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

**Abyei

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

We wish to update you regarding the horrific drone attacks targeting the UN peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli, South Kordofan, on 13 December, which resulted in the killing of six Bangladeshi peacekeepers and injury of nine others while on duty with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).

This morning, a solemn ceremony was held at the mission headquarters in Abyei to honour the six peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Their remains are being escorted back to Bangladesh.

The injured peacekeepers, who were evacuated from Kadugli to Abyei on 13 December, are being treated at UNISFA's hospital. The mission's top priority is to ensure that everything possible is done to provide the necessary medical care for the injured.

The Acting Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Robert Yaw Affram, visited Kadugli today to assess the situation and to engage with the peacekeepers on the ground and other relevant parties.

The mission has taken all necessary steps to protect its personnel and facilities by reinforcing protection measures at the Kadugli logistics base to ensure their safety and is closely coordinating with relevant stakeholders to assess the situation.

**Sudan

And you will have seen that on Saturday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the drone attacks that targeted the United Nations peacekeeping logistics base in Kadugli.

Yesterday, the Secretary-General spoke by phone with the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, Muhammed Yunus, to express his condolences to the Government and people of Bangladesh and to convey his solidarity following this horrific attack.

In the statement, the Secretary-General underscored that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law, and he reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligation to protect UN personnel and civilians. Such attacks against peacekeepers are unjustifiable. There will need to be accountability.

Further on Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the situation across the Kordofan region is rapidly worsening, with civilians facing mounting risks as hostilities intensify.

We are alarmed by reports that yesterday, a drone attack struck a hospital in the town of Dilling, in South Kordofan State, killing at least six people and injuring 12 others - that's according to initial information from the UN Human Rights Office. Other reports indicate that medical personnel were among the injured.

OCHA reminds all parties that attacks on hospitals and health workers constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law. Medical facilities and civilians must be protected at all times, and those responsible must be held to account.

Meanwhile, in the east of Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan, artillery shelling was reported yesterday, posing further risks to civilians.

The escalating violence is driving new displacement. Our colleagues with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimate that more than 1,700 people were displaced between Thursday and Saturday from several towns in South Kordofan.

The security situation also remains volatile in North Kordofan State, including in the state capital, El Obeid, where further attacks have been reported.

Despite the insecurity, we and our partners continue our efforts to provide life-saving assistance as funding and access allow. With the World Health Organization and national authorities conducting a cholera vaccination campaign in South Kordofan, Abu Jubeihah locality, it is essential that sustained access is facilitated and security is guaranteed.

Meanwhile in North Darfur State, displacement from El Fasher into Tawila continues to rise. More than 25,000 arrivals have been registered since late October, after fleeing along insecure routes where they face extreme protection risks.

Despite severe access and logistical constraints, the World Food Programme (WFP) assisted about half a million people in Tawila last month and has consistently reached some 2 million people every month across the Darfur region - half of whom are in North Darfur, in areas surrounding El Fasher.

Once again, we urge all parties to respect international humanitarian law, protect civilians, and ensure rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access across Sudan so that assistance can reach people in need wherever they are.

**Oman

The Secretary-General met today in Muscat, Oman, with His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al Said. The Secretary-General thanked the Sultan for his strong and continuous support of the work of the United Nations. They also had an exchange of views on a number of regional and international issues, during which the Secretary-General expressed his deep appreciation for Oman's constructive diplomatic role.

They also discussed the overall situation in Yemen, including the UN personnel and other personnel who work for diplomatic missions and international NGOs who remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.

Before flying back to New York, the Secretary-General and his delegation participated in a working dinner organized by the Foreign Minister.

**Iraq

Prior to his stop in Oman, the Secretary-General travelled to Iraq and Saudi Arabia over the weekend.

On Saturday, he was in Baghdad to attend a ceremony organized by the Iraqi Government to mark the closure, after 22 years, of the UN Political Mission in Iraq, known as UNAMI.

The Secretary-General met with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani. In speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. [António] Guterres said that over the past 22 years, UNAMI has acted with humility and determination to help Iraqis rebuild following decades of oppression, war and instability, fully respecting the principle of national ownership.

As UNAMI ends its mandate, the Secretary-General stressed that the UN, through its agencies, would continue its vital development work in support of Iraq and Iraqis. He added that Iraq is now a normal country, and relations between the UN and Iraq will become normal with the end of UNAMI.

The Secretary-General later joined senior members of the Iraqi Government and representative of the diplomatic corps in Baghdad, to attend an official ceremony to mark the closing of the UN's political mission in Iraq. In public remarks at the ceremony, the Secretary-General said that, as we close this chapter, we celebrate and mark the courage, fortitude and determination of the Iraqi people, who have overcome decades of violence, oppression, war, terrorism, sectarianism and foreign interference.

To close out the day, the Secretary-General met with President Abdullatif Jamal Rashid, whom he thanked for Iraq's support to UNAMI and the United Nations.

**Saudi Arbia

On Sunday, the Secretary-General opened the 11^th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Riyadh. Mr. Guterres saluted the goals of the Alliance. He said that the Alliance was launched 20 years ago to help show that humanity - in all its diversity - could talk, listen and build together.

Later in the day, the Secretary-General addressed member states of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilization. He encouraged Member States to engage and support the Alliance of Civilizations, including through the Voluntary Trust Fund.

**Australia

In a statement yesterday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack on a celebration of Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia. He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extends his wishes for a swift and full recovery to those injured.

The Secretary-General unequivocally condemns antisemitism in all its forms and reiterates that attacks on religious communities and peaceful celebrations strike at the core values of tolerance, coexistence and human dignity. The full statement is online.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that the UN and our partners continue to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable families. They warn, however, that needs continue to outpace the ability of humanitarians to respond, given the ongoing impediments they face. Rainstorms and colder temperatures are also exacerbating the situation across the Strip.

In the ongoing effort to provide winterization support, we've been distributing packages of essential items - including food aid, hygiene materials and shelter supplies - to help weather future storms and support people after the latest rains. Between Thursday and Saturday, our partners working on improving access to dignified shelter delivered 3,800 tents, nearly 4,600 tarpaulins and thousands of bedding items to some 4,800 families.

Our partners are also working to address the growing risks of hypothermia in newborns, with tailored kits that are locally procured and prepared for distribution. These kits will be provided to mothers and caregivers with newborn and very young children.

Meanwhile, our partners leading efforts to improve food security report that after the latest rainstorms hit Gaza on Thursday, some 16 community kitchens were forced to temporarily close due to the weather. Since then, most have resumed their normal operations, with 5,000 additional hot meals per day delivered to 30 sites affected by the rains across the Strip. That's in addition to the ongoing provision of cooked meals, with nearly 1.6 million distributed on Saturday.

In terms of regular monthly food assistance, our partners report that some 400,000 people have received these food packages so far in December. As you will recall, one package includes two food rations with staple items such as rice, lentils and oil, as well as one 25-kilogram bag of flour.

However, since Friday - and due to ongoing restrictions affecting our ability to bring in sufficient volumes of aid - our partners have once again had to reduce the assistance being provided through such packages to one food parcel, one bag of flour, and 1.5 kilograms of high energy biscuits. This reduced package covers half of the minimum caloric needs per family for the remainder of the month.

In parallel, our partners working to improve water and sanitation delivered 15 mobile wastewater pumps to areas that have been flooded. They are also constructing embankments, setting up sandbags and supporting the drainage of storm- and wastewater.

In another positive development, a temporary medical waste management facility is now operational in the "Netzarim corridor", which runs across central Gaza from east to west. The facility was set up by the UN and our partners and will collect and safely store medical waste from health facilities in northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing push to improve access to education, our partners reopened more than a dozen temporary learning spaces to accommodate 5,000 children. However, as we mentioned last week, efforts to get children back to regular learning are still constrained due to education supplies being blocked from entering by Israeli authorities.

OCHA once again warns that impediments continue to hamper our ability to accelerate the scale-up of the humanitarian response. These impediments must be lifted, and access must be sustained to allow the UN and our partners to reach everyone in need.

**Syria

Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that we and our humanitarian partners continue to respond to urgent needs in the south of the country, despite severe funding shortfalls which severely limit our operations.

A couple of weeks before the end of the year, the $3.2 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 30 per cent funded, with $953 million received.

In November, we and our humanitarian partners reached more than 475,000 people with assistance, including blankets, winter clothes, cash support and winterization kits.

Since July, UN humanitarian convoys have delivered more than 1,600 truckloads of aid to the governorates of Sweida, Dar'a and Rural Damascus. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and its partners have scaled up distributions of materials for the winter, while the World Food Programme supplied more than 6,600 metric tons of wheat flour to sustain bakery operations.

For their part, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and its health partners have deployed more than 40 mobile medical teams, delivering over 150,000 medical procedures and treatment courses, and reached nearly 30,000 people with nutrition services. Our partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene supported water trucking and maintenance, restoring access to water for over 200,000 people, and distributed 78,000 litres of fuel to operate essential water facilities.

Meanwhile, on displacement, OCHA reports that the number of displaced persons from As-Sweida governorate has declined since late August, with around 155,000 displaced people remaining and an estimated 20,000 returnees, mainly to Sweida and Shahba districts. However, critical funding gaps and logistical constraints are delaying shelter rehabilitation, restricting essential water, sanitation and hygiene upgrades and curtailing health and nutrition outreach, leaving communities exposed to harsh winter conditions.

The security situation in Southern Syria remains volatile, with sporadic incidents disrupting mobility and access. Explosive ordnance contamination continues to pose serious risks. In November, partners reported 24 casualties, including 17 children. Clearance and risk education activities are ongoing as security and funding allow.

**Ukraine

From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that new attacks over the weekend severely disrupted critical services, leaving more than 1 million people without electricity, heating or water, mainly across the south of the country.

Authorities report that between 12 December and this morning, front-line hostilities and attacks across the country killed at least nine civilians and injured more than 70 others, including three children.

The Odesa region suffered repeated attacks that injured six civilians and damaged energy infrastructure. As a result, the city of Odesa, home to more than 1 million residents, was left without electricity, heating and water. While power has been restored for around 100,000 consumers and water supply has resumed, 20,000 residents remain without heating as of this morning.

In the neighbouring Mykolaiv region, attacks damaged the power supply and injured five civilians, including a child.

The Kherson region has also been severely impacted, with around two dozen civilians injured. In Kherson city, more than 40,000 residents remain without heating following damage to the combined heat and power plant earlier this month.

Energy facilities were also hit in the region of Chernihiv in the north and the region of Kirovohrad in the centre, disrupting electricity supply in dozens of towns and villages, while other frontline regions - including Donetsk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia - reported civilian casualties and damage to homes and other civilian infrastructure.

With temperatures dropping to around or below 0 and snowfall reports in parts of the country, attacks on critical energy infrastructure are driving widespread water and heating outages nationwide.

Our humanitarian partners, with the UN's support, are providing hot meals, bottled water, shelter materials, water-trucking and psychosocial support.

**Belarus

We welcome the 13 December release by the Belarusian authorities of 123 political prisoners, including the 2022 Nobel Peace laureate, Mr. Ales Bialiatski, as well as civic activist Ms. Maria Kolesnikova and commend the efforts of the United States in facilitating this and other recent releases. We hope that this latest step enables greater dialogue, including on the issue of human rights, and we call for the release of all remaining political prisoners in Belarus.

**Central African Republic

Earlier today, in the Central African Republic, a logistical escort convoy of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, came under attack by suspected members of an armed group (Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé) around 22 kilometres from Zemio, in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture. Two peacekeepers from Nepal were injured during this attack. They were transferred to Bangui to receive appropriate care and are in stable condition.

The Head of the peacekeeping mission, Valentine Rugwabiza, has expressed her deep concern about this new attack on blue helmets in the country and recalled that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law.

The mission calls on the Central African authorities to spare no effort to identify the perpetrators of these acts so that they can be brought to justice.

**Security Council

This morning the Security Council held an open debate on leadership for peace.

And as you all saw, our former boss, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, briefed the council on behalf of the Elders.

And a few minutes ago, at the stakeout, you heard a delegation of the Elders, who spoke to you about the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General and other topics.

**Global Refugee Forum

This morning, the Secretary-General addressed the Global Refugee Forum Progress Review by pre-recorded video message.

He told participants that since the Global Refugee Forum two years ago, we have seen more conflict, more displacement, more closed borders, and sharp cuts in humanitarian funding.

But, he added, the Global Compact on Refugees still points the way forward.

The Secretary-General renewed his call for increased support for host countries - especially the low- and middle-income countries welcoming nearly three quarters of the world's refugees. He also called for additional efforts to boost refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and for an expansion of third-country solutions, like family reunification and resettlement, recognizing that for some refugees there simply are no local solutions.

And, he added, we must enable people to safely return home, as 1 million Syrians have done in the past 12 months.

Mr. Guterres urged the world to do more - providing safety, opportunity, and solutions where they are needed most.

He also expressed his gratitude to Filippo Grandi, whose mandate is drawing to a close.

**Guest Tomorrow

Tomorrow, my guest will be Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).

She will join us virtually to brief on the new UN Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents.

**Financial Contribution

And we have money today! We say "shukriyah" to our friends in Islamabad for their full payment to the Regular Budget.

Pakistan's payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 147.

**Questions and Answers

Deputy Spokesman: Yes, Edie?

Question: Thank you. Farhan, a couple of follow ups on the Abyei attack on peacekeepers. Has the United Nations determined who was responsible for this attack?

Deputy Spokesman: We have not been able to formally determine it. It seems to have come from an area where there is heavy activity by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but we don't have the investigative ability to determine at this stage who's behind it.

Question: And secondly, on Gaza, in cutting the rations going to people in need almost by half, you talked about restrictions. What kind of restrictions and by whom?

Deputy Spokesman: A lot of these are restrictions that have come from the Israeli authorities. As you know, we've been trying to get as much aid as we can in. We still don't have enough crossing points open. But also, there have been other restrictions placed in terms of what kind of items can come in. But also, there have been restrictions placed on the visas of different organizations, including the UN Relief and Works Agency, but also other international NGOs (non-governmental organizations). And we want to make sure that we can have the personnel to bring it in, and we can have all the aid that is needed to come in, get in.

Question: Is there any chance that this can be reversed in coming weeks because it is winter there?

Deputy Spokesman: That's exactly, what we're trying to do. We're in constant contact with our Israeli counterparts, including their agency COGAT, to see what can be done to expedite the flow of goods. Pam?

Question: Thanks, Farhan. As you mentioned, the former Secretary-General was talking about UN reforms. One of those was to extend the Secretary-General's term from five years to seven years. Does the current Secretary-General agree with that proposal?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, the current Secretary-General respects his role as Secretary-General to stay outside of the process of the Member States' discussions. Obviously, any change in the terms of a Secretary-General would need to be agreed to by the Member States, and he trusts that they will work this out amongst themselves and find a solution.

Question: Just to press it a little bit further: Does he think it's a good idea?

Deputy Spokesman: He thinks that there are a number of reform steps that can be taken. Obviously, since he is the sitting Secretary-General, he's not going to voice his views on this right now, while the Member States are considering it. And of course, you've seen his own support for the idea to have the first female Secretary-General. But again, these are decisions that are not in our hands. Okay, Namo, and then Stefano and then Dezhi.

Question: Thank you, Farhan. I have a few questions on Syria and Iraq. In Syria over the weekend, we saw a member of Syria Security forces attack US military personnel, killing three people, including two soldiers. I'm just wondering if your UN personnel on the ground in Syria have reported any concerns, safety concerns being around, you know, the security forces for the Syrian Government.

Deputy Spokesman: We have a good relationship with the Syrian forces on the ground and will continue to be in dialogue. We take all necessary security precautions. But we don't believe that this latest incident, tragic as it is, has any effect on our personnel inside Syria.

Question: Given the fact that HTS, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former Al Qaeda offshoot, basically is the backbone of Syria's security forces, does the Secretary-General believe this was a lone wolf attack rather than stemming from a broader ideological, you know, background for Syria security forces?

Deputy Spokesman: We're not going to speculate on that. Obviously, it's important for this attack to be thoroughly investigated by the authorities on the ground.

Question: And on Iraq, the Secretary-General noted in his statement in Baghdad that the United Nations police played a crucial role in "restoring trust between Kurdistan and the federal government in Baghdad". But he did not visit Kurdistan. Is there a reason for that, why he didn't?

Deputy Spokesman: It was just a short trip. As you know, he was just there for the day before he had to go back to Saudi Arabia for the Alliance of Civilizations Conference on Sunday.

Question: And on his appointment of… My last question, I promise. On his appointment…

Deputy Spokesman: You said your last question was your last question.

Question: …Barham Salih, the former President of Iraq. Why did he appoint him?

Deputy Spokesman: I have no comment on the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees until we have a formal appointment to make. We have not made a formal appointment just yet. We'll announce something, hopefully in due course. Stefano and then Dezhi.

Question: Thank you. Farhan, two questions. One, I heard your statement about the attack in Australia but is there anything that the UN can do, apart from the statement, in practical ways, in some action to try to prevent or contain this antisemitism or terrorist attacks against innocent people?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, one of the things we try to do is encourage dialogue among all cultures. That's being done, as you know, through the Alliance of Civilizations. And the Secretary-General spoke at the conference on the Alliances of Civilizations just yesterday. But above and beyond that, we try including through our human rights mechanisms to discourage any racism against any community anywhere. Ultimately, the attack that happened yesterday was a violation in many different ways. It was an antisemitic attack. It was an attack on people at a time of worship. And these are all things that we try to discourage, and we try to support anti-racist initiatives and educational initiatives around the world, to promote greater tolerance and greater sensitivity.

Question: My second question is about the stakeout that we just had with the former Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon and the Group of Elders. Myself, I asked a question about the role of prevention of conflict of the UN and especially focusing on how, you know, how the crisis about the war, about Russia and Ukraine, if it could have been prevented, if they had any advice for the Secretary-General. And well, I had to still check exactly the transcript of what they say, but to me it looked like they actually had something to say. I understood that there is not enough in this building. And they were talking about leaders in general, but I guess, maybe also about the Secretary-General that they, you know, they were kind of saying that people, leaders need to sit down, talk and find a way to resolve problem. So, my question is, would the Secretary-General and I'm talking about 2022, no, 2023, whenever the war exploded, does the Secretary-General has any, how I would say, would have done something different, would have tried to, I don't know, sit down with President [Vladimir] Putin and President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy more than what happened at that time?

Deputy Spokesman: As you know, the Secretary-General did contact the leadership in both countries. He and also different advisers, including Rebeca Grynspan and Martin Griffiths, tried to deal with the leadership in those countries. For us, the question is really whether the parties are willing to engage with the United Nations. We always try for good offices as much as we can, but sometimes the difficulty lies in getting the parties involved to talk to each other. And so, we did what we could with the circumstances we had.

Question: So just for the record, the Secretary-General doesn't have any regrets about what happened that time?

Deputy Spokesman: I think he wished that conditions were more conducive so that we could play a larger role, but they were not. And he made it clear at the time; as you know, he said it repeatedly to you that if conditions allowed for more, we would do more. Yes, Dezhi?

Question: We noticed that in the last weekend the fragile ceasefire in Gaza had some challenges, with both Hamas and Israel accusing each other in violation of the ceasefire deal. Just curious, is this kind of military action has affected the UN's humanitarian operation inside Gaza even during the ceasefire?

Deputy Spokesman: Clearly, we don't want there to be any escalation. We want all sides to abide by the ceasefire. We don't want actions that could put the ceasefire at risk. For now, we are able to get aid in. The security situation on the ground has allowed, as you have heard us say for the last several weeks, has allowed for us to deliver more aid to more people. But the situation is fragile. Ultimately, any actions that can put the ceasefire at risk have to be avoided.

Question: Is there still looting scenario inside Gaza?

Deputy Spokesman: We have not received any recent reports of any significant looting of our stocks of food, fuel and others.

Question: Okay. The Secretary-General is still currently in Middle East, in that region. The past few days, we heard a lot of communications between all the foreign ministers in that region, talking about the phase two ceasefire deal. Has the Secretary-General ever discussed this with any of them? And what is the feedback from them about the International Stabilization Force, the Board of Peace? What does he get and what he wants to convey?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, he has conveyed his views on the Middle East with a number of interlocutors. As you know, in the last days, he's been in Saudi Arabia, he's been in Iraq, he's been in Oman. And in all those places, he talked with different people. He's also had different phone calls with officials in the region. Obviously, a lot of the things that you're talking about, the Board of Peace, the International Security Force, these are not UN bodies, these are not UN proposals. But we are talking with different parties to find out ways to strengthen and secure the ceasefire. [cross talk]

Question: What would be his advice on this composition of the International Stabilization Force, or the Board of Peace?

Deputy Spokesman: You'll have seen what we've said about the ceasefire. We want to make sure that all parties continue to abide by it. As you see, the Security Council has endorsed the ceasefire and the various aspects of it. And we want now the international community to back these proposals again.

Question: Does the UN believe you should have at least one spot in that Board of Peace?

Deputy Spokesman: That's not our call. We are willing to play as strong and as constructive a role as possible, but ultimately, we want to make sure that the parties themselves abide by this agreement. All right. Yes, please. Pan?

Question: Thank you. Farhan. Despite the US President announced last week that both Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to a ceasefire, but border tension still continues between the two countries. And the Thai military announced today that the designation of the Gulf of Thailand as the area of high risk. So, what's the SG's reaction to this latest development?

Deputy Spokesman: We are concerned about these developments and the renewed fighting. We want them to go back to a cessation of hostilities and back to restoring good-neighbourly relations between the two countries.

Question: Has the SG had any plan to speak to the leaders of the two countries? Or send a special envoy to the area?

Deputy Spokesman: There's nothing to announce just now, but we've made our views clear to the respective Governments, and we'll continue to do so. Yes, Alexey?

Question: Thanks, Farhan. I'm wondering if you have any comments on the Ukraine peace talks in Germany?

Deputy Spokesman: Nothing beyond what we've said before, that we want there to be discussions that lead to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in line with UN resolutions, in line with the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council and the UN Charter, and in line with international law, including, of course, the principle of territorial integrity.

Question: And to make it clear, you still haven't seen US peace plan?

Deputy Spokesman: This is not our peace plan. We are discussing with various interlocutors what these peace efforts are. But again, the US is responsible for their own plan. Have a good afternoon, everyone.

Correspondent: Farhan, I have a question.

Deputy Spokesman: Oh, all right. Yes, what's your question? [cross talk] Yeah.

Question: I have two questions, in fact, but I'll be brief. First, a question. In Morocco, 22 people died under a collapse of two buildings and 37 people died due to torrential rain and floods. I didn't see a statement of condolences from the Secretary-General, which normally he does. Why is that?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we do in some cases and not in others, but certainly our heart goes out to all those people who died, both in the building collapse and in the floods.

Question: And my second question, in the US Congress, there is debate now about declaring UNRWA a terrorist organization. Are you aware of this development and are you prepared to have a strong stand against that?

Deputy Spokesman: You have seen what we've been saying about UNRWA. It's an organization that is vital to our efforts, not just in the Occupied Palestinian Territory but in the region as a whole. As you know, they operate throughout the Middle East and their work has been crucial for the last 70 years for the survival of Palestinian refugees throughout the region. And the Secretary-General strongly encourages it. And as you know, the General Assembly made clear just a little over a week ago their own strong support for UNRWA.

Correspondent: Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: Have a good afternoon, everyone.