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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guest Today and Tomorrow

In a short while, I will be joined by my guest Dennis Zulu, UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

He will join us virtually to brief on the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

Then, tomorrow, my guest will be the World Food Programme's (WFP) Palestine Representative, Antoine Renard.

He will join us virtually to brief on the forthcoming Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report on Gaza.

**Yemen

The Secretary-General this morning briefed the Security Council on the situation in Yemen in closed consultations, following his recent visit to the region, including Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Mr. [António] Guterres spoke to the press afterwards and said, following the recent offensive by the Southern Transitional Council, that unilateral actions will not clear a path to peace. A full resumption of hostilities could have serious ramifications on regional peace and security, he said, including on the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden and in the Horn of Africa.

The Secretary-General urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate tensions, and resolve differences through dialogue. Yemen needs a sustainable, negotiated political settlement, and its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be preserved, he said.

The Secretary-General once more strongly condemned the continued arbitrary detention of 59 UN colleagues and partner personnel - as well as staff from NGOs (non-governmental organizations), civil society organizations and diplomatic missions.

He added that in recent days, Houthi de facto authorities referred three of our colleagues to a special criminal court. This referral must be rescinded, and these charges must be dropped, he said.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that we and our humanitarian partners continue to focus our efforts on providing assistance to prepare for the winter to the most vulnerable families across the Strip.

OCHA estimates that nearly 55,000 families have been affected so far by the most recent rains across Gaza, with their belongings and shelters damaged or destroyed in the storm.

The rainstorm has also damaged dozens of child-friendly spaces, disrupting or suspending activities related to child protection. The disruption has affected approximately 30,000 children across Gaza. Urgent repairs are needed to ensure that these activities can resume without delay.

Over the past three days, our partners working to address gender-based violence report that they delivered 3,000 dignity kits to vulnerable women and girls across the Strip.

Our partners dealing with water, sanitation and hygiene report that repairs are ongoing in multiple locations to reduce the overflow of sewage in the streets and improve public health. Teams are working to fix a sewage pipeline in Saeed Al Aas Street and the Nafaq area in Gaza City, as well as the Wafia and Hamad sewage pump stations in Khan Younis.

In terms of water supply, 38,000 people sheltering at displacement sites in Al Mawasi are now able to collect water from community water tanks that have been directly connected to these sites, thanks to efforts by the UN and our partners. The second phase of this project, which will reach another 40,000 people, is now under way. This initiative makes water collection easier and safer and reduces the burden of using water trucks.

However, OCHA warns that ongoing impediments continue to hamper humanitarians' efforts to more quickly scale up the response.

**Deputy Secretary-General

The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Brasília, Brazil, where she is attending the fifty-seventh session of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.

In her remarks there, she acknowledged the vital role the Joint UN Programme against HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has played for more than four decades. She stressed that, with a decision on UNAIDS sunset expected in 2026, its capacity and expertise need to be well integrated across the UN system - ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of HIV and AIDS services, with Governments and civil society at the centre of the response to support the key populations most in need. She emphasized that UNAIDS would eventually sunset, but not its mission, which will remain essential for years to come.

Throughout the day, the Deputy Secretary-General is holding meetings with heads of delegation, government representatives, representatives from civil society organizations, as well as senior UN officials, to discuss how to sustain and strengthen the global AIDS response in today's global context.

She will also hold bilateral meetings with senior officials of the Brazilian Government on the UN's partnership with Brazil.

She is expected to return to New York tomorrow.

**Sudan

Turning to Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that as families continue to flee intense hostilities across the Kordofan region, humanitarian needs are surging.

In South Kordofan State, more than 1,000 people were newly displaced between Sunday and yesterday from the state capital, Kadugli - as well as the towns of Dilling and El Koaik - according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They're reportedly seeking shelter in the states of North and West Kordofan, as well as Khartoum and White Nile.

People have also been arriving in White Nile from parts of West Kordofan, including the towns of Babanusa and Heglig, which have seen intense fighting this month. Yesterday, local authorities in White Nile reported that some 1,600 people - the vast majority of them women and children - arrived in the city of Kosti. Many endured journeys lasting over a week - often through South Sudan - and showed clear signs of trauma. While our humanitarian partners are providing them with basic shelter, health, water, sanitation, food and protection assistance, needs are outstripping available resources.

At the same time, our partners report that more than 3,000 people have crossed from the Kordofan region into Yida in South Sudan in recent days, with further displacement expected.

People from the Kordofan and Darfur regions are also seeking shelter farther east in Gedaref State, where local authorities reported on Monday that about 2,500 people had recently arrived in the locality of Al Fao, with more expected in the coming days.

And in Northern State, displacement continues to rise in the town of Ad Dabbah, where more than 15,000 people from the Kordofan and Darfur regions are sheltering in Al Afad camp. Assistance is being scaled up, but efforts to support food security and livelihoods and provide cash assistance remain critically underfunded.

Nationwide, IOM estimates that more than 9.3 million people remain internally displaced across Sudan's 18 states, alongside over 3 million returnees in nine states. More than half of them are children.

Nearly one third of displaced families and one fifth of returnee households have reported going a full day and night without food in the past month, while access to healthcare and sanitation remains severely limited.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) is sounding the alarm over reports from South Darfur State that more than 70 health workers and some 5,000 civilians have been forcibly detained in the state capital, Nyala. They are reportedly being held in overcrowded conditions and exposed to disease outbreaks.

We, once again, call for the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law. It is also urgent that rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access is facilitated, and that international support is scaled up to ensure the provision of life-saving assistance across Sudan.

**Haiti

From Haiti, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are warning that the humanitarian situation in the department of Artibonite is deteriorating quickly as armed groups expand their control in several communes, further restricting our access.

On 15 December, local sources reported that six people were killed and others wounded following an armed attack in the commune of Verette. Houses and agricultural storage facilities were reportedly set on fire. People were forced to flee, though figures are not yet available.

The assailants also attempted to set fire to the Albert Schweitzer Haiti Hospital - a major medical institution in Verette - but were repelled by security forces in the area.

Two weeks earlier, more than 11,000 people were displaced in the same department following attacks in the communes of L'Estère, Pont-Sondé, Descordes and Liancourt.

OCHA continues to closely monitor the situation, and the UN and our partners are mobilized to deliver aid as soon as security conditions permit.

**Financial Contribution

And we have a quiz for you today.

This country is home to Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres with an elevation of over 22,000 feet.

It's also home of the tango. [response from the crowd: "Argentina?"] Yeah, exactly.

We say gracias to our friends in Buenos Aires for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Argentina's payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 148.

**Questions and Answers

Deputy Spokesman: And that's it for me. Any questions before we go to our guest? Yes. Dezhi?

Question: There's another major escalation between the US and Venezuela, with President [Donald] Trump's announcement about the blockade of the oil tanker from Venezuela. What is the Secretary-General's - I guess you have too many times I asked the reaction - but what is the reaction for the latest development? Is this blockade even legal?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, about the question of legality, what the Secretary-General is focused on is avoiding any further escalation. The Secretary-General calls for restraint and for the immediate de-escalation of the situation. He calls on all stakeholders to honour their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and any other applicable legal framework to safeguard peace in the region. And of course, as always, he believes that any difference must be resolved by peaceful means. Yes, Michelle?

Question: Just a follow-up to that, then. Does the Secretary-General believe that this blockade is a violation of international law?

Deputy Spokesman: I think we are looking at what the applicable laws are at this stage, and we're studying the situation. But certainly, parties have to abide by the UN Charter, and you can read the Charter for yourself and see what that entails. Yes, Edie?

Question: Another follow-up on that. Is the Secretary-General planning to take any personal action to talk to the parties involved?

Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. Regarding that, the Secretary-General is following the current situation very closely, and he is engaging with relevant parties. If we have anything more specific to inform you, we'll let you know. Yes, Abdelhamid?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. Why when there is a Muslim commits a terrorist act, then all Muslims around the world are implicated, like what happened in England now by banning the slogan "from the sea to the river," or calling for supporting the Intifada. If it happens the other way, then no one is implicated. Three people, three terrorists attacked a pregnant woman in Haifa, and only the three were implicated. Nobody implicated the Jews or the Israelis. Why only Muslims then? It is spread all over the world. They have to pay the price for that.

Deputy Spokesman: Well on that, there's no reason to blame entire communities for the acts taken by individuals. And we believe that no communities should be targeted in such a way. Clearly, when it comes to the sort of acts we've seen around the world, whether committed in Australia, whether committed in the occupied Palestinian territories or elsewhere, we want to make sure that there's accountability for the specific perpetrators of those attacks.

Question: In Gaza, 17 Palestinians were killed or died because of the freezing cold. Do you have the same number, like my information about it?

Deputy Spokesman: We have been warning that the cold temperatures are causing casualties. The figures we've received include those from the Gaza Ministry of Health, who informed us of one case of a baby dying of hypothermia yesterday. As we get more information, we'll share that. But at this stage, our focus is on preventing further deaths by making sure that clothing, shelter and winterization equipment is provided throughout Gaza. Yes, Pan?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. Can you provide some details of the SG's trip to the Middle East? Did he meet any Houthi officials still in the Middle East or contacted with the Houthis?

Deputy Spokesman: He did not contact the Houthis during his travels, but certainly he was in contact with a number of regional leaders, and Yemen was one of the topics he discussed. And you'll have seen what the Secretary-General said at the stakeout just now, and I'd refer you to what he said there.

Question: And a follow-up on Venezuela. This morning, the Mexican President, [Claudia] Sheinbaum, said she urged the United Nations to prevent any bloodshed in Venezuela. And the Venezuela Government has announced its intention to bring the issue to United Nations. So, what will the United Nations do? What can it do to prevent any escalation? Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: Well, as I told Edie, the Secretary-General is engaging with relevant parties. What we're doing at this stage is reminding all parties of their obligations under international law and their obligations under the UN Charter. As for Venezuela bringing the situation to the UN, much of that will probably be an issue for the members of the Security Council themselves to consider. Namo?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. Just days after Secretary-General's visit to Iraq, where he praised progress in the country, there are reportedly new tensions, ethnic tensions in the multiethnic city of Kirkuk with security forces preventing local Kurds from raising the Kurdish flag, the Kurdistan flag on the Kurdish Flag Day today. Does the Secretary-General have any comment on this renewed tension there, just days after his visit?

Deputy Spokesman: We have been encouraging inclusiveness by all governmental bodies in Iraq, and we're going to continue to do so. And we certainly hope that the situation between the Kurdish community and the Iraqi authorities will continue to proceed with full respect for human rights. Alexey and then Dezhi again.

Question: Thank you, Farhan. I also have a couple of follow-ups on Venezuela. Because yesterday, President Trump also said that US Military activity around Venezuela got bigger, until Venezuela returns oil and other assets stolen from the United States. Does the United Nations have any evidence of Venezuela stealing US assets and oil?

Deputy Spokesman: No. We do not have any relevant information about that.

Question: And secondly, US has also designated Venezuelan Government as foreign terrorist organization. Any specific comments on that?

Deputy Spokesman: We don't comment on bilateral steps that are taken. Of course, what our concern is anything that further escalates the situation. We want any escalatory steps to be avoided. At this stage, it's critical to continue diplomatic engagement and pursue a peaceful way forward through dialogue. Dezhi?

Question: Also, a follow-up on Venezuela. Since we're talking about legality, let me give you some perspectives. From the UN Charter perspective, there's no UN Security Council authorization, and it can only be justified by UN Charter Article 51 as self-defence. So, there's clearly a lack of legal basis from the UN Charter perspective. And also, a blockade is considered an act of war, and there is no armed conflict. So, if you frame as a blockade, it will be illegal under international law. And also, there's extraterritorial sanctions that has been rejected by many countries. That's what the US is doing now, which is also rejected. And also, under the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) customary law even for non-parties, it's just hard to justify its legality. So, let me ask you this question again: Is that a violation of international law?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, I would like to thank you for your considered analysis of the situation, and I think you can follow through with the conclusions you've made from the analysis you've just reached. Right now, what we're trying to do is make sure that all parties, including the United States, abide by the Charter, including the relevant passages that you've cited.

And with that, let me turn to our guest, Dennis Zulu, who is joining us virtually.