Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guest

Good afternoon, thank you very much for being here, as promised we are going to go first to our guest, and we are very happy to have with us Lila Pieters Yahia, the Resident Coordinator for Nepal, who of course will update you on the devastating floods that just took place. So, Lila, I will give you the floor, and then we'll take some questions, so please go ahead. Thank you.

[This part of the briefing was not transcribed.]

Thank you, thank you very much. I think we are out of questions. Thank you for your work, please send our solidarity with your whole team, and especially all the national staff members, and we hope to see you back soon to provide an update.

**Secretary-General on Death of Ratko Mladić

Thank you for your patience. I'm just going to start with the statement following the death of Ratko Mladić. The Secretary-General takes note of the death of Ratko Mladić, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb armed forces. Mr. Mladić was serving a life sentence of imprisonment following his conviction for genocide, for crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war. And that was handed out by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in 2017. The conviction and sentences were affirmed by the Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for the Criminal Tribunals in June of 2021.

The Secretary-General stands in solidarity with the victims, with the survivors and with the families who suffered from the crimes for which Mr. Mladić was found guilty. These judicial findings are final, and the facts they conclusively established form part of the historical record.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call for all those in position of power to refrain from denying the seriousness of the crimes that have been adjudicated. He strongly condemns any denial of the Srebrenica genocide as a historical event, and any actions that glorify those convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by international courts. Accountability remains an essential step for lasting peace, for trust and for reconciliation in the region. The United Nations remains fully committed to supporting efforts towards achieving accountability and justice for all. That statement should have just been sent out to you.

**Asia Floods

I think you heard quite an extensive update form our Resident Coordinator in Nepal. I do want to add a bit on Tom Fletcher, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and our Emergency Relief Coordinator. He remains in close contact of course with our teams in the region as well as with the Nepalese and Chinese authorities. Today, he spoke with the Foreign Minister of Nepal, offering the UN support and expressing the condolences on behalf of the UN system. He also spoke with the Resident Coordinator and also participated in some of the country team meetings. Mr. Fletcher has also been in touch with representatives of the Government of China, also expressing condolences and offering our support. He's also allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund in order to save lives with emergency medical care, shelter and water.

**Secretary-General - Ebola/Democratic Republic of the Congo

Also this morning, you heard from the Secretary-General, who spoke about the outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In his remarks, the Secretary-General stressed that Ebola can be stopped, but that the world must overcome what he calls "the virus of indifference". He warned that international attention and resources continue to lag behind the realities on the ground. The Secretary-General said that the $2.13 billion humanitarian needs and response plan is only 48 per cent funded and appealed for additional resources to scale up the response, warning that the current funding will only last weeks and not months.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground, together with our partners, are increasing safe and dignified burial capacity in the affected provinces, and that is as you know a critical measure to prevent further transmission of the virus, which remains highly contagious even after death. They have deployed about 35 additional mobile safe and dignified burial teams and 286 community-based teams to support disease surveillance and burials as needed.

**Ethiopia

Turning to Ethiopia, I can tell you that the Secretary-General is concerned by recent reports of security incidents and heightened tensions in northern Ethiopia. He underscores the importance of maintaining calm and sustaining progress towards lasting peace. He welcomes the renewed efforts of the African Union High Representative for the Horn of Africa, and that is the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo. That includes the recent consultations by Mr. Obasanjo in Addis Ababa and in Tigray Province. The Secretary-General urges all parties to support this initiative and takes this opportunity to advance dialogue on outstanding issues. The Secretary-General calls on parties to refrain from actions and rhetoric that could heighten tensions and urges all to recommit fully to the comprehensive implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement.

**Djibouti

And staying in the Horn of Africa and going to Djibouti, our humanitarian colleagues there warn that drier-than-normal conditions driven by El Niño are worsening food insecurity across the country. More than 256,000 people, about a quarter of the population, are facing high levels of acute food insecurity through December. To help address these needs, our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to early action and response efforts. The funding will help humanitarians protect the lives and livelihoods of more than 53,000 of the most vulnerable people, including refugees, before the effects of the drought peak.

**Lebanon

Moving to Lebanon, our humanitarian and peacekeeping colleagues tell us that hostilities in southern Lebanon are continuing to impact civilians and disrupt daily life of people. Peacekeepers tell us they continue to observe extensive Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground activities throughout the mission's area of operations, including large-scale armored deployments, engineering works, logistical movements and tactical patrols, as well as force concentrations across both the east and the west sectors of UNIFIL areas of operations. And our humanitarian colleagues say that several air strikes were reported by local authorities to them across Nabatieh Governorate while daily strikes and demolition operations continue to damage homes and civilian infrastructure.

Our peacekeeping colleagues tell us that between Tuesday and Wednesday this week, they detected 75 airspace violations by drones, fighter aircrafts and helicopters. They also observed four air strikes in the vicinity of Al Mansuri in Sector West, and air strikes in Deir Mimas municipality and north-east of Khiam in Sector East. And the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also says that in Deir Mimas municipality, Lebanese Civil Defense personnel were reportedly forced to withdraw while responding to a fire after coming under fire.

Peacekeepers also observed several instances of IDF tanks firing rounds and machine-gun bursts into both sectors. On Tuesday, peacekeepers discovered a partially buried rocket southeast of Ett Taibe in Sector East, that was assessed to be a Katyusha-type rocket.

On the humanitarian front, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), through its Liaison Branch and in coordination with OCHA, facilitated humanitarian missions in Sector West. Since 2 March, 900,000 people received at least one round of emergency cash assistance. At the same time, humanitarian needs remain immense, yet available funding is insufficient to meet those needs. The six-month Flash Appeal, which requires nearly $640 million to support people impacted by the escalation of the fighting, is due to end in just four days and remains only half funded.

We call for full respect for international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians, the protection of civilian infrastructure, the protection of humanitarian and aid workers as well as our peacekeepers, while stressing that sustained humanitarian support is essential to meet the needs of communities affected by the ongoing hostilities.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

And turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, our colleagues at OCHA tell us that humanitarians continue to provide life-saving assistance to civilians in Gaza, despite the ongoing insecurity and restrictions. Yesterday, we and our partners collected hundreds of pallets of supplies from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing, including fruits, vegetables and other food, as well as adult diapers, school supplies and fuel.

Also yesterday, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that, so far this month in Gaza, three quarters of households faced difficulties in accessing markets, mainly because of cash shortages and because of basic food items are expensive. Most food items cost significantly more they did prior to the escalation of hostilities in 2023.

About one in five families reported they were eating one meal a day. Families are living hand to mouth, with 50 per cent having been reported that they completely ran out of food at least once during the past month. In response, our partners have provided food parcels, wheat flour, to more than 600,000 people as part of the August distribution cycle.

**Central African Republic

And just a quick note that I should have read earlier with the Africa items. This time from the Central African Republic, our peacekeepers there tell us they've handed over on Tuesday a rehabilitated health centre, a rehabilitated primary school and a newly constructed primary school in Maloum and Konendji municipalities, and that's part of the peacekeeping mission's Community Violence Reductions programme. These initiatives aim to strengthen social cohesion, support peace process and deliver tangible peace dividends to local communities. Up to 450 people are expected to benefit from these infrastructures, improving their access to education and healthcare services.

**Security Council/Syria

And this morning, the Deputy Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Syria, Claudio Cordone, briefed the Security Council following the Secretary-General's visit to Syria last month, which is the first by a Secretary-General in 17 years. He said the Secretary-General welcomed progress in Syria's political transition, but equally clear that Syria cannot meet the transition challenges alone, and that greater international support is essential.

In southern Syria, Mr. Cordone said Israeli military activity has continued, including repeated ground incursions, house searches, destruction of private and agricultural property. He said the continued Israeli presence east of the ceasefire line violates Syria's sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and reiterated that the Golan Heights remain occupied Syrian territory. He also welcomed the importance achieved at the meeting between President al-Sharaa and Mazloum Abdi, marking the continued steps forward on security and administrative integration in Syria.

Also briefing the Council was the Acting Assistant Secretary-General Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Indrika Ratwatte, to say that Syria is at a pivotal moment, and that Syrians are hopeful for a stable and prosperous future. But, he warned that humanitarian needs still remain immense, and that the gap between needs and available resources is growing, sadly as it is in so many places around the world.

**Deputy Secretary-General/India

Meanwhile, our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in India today, where she met with senior Government officials, expressing her gratitude for the long-standing partnership between the UN and India, as well as India's leadership in advancing South-South Cooperation, and its continued call for reformed multilateralism. She also engaged with students from the Indian Institute of Technology in New Delhi and they spoke about how the students can contribute to the sustainable use of artificial intelligence to advance human development and ensure its benefits reach everyone. She also met with the UN country team, and she is coming home tomorrow.

**Senior Personnel Appointment - UNOPS

Senior personnel announcement to share with you. Today, the Secretary-General appointed Robert Turner of Canada as the new Deputy Executive Director for Delivery and Partnerships at UNOPS, which is the UN Office for Project Services. Mr. Turner brings over 30 years of international humanitarian, emergency and development experience, and he currently serves as Chief of Mission for the IOM [International Organization for Migration] in Ukraine. He previously served as Operations Coordinator for IOM's Gaza Response and Chief of Mission Ad Interim in Syria. More online.

**World Lake Day

And today is World Lake Day. And you know what? We like lakes. Lakes are a crucial source for drinking, for agriculture, for industry, they are a habitat for countless species. They also help regulate the climate, but they are increasingly under pressure from overuse, pollution and climate change. So, today is a reminder to protect them, because lakes are fun. I mean, that was my add, it is not the official statement. Edie.

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Steph. On Nepal and China and this terrible flooding, first, is Tom Fletcher planning to go to the region? And secondly, I know the UN response is mobilizing, but after listening to this briefing, is there any way we can get an idea of numbers and what this $2 million from CERF is going to be used for immediately?

Spokesman: Sure, I can give you a bit more on what some of the other agencies are doing, that includes World Food Programme, which sent emergency food rations to impacted areas, and that's in Nepal. WFP is also providing logistical support to national authorities to ensure life-saving assistance. UNICEF is very much mobilized, focusing obviously on children and also on health. They're dispatching goods, they're also dispatching more people. As for Tom Fletcher, I don't have any travel plans for him this point. Obviously, I think in the first days of such an operation, no one wants to add an added level of burden to the country team. But Tom, I'm sure will go at the appropriate moment. Myriam.

Question: Thank you, Steph. Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, sent a letter to the Secretary-General. Has the Secretary-General received that letter? It's regarding the new sanctions from US on Iran. What does he think? And overall, after six months, what's the Secretary-General's evaluation of this conflict?

Spokesman: Well, yes, the letter has been received. It has been distributed to Security Council and General Assembly as requested to by the authorities. I think that the assessment is that this conflict, even in somewhat of a frozen kinetic phase, continues to do a lot of harm to the region, continues to do a lot of harm to the global economy. I think that the Secretary-General is concerned about any new measures, any additional rhetoric that we see that could lead to an escalation. And we're continuing to see disruptions in the flow of energy, disruption in the flow of food. The only way to reach a durable settlement is through dialogue. And the Secretary-General is very much appreciative of the mediation efforts by Qatar, by Egypt, by Pakistan, of course, and others who are doing their best to try to lead to a political solution, which frankly, there's no getting around that to settle the situation. Okay, I don't see any questions online or offline or in person or through robots or anything else. So, we shall end this.