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 and Briefings - Today and Monday

Good afternoon, apologies for the delay.

Today, we will be joined by Nicholas Koumjian, the Head of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. He will be here to brief on the situation in Myanmar.

Then, at 1 p.m. today, there will be a briefing here by Ambassador Jürg Lauber, the President of the Human Rights Council (HRC).

Looking ahead to Monday, at 1 p.m., there will be a briefing by Ambassador Michael Imran Kanu, the Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone, who will be here as the President of the Security Council for the month of November. He will be briefing you on the Programme of Work for November.

It will be an in-person briefing only. You can follow on the webcast, but there will be no Zoom link for that briefing.

**Trip Announcement/Qatar

I have a trip announcement for you.

The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, will arrive in Doha, Qatar, on Monday morning, to attend the Second World Summit for Social Development.

In his address to the Summit's opening session, the Secretary-General is expected to highlight the progress made since the first Social Summit that took place in Copenhagen in 1995, when Governments pledged to make poverty eradication, full employment and social integration central to development. He will also underscore today's major global challenges, including deepening inequalities, unemployment, poverty, conflicts and widespread human suffering.

While at the Summit, the Secretary-General is expected to participate in a side event on education.

He is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. The Secretary-General is also expected to meet Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned.

We also expect the Secretary-General to hold a number of other bilaterals, with heads of delegations. We will keep you posted on those as they come.

**Sudan

Turning to the situation in Sudan, which continues to be horrific to say the least. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that North Darfur State remains catastrophic, with ongoing attacks against civilians, humanitarian access to El Fasher cut off, and desperate people continuing to flee towards Tawila and other towns, seeking safety.

Our colleagues from the International Organization for Migration now estimate that at least 62,000 people have been displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas, that is just between 26 and 29 of this month, with insecurity along routes continuing to restrict movements. These people leave their homes, their livelihoods, carrying very little of their belongings, as you can only imagine.

Telecommunications need to be restored to the area. They are cut and the situation is chaotic on the ground, making it difficult to obtain direct information from inside the city.

On the ground, in the locality of Tawila, we are working with local partners to register new arrivals as they come in, and to provide emergency support for them. Huge gaps persist, as you can imagine, including shelter materials, medicines and trauma care supplies, food assistance as well as psychosocial support.

Local sources continue to share extremely worrying reports of displaced civilians on the move as they are being abducted and facing extortion. We call again for securing a safe passage for people trying to flee, protecting those who remain in El Fasher, and for full and unimpeded humanitarian access across Darfur and in all other areas in need in Sudan.

The humanitarian situation in North Kordofan State also remains alarming, with IOM estimating that close to 36,000 human beings have been displaced from Bara town, north of the state capital El Obeid, and that was just this week.

Reports are also emerging of serious violations in the context of the RSF capture of Bara town in North Kordofan, including the alleged summary execution of five Red Crescent volunteers. Our human rights colleagues have also received alarming reports of sexual violence. Humanitarian partners tell us that at least 25 women were gang-raped when RSF forces entered a shelter for displaced people near El Fasher University.

These latest reports of serious violations potentially amount to numerous crimes under international law, in and around El Fasher, and in Bara. We echo the calls of the Human Rights Office: there must be independent, prompt, transparent and thorough investigations into all such potential breaches of international law, and for those responsible to be held to account. The rights of victims and their families to truth, justice and reparations must be ensured.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that their partners continue to scale-up efforts, despite reported Israeli airstrikes across the Strip. Some strikes reportedly occurred on Thursday (30 October) in the area close to the so-called "Yellow Line", which as you know is the area that refers to the line that the Israel Defense Forces has begun to mark inside Gaza, as part of the cease-fire agreement. According to local sources, these strikes resulted in casualties.

We stress again that all parties must refrain from any activities that put civilians, including aid workers, at risk, and remind the Israeli military of its obligation to take constant care to spare them throughout all its military operations.

On aid collection efforts, the UN 2720 Mechanism tells us that we and our partners have collected over 24,000 metric tons of aid from the crossings since the ceasefire came into effect a few weeks ago.

More people in need have also been able to access this aid, which includes food, medicine and medical supplies, nutritional supplements and shelter materials, through the resumption of community- and household-based distributions and services.

Additionally, according to the UN 2720 Mechanism, there has been a significant reduction in the interception, or looting, or taking, of supplies collected by ourselves and our partners from crossings in Gaza as we are trying to make our way to our warehouses.

Just to give you an example. Between 10 and 28 October, 5 per cent of collected supplies were reportedly intercepted, compared with about 80 per cent between 19 May and 9 October.

Since the start of the ceasefire, our colleagues at the World Health Organization tell us they delivered over 840 pallets of life-saving medical supplies into Gaza, including insulin, assistive devices, essential medicines, [and] cholera and surgical kits. 

WHO also reported this week that its teams are working with partners providing nutrition services aiming to treat 2,500 children.

Despite these positive developments, Gaza's health system continues to face significant challenges in addressing the immense needs faced by people in Gaza. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza (MoH), as of 7 October of this year, more than 1,700 health workers have been killed since the start of the war.

On the education front, partners are expanding their interventions, where possible, to restore minimum teaching and learning conditions for over 630,000 school-aged children who have lost over two years of schooling. They have been supporting the rehabilitation of more than 90 classrooms in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, out of over 2,000 classrooms that require rehabilitation across the Gaza Strip. However, restrictions imposed by Israeli authorities on the entry of educational and learning supplies continue to hinder the response.

We continue to call for all crossing points to be open and more UN agencies and organizations authorized to bring in aid supplies into Gaza.

**Hurricane Melissa

Turning to hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean, where we, along with our partners across the region, are assisting communities impacted by the storm. Our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that supplies are moving, coordination hubs are active, and emergency teams are supporting Government responses in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti.

In Cuba, our humanitarian colleagues say that, following the hurricane going through the country over the eastern provinces of Cuba, preliminary assessments indicate severe damage across Santiago, Holguín, Granma, and Guantánamo, including to homes, roads, and health facilities. Hundreds of communities remain isolated, and access continues to be hampered by damaged road, rail, and air transport infrastructure.

We, along with our partners, are supporting national authorities with assessments and early recovery plans. We are also helping to develop a UN Action Plan to guide the response, with a two-person team deployed in-country and additional support from the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

As for Jamaica, the Government is leading a robust national response, our own colleagues are supporting coordination efforts and the Rapid Needs Assessment Teams led by the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. These teams are scheduled to arrive today.

The Food and Agriculture Organization, UNICEF, the UN Population Fund, and the International Organization for Migration will all take part in the assessments. OCHA also deployed a team from Panama yesterday to reinforce coordination and information management, working closely with our team already there and national authorities.

And in Haiti, which as you know, is a country already impacted by a massive humanitarian crisis and deadly armed violence, humanitarian teams are working alongside national authorities to respond to the urgent needs. Our UN agencies and our partners are now supporting temporary shelters and providing food, shelter, non-food items and cash assistance.

**Central African Republic

A quick update from the Central African Republic, where our peacekeeping colleagues report progress in the disarmament and demobilization of combatants from the armed group called 3R (Return, Reclamation and Rehabilitation), which rejoined the peace process. The overall number of combatants from the UPC, the 3R, and anti-balaka groups disarmed and demobilized across the country since July is now around 800.

Yesterday, 53 former combatants were disarmed and demobilized in Noufou. This was the highest number of combatants to receive their demobilization certificates in a single day since the resumption of these large-scale DDR operations last July. A total of 97 combatants have been disarmed and demobilized in Noufou since operations began last Wednesday.

These operations are being carried out with the technical, logistical, security and financial support of our colleagues from the peacekeeping mission, who are also providing medical assistance and school kits to communities.

**Libya

Quick update from our political mission in Libya, which has begun soliciting nominations for the Structured Dialogue, which is a key pillar of the political road map. The Dialogue will propose policy recommendations to enable credible elections, unify institutions, and address long-term drivers of conflict.

Approximately 120 Libyans representing municipalities, political parties, academia, national institutions, and civil society will participate. The Mission confirms that, while not a decision-making body, the Dialogue will serve as a platform for inclusive engagement, with recommendations shared with relevant State institutions to support sustainable peace and democratic governance in Libya.

And just to note that this afternoon, the Security Council is expected to vote on a number of draft resolutions to renew the mandates of the political mission, as well as MINURSO in Western Sahara and a third draft resolution on the UN Verification Mechanism in Colombia.

I'm sure you will be watching those.

**International Days

Today is World Cities Day. In his message, the Secretary-General says that cities are engines of opportunity, and when people are at the centre, digital innovation can advance fairness and sustainability for all. As cities become increasingly digital spaces, he stresses, they must be inclusive, green and just.

Sunday is an important day for all of you. It is the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against journalists. Worldwide, nearly nine out of ten journalist killings remain unresolved. Gaza has been the deadliest place for journalists in any conflict.

The Secretary-General calls for independent and impartial investigations into the killings of journalists, warning that impunity is an assault on press freedom and a threat to democracy itself. When journalists are silenced, we all lose our voice.

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman: You may speak.

Question: Thanks, Steph. The Turkish Foreign Minister, Mr. Fidan, held a press conference in Ankara where he said on Monday there's going to be some foreign ministers meeting to discuss moving forward in Gaza with the ceasefire. Do you know if anyone from the UN will be participating?

Spokesman: I don't know. I know the Secretary-General has been in touch with the Foreign Minister [Hakan Fidan], but I'll try to get a bit more detail.

Question: No problem. And on Gaza sorry, on Sudan as well, do you have any idea when you'll be able to get an assessment of how many people have been killed in Al Fasher?

Spokesman: No. I mean, I think we can only go on estimates at this point. I mean, this is an ongoing conflict. As you know, we have no access to El Fasher. I mean, the reports I mean, I'm seeing on the videos we're seeing on TV coming out of Al Fasher are, you know, blood curdling, to say the least. What we need as quickly as possible is humanitarian access to support the living.

Michelle?

Question: Thanks, Steph. On that note, what contact is the UN having with the Quad?

Spokesman: Mr. Lammamra has been in touch with his Quad partners. I think we hope to be to share some more information soon, but there's been a lot of diplomatic contacts.

Question: And then just on President Trump's announcement yesterday on nuclear testing. Has the UN sought to find out any details of what he actually meant by that?

Spokesman: We have been watching the President's pronouncements, and I think my colleague, Mr. Haq, shared with your position on it.

Mr. Avney?

Question: Can I run some numbers by you? Is it true…

Spokesman: Do I have a choice? Go ahead.

Question: Is it true that America's debt to the regular budget in 2025 is €820 million.

Spokesman: I don't have those numbers off the top of my head, but it is… The arrears are quite big, yes.

Question: Is it something…

Spokesman: I mean I will try to get, I don't… It's nothing [cross-talk]

Question: Is it true that the UN Regular Budget for this year is €3.72 billion?

Spokesman: We've shared the budget estimate with you. I mean I can give you the numbers, but that sounds about right.

Question: Yes. Okay. That's pretty much it. But just about the statement about Gaza being the largest death of journalists, does that include gypsy, gay and Jewish journalists who perished in the Holocaust?

Spokesman: It is a conflict since the creation of the UN.

Question: World War II, wasn't that? Yes. Great.

Spokesman: Dezhi.

Question: Yesterday, Lebanese President ordered… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Are you recording me with your glasses?

Question: Yes.

Spokesman: Okay, just checking. Okay, Sorry.

Question: Yes. Yesterday, Lebanese President ordered army Albanese Armed Force to confront future Israeli incursions. We know UNIFIL is there. Do you have any details of what's going on? And what is the […] position for…

Spokesman: We've seen the orders. We have also I think UNIFIL has been on the front line and seen the repeated violations of 1701, whether by armed groups such as Hizbullah or whether by the IDF. What we need is for all the parties to respect the resolution, implement it, and respect the Blue Line so that people on both sides of the Blue Line can return to a normal life.

Question: But it seems Israel claimed that they killed someone who has been in the infrastructure of Hizbullah, which obviously has been pushed back by the Lebanese Government.

Spokesman: We don't condone these types of actions.

Question: Okay. Another question. Today, the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Volker Türk, talked when talking about the US strikes in Caribbean and Pacific, he said these actions violate international human rights law and it's unacceptable. Does the Secretary-General share the same statement with the High Commissioner?

Spokesman: He does.

Islam and then Alex, sorry, then.

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. What is the latest situation, UN staff in Yemen? There are some reports that Houthis government will put them on trial due to Israeli attacks in August. Any detail about it?

Spokesman: Yes. We've seen the recent press reports, and I think the original story wound up being corrected, which the stories talk about the Houthi de facto authorities intention to bring… to refer some of our staff for prosecution. We're obviously going to follow-up with the de facto authorities about these statements in Sana'a. Again, we call for the immediate release of all of our UN colleagues who have been detained arbitrarily as well as those from NGOs, those from international diplomatic missions. We will continue engaging with the Houthis, with the de facto authorities in Sanaa as well as Member States and partners to continue to push for the release of our colleagues.

Yes, sir.

Question: Thank you, Steph. Mr. Tom Flesher told the Security Council yesterday that at the core of the Sudan crisis is the failure of protection of civilians. And he called on the Security Council to take immediate and vigorous action to protect the civilians. So will the Security Council consider the possibility of deploying a peacekeeping mission to Sudan?

Spokesman: Well, what the Council will decide, the Council members will decide, and their wisdom is up to them. I think it would be very important to have a strong and unambiguous message from the Security Council calling for a halt to the fighting, calling for the protection of civilians, and calling for direct and unimpeded humanitarian access.

Alex?

Question: Thanks, Steph. I have a quick follow-up on Dezhi's question. Could you please clarify what have changed in your position on Venezuela? Why is it illegal now? I mean unacceptable? Like… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: The Secretary-General as I said echoes what Mr. Volker said, what the High Commissioner said, that you know, what people say are operations to counter illicit drug trafficking, they must adhere to international standards, including limits on the lethal use of force. It's clear to us at the UN, I think we've been very upfront about it, that issues regarding organized crime, regarding illicit drug trade is a serious threat to Member States and communities worldwide. But combating it requires international cooperation as well as innovative public policies to address the root causes of the violence and the drug addiction. This is the analysis that Mr. Türk's office has developed, and we fully back it.

Question: Does the Secretary-General believe that such actions violate the UN Charter?

Spokesman: Any action by Member States need to fully respect the Charter.

Benny?

Question: On Western Sahara, does the UN have a position on the autonomy plan that apparently the US is supporting now?

Spokesman: Let's wait for the council to… [cross-talk]

Question: I mean, the UN was involved for a long time with Western Sahara and… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Look, I mean, what we… Yes, I know the UN was involved for a long time. You and I have been there here for a long time. We've been talking about this for a long time, Benny. Mr. de Mistura, who's the personal envoy for the Secretary-General, hopes that these deliberations that we're seeing will contribute to the relaunching of a credible and much needed political negotiation to solve the conflict.

Question: But no position specific question… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I will leave it at that for now.

Any questions online? Otherwise, we will go to our guest.

Question: I have a question.

Spokesman: Then Stefano, you go ahead, please.

Question: It's a follow-up on Sudan. Is the Secretary-General satisfied with the press statement issued by the Security Council yesterday?

Spokesman: Look, the Secretary-General is not here to grade the output of the Security Council. I think I was very clear in what we want to see and, most importantly, what we want to see on the ground as quickly as possible.

Question: But there are certain steps that the Secretary-General can take in a situation like this. So why is not being more assertive on the case of… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General and his envoy are very much focused on Sudan. There's a lot of diplomatic contacts ongoing. And as soon as I have something to share with you, I will do so.