,000 in the past few weeks to, or in the past few weeks, only being able to assist some 200,000. Also there, we're trying to do our best to identify boost the most vulnerable. But that's also a hard exercise because many, many are suffering. And so, and again, it's the funding that is the problem. I would also add that, you know, as I'm sure you know, the situation has been very, very tense for a long time. But food is now a line that we cannot afford to cross. Because, as you know as well, the Where hunger spreads, instability follows. And so, once more, we really call on the international community to step up support, to use diplomatic tools to try to find a solution to this crisis we see in the West Bank, and urgently step up with funding so that we can sustain the programs and the assistance that we are providing to alleviate some of the pressures. I think I'll leave it at that. I'm happy to take any questions that you may have, Steph.

Thank you very much, Karl. First question will go to Edie.

Thank you very much, Mr. Skow, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association. Thank you for doing this briefing. As you know, my name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. A couple of follow-ups. When is the cut to 500,000 in Gaza taking effect? And how much money would it take to prevent the loss of assistance to those half a million people? And how much would it cost to prevent the loss of assistance to the 200,000 in the West Bank. And secondly, you talked about the dire security situation in Gaza. Who's responsible for this upsurge in violence and security incidents? Thank you.

Thank you. Go ahead, Carl.

I mean, on the on the security side, I mean, I wouldn't be able to point to who's responsible. All I can say is that there is, you know, some 40 to 50 on average, a serious security incidents with also, you know, air strikes and other strikes. And so, you know, exactly what the issues are there is for others to respond to, including in the UN system. What I can say is the impact that has on the people. I mean, I think UNICEF has reported that there has been one child killed every day since the ceasefire. And as I said, I spoke to families who had been displaced only days before because the yellow line had been moving. I also, as I said, was at a site where civilians had been killed the day before. unclear exactly what the reasons were, but they were also close to that yellow line. And there had been confrontations also at checkpoints as I was about to leave. So my point is rather than attributing responsibility here is to say that, you know, life in Gaza is remains extremely dangerous. And we're seeing this high number of security incidents daily. And this is at a time when there is an agreed ceasefire in place. And where I think, you know, the world thinks largely that that things are that, you know, this kind of insecurity has gone away. I think that's my point here. I think in terms of money, you know, this is an expensive operation. There's no doubt about that. Our ask to keep going is $450 million for the next six months. That is our ask. We will already now begin to implement these cuts in October. So that's imminent. That's what we're already doing. And as I said, we are trying to do that in as of a responsible way as possible. But it's clear that it's going to have an impact both humanitarian impact on food security, but I think beyond that also, you know, about the overall environment, both in the Gaza and in the West Bank.

And just a quick follow-up, that 450 million would cover both Gaza and the West Bank.

Correct.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for this briefing. This is Namo Abdullah with Rudaw Media Network. I have two questions. First, if you can talk more about the school situation. You said you visited a school. Are children back in classrooms or are families still living in them?

If you can give us a more detailed picture, I'd be grateful. Secondly, about the settler attacks on those olive farmers, are there anyone protecting these farmers?

On the second question, I can't answer. That would have to be from others as well. But what I refer to is just the numbers I was given. I didn't see any of those attacks myself, but there has been more violent attacks in the first two weeks of the harvest than all of last year. And, of course, this is having an impact on the overall food security situation because people cannot harvest, they can't reach their farms, they can't reach their animals. But beyond that, also the food prices have spiked on the West Bank. I think that's partly due also to the overall global environment when it comes to food and energy prices, but it's also because of constraints on, on imports, uh, uh, that they are living through, and then there is a, a broader, uh, you know, economic shock, uh, given that, uh, workers are no longer, uh, uh, able to work in Israel. And I think that three years into this crisis, it's now having a real impact on people. So I think there is a number of factors that is causing this situation of food security increasing on the West Bank. I think on the school situation, I mean, if there is any element of hope, it is to visit these schools run by the or UNICEF or other partners. And our contribution there is we provide a date bar. And as I said, over the past few weeks after summer, we've also been able to add a fresh food or vegetable, a cucumber or an apple to that date bar. What happens is that they do three-hour shifts. So three hours in the early morning, three hours midday, and then three hours in the afternoon. So you get basically three classes into a classroom in a day. And they do three-day shifts. So you basically have two blocks in one week. So three days, three days. The shelters, the shelter schools that I went to are not yet back in the classrooms because they are still being used as shelter for families. It's tents that are put up, temporary tents in the middle of the schoolyard. And they have been able to clear that schoolyard from from shelters. And so that's how this has been organized for now. I understand that, you know, only some 300,000 children are officially provided. I think there are private options as well. So maybe there are some 400,000 to 500,000. That's something that UNICEF would have to answer to. But what I heard is that there is a million children. And at the schools I went to, I saw queues outside with children and parents lining up to try to have their kids register. So there is a lot of demand. I mean, it's impressive to see this commitment to education among the kids and their parents. And of course, that we are then able to provide that school lunch is really having a great impact, not only on making sure that children get some nutrition every day, but it, of course, also helps making sure that the kids can prioritize to come to school and also that they can focus on on the schoolwork and being with their friends while they are there. I mean, I must say that, you know, if there was an element of hope, a glimmer of hope in my visit, it was the time I spent in three of these, in these schools.

Thank you. Any other questions for Carl?

Yes, please, Jesus.

Good morning from EFE, Spanish news agency. So of the 500,000 people who lost food assistance this month, how many will be left without any?

Other source of food? And what will happen to them if additional funding does not come in?

I mean, We are not, we are going to try to avoid cutting completely people off. If there are people that we feel are really well off, stable, because they receive a salary or they have a business, I mean, that's what we could consider. But otherwise, we will look at. how we can rotate. So you receive maybe support one month, but not the next month, or you support one day a hot meal, but not the next day. But like I said, I mean, this is going to impact on the food security situation. Maybe there is a smaller group who can fend for themselves. They either have an income or they get the assistance from outside. They can they can, you know, they can, they can really do on their own. But that's, that's certainly not the majority. And we will have to closely monitor the impact as well, and update you on how this impacts on the overall food security. I'm worried that without having commercial, not having markets function at the same time, this is going to have a serious impact. That's why we're, you know, relentlessly advocating for that because if we got that commercial side to function better, if we got a free flow of products, you know, that would mean more diverse food on the market at lower prices and it would certainly make sure, make every dollar we manage to mobilize go further. It would also help, frankly, with providing some normalcy and more dignity to people if they could go to one of our retail shops and choose what to buy. And so, you know, that's really a top priority. In addition to making sure that our programs are funded so we can sustain the operation we have, it's really to push the envelope when it comes to the private sector, the markets, the commercial sector, because that would have a huge impact on people's lives.

All right, Carl, it looks like you're off the hook. Thank you so much for.

I have a question on.

Sorry, go ahead. Thank you.

Sorry, my name is from the, I have two questions 1st, if you have any extra preparation for the winter, which is on the doors now, it's coming soon and the 2nd, have you traced any kind of. gangs or militias who try to interfere with the distribution of food or distribution centers. Thank you.

Thank you for that. I mean, number one, we don't really on the food side have any special winter preparations, but there is ongoing discussions, of course, in the UN and humanitarian team about how best to support also entering into this fourth winter season. And as I said, I think the most urgent piece is here to find solutions to some of these restrictions. on dual use goods that are essential to improve the sanitation situation, the water sanitation and the shelter situation. And I think, you know, that is that's the main point when it comes to preparations for winter. I think on the issue of interference, to be very honest, you know, I think we have had three incidents since the start of this war with a massive operation providing, you know, food and support to the entire population almost every month. Three such interferences. is we have made statements publicly and informed donors on every occasion. So that is not the issue in Gaza for the moment. We, of course, don't know what's going to happen going forward. But so far, we are able to operate. As I said, these cuts are not because of the operating environment or because we are not able to bring food in or that the needs are not there. I mean, the queues in our food distribution points are always very long. It is because we don't have the money to continue.

Thank you, Carl. Thank you. Go ahead, Abd al-Hamid.

Thank you.

I have this one. Thank you, Carl. Thank you very much. Safe travels, and we hope to see you here in person soon. Take care.

Thank you for having me. Thank you.

Great. We'll start with the briefing in a second. Good afternoon. Welcome to a brand new week, a brand new Monday. In a short while, we will have Carlos Ruiz Massieu, our special representative for the Secretary General in Haiti. He just briefed the Security Council and he will be joining us here in person. Tomorrow, my guest will be Robin Geiss, the Director of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, otherwise known as UNIDIR. He'll be briefing you on the launch of a range of new initiatives from the UNIDIR Center of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security, which is working with governments around the world, industry, academia and civil society to advance the governance of military AI issues such as autonomous weapons, misuse by non-state groups, and convergence with other technologies like nuclear and cyber. It will be a very cheery briefing, no doubt. Our Secretary-General is on his way back to New York following an official visit to Indonesia. Today, he visited the Indonesian Armed Forces Peacekeeping Center, where he paid tribute to Indonesia's longstanding commitment to U.N. peacekeeping. At the center, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in honor of the four Indonesian peacekeepers who recently lost their lives in southern Lebanon while serving with UNIFIL, as well as many other Indonesian soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to grant protection and safety to allow for other people to survive in difficult circumstances. Speaking to Indonesian personnel who will soon be deployed with U.N. peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, the secretary-general stressed that no one should die serving the cause of peace and that violations demand accountability. He said he will continue to call member states to uphold their obligations to ensure the safety and security of U.N. personnel in at all times. Also today, the Secretary-General delivered an address on the future of multilateralism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. He underscored that the answer to deepening frustration with multilateralism is not less multilateralism. Instead, it is better multilateralism. He said that we cannot risk a fragmented world. Speaking to the media afterwards in a joint press encounter with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Secretary-General highlighted that Indonesia is a fitting place to spotlight the role that emerging economies can and must have in our increasingly multipolar world. All of his remarks were shared with you, and over the weekend, he held a bilateral meeting with the President of Indonesia, President Subianto. They also discussed the reform of the multilateral system and progress towards achieving the 2030 development goals. the meeting, the Secretary-General thanked Indonesia for its support for multilateralism and the United Nations, including through peacekeeping contributions. Secretary-General will be back in the office tomorrow. You just heard from Karl detailing the situation both in Gaza and the West Bank, but I wanted to give you a bit more information given to us by our colleagues at the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Over the weekend, our safety and security partners said that most Most reported airstrikes, shelling, gunfire, and naval fire were west of the so-called yellow line. Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners warn that funding shortfalls combined with ongoing restrictions have begun reversing gains achieved since the announcement of a ceasefire over a year ago. Our shelter partners tell us about 60 percent of the funding required to help families prepared for the cold and rainy seasons remains unmet. That's a gap of 186 million dollars out of the 183 million that we need. 11 of our partners working on water tell us that they might have to discontinue the trucking of drinking water in the coming months. This would impact about 360 out of 3,500 water distribution points. Meanwhile, in recent weeks, funding shortages have led to the closure of at least 10 child protection service points and safe spaces, while another 57 are currently at risk of closures, partial suspension, or reduced operations. 17 dedicated spaces for women and girls remain closed due to funding and safety issues. Overall, the flash appeal for 2026 covering all humanitarian sectors across the occupied territory remains just over 40% funded. And in the West Bank, shortfalls are also affecting humanitarian response. Settler attacks linked to the olive harvest are exceeding those seen in previous years, with the impact outpacing the capacity of our humanitarian partners to fully respond. Palestinian olive pickers are being injured every day, while families are losing the groves they depend on for their livelihoods. The loss of these vital sources of income risk deepening the humanitarian needs in the coming months and years ahead. It is critical that both funding shortfalls and persistent restrictions are urgently addressed. Civilians and their livelihoods must be protected at all times. And just staying in the region, moving north to UNIFIL, our peacekeeping mission there continues to monitor and report all violations under Security Council Resolution 1701. UNIFIL recorded several Israeli airstrikes from Friday through Sunday in both of their sectors. Peacekeepers also recorded all extensive artillery, mortar, and firing activities, as well as engineering works across both Sector East and West. Again, we urge all parties to avoid actions that could further increase tensions. Restrictions on UNIFIL's freedom of movement continues. On October 16th, Israeli tanks blocked a UNIFIL logistics convoy near Al-Bayada in Sector West, preventing the delivery supplies to our own positions. Roadblocks and obstacles on several routes have forced the cancellation of planned patrol and logistics convoys. As you can imagine, UNIFIL needs to be able to carry out its mandated tasks safely and without any obstruction, as authorized by the Security Council. The head of the peacekeeping mission, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, continues his tour of the Middle East. He concluded a visit to Syria today, where he met with the leadership of UNDOF. Mr. Lacroix thanked peacekeepers for their critical work in the Golan and underscored the importance of the U.N.'s partnerships, including member states, to help the mission address growing challenges. His next stop is a visit to the headquarters of UNSO, the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization that is based in Jerusalem. There, he will meet with the mission's leadership and staff. He'll also meet with senior Israeli government and military officials to discuss the work of its peacekeeping mission in the region. He'll conclude regional visit by going to Iraq. We'll obviously continue to update you on his activities. Just want to flag that the new special representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, arrived in Kabul and is now taking up her post as head of the political mission there. As you know, Ms. Fatima brings over 30 years of experience in national public service to the position -- national and international public service to the position. You will hear -- you have heard from Mr. Ruiz Massieu, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, when he briefed the Security Council in an open meeting, so I won't go into everything that he said, and he'll be here as well. But just on the humanitarian front, our OCHA colleague, Stella, said hundreds of thousands of children in Haiti are struggling to continue their education under the shadow of continued violence and continued forced displacement. According to UNICEF, over 1,600 schools closed, and 95 are being used to shelter displaced families. Keeping children in school is critical to protecting them from recruitment by armed groups. UNICEF reports that the number of children in Haiti recruited and used by armed groups surged by an estimated 200% last year alone. In September, we and our humanitarian partners helped nearly 3,000 children access alternative learning opportunities, including catch-up classes and non-formal education. We also distributed school backpacks and notebooks and pens to more than 4,600 children, provided psychosocial support to 2,000, and helped over 175 displaced children return to the national education system. However, as you can imagine, the funding is not keeping pace with the growing needs. The education response under the Humanitarian Response Plan has only gotten 30 percent of the $61.7 million. that we need, and we need more money. Turning to Ukraine, I can tell you that -- because a number of you have asked me about this and what we saw over the weekend -- the Secretary-General strongly condemns the escalating daily attacks on Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and other Ukrainian cities by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which are reportedly causing a record number of civilian casualties and resulting in major damage to civilian infrastructure, including critical energy infrastructure, which is obviously extremely important as we head into the winter. The Secretary General is also deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian casualties as a result of increased attacks by Ukrainian armed forces in the Russian Federation, including the recent attacks around St. Petersburg, all attacks targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure. or must stop wherever they occur, and they are violations of international humanitarian law and must end immediately. Meanwhile, on the grounds, our humanitarian partners and ourselves are continuing to support evacuations in Ukraine from frontline areas, and we continue to provide assistance to the people in those areas that are fleeing hostilities, despite the escalating security risks and continued attacks on civilian and humanitarian infrastructure. And I want to note that we are alarmed by the attack on Sunday that damaged the premises of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society in Kherson. Turning to Guatemala, the Secretary-General condemns the killing of Juan Francisco Solozano Foppa, the former prosecutor and head of Guatemala's tax authorities, and other individuals in the same attack that took place in Guatemala City on October 17. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to their families and to their loved ones. The Secretary-General calls for a prompt, thorough, and independent, impartial investigation on these tragic events. and that those responsible for these attacks are brought to justice. The Secretary-General reiterates the importance of ensuring a safe and enabling environment for all individuals who work to strengthen the rule of law, to combat corruption, and to defend human rights and participate in public life. Turning to Sudan, we are alarmed by the continued deadly drone strikes across the country that are killing civilians, including children, and that are disrupting essential services. Our humanitarian Our humanitarian colleagues on the ground say that drones reportedly struck several locations in Khartoum today, including an area near the airport. One civilian reportedly killed and some flights were canceled following the attacks. Over the weekends, drone attacks reportedly killed at least 19 people, including 10 children, and injured others across West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Kordofan State. We condemn all of these attacks unequivocally. We are also deeply and by the killing of a Sudanese Red Crescent volunteer last week while providing who was providing first aid at a health center in Omdurman, Blue Nile State. That followed a drone attack on the facilities. Since the conflict began in April of 2023, 25 Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers have reportedly been killed while on duty. The targeting of those who put their own lives at risk to help others in humanitarian setting is particularly heinous. We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and personnel, must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law. Despite these immense challenges, we and our humanitarian partners continue to deliver crucial assistance wherever we can. In Central Darfur State, our partners recently rehabilitated a water facility in Zelengey, restoring access to safe water for some 2,500 people. More than 2,000 families across several localities also received water, sanitation, and hygiene support. Once again, we need more funding to sustain all of these lifesaving operations. With less than three months left in the year, Sudan's humanitarian response plan is just over 43 percent funded. we have $1.25 billion of the nearly $2.9 billion that we so urgently need. And turning to the situation in Yemen and Saudi Arabia, I can tell you that we remain deeply concerned about the continued military escalation in the region. We are alarmed also by the continued Houthi attacks across Saudi Arabia, including attacks that impacted civilian and energy infrastructure, as well as intense hostilities across multiple front lines, particularly in Taiz. city, which is causing significant displacement and suffering, and I'll update you on the humanitarian situation there in a moment. We call on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid further escalation that could have that could increase the devastating political economic and security consequences for Yemen and the region we continue to urge all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to refrain from directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and to take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and the the objects they rely on we urge all parties to engage constructively with special envoy, Hans Grundberg, to find a pathway to an inclusive dialogue to reach a negotiated political settlement. And just to note that just before leaving Jakarta, the Secretary-General received a phone call from President Rashad Al-Alimi, the president of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen. They, of course, discussed the conflict in Yemen and its regional implications. On the humanitarian front, especially looking at Taiz, our tell us that the city itself is now increasingly cut off from the outside world. More than a quarter of a million people have been displaced by the conflict since the beginning of August. More than 82,000 people have fled this month alone, with the majority from Taiz Governorate. Conditions inside the city are deteriorating rapidly, as one can imagine. Our humanitarian partners distributed the last available food packages last week. Families now depend on markets, where, not surprisingly, prices have surged hitting more than 50 percent. Water supplies have fallen off and cooking gas is very limited. Hospitals continue to report that medicines, oxygen, and fuel are running out. Despite these challenges, we and our partners have reached more than 163,000 people across Yemen with emergency assistance since August. Our partners have provided emergency cash to more than 92,000 people, food assistance to more than 88,000, clean water and sanitation to more than 65,000, and health care more than 38,500. Teams have screened more than 67,000 children and pregnant and breastfeeding women for malnutrition. But the needs, as we've been saying, continue to outpace the response, with four in 10 verified households still waiting for emergency assistance. We're also concerned about the growing risk of cholera in overcrowded displacement camps. We continue to be concerned also about access constraints. Since October 8, our partners have not been able to move between Taita in the districts of the south, supplies in Aden and in warehouses in Al-Turba area cannot reach the people who need them. Insecurity and road closures continue to delay assistance to newly displaced families. We call on all parties to allow for the safe, sustained, and unhindered distribution of humanitarian aid wherever it is needed. Just lastly, I wanted to note that our colleagues at UNHCR tell us that at least 12 people, including an infant, are reported to have died during two shipwrecks off the coast of the Greek islands of ****** and Samos that took place today. Search and rescue efforts are continuing off Samos, where the full circumstances are still being established. This incident is, if we needed another stark reminder, but that refugees and migrants continue to put their life and the ones of their children at risk, undertaking dangerous journeys across the sea in search of safety, protection, and just a chance for a better life. At the end of September of this year, an estimated 2,444 people have been reported dead or missing in the three Mediterranean and West African Atlantic maritime routes since the start of the year. No money, no International Day, so no quiz for you, but Edie, feel free to quiz me.

Thanks, Steph. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the attack on members of the Gang Suppression Force in Haiti and the fact that four members from El Salvador are now missing?

I mean, I can tell you, obviously, we condemn such kidnapping and we call for their immediate and safe release. But I have no doubt that Carlos Ruiz Messier will have more on that as well. Madame.

Thank you, Stephane. Concerning UNIFIL, the mandate, did the Secretary-General assess the potential security consequences of UNIFIL's withdrawal from South Lebanon? particularly regarding the implementation of Resolution 1701, the stability along the Blue Line, and the capacity of the Lebanese Armed Force to maintain security in the area of the missions, after the missions depart.

I think it's pretty easy to imagine what a vacuum would create for conditions on the ground if UNIFIL is not replaced by some other international presence on the ground. The Secretary General himself has given the Security Council a number of options. We very much hope that discussions within council members are ongoing. We've seen also proposals put forward by the European Union and others, but the situation along the blue line is far from stable and far from safe.

As a follow-up, what are the options on the table?

Well, the options were outlined in a letter which you have from the Secretary General that was sent to the Council a number of months ago. Another question regarding the Security Council. Go ahead. Go ahead.

Okay. There is a meeting on Wednesday on this implementation of Resolution 1559. Who will be briefing the Council?

I will get back to you on that.

Thank you.

Okay. Zor.

Thank you very much. Is it working?

It's working. I can hear you.

I have a few follow-up questions, please, on France. First, is the Secretary-General alarmed by the level of destruction that we saw on Saturday, particularly the destruction of public institutions, including the burning of Limoges historic town hall?

Yeah, I mean, I think the images that we saw are shocking, or should be shocking to anyone who has seen them. As we said, it is, whether it's in France or anywhere else in the world, that people who have grievances should be able to demonstrate safely and peacefully. And this kind of violence that we've seen is extremely concerning, indeed.

One more. Specifically in Paris, we've seen protesters place a yellow vest on the statue of Marianne, and the message says, and I quote, "The police are mutilating high schoolers." I know that there are several reports of serious injuries to students, and my question is, once again, Is the Secretary General planning to engage with the French government, given how important the concerns of these students are, specifically education, living costs, and young people's rights?

I mean, listen, we've seen demonstrations by young people all over the world expressing their concerns about their own future, the education they receive. It's incumbent on any government to engage with people who have, especially with young people, who have grievances. Yes, madam.

Thank you, Steph. Follow-up on France protests. There have been reports of tear gas use. Does the UN believe that the government can take a tougher stance in order to stop the vandalism because the damages are so huge?

Look, every government has, and again, whether it's in France or anywhere else, every government has responsibility to keep its citizens safe, right? And so I think that is a responsibility of any government, and I think that's That's where I'll stay. Stop. Thank you. All right. Any other questions? All right. Let me, if you can stand by, we'll get our guests and I'll be with you in a second.

All right, everyone. We're very pleased to have as our guest for today, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Haiti, who has just briefed the Security Council. And he can now talk to you about the conditions in Haiti and the work of the UN mission there. Mr. Ruiz Massieu, welcome.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here, as always. Yeah, as you were saying, we had a meeting of the Security Council where myself and also the special representative of the GSF and Daniela Kroselak as head of UNSO, we all briefed the Council on the current situation. I have to say, first on the meeting, there was a very positive meeting with a lot of support to Haiti and to Haiti's efforts to alleviate and to improve the situation on many fronts, very supportive of a comprehensive approach towards Haiti. Clearly, security is the most pressing need, as we all are aware. And on that front, I briefed them on, well, first on the positives, the GSF has been strengthening its capacity in the country. They are reaching around more 2,000 elements from different countries, different contingents. They are increasing the tempo of operations, which is important in phasing off the gangs threat towards the population. But we also express concerns about the recent, I would say, tactics of the gangs in terms of retaliation. As you are probably aware, when the Council had an emergency meeting in August, there was a massacre in Kenscoff conducted by the gangs in those areas. And most recently, in the area of Artibonite, the department Artibonite, they, after an operation of the GSF, then the gangs retaliate against the population. So this is an area of concern. Evidently, we trust and expect the different security forces, in particular, in this case, the Haitian capacities in the police and that they can protect the population in general against this kind of actions. Also, we express and explain the status of the electoral preparations. As you know, the Haitians have made strides in terms of the electoral progress, particularly after 10 years, more than 10 years without elections. They started registration of voters, they started registration of candidates. Still more efforts are to be done and they have decided to extend some of the deadlines for these specific aspects. And they are about to review the electoral calendar. So clear messages. about having realistic candidates, dates, sorry, for the electoral calendar, in particular, in order to send a message also of certainty and of credibility vis-a-vis the political actors in the country. Besides on the security front, also, as you're probably aware, there was an ambush yesterday against the GSF, where four soldiers from the Salvadorian contingent were victims of this ambush. So clearly we are on the ground. They are still search operations. At the same time, they have active engagements, operations of the GSF coordinated with the government of Haiti. in the area, but the most important is that we hope that the four Salvadorian soldiers come back safe, I would say home in the sense of back to where the GSF is living. Now, on the comprehensive approach that I was mentioning, efforts are being developed also in having a DDR disarmament, dismantlement, and reintegration program where we are helping the Haitians put it together. So those are, we brief them on developments, on progress made on that account, and clearly on the situation of human rights that due to the gang violence, still the situation is very dire by for the population. In between January and October, we reported that there are more than 4,000 people being killed, also almost 2,000 injured. Activities related to kidnapping have also spiked up. Sexual violence and sexual violence as a tool of war being utilized by the gangs. And we brief the Council on that. So I probably will stop there initially to see if there are areas where our journalist friends wants me to go more in depth or any particular question in regards to the situation. But thanks again for having me.

Thanks so much for your briefing. And we'll now turn the floor over to questions. First question goes to Edith Lederer.

Thank you very much. Mr. Ruiz, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, thank you for doing this briefing. As Farhan said, my name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. A couple of follow-ups. First, do you have any idea, does the UN have any idea of who may have kidnapped these four Salvadorian members of the gang suppression force. Secondly, when do you realistically think that elections could take place? And third, what's your comment on former President Michel Martelly announcing that he will be a candidate? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for the questions. Well, on the first one, they are in the area where they were ambushed, they are two groups that work or that have influence or, I would say, control in that area. I can give you specific details on the names and et cetera. So that's what I can tell in terms of the area where they were ambushed. We are very much in contact with the GSF and with Jack Christophides as head of the GSF. So all the information that we get is from, from them. Um, so we will, obviously we are completely in a permanent contact to, to know how things are evolving. I would say that until they finish their search operation, hopefully locating and then bringing back the soldiers probably is when they probably will be more clear in terms of who could have been behind the activity in itself. But there are particularly two groups that work in the area, which is an area very close to Port-au-Prince, in an area called Croix-de-Bouquet, that is a very problematic zone where the GSF clearly will be conducting different operations now and potentially in the near future. On the elections date, well, the different, in this case, the Electoral Council, provisionally, is discussing, is consulting with different actors. I met with the President of the Electoral Council before coming to New York, and he's starting these consultations with political parties, with civil society, in order to see, and with the public forces, with GSF, but also the police, in order to see two things. One is on the electoral organization part when it's realistic to think that they can get the progress needed in order to have, I would say, representative elections. And that's important because so far they have registered around 800,000 voters and the universe that they have ahead of them is 6.5 million. So clearly the percentage of pre-registered voters is not where they wanted to be, not that it is a fixed rule. but they clearly want to go to a minimum that could be perceived legitimate and representative of the will of the people. And the other is the element of security. What are the minimum conditions of security under which elections could happen? And that's why they met with the armed forces and public forces. So what they are discussing now is somewhere next year, and I trust that elections will happen next year, is just a matter of when these two elements will be at least at the minimum so they can put a date to it. What we were asking them to do, which was not the case in the past, or has not been the case necessarily in the past, where they can set a date, but with, I would say, a footnote in terms of provided that security conditions improve. We want more realistic assessment, a sound assessment that whatever they can forecast really, that they can be either an improvement or more capacity in the strength of the GSF, more capacity in the strength of the police, because they are producing and forming additional 4,000 policemen. That will be, I would say, whatever they decide on that. So I cannot say a date, it's up to the Haitian authorities to decide, but I'm confident that the elections, if proven as it looks, that they will not happen this year, that they will happen somewhere next year. I don't have a specific view on any candidate being registered. Also, what is important here is that, and there's been a lot of debate, as you are aware, in terms of how to deal with the individuals that have been receiving sanctions by individual countries or regions, and that's something that is being discussed in Haiti. But what is important to us it does is that this issue, what illustrates is the need to strengthen the rule of law, to strengthen the judiciary system. Because when sanctions are imposed by the UN or by individual countries, if that gives the countries information that could be important for them to go through a due process and start investigating if there are grounds indict and if they're then proven in a trial to proving guilty, then they get convictions. And according to the Haitian constitution, conviction is what takes your political rights away. So what illustrates for us more important is the need to work again in a comprehensive approach in Haiti, whereby this situation then can be solved to the normal course of things. Evidently, Haiti has a lot of fragility in terms of institutions, and we need to work with them on this. But for eligibility criteria, they have made some decisions internally. They will be for the, according to the current framework, for the electoral council to decide who fits the eligibility criteria and who doesn't, and they will make their own decisions.

Could you tell us the names of the two gangs that are in that region?

Yeah, I'll give it to you in a minute. I'll have it there in Creole, so I'll give it to you for the right name. Thank you.

Muna.

Thank you very much, sir, for the briefing. My name is Muna Aoutoul, and I'm with Al-Quds Al-Arabi. Just one question. We know that Ever since President Jovenel Moise was assassinated back in 2011, Haiti has suffered a compounding security and institutional collapse. In your response to Ms. Eddy's question, you said that you're pretty confident if elections don't happen this year, it would happen the next year. Could you give us your honest assessment on whether secure and credible elections are even possible given the, the, when, when gangs, gangs control the vast areas of the territory and when displacement is at its highest rate. And thank you so much.

Thank you. Um, yes, I mean, decisions, again, coming to the Haitian authorities, the electoral council, the government, they need to make a decision on What is an election that by and large, it's representative, it's credible, it's fair and free, considering the circumstances. We know that because of the situation that you described and that we agree that is very difficult, that the elections will far, we're going to be far from being perfect in terms of representation of many areas. But they At the end of the day, they have to see what are the, again, minimum requirements for, um, for elections, uh, to happen and to have, again, democratic elected authorities, which is a virtue in itself. Um, whether they decide that, uh, they need to free up, for instance, Road one and two, national roads one and two that communicate the rest of the country with in order also for allowing free, freedom of movement to go to electoral polling stations for, for material to be distributed, et cetera, because these, or these are the issues that normally are being discussed. or whether they need some kind of voting in certain areas in order to be representative of poor apprentices, which represent, along with Artibonite and the Center Department, along 50% of the electorate. Those are the discussions that they need to happen, that linked the security forecast with what is the minimum representation that you can have, evidently to think about a substantial improvement on the security front that I also believe is possible, but not necessarily in the very, very short term, then obviously the timeline moves forward more and more. And what different actors in the Haitian context are always clear is that they want coming back to democratic order, coming back to democratic rule. And we don't, what we want to avoid is that an element of political instability can further deteriorate an instability that is already caused by insecurity. So again, it's up to the Haitians to decide when. It's not gonna be perfect, but if they are able To organize the minimum requirements in terms of number of votes, let's say, is completely an idea and doesn't have any grounds in terms of discussions, but they say 2 million pre-registered voters. And that on the security front, they want to have enough capacity in personal power to secure that election day and maybe campaigns are possible without violence in certain areas of the country so they can campaign. And if that's the minimum requirements for elections to happen, obviously they will be not perfect. I don't know whether certain areas of the country or of the city, of the capital will be excluded. I mean, those are the things that they need to decide how to manage. particularly in neighborhoods that are very difficult to access for electoral authorities, let alone for citizens to vote freely, which is another issue that obviously they want to avoid to have undue influence on electors, let alone from criminal organizations. So that's for that. on the names of the gangs that are present in those areas. Well, those are still Vivent Ensemble, the coalition that is sanctioned by the UN in the committee that also one of these known leaders is AKA Barbecue, Jimmy Cherisier. But they are two particularly groups that sometimes is not a homogeneous coalition, One that is, it's called 400 Mawoso. And the other is called in Creole, Chen Machant. It's like C-H-E-N and then space M-A-C-H-A-N-T. Those are the normal groups that work in that area. But again, who's behind and and that's probably something that we still probably hopefully will be known and will be then held accountable but still it is not known at this station.

Are there any other questions? If there are any questions online, please feel free to raise your hand online. Okay, if not, I'd like once more to thank our guest, Carlos Ruiz-Masiu. Thanks again for a great briefing, and thanks for your work on Haiti.

No, no, thank you. And thanks for all my journalist friends for being interested in Haiti and for helping Haiti through the different areas of work. So thank you.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Have a good afternoon, everyone.