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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guest Today

Good afternoon, everyone. Happy Friday.

Our guest today is Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

He will join us here once he is finished briefing the Security Council on UNRWA.

**Lebanon

The Secretary-General today flew from Beirut to Naqoura to visit UNIFIL - the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon - and express his gratitude for the courage and determination of the UN peacekeepers who have been working in very challenging circumstances. During his time on the ground, the Secretary-General visited some UNIFIL positions that had been hit by Israeli forces last year.

In remarks to the assembled leadership of the UN mission, the Secretary-General said that they are not just on the Blue Line of Lebanon but on the front line of peace and that the UNIFIL mission is the most challenging environment for peacekeepers anywhere.

The continued occupation by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) inside the UNIFIL area of operations and the conduct of military operations in Lebanese territory are violations of resolution 1701 and pose continued risk to UNIFIL's safety and security, Mr. [António] Guterres told the peacekeepers. He also noted that Blue Helmets had uncovered over 100 weapons caches belonging to Hizbullah or other armed groups since 27 November.

Mr. Guterres also interacted with the general leading the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon. He said that the United Nations' presence is temporary and emphasized that "UNIFIL is here to do everything possible to support the Lebanese Armed Forces."

The Secretary-General returned to Beirut later in the afternoon, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron of France, who is also on a visit to Beirut. They had a wide-ranging discussion on developments in the region.

In the evening, the Secretary-General, along with the UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, and the UNIFIL Force Commander, General Aroldo Lázaro, will attend a working dinner hosted by the caretaker Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati.

On Saturday, the Secretary-General is expected to spend the day in Beirut, where he will meet with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam and the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri.

And we expect the Secretary-General to hold a press conference late Saturday afternoon, Beirut time.

**Deputy Secretary-General/Ethiopia

Also on travel, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Today she met with Ahmed Shide, the Minister for Finance of Ethiopia. They discussed the country's ongoing macroeconomic reforms and the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.

Ms. Mohammed then travelled to Wanchi, where she is convening a retreat with the Executive Secretaries of the Regional Economic Commissions (RECs). She will return to New York on Monday.

**Senior Personnel Appointment

I have an announcement for you. The Secretary-General today announced the designation of Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority (UNSCO) ad interim.

She succeeds Tor Wennesland of Norway, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for his dedication and leadership of UNSCO during a particularly challenging time.

Ms. Kaag's role as Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim will be concurrent with her present mandate as the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2720 (2023).

She brings a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs, as well as in diplomacy. Most recently, she served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and first female Minister of Finance in the Dutch Government (2022-2024).

There is more online.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that in preparation for the ceasefire, the UN and our humanitarian partners are mobilizing supplies and resources to scale up the delivery of aid across the Strip.

The humanitarian community is working to increase the pipeline of goods into Gaza via all available crossings and prepare for distributions within Gaza.

As reported yesterday, 80,000 tons of food assistance - enough to feed one million people for three months - is on standby for entry to Gaza as soon as possible. We and our humanitarian partners are also exploring ways of expanding cash assistance. And aid organizations aim to reach hundreds of thousands of people with basic shelters, provided that we can have access to the supplies we need.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reached Al-Awda Hospital in North Gaza governorate. The team delivered 5,000 litres of fuel, as well as food parcels, bottled water, winter clothes and vaccines. They also referred two patients in critical condition and their companions to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

WHO says 33 patients and about 30 of their companions remain in Al Awda Hospital, together with nearly a dozen doctors, almost two dozen nurses and 16 administrative staff. Access to the hospital remains extremely challenging and risky for patients.

During the mission, a bullet struck an ambulance belonging to the Palestine Red Crescent Society. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. However, the incident underscores the importance of the ceasefire in ensuring our ability to safely access civilians.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) has released new displacement figures for the country's East. They say that violence has displaced 237,000 people since the beginning of the year.

North and South Kivu are already home to 4.6 million internally displaced people, making the DRC one of the countries with the highest number of people uprooted within their own borders.

In the first week of the year, as we reported, intense fighting in the Masisi and the Lubero territories of North Kivu Province forced approximately 150,000 individuals to flee their homes. Many initially sought safety in Masisi territory, north-west of Goma, the territory's main town, only to be displaced yet again as violence spread.

Simultaneously, in South Kivu's Fizi territory, the local government reports that 84,000 people are now displaced and it has requested humanitarian assistance from the international community.

And we have more details about violence in the Lubero territory, where our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are concerned about the increase in civilian casualties.

According to partners, between Tuesday and Wednesday this week [14-15 January], at least 30 people were killed in attacks in several villages of Lubero territory, and at least 30,000 people have fled to the city of Butembo and surrounding areas.

These attacks are part of a broader escalation of violence in the territory that began in June last year. In response to the growing humanitarian crisis there, our humanitarian partners are supporting affected communities, including with the distribution of food, medical supplies, water, and hygiene kits.

Lubero Territory is now hosting 360,000 displaced people. A UN humanitarian mission is currently conducting assessments.

We and our partners will continue to deliver aid and support people in Lubero as security permits.

OCHA reiterates its call for an immediate cessation of attacks against civilians. We emphasize that all actors involved in this violence must uphold human rights and international humanitarian law.

**Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, we and our humanitarian partners have released the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan in Ouagadougou, yesterday. The plan supports the country's transitional authority's national response plan, also released yesterday.

Nearly 6 million people are estimated to need humanitarian assistance across the country this year. The new plan aims to assist 3.7 million people in support of the authority's national plan, which targets all people in need.

We and our humanitarian partners worked closely with the transitional authorities to develop this year's needs analysis and response planning. We are also working together to deliver a principled humanitarian response wherever this is required, while continuing to promote a gradual transition towards more sustainable assistance.

Last year, donors provided nearly $410 million - more than ever before, but that was just 44 per cent of what was required. In 2025, we're hoping to mobilize even more support.

**Central African Republic

We have a positive development to report in the Central African Republic. The first multiservice border post was inaugurated today in Bembéré - on the border between the Central African Republic and Chad.

The ceremony was attended by Valentine Rugwabiza, the head of our peacekeeping mission there (MINUSCA), and our colleagues say this is a significant milestone in border management for the country. The Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, Félix Moloua, also attended.

Built and equipped by the peacekeeping mission, the multiservice border post is the first in the country to house internal security forces and national agencies under one roof, which is meant to improve border control. It also marks a key achievement in implementing the Central African National Border Management Policy and its ten-year action plan.

Speaking during the inauguration, Ms. Rugwabiza emphasized that this border post supports the Peace Agreement's objective of transforming border areas from zones of insecurity to areas of exchange and prosperity.

MINUSCA and its partners continue to advocate for the implementation of the national border management policy, with the goal of expanding mixed border posts to other areas along the Central African Republic's borders with six countries.

**Mozambique

Turning to Mozambique, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that we, along with our partners, continue to respond in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Dikeledi, which made landfall in the north of the country earlier this week. Our humanitarian colleagues note that as of yesterday, six deaths had been reported by the authorities in Mozambique. More than 70,000 people in the country have been affected by the cyclone - but that number is likely to increase as assessments of the impact continue.

In Mozambique, Dikeledi also damaged or destroyed more than 9,200 houses, over 40 health facilities and a bridge. More than 100 schools were impacted, disrupting education for over 18,000 students. OCHA says our humanitarian partners have established 55 transitional learning spaces in four districts for children affected by the cyclone. Plans are in the works to repair more than 120 classrooms.

UN agencies and our partners in Mozambique have also pre-positioned one-week food rations, and mobile health units have been deployed, but additional funding is urgently needed to meet the needs of those affected.

To scale up the cyclone response, we and our partners have been forced to reallocate resources from the ongoing response to conflict in Mozambique. This has left some of the most vulnerable - including displaced people and returnees - without life-saving assistance.

**Vanuatu

In Vanuatu, today marks one month since the 7.3 [Richter scale] earthquake, which killed 14 people and impacted 80,000 more. We and our partners have been mobilized since day one to support the Government-led response. We deployed teams, including a United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination team, and mobilized funding - $1 million was allocated from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). We also supported mobile clinics and the restoration of water supplies, distributed aid, including food, shelter material and hygiene kits. We will continue to support the humanitarian response and national-led recovery efforts.

**Antisemitism

Miguel Ángel Moratinos, High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, spoke to you this morning to announce the launch of the United Nations Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism.

The plan provides detailed recommended actions that include establishing a United Nations Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group to monitor and evaluate the impact of policies and measures to address antisemitism; and enhancing awareness and understanding of antisemitism among United Nations personnel.

**Financial Contribution

And last, we would like to thank Barbados, Canada and Norway for their full payments to the Regular Budget. This brings the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 13.

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Farhan. On Sigrid Kaag's appointment, this is ad interim. Does that mean that there will be an ongoing search for a permanent replacement for Tor Wennesland, and is she being considered for that post?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Ad interim does in fact mean that search for a full-time replacement is ongoing. I wouldn't have any names to share with you, while that search goes.

Question: On Gaza and the humanitarian activities going on, is there any update on possible new security arrangements to ensure that humanitarian aid is going to get to those Palestinians in desperate need?

Deputy Spokesman: I don't have any specifics to share with you at this point while the discussions are ongoing, but certainly that is the aim of what we're trying to achieve - is to have a stable and secure environment in which to provide aid.

Pam?

Question: Farhan, the way you described it, there's a dual role for Sigrid Kaag. Would you say she is the person at the UN who will be the main point person for the ceasefire, hostage release, all of that? Thanks.

Deputy Spokesman: What I would describe is that she will be the main person dealing with the question of how to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Because, of course, that will be her responsibility both as Special Coordinator and in her current role, as the Senior Humanitarian Coordinator.

Question: Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: Dezhi?

Question: Yes. Just a follow-up of Pam's question. Well, first of all, has this appointment of Ms. Sigrid Kaag been approved by Israeli authorities? Is there a procedure of that? [cross-talk]

Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, in order to make this sort of appointment, we consult with all of the concerned parties.

Question: Secondly, when Pam mentioned about this dual title, I believe you mentioned about the Special Coordinator as well as… for Middle East peace process as well as the special representative. Then what would this be left to the 2720 as Special Coordinator for Gaza?

Deputy Spokesman: She continues in that role.

Question: So that's three roles together.

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. I mean, she has the roles that were previously filled by Tor Wennesland, as well as her existing previous role as the Senior Humanitarian Coordinator.

Question: Okay.

Deputy Spokesman: Abdelhamid?

Question: Follow-up on Sigrid Kaag. Can you confirm that there was any contact with the Palestinian parties on her appointment?

Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, in order to make these appointments, there's consultation with all involved parties.

Question: Does her appointment require Security Council approval or just it's in the hands of the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesman: This is something that the Secretary-General has in his capacity to appoint. So he's making this as an ad interim appointment, but, of course, he will inform the Security Council.

Yes. Michelle.

Question: Thanks, Farhan. The talks happened today apparently in Cairo on the arrangements around getting an aid surge in once the ceasefire comes into place. Have the UN concerns about security and other issues been allayed in any way?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, that's similar to what Edie had been asking earlier. And what I can say is that the discussions on our security concerns are ongoing. What we're hoping to do is have an environment in place so that we can have the necessary aid go in.

Question: And of the 600 trucks a day that are supposed to go in, how many of those will be UN?

Deputy Spokesman: I think it's too early to determine how much we'll be able to get in. Right now, we're trying to see that we have all the crossing points that are necessary opened and that we can have traffic go in. But we'll be able to provide more figures once we know what we're capable of getting in.

Question: And will these talks continue over the weekend?

Deputy Spokesman: They're ongoing right now. Yes.

Yes. Sylviane?

Question: Thank you. It's a follow-up on Sigrid Kaag appointment. Sigrid Kaag is supposed to finish her mandate on 25 March. How long her mandate will be?

Deputy Spokesman: I think, right now, she's working within her existing mandate, and we will seek an extension as required.

Mike Wagenheim online and then Talal after that. Mike?

Question: Thanks, Farhan. As you all know, getting any UN employee staffer accepted implicitly, even passively by Israel is a tall order nowadays. Can the Secretary-General give, kind of, a summary? What kind of characteristics, what tone she's setting that it's allowing Israel to kind of, I don't know about welcome her into the fold, but at least give their stamp of approval that, you know, she can be involved in this right now, when everybody else is kind of excluded?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, I can't speak for why different Governments make the decisions that they make, obviously. But it's very clear from her past record that Sigrid Kaag has had a number of senior positions in the region and has impressed all of the Governments with whom she's worked about her professionalism.

Talal?

Question: Thanks, Farhan. There are reports in Israeli press that the United Nations is holding talks and negotiation with the Israeli Foreign Ministry on how to replace and who to replace UNRWA by the end of this January. Is there truth to these reports? And if there is, can you tell us something about these negotiations?

Deputy Spokesman: I think what I can tell you is what we've been saying consistently, which is that the Secretary-General firmly believes that because UNRWA is the backbone of our operations in the occupied Palestinian territories, there's no way to simply replace UNRWA. He's made it very clear that if UNRWA is not able to do its responsibilities, it will be upon Israel to fulfil its responsibilities as an occupying Power for the humanitarian conditions of the Palestinians in the areas where it rules.

Question: Is that what the high official quoted by the newspaper are telling the Israeli Foreign Ministry and Israeli Government?

Deputy Spokesman: I have no idea who these high officials of whom you speak are.

Abdelhamid?

Question: Today, Farhan, Israeli Government released all settlers who have been accused of terrorism, apparently part of the deals between [Benjamin] Netanyahu and the right members of his cabinet. So are you aware of this development, and what do you say to that?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, it's not for me to comment on internal law enforcement developments within a Member State. What I can say is that our normal concerns about the activities of settlers who have been found guilty of violent attacks are concerns that we've shared very widely, and those remain.

Question: Following these activities and to put them on trial and investigate what happened. And they were arrested for terrorism… [cross-talk]

Deputy Spokesman: And there was an accountability procedure within the respective Member State. So we leave that for Member States to determine how accountability is pursued. What is important is that there'll be accountability.

And with that, I will leave you, for a short stance and I'll return with Philippe Lazzarini. All right.

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