United Nations | Lebanon, Palestine, Ukraine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing | United Nations @unitednations | Uploaded October 2024 | Updated October 2024, 6 days ago.
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
- Lebanon
- Senior Personnel Appointment
- Occupied Palestinian Territory
- Lao PDR
- Deputy Secretary-General
- Libya
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Zambia
- Ukraine
- Nepal
- Haiti
- Senior Personnel Appointment
- Nansen Award
- Post Day
- Briefings today and tomorrow
Lebanon
We have an update from our peacekeeping colleagues in southern Lebanon. Over the past 24 hours, the exchanges of fire between the Israel Defense Forces and Hizbullah have continued to intensify. Peacekeepers observe large-scale air strikes by Israel, mainly across southern Lebanon, concurrent with its ground activities in the areas of Marun ar-Ras, Bint Jbeil, Aytarun, Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. They have also continued to observe fire by Hizbullah towards Israel.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed that yesterday [8 October] IDF personnel vacated their position in the vicinity of UNIFIL post UNP 6-52, although movement of IDF personnel and vehicles continues on a nearby road.
Some UN positions have been impacted, sustaining damage from numerous incidents, including to a security camera at UNP 1-31, damage to perimeter walls, gunshots on a vehicle, and shrapnel damage to prefab accommodation. Fortunately, there are no reports of peacekeepers wounded.
As we have been saying repeatedly, the safety and security of our peacekeepers is a paramount priority and is a shared responsibility of all parties.
All parties must abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
We also reiterate our call, both for immediate de-escalation and for the parties to return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has an update on the situation in the northern areas. In recent days, Israeli authorities once again ordered more than 400,000 people who remain north of Wadi Gaza to move south, while at the same time tightening access restrictions and expanding military operations in the north. Crossing points into northern Gaza have been largely closed for both humanitarian and commercial supplies. Checkpoints inside Gaza are only permitting civilians to move south -- and allowing just a trickle of humanitarian movement into the north.
OCHA warns that these developments are forcing services critical for people’s survival to shut down one by one. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency, seven schools sheltering displaced people are being evacuated, and only two of eight water wells in the Jabalya refugee camp remain functional.
The north is also facing severe shortages of bread and food supplies. Explosive munitions burned down the only bakery supported by the World Food Programme in Jabalya refugee camp.
Today, OCHA and the World Health Organization tried to reach northern Gaza to support the Kamal Adwan hospital, after Israeli authorities ordered its immediate evacuation. After receiving a green light from the Israeli authorities for the mission, the team was forced to wait at a holding point for many hours. Ultimately, the mission had to be aborted.
Despite these challenges, aid workers are seizing any opportunity to support people in northern Gaza. UNRWA is utilizing limited stocks already in the north to distribute high-energy biscuits from WFP to children in designated shelters and delivering bread bundles to families in certain areas. Hot meals are being distributed by our partners to newly displaced families, some of whom are also receiving tents. And water is being delivered using trucks.
Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says intense attacks in the south and east of the country this week have killed and injured dozens of civilians and damaged homes, a hospital and schools.
Authorities and partners on the ground in the southern city of Kherson report that about 20 civilians – including children – were injured in attacks on Monday. At least 280 apartments in 10 buildings were also damaged.
NGOs have mobilized emergency assistance – including first aid, food kits and shelter materials – to help families cover the damage to their homes as winter approaches.
Aid workers continue to provide emergency support, including in Chornomorsk Town in the Odesa Region, where attacks yesterday and today injured five civilians and damaged multiple homes and a hospital. Those affected received emergency shelter kits and psychosocial support, as well as child protection and case management services.
OCHA saus that inter-agency convoys also reached war-affected communities in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions this week, delivering essential hygiene supplies, winter clothes, blankets and charging stations.
Full Highlights: un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=09%20October%202024
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
- Lebanon
- Senior Personnel Appointment
- Occupied Palestinian Territory
- Lao PDR
- Deputy Secretary-General
- Libya
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Zambia
- Ukraine
- Nepal
- Haiti
- Senior Personnel Appointment
- Nansen Award
- Post Day
- Briefings today and tomorrow
Lebanon
We have an update from our peacekeeping colleagues in southern Lebanon. Over the past 24 hours, the exchanges of fire between the Israel Defense Forces and Hizbullah have continued to intensify. Peacekeepers observe large-scale air strikes by Israel, mainly across southern Lebanon, concurrent with its ground activities in the areas of Marun ar-Ras, Bint Jbeil, Aytarun, Kafr Kila and Labbouneh. They have also continued to observe fire by Hizbullah towards Israel.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has confirmed that yesterday [8 October] IDF personnel vacated their position in the vicinity of UNIFIL post UNP 6-52, although movement of IDF personnel and vehicles continues on a nearby road.
Some UN positions have been impacted, sustaining damage from numerous incidents, including to a security camera at UNP 1-31, damage to perimeter walls, gunshots on a vehicle, and shrapnel damage to prefab accommodation. Fortunately, there are no reports of peacekeepers wounded.
As we have been saying repeatedly, the safety and security of our peacekeepers is a paramount priority and is a shared responsibility of all parties.
All parties must abide by their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law.
We also reiterate our call, both for immediate de-escalation and for the parties to return to a cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of Resolution 1701.
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has an update on the situation in the northern areas. In recent days, Israeli authorities once again ordered more than 400,000 people who remain north of Wadi Gaza to move south, while at the same time tightening access restrictions and expanding military operations in the north. Crossing points into northern Gaza have been largely closed for both humanitarian and commercial supplies. Checkpoints inside Gaza are only permitting civilians to move south -- and allowing just a trickle of humanitarian movement into the north.
OCHA warns that these developments are forcing services critical for people’s survival to shut down one by one. According to the UN Relief and Works Agency, seven schools sheltering displaced people are being evacuated, and only two of eight water wells in the Jabalya refugee camp remain functional.
The north is also facing severe shortages of bread and food supplies. Explosive munitions burned down the only bakery supported by the World Food Programme in Jabalya refugee camp.
Today, OCHA and the World Health Organization tried to reach northern Gaza to support the Kamal Adwan hospital, after Israeli authorities ordered its immediate evacuation. After receiving a green light from the Israeli authorities for the mission, the team was forced to wait at a holding point for many hours. Ultimately, the mission had to be aborted.
Despite these challenges, aid workers are seizing any opportunity to support people in northern Gaza. UNRWA is utilizing limited stocks already in the north to distribute high-energy biscuits from WFP to children in designated shelters and delivering bread bundles to families in certain areas. Hot meals are being distributed by our partners to newly displaced families, some of whom are also receiving tents. And water is being delivered using trucks.
Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says intense attacks in the south and east of the country this week have killed and injured dozens of civilians and damaged homes, a hospital and schools.
Authorities and partners on the ground in the southern city of Kherson report that about 20 civilians – including children – were injured in attacks on Monday. At least 280 apartments in 10 buildings were also damaged.
NGOs have mobilized emergency assistance – including first aid, food kits and shelter materials – to help families cover the damage to their homes as winter approaches.
Aid workers continue to provide emergency support, including in Chornomorsk Town in the Odesa Region, where attacks yesterday and today injured five civilians and damaged multiple homes and a hospital. Those affected received emergency shelter kits and psychosocial support, as well as child protection and case management services.
OCHA saus that inter-agency convoys also reached war-affected communities in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions this week, delivering essential hygiene supplies, winter clothes, blankets and charging stations.
Full Highlights: un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=09%20October%202024
