{"id":302668,"date":"2024-10-22T15:33:18","date_gmt":"2024-10-22T19:33:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/?post_type=document&#038;p=302668"},"modified":"2024-11-01T15:33:58","modified_gmt":"2024-11-01T19:33:58","slug":"press-briefing-sgoffice-22oct24","status":"publish","type":"document","link":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/press-briefing-sgoffice-22oct24\/","title":{"rendered":"Tor Wennesland&#8217;s visit to Gaza, UNDP latest report on the impact of war on Gaza &#8211; Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General \u2013 22 October 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"video-shortcode\"><iframe title=\"Iraq, Gaza\/UNSCO, Lebanon &amp; other topics - Daily Press Briefing (22 Oct 2024) | Â鶹APP\" width=\"1320\" height=\"743\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gfpt8lR-1Oc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>(Excerpt)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today\u2019s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.<\/p>\n<p>Good afternoon, everyone.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>Gaza<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, visited Gaza today, where he saw firsthand the continued immense destruction and profound suffering of the people.<\/p>\n<p>He said he met with UN staff and Palestinian non-governmental organizations\u00a0(NGOs) in Gaza, whose tireless efforts are admirable.\u00a0He heard directly from them about the alarming security and humanitarian situation across the Strip, particularly in northern Gaza.\u00a0 The challenges faced by the people of Gaza, including serious violations of international humanitarian law, are enormous, with urgent needs for food, medical supplies, and protection.<\/p>\n<p>Mr.\u00a0Wennesland said that a significant increase in the entry of humanitarian assistance and an improvement in security is urgently required.\u00a0He reiterated the Secretary-General\u2019s repeated call for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.\u00a0 He calls on all relevant parties to urgently pursue these goals.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Occupied Palestinian Territory<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that people suffering under the ongoing Israeli siege in North Gaza governorate are rapidly exhausting all available means for their survival.\u00a0 OCHA stresses that civilians must be protected whether they move or stay, and they must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need.\u00a0 This is what international humanitarian law requires.<\/p>\n<p>Israeli authorities continue to deny OCHA\u2019s requests to help rescue civilians under rubble.\u00a0 We are still waiting for the green light to help dozens of people trapped under their collapsed homes in the Falouja area of Jabalya.<\/p>\n<p>OCHA says our requests to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance to northern Gaza have also been denied.\u00a0 This includes planned missions by UN agencies and our partners to deliver life-saving supplies \u2014 including blood, essential medications, food parcels, and fuel to hospitals and water facilities.<\/p>\n<p>The director of Kamal Adwan, one of the last functioning hospitals in North Gaza, reported yesterday that blood units have run out, and medical crews have been working nonstop with no food.\u00a0 The emergency department is seeing a constant influx of casualties.<\/p>\n<p>Yesterday, OCHA supported a complex mission led by the World Health Organization (WHO) \u2014 alongside the UN Mine Action Service and the Palestine Red Crescent Society \u2014 to evacuate 14\u00a0critical patients from Kamal Adwan southward to Al Shifa Hospital.\u00a0 That mission, which departed Deir al Balah on Sunday, had to spend the night at Kamal Adwan due to intense fighting in the area.\u00a0 The team was only able to proceed the following day.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, our health partners say that communications challenges are hampering efforts to gather information on conditions at the other medical facilities in North Gaza \u2014 the Indonesian and Al Awda hospitals.<\/p>\n<p>The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that none of the agency\u2019s medical points in North Gaza are operational.\u00a0 UNRWA says its medical teams are ready but urgently need medical supplies to be able to provide care.<\/p>\n<p>As the Israeli siege continues, the UN and our partners estimate that more than 60,000\u00a0people have been displaced from North Gaza to Gaza City.\u00a0 Within North Gaza, about 4,000\u00a0people have fled from Jabalya to Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahya, [with others fleeing to Beit Lahya, or displaced within Jabalia itself].<\/p>\n<p>OCHA reports that the health situation in central and southern Gaza also remains difficult.\u00a0 A team of health monitors in Gaza say that as of late last month, more than three quarters of hospitals still functioning across Gaza lack enough water, and 94\u00a0per\u00a0cent have insufficient sanitation facilities.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>UN Development Programme<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The UN Development Programme\u00a0(UNDP) says that one year into the Gaza war, the humanitarian crisis has reached a catastrophic level \u2014 with unprecedented casualties, widespread destruction and severe food insecurity.<\/p>\n<p>The war has had a severe impact on critical sectors such as education, healthcare, social services, the economy and the environment, UNDP says in a new report.\u00a0 Educational institutions have suffered significant losses, with numerous casualties among students and educators and the widespread destruction of schools.\u00a0 The healthcare system is nearing collapse, facing critical shortages in medical supplies and widespread malnutrition, particularly among children.<\/p>\n<p>Economic projections indicate that the gross domestic product\u00a0(GDP) of the State of Palestine contracted by 35.1\u00a0per\u00a0cent in 2024 compared with a no-war scenario, with unemployment potentially rising to 49.9\u00a0per\u00a0cent.\u00a0 By the end of 2024, the Human Development Index\u00a0(HDI) in the State of Palestine may fall to 0.643, a level not seen since human development calculations began in 2004.<\/p>\n<p>Poverty in the State of Palestine is projected to rise to 74.3\u00a0per\u00a0cent in 2024, affecting 4.1\u00a0million people, including 2.61\u00a0million people who are newly impoverished.\u00a0 The full report is online.<\/p>\n<p>\/&#8230;<\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>Questions and Answers<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 And a second question.\u00a0 Can you get us an update on the number of trucks that are actually getting into Gaza?\u00a0We all know that the United States has called on Israel to have 350\u00a0trucks a day get into Gaza.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure I\u2019m not the only one who\u2019d like to know how many trucks are actually getting in.<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0Oh, well, I can assure you that we are well short of that goal.\u00a0 As you know, the numbers we\u2019ve been giving in the past have shown that the figures have been, in fact, way down.\u00a0 And part of the issue was not just trucks getting into Gaza through checkpoints such as Erez West, but also the problems moving any aid from the south to the north because of the closure of the checkpoint in between those areas.\u00a0 So it\u2019s a small amount, but I\u2019ll try to get you more of a figure on the trucks.<\/p>\n<p>\/&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Okay, two quick questions.\u00a0 First, you said the OCHA\u2019s request to get into northern Gaza has been denied again.\u00a0Any excuse or reasons?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I\u2019m not here to give the reasoning from any of the other parties.<\/p>\n<p><u>Correspondent<\/u>:\u00a0 But you\u2019ve got the reasons, but you prefer not to say that.<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0There are security considerations that Israel is citing.\u00a0 But for our part, like I said, we coordinate these missions very carefully, and we do them on the basis of the need to provide critical humanitarian aid.<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 What security concerns?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0That\u2019s for them to describe, not me.<\/p>\n<p>\/&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Thank you, Farhan.\u00a0 Nice to see you all the time.\u00a0 On the BRICS.\u00a0Do you think the SG will also discuss with the leaders the situation in Gaza?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0Oh, yes, certainly.<\/p>\n<p>\/&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Okay, I\u2019ll move on to one other one, please.\u00a0\u00a0<em>Drop Site News<\/em>\u00a0has an article about how Israel is actively considering using \u201cprivate security in Gaza under the auspices of delivering humanitarian aid\u201d.\u00a0 And a private security company based in the US has confirmed that they\u2019re talking to Israel about this.\u00a0 My question to you is, would the UN ever consider outside private security ever being used in any capacity under the auspices of humanitarian aid in Gaza, working with the UN at all?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I think for now our focus is on the established mechanisms that we have in place to get aid in.\u00a0 And so, we\u2019re trying to work with those.\u00a0 And then so\u2026<\/p>\n<p><u>Correspondent<\/u>:\u00a0 One last follow-up.<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0Okay, one last, and then we\u2019ll move around.<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 One last follow-up on that question is the CEO of that private security company, in a press release yesterday, said they plan to reach out to the UN to try to coordinate with you.\u00a0 Would the UN or the Secretary-General\u2019s office for that matter, even take a meeting along those lines?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I\u2019m not going to respond to that hypothetical. We\u2019ll see what happens. Abdelhamid?<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Thank you, Farhan.\u00a0 I have few questions.\u00a0 First, on the visit of Mr.\u00a0Wennesland to Gaza, did he go to Jabalia refugee camp and to Beit Lahia, where the ethnic cleansing and destruction and killing is going on for the last few days?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0No, I don\u2019t believe he was able to have access into those areas given the fighting.\u00a0 He did put out some detailed information following his travels.\u00a0So we\u2019ll leave that with you.<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Yeah, if you can just share with us where did he go in Gaza.\u00a0 And my second question about Sigrid Kaag.\u00a0 Is she still involved with the humanitarian aid to Gaza or she\u2019s at the time being\u2026?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0Yes.\u00a0 No, she\u2019s been doing\u2026<\/p>\n<p><u>Correspondent<\/u>:\u00a0 We haven\u2019t heard from her for a long time, if you may.<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0No, I mean, obviously we\u2019ve had a lot of focus on other aspects of the work that we\u2019ve been doing.\u00a0 So we haven\u2019t been able to say as much about her.\u00a0 But last week, for example, Sigrid Kaag visited Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where she met with Israeli ministers and pushed on the opening of the crossings in the north, which were then opened up in some aspects last week after those discussions.\u00a0 She then also went to Gaza to focus on preparations for the winter, as well as hospitals and care for people with disabilities.\u00a0 Okay, Evelyn?<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Okay, thank you.\u00a0 My last question is about settlers\u2019 activities in the olive picking season.\u00a0 As you know, they are attacking villages right and left.\u00a0 They established a settlement outpost today, this morning in the village of Fara near Salfit.\u00a0 And they attacked the village of Burqa and the olive pickers right and left, and the army was protecting them.\u00a0 Do you receive reports about these settlers\u2019 activities and why you don\u2019t share it with us in the noon briefing?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>: Well, we\u2019ve repeatedly pointed out our issues with any settlement activity.\u00a0 As you know, the UN stands against the activities and expansions of the settlements, and we do report both to you and to the Security Council.<\/p>\n<p>\/&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Thank you, Farhan.\u00a0 Two follow-ups.\u00a0 First, on Sigrid Kaag, if I remember that correctly, I mean, the resolution is for a year, was adopted for twelve months, but her mandate was for nine months.\u00a0 So, it was supposed to end.\u00a0 I\u2019m just trying to understand the logistics.\u00a0 So her mandate ended end of September.<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0No, it was extended past then.\u00a0 So she is continuing with her work.<\/p>\n<p><u>Question<\/u>:\u00a0 Extended where?\u00a0 At the Security Council?<\/p>\n<p><u>Deputy Spokesman<\/u>:\u00a0 I believe so, yes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; (Excerpt) The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today\u2019s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General. Good afternoon, everyone. Gaza Tor Wennesland, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, visited Gaza today, where he saw firsthand the continued immense destruction and profound suffering of the people. He <a href=\"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/document\/press-briefing-sgoffice-22oct24\/\"> [&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":299,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"country":[],"document-category":[2197,2573,2377,2565,2805],"document-source":[5352],"committee-meeting":[],"document-subject":[2517,1769,1945,2005,1741,1745],"entity":[1729],"document-language":[6542],"class_list":["post-302668","document","type-document","status-publish","hentry","document-category-briefing","document-category-highlights-of-the-noon-briefing","document-category-multimedia","document-category-press-briefing","document-category-video","document-source-secretary-general","document-subject-access-and-movement","document-subject-armed-conflict","document-subject-assistance","document-subject-gaza-strip","document-subject-human-rights-and-international-humanitarian-law","document-subject-refugees-and-displaced-persons","entity-united-nations-system","document-language-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/302668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/document"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/299"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/302668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":302674,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document\/302668\/revisions\/302674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=302668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"document-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-category?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"document-source","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-source?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"committee-meeting","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/committee-meeting?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"document-subject","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-subject?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"entity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/entity?post=302668"},{"taxonomy":"document-language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.un.org\/unispal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/document-language?post=302668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}