Palestine, South Sudan, Iraq & other topics- Daily Press Briefing (5 June 2024) | United Nations

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
-Climate
-SDG stimulus leaders group
-Occupied Palestinian territory
-Iraq
-South Sudan
-Central African Republic
-Southern Africa
-Refugees
-International days
-Guest

CLIMATE
This morning, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York city, the Secretary-General delivered a special address on climate action.
He said that, according to the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, May 2024 was the hottest May in recorded history. This marks twelve straight months of the hottest months ever. 
“Our planet is trying to tell us something.  But we don't seem to be listening,” he said, adding that we are at a moment of truth. If we don’t accelerate climate action, the entire carbon budget will be busted before 2030. The truth is that global emissions need to fall nine per cent every year until 2030 to keep the 1.5 degree limit alive. 
However, he underscored that while we are the problem, we are also the solution.
He reminded us that stepping over the 1.5-degree threshold for a short time does not mean the long-term goal is shot. It just means we need to fight harder.
It’s climate crunch time, the Secretary-General said, adding that during the next 18 months countries – especially the G20 - must slash emissions, boost climate finance, and clamp down on the fossil fuel industry.
The Secretary-General called on leaders in the fossil fuel industry to understand that if they are not in the fast lane to clean energy transformation, they are driving their business into a dead end – and taking us all with them.
He also urged financial institutions to stop bankrolling fossil fuel destruction and start investing in a global renewables revolution. And he called on advertising and PR companies to stop taking on new fossil fuel clients, and on news media and tech companies to stop taking fossil fuel advertising.
Today is World Environment Day. This year’s theme is “land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.” In his message, the Secretary-General says that all over the world, a toxic cocktail of pollution and climate chaos are turning healthy lands into deserts. He warns that we are trapped in a deadly cycle and it’s time to break free.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that since 7 October, more than 500 Palestinians – nearly a quarter of them children – have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The vast majority were killed by Israeli forces, with 10 others killed by Israeli settlers. During the same period, more than 5,100 Palestinians were injured in these areas.
OCHA has also recorded more than 940 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 7 October.
Over the past nearly eight months in those areas, Israeli authorities have also demolished, confiscated or forced the self-demolition of more than 900 Palestinian structures – nearly 40 per cent of which were inhabited homes – displacing more than 2,000 people.
Meanwhile in Gaza, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) say the ongoing Israeli military operation in Rafah is directly hindering the ability of aid agencies to bring critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza, as well as the ability to rotate critical humanitarian staff.
UNRWA has maintained a presence in Rafah, with a focus on continuing missions to Kerem Shalom to retrieve fuel and aid commodities.
In the five-day period between 28 May and 1 June, UNRWA says that only 232 trucks of humanitarian aid entered via Kerem Shalom – a significant reduction compared to before the Rafah military operation.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=05+June+2024