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 Tomorrow

A couple of programming notes. At 1:30 p.m. there will be a briefing here by Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children. She will be here to brief you on her annual report she produces that goes to the General Assembly.

And, at 2:30 p.m., there will be a briefing by Ai Kihara-Hunt, the UN Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.

Then, tomorrow, my guest will be Alexander De Croo, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), who will be joining us live from Bangkok, Thailand, where he is attending the meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group.

**Yemen and Saudi Arabia

Turning to the situation in Yemen and Saudi Arabia: I can tell you that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the continued Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, especially on Saudi Arabian infrastructure, including the airports.

You saw that we issued a statement over the weekend, in which the Secretary-General strongly condemned the lethal attack by the Houthis on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, which reportedly killed 12 civilians and injured many more. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, also issued a statement, saying he was appalled by the repeated attacks over the past few days by the Houthis on airports in Saudi Arabia.

Attacks on civilians, attacks on civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law and they must stop.

The Secretary-General also remains deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation in Yemen and calls upon all parties to exercise restraint and prevent any further escalation.

He urges all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law and to refrain from directing attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure and to take constant care to spare the civilian population, as well as civilian objects.

**Yemen - Humanitarian

On the humanitarian front in Yemen, our colleagues at OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) warn that continued hostilities and large-scale displacement are deepening humanitarian needs, particularly in Ta'iz Governorate, where access restrictions and disruptions to essential services are putting civilians at increasing risk.

As of today, we and our humanitarian partners have managed to reach some 143,000 people with emergency assistance, which includes food, hygiene and cash assistance. But the needs continue to grow, while access constraints and limited resources, as well as the ongoing conflict, are hampering our ability to respond.

The situation in Ta'iz is of particular concern. Restrictions on key roads are reportedly disrupting civilian movement, commercial supplies and of course humanitarian access.

Authorities have warned that continued road closures, including along the Ta'iz-Aden corridor, are disrupting the supply of food, fuel, water and medical supplies. They have also reported sharp increases in commodity prices and growing fuel shortages.

Women and girls face particular risks. Inadequate shelter, unsafe sanitation facilities, food insecurity and limited access to healthcare are leaving displaced women and girls increasingly vulnerable to violence, exploitation and abuse. Across Yemen, funding cuts have forced the closure of 72 per cent of the safe spaces for women and girls. Meanwhile, 73,000 dignity kits are urgently needed to support displaced women and girls.

OCHA continues to work with partners to monitor displacement, assess emerging needs and coordinate the response.

Once again, we reiterate our call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, to protect civilians, to protect civilian infrastructure, and ensure the safe movement of civilians, and especially the safe unhindered and rapid movement of humanitarian goods and services to wherever they are needed.

**Djibouti

Turning to the situation across the Red Sea in Djibouti, and I can tell you that we are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life that was reported over the weekend following the capsizing of a boat carrying migrants off the coast of Djibouti; they were en route to Yemen. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that 139 people have died and another 84 remain missing. UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) and IOM are working with the Government of Djibouti to assess survivors' protection needs and provide counselling and support to the survivors.

This tragedy is a stark reminder of the dangers people face in search of safety, in search of work and in search of a better future for themselves and their families. Since fighting escalated on Yemen's west coast, more than 217,000 people have been displaced from their homes. At the same time, migrants continue to make the dangerous journey through Yemen, with arrivals rising sharply despite the conflict and risks along the route.

**Ethiopia

Staying in the Horn of Africa, and focusing on Ethiopia, our humanitarian partners are reporting that the first flight since the suspension of air operations on 23 September landed yesterday in Mekelle airport, which is, as you know, the capital of the Tigray region. This is an important step towards restoring humanitarian operations in the region and follows the arrival on 8 October of the first food convoy to reach Tigray through the Semera-Abala corridor in the Afar region.

Our humanitarian partners also report that seven trucks carrying critical medical supplies and equipment reached Mekelle last week. More convoys are on their way, and the delivery of food and other relief continues wherever access is permitted.

Despite these positive developments in the region, major protection concerns remain. We continue to receive reports of air strikes causing civilian casualties, as well as of looting of humanitarian assets, much-needed humanitarian assets. Once again, we call on all parties here in this conflict as well to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

And over the weekend, you will note that we issued a statement from the Secretary-General, in which he said he was gravely concerned by the fighting during those days in the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia. He called on all parties to cease hostilities immediately and urges the signatories to return to dialogue under the framework of the Pretoria Agreement.

And he reminded all States in the region of their obligation under the UN Charter to refrain from the threats or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State, and of the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. That statement was shared with you.

**Somalia

And in Somalia, George Conway, who is our Humanitarian Coordinator in that country, is deeply concerned about escalating violence in and around Baidoa district, which is in the Bay region, with civilians bearing the brunt of the clashes, as it is usually the case.

A flare-up at the end of September forced more than 5,600 people, including nearly 700 children, to flee their homes, and the district now hosts more than 520,000 displaced people in total.

The repeated violence is compounding the suffering of vulnerable families in the region. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis reports that Baidoa is facing a risk of famine, driven by catastrophic food insecurity and extremely critical levels of acute malnutrition among internally displaced people.

Mr. Conway says women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities face heightened risks and additional barriers to safety, to assistance and freedom of movement. He called on all parties to de-escalate tensions, protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allow for the safe, rapid and unhindered movement of humanitarian goods.

**Sudan

Turning to Sudan, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with a new alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system (IPC) highlighting the worsening conditions in parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan areas. The outlook is increasingly alarming, as El Niño is driving severe drought conditions across more than half of Sudan and access constraints continue to hamper the humanitarian response.

Meanwhile, we are deeply worried by reports of continued air and drone strikes in different parts of Sudan, causing civilian casualties, including among displaced families.

These attacks underscore the grave risks faced by civilians who have already fled violence in search of safety. Once again, international humanitarian law must be respected, civilians and civilian infrastructure protected, and those who violate the law must be held to account.

**South Sudan

A quick update from our peacekeeping colleagues in South Sudan, where they are updating us on the violence in Rumbek, in Lakes State.

As you are aware, peacekeepers from Nepal protected civilians, humanitarian workers and the local hospital during the intercommunal clashes that erupted on Friday and that we told you about.

Yesterday, they safely evacuated 17 humanitarian workers from Amok Payam, north of Rumbek town, given the volatile security situation. And today, a team of UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) civilian personnel deployed to Rumbek to support conflict-prevention efforts through engagement with State authorities, community leaders and civil society representatives.

The situation continues to be calm, but it is fragile, and the peacekeeping mission is urging all communities to refrain from further violence and to resolve grievances through dialogue and not violence.

**Nepal

A quick note from Asia, where in Nepal yesterday's flash flood in the Gorkha District, a UN team is now supporting the Government's response.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UN Development Programme (UNDP) are deploying drones to assess affected areas, while the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNOSAT are providing satellite imagery to map damage in hard-to-reach locations. The World Food Programme (WFP) is transporting Government relief supplies, including food, from the Humanitarian Staging Area.

Some 200,000 early-warning text alerts were issued before the flood surge, allowing communities to evacuate.

**Ukraine

And from Ukraine, our colleagues at OCHA tell us that attacks over the weekend caused civilian casualties, they damaged critical infrastructure and triggered more evacuations from the front-line areas.

According to local authorities, 35 civilians were killed, and nearly 200 injured, between Friday and this morning, and we, of course, condemn all attacks against civilians.

The attacks also damaged energy infrastructure, including a power plant in the region of Kharkiv.

In the city of Zaporizhzhia alone, an attack on Saturday killed 20 people, including four children, and injured more than 30 others, that's what local authorities are telling us. The Humanitarian Coordinator,Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack and said that this is another demonstration of the heavy civilian toll when aerial glide bombs are used on populated areas.

Also on Saturday, the offices of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Mykolaiv were affected by blast waves.

Humanitarian partners, supported by UN agencies, provided emergency medical and psychological assistance, shelter materials, meals, and registering people for cash assistance wherever they need it.

**Lebanon and Israel

Moving to the Middle East: Today, Officer-in-Charge of Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), Jean Arnault, began an official visit to Israel. He is expected to meet with senior Israeli officials, as part of regular consultations with the Government of Israel.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon continue to report Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) operations, including several air strikes, as well as ground activities, across the UNIFIL area of operations.

Peacekeeping patrols have found explosive hazards, including a potentially live grenade in Bint Jbeil in Sector West, which was promptly transferred to a safer location for disposal on Friday. In Shama, also in Sector West, an unexploded ordnance, assessed as a rocket warhead, was disposed of soon as it was found.

On the humanitarian front, between Thursday and Sunday, UNIFIL facilitated, in coordination with OCHA, four humanitarian missions in Sector West.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

And moving south to Gaza, the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, just concluded a two-day visit to Gaza today. He assessed humanitarian conditions, response efforts and urgent protection needs, and he also met with displaced communities.

At Al Nahhal Land in Gaza City, Dr. Alakbarov met five families relocated from a structurally unsafe building that was slated for demolition. The families described the physical and psychological toll of repeated displacement and said they had returned to Gaza City because they wanted to remain close to essential services, to relatives and community support, and they had few viable alternatives.

At a displacement site, he reviewed community-led winter preparations, including measures to reduce flooding, store water, manage drainage and reinforce the shelters, which, as you know, are pretty weak.

And at an adjacent site, which hosts women-headed households, women said their immediate priorities were lighting, replacement tents and better shelter, winter clothing for children and cash assistance.

Dr. Alakbarov also met with humanitarian partners at the Gaza City's UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) Centre and discussed ongoing responses and gaps.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Israeli authorities issued four evacuation orders and two shelter-in-place orders within two hours, affecting humanitarian sites across Gaza, North Gaza and Deir al Balah governorates. Although no damage was reported, the incident underscores the challenging operating environment.

**Panama

We are almost done, but we need to move to this hemisphere; in Panama, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that we, led by Resident Coordinator Ana Patricia Graça, continue to support the Government-led response to the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday.

The provinces of Los Santos, Herrera, Coclé and Veraguas were among the hardest hit. More than 800 homes, over 400 educational facilities and 29 health facilities have been reported damaged. Some 250 people remain in shelters. So far, authorities have only reported minor injuries and no fatalities.

In coordination with our humanitarian colleagues, agencies are supporting the response on the ground. The UN Refugee Agency has delivered more than 1,000 kitchen kits, more than 2,000 mosquito nets and 200 family tents.

UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) has installed two tents next to hospitals to support the continuity of health services and is assessing needs in water, sanitation, education and child protection. WFP has deployed three mobile storage units to strengthen logistics operations, while UNOPS is supporting efforts to restore road access to affected communities.

The Pan American Health Organization/WHO (World Health Organization) is providing technical support to health authorities, while UN Women and UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) are helping address protection concerns and reproductive health needs, particularly for women and girls affected by the earthquake.

**Colombia

This morning, you heard Miroslav Jenča, the Special Representative for Colombia and head of the political Mission in Colombia, briefing the Security Council on the situation in the country. He highlighted the Mission's work across conflict-affected regions, supporting the implementation of the Peace Agreement and working closely with communities, former combatants, local authorities and civil society.

**Syria

This afternoon, the Security Council will reconvene at 3:30 p.m. for a briefing and consultations on Syria. Briefers from the Secretariat will be Deputy Special Envoy Claudio Cordone and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator at OCHA, Mohamed Yahya.

**Haiti

And lastly, in Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, through the Haiti Humanitarian Fund, there has been an allocation of an additional $75 million to support people affected by violence and displacement across the country.

The funding will support 10 projects in the Ouest, Centre and Artibonite departments, reaching more than 500,000 people with assistance, including clean water, healthcare and shelter. Part of the funding will go directly to local Haitian organizations, including a women-led consortium that is working on the front lines of the violence.

Humanitarian needs, however, remain immense. More than 6 million people in Haiti require assistance and 1.5 million have been displaced. With the Humanitarian Response Plan still less than half funded, we continue to call for more funds.

Edie Lederer, welcome back.

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Steph. A follow-up first on the conflict between Ethiopia and Tigray. Recalling the very high casualty toll in the last conflict, I know you said that the UN has offered mediation. Is anybody actually mediating at the moment to prevent a recurrence?

Spokesman: There is a process through the Pretoria process led by the African Union, and if I'm not mistaken, the former Nigerian President, Mr. [Olusegun] Obasanjo. We, in the person of our envoy for the Horn of Africa, Mr. [Guang] Cong, are working with him and with that process. I think here and other places, it's important not to have duplication, but we continue to support those efforts.

Question: And secondly, does the Secretary-General have any comment on the sharp criticism of Navi Pillay winning the Nobel Peace Prize by the United States and Israel?

Spokesman: Well, we've also noted the sharp support for Navi Pillay and her work, her life's work in defending human rights, and I would just refer you to what the Secretary-General himself said on the issue. Abdelhamid?

Question: Thank you, Steph. I have a few short questions. First, do you have any comment on the cancellation of the Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for 28 November?

Spokesman: Yes, we have seen that decision and the reports that the Palestinian leaders have intended to postpone the legislative council elections. We will continue to support the Palestinian Central Election Commission to ensure that technical preparations are in place when the actual elections take place.

Question: And my second question, on the decision by the Trump Administration to execute Nidal Hassan in public, it will be streamlined and make millions of Americans see this execution. It hasn't been done yet, but do you have any comment?

Spokesman: I would refer you to my extended answer on Friday on this issue.

Question: Okay, and the last thing about Gaza. A number of people were killed, and I'm one day waiting to see in your briefing mentioning the number of people killed in Gaza.

Spokesman: We've mentioned the number of casualties on a regular basis. Dr. Alakbarov, when he briefs the [Security] Council, we get updates, not all get updates every day, but I think we've not been shy about mentioning the continued violence against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. Madame?

Question: Hello, Stéphane. It's Ainur from Silkway TV channel. My question is about energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, announced earlier by US President Donald Trump. What would be Secretary-General's assessment of the current situation and the prospects for implementing and sustaining this energy ceasefire?

Spokesman: I think the… sorry, hold on two seconds. I think the Secretary-General has been very clear in the past and continues to believe that there should be an end to all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, including the energy infrastructure. This is something we and the Secretary-General's representatives have talked about a lot, in daily briefings and in various reports. We would welcome any diplomatic initiative to that end that is acceptable to both sides. Nathan?

Question: Thank you so much, Stéphane. So, my question is on Djibouti. So, over the weekend, like you've mentioned, there are some immigrants who died on a boat, but then reports also say that more than 20,000 other immigrants are stranded on dangerous immigration routes. So, I just wanted to ask, if there are any sufficient holding facilities for arrested migrants, like irregular immigrants, and also what the United Nations is also doing to address any gaps following the recent deaths?

Spokesman: Well, I mean, we of course do not, I mean, we in terms of the IOM and UNHCR do not handle any detention of human beings, whether they're migrants or refugees. We were trying to get a briefing on the situation in Djibouti by our Resident Coordinator, so that should come hopefully this week, and you'll be able to ask some questions. We have in many parts of the world expressed our concern and done investigations, different parts of the UN, on the deplorable detention conditions that a lot of migrants face in various countries. I'm not aware that that is the case in Djibouti. Our colleagues at UNHCR and IOM, like I said, are trying to provide whatever support they can to the survivors. Okay, I don't see any questions online. I wish you and bid you a good day.