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.

**Briefings today and Monday

All right, today is Friday, actually, so we can say happy Friday!

As a reminder, at 1 p.m., there will be a briefing here by the President of our General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock. She will update you at the end of the first week of the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

And at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, just to mark on your calendars, William O'Neill, the UN designated expert on Human Rights in Haiti, will be here to brief you on his recent trip to Haiti.

**Secretary-General/Travels

I think that as you all saw, the Secretary-General arrived in Beirut earlier today. He arrived from Ankara and landed in Lebanon at a critical and timely moment for the country and the wider region. Upon his arrival, he said this is a visit of solidarity with the people of Lebanon who did not choose this war. They were dragged into it.

The Secretary-General appealed to both parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire and stop the enormous suffering of civilians in the region. The Secretary-General just finished a round of meetings with President Joseph Aoun, with the Speaker of Parliament, and Nabih Berri, and with the Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

In all his meetings, the Secretary-General reaffirmed the UN's strong support for Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty and for the Lebanese State's exercise of a monopoly on the use of force in its own country. Discussions with Lebanese officials focused on the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1559 and 1701, including the establishment of lasting security and stability across the Blue Line and beyond.

In his meetings, the Secretary-General was accompanied by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, his Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations; Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon; Imran Riza, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon; and Major General Diodato Abagnara, the Force Commander of our peacekeeping forces in the country.

In remarks to the media that have been shared with you, the Secretary-General said that he hopes that his next visit to Lebanon will be a visit of a Lebanon in peace.

The Secretary-General and the Prime Minister of Lebanon just launched a Flash Humanitarian Appeal of $308.3 million to provide life-saving support to 1 million people impacted. And that will cover for the next 3 months.

He also emphasized that the success of this effort will depend on swift and flexible funding, as well as ensuring that humanitarian workers can safely reach those who are most in need. He also called for the respect of the international humanitarian law, and that includes the protection of civilians.

The Secretary-General is scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow for media in Lebanon, and we expected him back in this country on Sunday.

**Lebanon

Let me outline some of the reasons why we are asking for this money for Lebanon. We, along with our humanitarian partners, and together with authorities, are scaling up urgent assistance to displaced people. As of 12 March, we have distributed some 632,000 hot meals and 18,000 ready-to-eat meals.

We've also provided more than 382,000 litres of bottled water and over 1,700 cubic metres of clean water through water trucking. More than 211,000 litres of fuel have been supplied to sustain water services to reach 700,000 people.

Government figures indicate that many people continue to be displaced. More than 822,000 people, including nearly 300,000 children, have registered with the Government as being displaced. And around 128,000 people are sheltering in nearly 600 collective sites across the country. We, of course, imagine that the actual number of displaced is much higher.

We once again reiterate the need for safe and sustained humanitarian access so that we, and our humanitarian partners, and the Government and humanitarian system can reach people who need help.

**UN Interim Force in Lebanon

On the peacekeeping front, our colleagues at the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, tell us that the situation in southern Lebanon continues to deteriorate, with rockets and missiles fired at Israel and airstrikes in Lebanese territory, resulting in increasing casualties, including civilians, displacement and destruction.

UN peacekeepers continue to observe artillery shelling in Sector East as well as ground incursions by the Israel Defense Forces up to seven kilometres inside Lebanese territory.

We continue to urge all sides to cease hostilities and recommit themselves to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701. That resolution remains essential for the safety and security of civilians on both sides of that Blue Line.

Peacekeepers remain on the ground in this difficult environment, assisting civilians to move to safer areas and continuing to monitor and report on the situation.

The volatile security situation continues to restrict movements of the peacekeepers.

UNIFIL will continue to facilitate humanitarian access and supporting missions by ourselves and international organizations, including the Lebanese Red Cross, to support delivery of essential humanitarian aid to people living in UNIFIL's area of operation.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that today and yesterday, nearly all humanitarian movements to the Kerem Shalom/Kerem Abu Salem crossing were denied. Only one was allowed through. As a result, we have been able to collect fuel, but nothing else.

Our colleagues from the World Health Organization report that they have offloaded at the crossing, but not allowed to collect, include nearly 50 intensive care unit beds and 170 pallets of medicines, which includes paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen.

As per the weekly schedule, there will be no offloading of incoming supplies at that crossing today and tomorrow.

You will recall that Kerem Abu Salem/Kerem Shalom crossing remains the only operational crossing into Gaza, as both Rafah and Zikim continue to be shut since the start of the regional escalation. Through daily engagement with authorities, we continue to call for the opening of additional crossings and for more types of critical humanitarian supplies to be allowed into Gaza.

The assistance that is currently being distributed in Gaza includes dignity kits to roughly 15,000 women and girls, and what we need is predictable flow of humanitarian aid in sufficient volumes to meet all the needs.

In the West Bank, meanwhile, movement restrictions tightened again yesterday in northern areas for Palestinian civilians following the killing of two Palestinians by Israeli forces, who stated that the two had tried to carry out a ramming and shooting attack against Israeli soldiers in Nablus governorate.

Tightened checkpoint closures across the West Bank have undermined Palestinians' access to services and workplaces, as well as emergency operations by humanitarians.

Meanwhile, our partners operating a toll-free hotline across the Occupied Palestinian Territory report a nearly 25 per cent rise in calls related to physical gender-based violence. This is alongside a rise in calls indicating suicidal thoughts. This is based on a comparison between the first two months of this year and the same period last year.

**Strait of Hormuz/Humanitarian

Staying in the region, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, today issued an urgent call for the unhindered and safe passage of humanitarian cargo through the Strait of Hormuz.

He warned that any disruption would drive up the price of food, medicine and other life-saving supplies, hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest, in the Middle East and far beyond.

As Mr. Fletcher told the Security Council on Wednesday, we are already seeing the impact of this: in Gaza, the price of flour has risen by 270 per cent. Globally, shipping costs are up 16 per cent compared to this time last year, and disruptions to maritime routes could delay humanitarian shipments to crisis hotspots around the world by six months.

And you have seen that there was a recent report by our friends at the UN Trade and Development, UNCTAD, who released a report with lots of interesting data that covers commercial traffic disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Fletcher stresses that without reliable humanitarian supply routes, millions of people risk losing access to life-saving assistance. Food, medicine and other critical supplies, destined for operations in places including East Africa and other places in sub-Saharan Africa, could become harder to move and more expensive to deliver, at a time when famine threatens places like Somalia. Mr. Fletcher has raised this issue directly with key parties and is urging them to allow humanitarian cargo to move freely through the Strait so life-saving aid can continue to reach people whose lives depend on it.

**Attacks on Synagogues

And turning to this country and Europe. We've seen the assaults on synagogues in recent days in Canada, in Belgium, in the United States and most recently in the Netherlands. The Secretary-General strongly condemns these antisemitic attacks in no uncertain terms.

Houses of worship must be safe havens for all, and attacks on them strike at the core of our shared humanity. He calls on authorities everywhere to ensure the protection of religious sites, bring perpetrators to justice and work diligently to counter antisemitism and all forms of hatred.

**International Day to Combat Islamophobia

Sunday is the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. In his message, the Secretary-General said the world's 2 billion Muslims hail from all corners of the globe, reflecting the vast diversity of humanity itself. Yet they often face institutional discrimination, socioeconomic [exclusion], biased immigration policies and unwarranted surveillance and profiling.

He called on the international community to eradicate the scourge of Islamophobia from every country and community.

**Financial Contribution

And Chris, we have a quiz today.

This country boasts the world's [longest] continuous coastline. And interestingly, it is also home to the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Brazil, exactly. It is Al Jazeera, nonetheless. Very good.

This country hosts the massive Songkran water festival. Who said Thailand? Very good Naureen. And Thailand is also known as the "Land of Smiles".

We thank our friends in Brasilia and in Bangkok for their full payments to the Regular Budget in full.

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman: Okay, all right. So, Gabriel and then go ahead. I know the pressure is on. Otherwise, Edie is always a good standby with the question. But go ahead.

Question: I don't understand how aid is not able to get into Gaza still at this point. We hear over and over, day after day, only one border crossing is open, and you just said that basically other than petrol, nothing has gotten through. How does this continue to happen day after day without any sort of accountability, any sort of action that can be taken?

Spokesman: Well, we do what we can. We raise this issue on a daily basis with our Israeli counterparts. But I think that's a question for your colleagues to ask the Israelis in Israel.

Question: And I know you're not part of the Board of Peace. However, there is the NCAG, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, that's under the Board of Peace. There's no interaction with them apparently. There's no working relationship with them. Is that safe to assume at this point?

Spokesman: I mean, we interact with the Board of Peace within the scope of the Gaza situation, but I have nothing else to share with you at this point. Edie and then Pam.

Question: Thank you, Steph. With the Secretary-General in Lebanon, can you tell us if he's coming back here or if he might be making some other stops? And who else has he been talking to since he's really in the region now?

Spokesman: Yeah, I mean, right now, he landed, went straight to see the President [Joseph Aoun], then saw the Speaker of Parliament [Nabih Berri], met with the Prime Minister [Nawaf Salam], launched the humanitarian appeal, and I think he's having an Iftar dinner with the Prime Minister. So, I know for a fact he hasn't had the chance to speak to anybody else besides meeting the people he's met. We do expect him back here on Sunday. If that changes, I'll let you know.

Pam and then Namo.

Question: Thank you. Great Steph. You mentioned that the USG [Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs] Tom Fletcher is calling for humanitarian aid to get through the Strait of Hormuz. Two side questions on that. Is he or the SG, anyone speaking with the Iranians about the strikes? And also about, is there anyone at the UN speaking about the sea mines that have been planted? Thank you.

Spokesman: On the sea mines, I'm not aware of any particular discussion. The Secretary-General did speak to the Iranian foreign minister a few days ago, and I know Mr. Fletcher has also been in touch with the Iranian authorities.

Question: And has the Strait of Hormuz come up?

Spokesman: Yes. I mean, in those discussions.

Question: Any readout on that?

Spokesman: Not that I can share beyond what I've already shared.

Question: Thank you.

Spokesman: Namo.

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Again, on the Strait of Hormuz, CNN reports from Trump Administration officials that the Trump Administration might have underestimated the impact that Iran has on the Strait of Hormuz and that how it could remain close for a long time. I wonder what if there's an assessment in this building of the United Nations for the long-term effects on energy security and economic growth? And how bad could this get?

Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think the report from UNCTAD laid out some pretty dramatic impact already. I think more than [97 per cent] in shipping. The potential huge spike in the price of fertilizer, which is often overlooked as we focus on oil. The shock in the price of oil that we're seeing. We have colleagues at UNDP [UN Development Programme] who are preparing a look at the longer-term impact, but I think the impact is pretty transparent. Huge spike in insurance costs, if ships even get insurance. The risk of life and limb to the seafarers who are on these ships. I mean the impact is pretty transparent.

Okay. Sorry, Noreen.

Question: So, with regards to the Secretary-General's visit, meeting with the President of Lebanon, it was said that the Lebanese President had made an offer to negotiate a possible end to, negotiations with Israel, but Israel has rebuffed this offer. And apparently, quoting to the President, he had actually discussed this with the Secretary-General. Is there anything you can share about that?

Spokesman: No. I mean, our sharing of information comes from the stakeout the Secretary-General has done. I think we've shared that with you. I assume the Secretary-General will have more to say in the wrap-up press conference he will have on tomorrow in Beirut.

Gabriel, and then we'll go back to Pam.

Question: Thanks, Steph. Today, the President of Cuba said that they confirmed that they are in some sort of "sensitive talks with the United States about some sort of diplomatic solution to the now three-month long oil embargo that Cuba has been under". Does the SG have any reaction to these confirmation talks?

Spokesman: We're aware of the announcement of the talks between the Government of Cuba and The United States. I can tell you, we very much welcome the dialogue as a means to peacefully resolve the bilateral disputes. The Secretary-General is also encouraged by the news that the Cuban Government has released 51 prisoners. You know, I think we had the resident coordinator from Cuba here a few days ago, and I can tell you that we remain very much concerned by the situation in Cuba, where the inability to import fuel has an obvious and negative impact on health systems, access to food and water, and I think we gave you an update on that earlier this week. On our end, we are also working with partners, with authorities to see how we can assist the most vulnerable people. And what we want to see are, in this context, Member States increase their humanitarian assistance and contribution to make sure that the aid gets to Cuba unhindered.

Pam.

Question: Thank you. Back to the Strait of Hormuz. I'm going back to Gabe's question yesterday, which is, the UN had such success with the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Is there any thought, you have Tom Fletcher, you mentioned today, is talking about trying to get humanitarian aid through. Is there any thought about the UN trying to get some kind of ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz? And I mean, I think the last maybe, I'm missing some, but the last time a major sea channel was closed was '56 with the Suez Canal, and we know how that ended up, including with the UN. Is there any attempt to try to negotiate out of that piece?

Spokesman: What is clear is that we want to see the Strait of Hormuz, as an international waterway, be able to handle traffic freely without any fear of attack whatsoever, and that's part of respect of international law. You know, I think the situation around the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea are different, right? But I have nothing else to share with you at this point on the further information you asked for.

Okay. Any questions online? I see Islam. Yes. Please go ahead.

Question: Hi, Steph. Thank you very much. And there's a report today that the Pentagon is moving a marine expeditionary unit to the Middle East around the Strait of Hormuz, the unit that consists up to 2,500 soldiers, marines. What's your reaction to this possibility?

Spokesman: Well, we've just seen reports. I'm not going to comment on it. I think as you know, what we want to see is a de-escalation of the military kinetic activities and a return to diplomacy.

Thank you all. Enjoy what remains of Friday.