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, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

**Guest

All right, good afternoon. Our guest in a short while will be Olga Cherevko, who is, as you know, OCHA's [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] Spokesperson in Gaza. She will be joining us live from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip to brief you, obviously, on the humanitarian situation there and what she is able to see with her own two eyes.

Then, just a programming note, on Monday, Tom Fletcher will be our guest. As you know, he is the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. We may very well also have a briefing Monday afternoon with the Comptroller of the United Nations to talk to you about the UN budget. The exact format is yet to be worked out, but it will likely be Monday afternoon.

As a reminder, on Tuesday, our briefer will be the Secretary-General of the United Nations; he will be holding his annual pre-General Assembly press conference. That presser with the Secretary-General will be in person only. It will be at noon, and he will be on time.

**Peace Bell

Speaking of the Secretary-General, this morning he rang the Peace Bell for the eightieth session of the General Assembly here at the UN Headquarters - warning that today, peace is under siege. Conflicts are multiplying. Civilians are suffering. Human rights and international law are being trampled. He said that we must act to silence the guns and amplify diplomacy. Mr. [António] Guterres said that the Peace Bell reminds us that even the smallest contributions can forge something enduring. Even in a fractured world, we can come together to let peace ring, he said.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that heavy strikes continue across Gaza City, hitting buildings, houses and tents, and further adding to the already devastating toll on civilians. Over a span of 24 hours - by yesterday at 2 p.m. local time - colleagues monitoring population movements counted almost 11,000 people moving from northern Gaza southwards.

Along those displacement routes, our teams are stationed at three points, providing direct support or referral services to children who have been injured, orphaned or separated from their caregivers. While multiple sites providing services have had to suspend operations or relocate, we are helping humanitarian partners keep community kitchens open, helping them distribute clean water, and provide healthcare to people in Gaza City and elsewhere across the Gaza Strip.

Yesterday, I think some of you have asked me about deliveries, a UN team successfully delivered fuel to a series of critical service providers in Gaza City. This included hospitals and other health facilities, as well as installations supporting water-pumping, trucking and desalination, and also the management of solid waste.

OCHA says that the humanitarian community remains committed to serving people in need wherever they are, based on what they need and regardless of whether parties have labelled the area they're sheltering in as "dangerous", "humanitarian" or otherwise.

In a statement today, UNICEF [United Nations Children's Fund] reported that over 10,000 children in Gaza City have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition in the past two months alone. The agency warned that, if disconnected from their treatment, there is a high risk some of the 2,400 children currently being treated for severe acute malnutrition in the area could starve to death. And of course, you will hear a lot more about this from Olga in a few minutes.

**United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

In southern Lebanon, following request from the Government of Lebanon, our peacekeeping deminers started humanitarian demining in two minefields this week, near Blida and Maroun ar-Ra's. Together, these minefields spread across 18,000 square metres. Such operations are crucial in minimizing risks to civilians who live in or visit areas close to the Blue Line.

As part of the mission's ongoing efforts to build capacity of the Lebanese Armed Forces, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Maritime Task Force ships started hosting Lebanese Navy officers this week for maritime operations. In another training activity this week, Lebanese Army personnel learned about detecting and handling unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices and other landmines. UNIFIL peacekeepers yesterday discovered an unauthorized sub-munition and a 120-milimetre grenade in Sector East.

Earlier this week peacekeepers found a weapons cache in Sector East, containing an artillery canon, submunitions, aviation bombs and explosives. All of them were referred to the Lebanese Armed Forces as per protocol.

UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to observe daily Israel Defense Forces military activities in the area of operations. Yesterday, they observed 71 Israel Defense Forces vehicles moving near Aarab el Louaize. They also reported direct fire across the Blue Line from Israeli positions, impacting in Markaba and Houla in Sector East.

**South Sudan

Moving to the recent developments in South Sudan, which we are following very closely, I can tell you that our peacekeeping mission there notes the announcement of legal charges against First Vice-President, Riek Machar, and seven other individuals those charges were made by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. The Mission reminds us that any judicial proceeding should adhere to international standards of fairness and transparency, with full respect for the rule of law and human rights.

Today is also the seventh anniversary of the Revitalized Peace Agreement and as security and political tensions continue to escalate across the country, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) there calls on all parties to place the interests of their people first, resolve political deadlocks, reduce violence and recommit to fully implementing the Agreement.

As the political and security situation continues to deteriorate, it is more important than ever that the country's leaders put the interests of their people first. We have also been sounding the alarm on the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, where half the population is severely food insecure and where there is a displacement crisis and an economic meltdown.

**Ukraine

Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that today, we, along with our humanitarian partners, delivered aid to a front-line community in the Kherson region for the first time in seven months. The convoy delivered 15 metric tons of aid to more than 1,000 residents. Supplies included emergency shelter materials, hygiene kits and power stations, as the community remains with no electricity due to repeated attacks. OCHA says that, since January of this year, 22 convoys have brought assistance to some 22,000 people in front-line areas of the region.

Meanwhile, yesterday and early morning today, several people were killed and injured, including health workers, in attacks across front-line regions - that's what local authorities are telling us - and civil infrastructure was also damaged. Our humanitarian colleagues also tell us that the evacuation of civilians from front-line areas continues. In the first 10 days of this month, more than 3,000 people, including 650 children, were evacuated from the Donetsk region, with many receiving support at transit sites in the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.

**Security Council

This afternoon, the Security Council will meet at 3 p.m. for a briefing on threats to international peace and security. Rosemary DiCarlo, our Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, will brief Council members.

And this morning, the Security Council members heard from Izumi Nakamitsu, the head of the disarmament department. She briefed on the elimination of the chemical weapons programme in Syria, speaking about progress being made lately, and mentioning that between March and August, there have been four visits by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) teams to Syria. They did this to consult with relevant authorities and to visit declared and suspected chemical weapons sites. She underscored that the UN will continue to do our part to uphold the norm against the use of chemical weapons, anywhere, at any time.

**Afghanistan

A further update to Afghanistan: UNICEF today noted that children are bearing the heaviest burden after a powerful earthquake struck Kunar and Nangarhar Provinces at the end of last month. The agency pointed out that at least 1,172 children have died, accounting for more than half of the entire death toll. In addition, 45 children have been separated from their families, and 271 children are newly orphaned. UNICEF added that overall, more than half a million people have been impacted in Afghanistan, and among them, 263,000 are children who now face heightened risks. UNICEF has been providing emergency healthcare through strengthened clinics, and with mobile health, as well as nutrition teams, delivering trauma care, and they are doing a lot more.

Also on Afghanistan, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today said that returns under adverse circumstances from Pakistan are rising sharply at the very same time that communities are struggling to recover from the devastating earthquake as many of the returnees went back to that same area. According to UNHCR, as Pakistan resumes implementation of its "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan", more than 554,000 Afghans have returned since April, including 143,000 in August alone. In recent weeks, the pace has surged further, and in the first week of September alone, nearly 100,000 people crossed back from Pakistan, stretching capacities to the limit.

Together with partners, UNHCR was providing returnees with immediate assistance, such as cash support, protection and other essential services, both at border points and in their areas of return, to help families begin rebuilding their lives.

However, in recent days, UNHCR has been forced to temporarily suspend operations at its cash and support centres across Afghanistan, as the de facto authorities have been preventing national female UN staff members from entering UN compounds, as I mentioned yesterday. UNHCR stressed that it is not possible to serve women without female staff and reiterated its call for the immediate lifting of these restrictions and for an urgent solution to be found.

**Myanmar

Turning to Myanmar, another grim report from UNICEF. They tell us that they are extremely concerned by reports of an overnight attack on a boarding school in Kyauktaw Township, in Rakhine State, that reportedly killed and injured children as they slept. UNICEF notes that the attack adds to a pattern of increasingly devastating violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the ultimate price.

**Democratic People's Republic of Korea

And I also want to flag a report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today. They released a report showing that the overall human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has not improved over the past decade, and in many instances, has degraded, bringing even more suffering to the population.

This latest report covers the period following the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry; the latest findings point to the introduction of more laws, more policies and more practices that are subjecting citizens to increased surveillance and control in all aspects of life. The report, which is based on hundreds of interviews by the Office, along with supporting materials, says political prison camps continue to operate and the right to food continues to be violated, with some State policies making huger worse. The full report is online.

**South-South Cooperation

An international day to flag to you. Today is the International Day for South-South Cooperation. In his message, the Secretary-General says on this Day, we celebrate the growing momentum of opportunity, innovation and solidarity across the Global South, adding that South-South and triangular cooperation are engines of progress and vital to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and recognizing at the same time the responsibilities of developed countries to help address rising inequalities and advance sustainable development.

**Financial Contribution

We have money today. I have a good quiz for you. One of this country's favourite sports is moraingy, a traditional martial art that involves bare-fisted striking, kicking and sometimes head-butting. Sounds fun, no? It is also the fourth largest island in the world. No. It's the largest island country, and the fourth largest island in the world, and Australia is a continent, Michelle, before you ask. Madagascar's payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 128. Okay. All right. Dezhi?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Yes. Couple of questions. Today, the GA adopted a resolution that would endorse the New York Declaration. What is the response of the Secretary-General?

Spokesman: Declaration on…?

Correspondent: Two-State solution.

Spokesman: Yeah. I just want to make sure you know what you're asking about. I mean, I think the Secretary-General has been very clear in his support of the two-State solution and very clear in his support of doing anything to ensure that we don't lose hope in the face of the reality that we're living in, that the two-State solution can still be achieved.

Question: In the connection of that yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu signed the plan to ratify the E1 settlements. And also he said there will be no Palestinian State. What is the reaction from the Scretary-General on that?

Spokesman: Look. First of all, we believe that there will be two States. We continue to believe it. It will demand hard work. It'll demand sacrifice. Most of all, it will demand political courage. We've been very clear on our stand on against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are maintained and established against international law. Obviously, [we are] looking at the plans for the increase of this E1 settlement. Settlements further entrench the occupation. They fuel tension. They systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian State that we were just talking about. And we once again call on Israel to cease all settlement activities pursuant to its obligations under international law and reaffirm the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

Question: One last question. Also in connection of that, during high-level week, at least for now, the speakers list suggests that the Israeli Prime Minister is going to be here on Friday. Will the Secretary-General meet with the Prime Minister?

Spokesman: The Secretary-General's bilateral is still being worked out. Javier and then Abdelhamid.

Question: More of that with the General Assembly. Any update on the Palestinian delegation or press…?

Spokesman: No. This is an issue we have raised a number of times with the host country, reminding them of their obligation under the [Headquarters] treaty, but nothing else to report. Abdelhamid?

Question: Thank you, Steph. First, are you aware of what's going on in the city of Tulkarm in the West Bank?

Spokesman: Yes. We're aware of the increased activity by the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], and we're concerned at the treatment of the Palestinian civilians in that area.

Question: Okay. Today is the 707^th day of the genocide war, but at least I think the number of days must be surface in your briefing. And today also, 50 Palestinians were killed, including 17 in Gaza City - 14 from one family in 1 house completely obliterated. These crimes, why I can't believe that killing Palestinian became no news. Why?

Spokesman: Well, what is news, what is made news is up to journalists - what is news or not news and what they report on. We continue to report on the tragic situation in Gaza. We continued today. We talked in the beginning about the ongoing bombardments. We report on the figures that are given to us by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. I think we will we continue and we'll continue to publicize the situation on the ground. Alex and then Pam.

Question: Thanks, Steph. I'm wondering if you have any updates on the possible meeting between the Secretary-General and Qatari Prime Minister.

Spokesman: That's scheduled right now, late this afternoon around 6:30 p.m., but things shift. Okay. Yeah. Let's stay in the back, and I will come back up front. Yes?

Question: About the detention of UN personnel by the Houthis. On 31 August, the Secretary-General said 11 were detained, then the number increased to 19, I believe? And in today's Security Council's press statement, 21 were detained. I have several questions. First of all, is 21 accurate? Secondly, why the increments? And thirdly, do you have a breakdown of the detainees? Thank you.

Spokesman: I should have the numbers with me. We'll get them to you before the briefing. I think we're 20 in terms of those that were the recently detained in the last few… recently detained. And in terms there, if you'll recall, there have been some that have been detained now for a long number of years. So, I think, it's about 40 all told. And it's not only… there's UN staff, but what's important to remember that there is staff from international NGOs, staff from civil society, staff from diplomatic missions that continue to be arbitrarily detained. We continue to very publicly advocate for their immediate release, and we're doing so also privately via other channels.

Question: So, if I was talking about the additional detentions since 31 August, is 21 accurate?

Spokesman: Yeah. I think it is 20, given that we had our one international staff member released yesterday, but I will get you the exact number before the end of the briefing. [He later said the following: In total, 44 UN national staff are currently detained by the Houthis, alongside an unspecified number from national and international NGOs, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions. Of the 44 UN national staff who are detained, 21 have been detained since 30 August. In addition to those, the UNICEF Deputy Resident Representative, an international staff member, was detained from 1 to 11 September and was subsequently released.] Pam?

Question: Thank you. The IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and Iran have made tentative agreement on access to monitors and surveillance within Iran's nuclear facilities. But the EU 3 had initiated the snapback. Since the UN was involved in this agreement, is there anything the UN says about whether that goes forward or not?

Spokesman: The Secretary-General is not a party to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. I think his message has been clear - is to use this time for diplomacy. We welcomed the agreement, recent agreements agreed to by the IAEA and Iran. What the [Security] Council will decide is what the Council will decide. Yes, madame?

Question: I have a question on the Taliban rules of men not being allowed to help female victims of the earthquake. Reuters says that UNHCR is in negotiations with the Taliban on reopening those centres that you just mentioned. Has the office of the Secretary-General been in communications with the Taliban leaders?

Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, the office of Secretary-General has been in touch with de facto authorities, as represented by the [United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan]. I think yesterday, I gave a pretty detailed update of what the political mission, UNAMA, was doing in Kabul and very proactively engaging with the de facto authorities to get all of this reversed and as quickly as possible. It is not just against the basic principles of humanity in this Organization. It's also hampering our efforts to bring relief to all those who need it in Afghanistan. All right. Any other questions? Excellent. We will go to our guest. If we could put Olga the screen. All right. Olga, thank you very much.