Security Council, Lebanon, Ukraine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (24 April 2024)

Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
-Occupied Palestinian Territory
-Lebanon
-Security Council
-Democratic Republic of the Congo
-Ukraine
-Deputy Secretary-General
-Haiti
-Guest Tomorrow
-Climate
-International Days
-Financial Contribution
-Guests

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that there were no humanitarian missions to northern Gaza today, as the Israeli army closed its checkpoints on two roads due to troop movements.
Yesterday, however, UNRWA - the UN Relief and Works Agency - reports that it undertook a joint mission with UNICEF to the north, to Jabalia. The agencies provided medical aid and water purification assistance to people there.
It remains extremely difficult to secure safe and unimpeded access for humanitarian movements to northern Gaza. OCHA reports that as of today, more than one-third of aid missions to the north in April were denied or impeded by Israeli authorities.
Meanwhile, as hostilities across Gaza continue, the World Health Organization warns that it is extremely challenging to resupply and support hospitals working to strengthen and restore services.
Yesterday, Al Awda Hospital in An Nuseirat refugee camp, in Gaza’s Middle Area, was reportedly hit. In a social media post, the Wordld Health Organization’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the attack disrupted the solar energy system that supplies electricity to the hospital. Damage to water and fuel tanks was also reported. Over 200 Al Awda staff have been providing services to around 1,200 people each day.
Dr. Tedros repeated his call to stop targeting and militarizing hospitals.
As of yesterday, WHO has documented nearly 890 attacks on health care in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since 7 October. This includes 443 attacks in Gaza. Of the 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip, 32 have been damaged. In the West Bank, WHO reports 446 attacks on health care.

Staying in the West Bank, OCHA reports that between 18 and 22 April, 18 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces. This includes 14 people, among them three children, killed in Nur Shams Refugee Camp during a large-scale operation by Israeli forces. Hundreds of homes in the camp were damaged, and several commercial buildings were destroyed.

LEBANON
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reports that tensions remain high in southern Lebanon, with daily exchanges of fire continuing along the Blue Line in repeated breaches of the cessation of hostilities and in violation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).
UNIFIL reiterates its call for these exchanges to cease as well as for all actors to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any action that could lead to further escalation.
The Head of UNIFIL and Force Commander, General Aroldo Lazaro, continued to hold discussions with local civilian groups, including religious leaders from Tyre, in the context of the escalating tensions.
General Lazaro expressed his gratitude for their continued support to UNIFIL.

SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the Security Council was briefed on the situation in the Great Lakes region.
Huang Xia, the Special Envoy for the region, told Council members that he continues to be concerned by the intensification of conflict as well as by the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. This, he added, is in addition to the persistent rhetoric of confrontation between Congo and Rwanda, in a context where hate speech is proliferating.
Mr. Xia called for urgent efforts to appease tensions, and for dialogue. In addition to supporting the current diplomatic initiatives underway, he encouraged the countries of the region to fully engage in efforts to revitalize and fully implement the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.
Also speaking at the Council this morning was Joyce Msuya, the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator. She said the humanitarian community has stepped up its efforts but added that the humanitarian operation is dangerously overstretched.
She said that urgent steps must be taken to resolve the conflict and avoid further deterioration of the situation in DRC, and across the region. After so many years, people in DRC – and in the Great Lakes region – deserve the opportunity to live in peace, she concluded.

This afternoon, Sigrid Kaag, the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, is scheduled to brief Council members. We also expect her to speak to you at the stakeout, following the Council’s session.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=24%20April%202024