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.

**Security Council

All right, settle down. Good afternoon. As we speak, the annual open debate on women, peace and security, is ongoing in the Security Council, and that is taking place on the eve of the twenty-fifth anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). In his remarks, the Secretary-General said at this important meeting that a quarter of a century ago, this resolution gave voice to a simple truth, which is that women's leadership is central to lasting peace. He added that more than 100 countries have adopted national action plans on women, peace and security. However, too frequently, women remain absent from negotiating tables, sexual violence persists with impunity and women peacebuilders are underfunded, under threat and under-recognized.

For her part, Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN-Women, said that today, [676] million women and girls live within reach of deadly conflict, the highest since the 1990s. The trends documented in the Secretary-General's report should alarm us, she stated, and the coming few years should see Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) implemented fully, across all contexts.

**Women Rising for Peace Exhibit

Related to that topic, and just before delivering their remarks at the Security Council, the Secretary-General, together with the Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, visited the exhibit entitled Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace, which is located just outside the General Assembly Hall. The exhibit features striking images by local women photographers, capturing women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, UN peacekeepers and community leaders driving peace in some of the world's most fragile contexts. The display will remain open to visitors through the month of October.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to ensure adequate fuel supplies to keep life-saving services running in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports a reduction in air strikes in recent days, but says that shelling and gunfire continued over the weekend, with 21 people reportedly killed and 96 injured yesterday; that's what the Ministry of Health in Gaza is telling us.

Humanitarian access and movement across the Strip remain challenging. Yesterday, eight missions that required coordination with the Israeli authorities were facilitated, but six other missions were denied, and five had to be cancelled by the organizers. In Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, the World Food Programme (WFP) was able to deliver wheat flour to bakeries this month, making it easier for families to put bread on their tables. Bakeries are currently working up to 22 hours a day and producing some 100,000 bundles of bread daily. On Saturday, our humanitarian partners prepared and distributed a total of 885,000 meals through 167 kitchens across Gaza. However, only 12 kitchens are operating in the north. We and our partners stress the need for unimpeded and sustained access to all parts of Gaza so that aid can reach people, wherever they are.

In Al Nasser Medical complex, in Khan Younis, the Ministry of Health reported that three babies are sharing one incubator, raising the risks of contracting infections and diseases. Meanwhile, aid workers on the ground are doing everything possible to serve large numbers of people coming from the north to the south. Our partners providing nutrition support have increased the number of service points that they're operating in the south from 96 to 118, as of last week.

However, displacement sites and shelters in the south are overcrowded, driving some families to stay at garbage-dumping sites, such as Al Amal, where some 70 tents have been set up over the past few days. Others are attempting to return to the north, despite Gaza City being declared a "dangerous combat zone", with no movement towards the north allowed. OCHA stresses that, despite immense challenges, we and our humanitarian partners continue to do whatever we can to meet people's urgent needs across the Strip, despite the ongoing violence limited supplies and restricted access. We, of course, stand ready to deliver at scale as soon as conditions allow it.

**Sudan

And turning to Sudan and the worsening humanitarian situation there, especially in and around the besieged capital of North Darfur State, El Fasher: Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the fighting there continues to force more people to leave their homes. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that between 2 and 4 October alone, some 770 people were displaced from the city due to heightened insecurity. They also reportedly sought shelter in gathering sites in Tawila, also in North Darfur. As you may recall, the Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, Denise Brown, briefed you from Tawila on Friday. We and our partners stand ready to deliver assistance once access to El Fasher is granted. At the same time, we continue to press for increased UN presence on the ground in north Darfur and all areas of need.

In response to the deepening crisis, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it has reached some 250,000 people in El Fasher with monthly cash transfers since the start of the year. And in other parts of Darfur, WFP has scaled up its emergency food and nutrition assistance. The agency reports that nearly 2 million people across Darfur received food and nutrition assistance in August, including in areas where famine has been confirmed or where the risk of famine is high. This number accounts for roughly half of the 4.2 million people receiving WFP support across Sudan, as the agency prioritizes areas facing the most extreme levels of hunger.

We once again call for the lifting the siege of El Fasher; civilians must be protected, and those fleeing must be afforded safe passage. Unimpeded humanitarian access must be facilitated to reach hundreds of thousands of civilians who have been trapped in this city for over 500 days.

**Central African Republic

A quick update from the Central African Republic, where our peacekeepers said that following recent clashes in Am-Dafock, a border town in the country's northeast, near Sudan, the Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Valentine Rugwabiza, conducted a field visit to assess the deteriorating security situation there. During her visit, Ms. Rugwabiza met with local authorities and community leaders, including at a site hosting around 11,000 displaced people. She did so to reiterate the UN's commitment to supporting durable solutions to their challenges. She commended the community's resilience and reaffirmed the Mission's continued efforts to strengthen security, protect civilians, support local peace initiatives, and facilitate humanitarian assistance, while fostering cross-border dialogue to prevent further escalation.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

And in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has condemned the resurgence of violence last week in Djugu Territory, in Ituri Province. UN peacekeepers have reinforced their presence there by intensifying patrols and coordinating closely with the Congolese Armed Forces to protect civilians and secure impacted areas.

As we mentioned last week, there were clashes between members of the CODECO and Zaire armed groups about 15 kilometres southeast of Djugu. Gunfire attributed to unidentified armed men was also reported in Gina. This led to the displacement of approximately 2,500 civilians who sought refuge at the peacekeeping base in that area. Our colleagues at the Mission say they are deeply concerned by these acts of violence. They also condemn the militarization of sites for displaced people and reiterate their determination to work alongside Congolese authorities and local communities to prevent further attacks, protect the most vulnerable, reduce tensions and support the stabilization of areas affected by armed violence.

**Ukraine

And a quick update from Ukraine, where our humanitarian colleagues tell us that attacks across the country over the weekend struck large urban centres and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, disrupting power supplies as the cold season begins. According to authorities, between 4 and 6 October, more than a dozen civilians were killed and over 100 were injured. Zaporizhzhia City and the Lviv region were particularly impacted.

Our Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned this recent wave of attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which continue to impact critical civilian services. Aid organizations provided emergency assistance after the attacks, including first aid and various other support. And finally, OCHA tells us that, last Friday, we and our humanitarian partners delivered the first humanitarian convoy to the Dnipropetrovsk region this year, providing medical and hygiene supplies.

**World Habitat Day

Today is World Habitat Day. On this Day, the Secretary-General says that we shine a light on solutions, from better housing to land rights, to water and sanitation. We also recognize the vital leadership of mayors and local governments and the resilience of urban communities, especially women and youth.

**Financial Contribution

We got some money today. Ready for a quiz? This year, we have received payments from Equatorial Guinea, Papua New Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Who paid today? [Guinea.] Yes, Benny Avni, thank you for the win. We say thank you to our friends in Conakry and we are now up to 139 paid-up Member States. : Benny, if you have a question, you have the right to ask the first one. If you use a microphone, I'll listen.

**Questions and Answers

Correspondent: I will do that. So, last week, you weren't here and neither was I.

Spokesman: That's a good start.

Question: Your colleague, Farhan [Haq], was besieged to declare the flotilla stoppage illegal, which he didn't. But, you know, there's one body that addressed that issue back in 2011. That body is called the United Nations in the Palmer Committee, and it declared that Israel's blockade of Gaza is legal and that it has the right to stop such flotillas. It urged Israel also to do it in a non-violent way, all of which happened today. So, why is it so difficult to say, yes, it is legal to stop a flotilla?

Spokesman: Benny, you and I weren't here. I also addressed this, I think, on Friday and Thursday, when I was here, but you weren't here. So, I would urge you to check the transcript. I have no other words to add than the ones that both Farhan and myself…

Question: Is it legal or not just to update?

Spokesman: I refer you to the questions already asked.

Question: Legal or not…?

Spokesman: I would encourage you to check the transcript, and I really have no further words to add. Michelle?

Question: Thanks, Steph. Just on the talks that are happening in Cairo. Is there anyone from the UN sort of there on the sidelines, to offer any guidance on aid access and aid? Or is it just a matter of once they have a deal, the UN gets…?

Spokesman: I mean, we've been in touch, and we're aware of what is… I mean, we continue to stay in touch with the mediators. We're, of course, ready to scale up aid as soon as we can.

Question: Any particular mediator or all three?

Spokesman: No, we're just in touch. Edie?

Question: Following up on that, has the United Nations actually made preparations to do an immediate surge of aid into Gaza in the event of an agreement in the coming hours or days?

Spokesman: I mean, we've been ready, and the machinery is cranked up and ready to go as soon as we get the green light. Lenka, then Dezhi.

Question: Thank you, Steph. On Sunday, President Donald J. Trump said that he thinks it's a good idea, the offer of Russian President [Vladimir V.] Putin to extend compliance with nuclear limits under the New START Treaty. Does the UN welcome such statements, since it's coming from Russia and from the United States now? And what is your view on extending this treaty?

Spokesman: We welcome any and all efforts towards the controlling of and the limiting of nuclear arsenals. I think the Secretary-General has been very clear in wanting to see a world free of nuclear weapons, but there are very important agreements in place, and we want them to be supported. Dezhi?

Question: Yes, Steph. Just one question. It will be soon be the two years mark from the 7 October [2023] attack. What is the Secretary-General's message to this grim day?

Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think we will, first of all, issue a statement shortly on that, which you will see. I think the Secretary-General recalls with much pain the devastation in Israel due to the terror attacks by Hamas and others on 7 October [2023], two years ago. We have seen in the ensuing time the devastation and the pain to civilians. We now have a… there is a window that has been presented, and we want that window to be the opportunity to be seized to bring an end to this conflict. Madam, and then we'll go to Yvonne.

Question: Thank you, Steph. Apropos of the ceasefire agreement, potential, again, can you just clarify a little bit about what the status of UNRWA ([United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] is in terms of how much who's funding it, how many people are still working, and if the UN envisages UNRWA playing a future role?

Spokesman: UNRWA has a mandate given to it by the General Assembly of this organization. It will continue its work. It is also continuing its work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It's continuing its work in Lebanon, in Jordan and in Syria. As for the exact… the funding continues to be a grave challenge to UNRWA, and we continue to encourage Member States to fund the organization, but UNRWA can give you a bit more details.

Question: But, you envisage that they'll continue to work?

Spokesman: They have a mandate given to them… yes, exactly. And I think what their role will be, obviously, everything will need to be adapted, but they have a mandate; they continue to implement that mandate. Yvonne Murray?

Question: When you say that you're cranked up, ready to go once you've got the green light, what do you mean?

Spokesman: I mean there are thousands of metric tons in the pipeline of goods ready to enter, whether they're at the port of Ashdod, whether they're in Jordan and other places. And as soon as the crossings become open, we're ready to move those trucks.

Question: So, you mean they're waiting on the border of Gaza effectively, ready to go in?

Spokesman: No. The pipeline is in Cyprus, at the port of Ashdod, in Jordan. I don't know exactly what the number of trucks waiting at the crossing points on the Israeli side, but I can tell you the machinery and the pipeline at large is ready to go. Yes, sir?

Question: Thank you, Steph. One question on Syria. Syria's interim president issued a new decree on Sunday, outlining the nation's official federal holidays, the nation's holidays after [Bashar al-]Assad. There is, however, one notable omission, Nowruz, which is the most important cultural celebration for the Kurdish, the second largest ethnic group. And they've condemned this as a continuation of Ba'athist era policies. Is this a concerning development for the Secretary-General? Thank you.

Spokesman: I hadn't seen that decree. I will get back to you on that. Obviously, I think as we've said repeatedly, it is important for the new authorities in Damascus, for the Government to ensure that every Syrian, regardless of their religion, their ethnicity, feels included in the future of their country. Madam?

Question: Thank you, Steph. Just to follow-up on the flotilla. I mean, many of the activists that were detained in international waters have been released, and they have been recounting accounts of grave mistreatment by the Israeli forces. We've seen videos actually of minister [Itamar] Ben-Gvir actually yelling at them and calling them terrorists, and they are clearly civilian activists. Do you have a comment on that?

Spokesman: I mean, I think we've seen these reports, and frankly, they are disturbing. We want to see all of the people detained being repatriated as quickly as possible to their home countries.

Question: Do you think that an investigation should be set up in… I mean, we've heard how Palestinian prisoners have been treated, and now we've seen activists where I mean, some of them saying that's…?

Spokesman: Whenever there are reports of mistreatment and ill-treatment, these things need to be investigated. Alex?

Question: Thanks, Steph. Another question on Syria. Do you have any comments on the elections?

Spokesman: Yes. On the election, I can tell you that our Special Envoy's office takes note of the indirect elections that were held yesterday. We will obviously follow the developments regarding the announcement of official results and the presidential appointment for the remaining seats in the assembly. To be clear, the Office of the Special Envoy or the UN writ large was not involved in the electoral process. There was no request to us for any electoral assistance. That being said, the establishment of an interim body and interim legislature is an important step in addressing the urgent legal and institutional priorities during the transitional period. Our Special Envoy's Office underscores the importance of ensuring that the work of the People's Assembly during transition is conducted in a transparent, in an open and an inclusive manner. The electoral process demonstrated that substantial efforts are still needed to ensure opportunities for the meaningful political participation by women and all components of Syrian society. Before I go back to you, Benny, any online questions? Yes. Go ahead, Abdelhamid.

Question: I have a question. Yeah. I have a follow-up to Biesan's question about the treatment of Greta [Thunberg]. She was forced to kiss the Israeli flag, and she was also roughed up by the Israeli security. Are you aware of this?

Spokesman: As I mentioned, we've seen some of these reports, which are rather disturbing, to say the least. Your next question?

Question: My second question about ceasefire. I mean, everyone welcomed this proposal by President Trump, which will start with ceasefire. And it has been, like, since Friday; today is Monday, and there is no ceasefire. Who's in violation of this agreement now, and why people do not speak against that violator?

Spokesman: Well, I can't speak for anyone, but the Secretary-General. So, why people don't speak, I don't know. But, my understanding, and I think everybody's understanding, is that there are intense discussions going on, hosted by Egypt, obviously supported by the other mediators, Qatar and the United States, and we very much hope that there's a positive outcome of those discussions. Benny?

Question: Two quick questions. First, spoke before about the crossings. As far as you know, is the Allenby crossing already open?

Spokesman: I haven't seen any update on allowing cargo to go through, but obviously, that is a critical choke point for humanitarian cargo coming in. [He later added that it remains closed to cargo.]

Question: And is the security problem there addressed?

Spokesman: We don't run the security of the Allenby Bridge.

Question: Second question about Syria. Is it the assessment of the Secretary-General that the rights of the various groups, ethnic groups are being addressed in this new structure?

Spokesman: Look, it is clear to the naked eye that there are a lot of challenges currently in Syria, including with some of the minority populations. This was raised, the issue of inclusivity and the need for the Government to deal with those issues in a constructive way was raised by the Secretary-General in his meeting with Mr. [Ahmed] al-Sharaa. It is obviously situation that the Government needs to deal with. And I said, as I keep saying here, we want things to be done in an inclusive manner. You of course, you may, Yvonne.

Question: On a different topic, you talked about Sudan earlier and the WFP operation ready, you said, to step in as soon as they're allowed to. But, is the WFP operation being affected by the cuts that it's experienced over the past few months? I mean, does it have the resources to carry out operations?

Spokesman: As you know, our humanitarian appeals are kind of siloed. Right? So, most of the money is not fungible. From what I recall, Denise Brown is saying that the Sudan humanitarian appeal was one of the better underfunded appeals. They're all underfunded, but they seem to have resources. There are other places where WFP has had to do drastic cuts in the food they're distributing in the rations. Yes. Okay. Any other questions online, offline, in the air, anywhere? Goodbye.