Source: United Nations (Video News)
Noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
Highlights:
– His Holiness Pope Leo XIV
– Secretary-General/GAZA
– Occupied Palestinian Territory
– Chad
– South Sudan
– Democratic Republic of the Congo
– Mozambique
– Myanmar
– Colombia
– Resident Coordinator in Algeria
– International Days
– Africa Day
– Financial Contribution
– Programming Note
HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV
The Secretary-General spoke by telephone with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. The Secretary-General extended his heartfelt congratulations to His Holiness and expressed his commitment to build on the long legacy of cooperation between the United Nations and the Holy See to advance human dignity, human rights, peace and justice in the world.
The Secretary-General extended a standing invitation to His Holiness to visit the United Nations. He looks forward to meeting with His Holiness to discuss joint efforts to promote common values in our troubled world.
SECRETARY-GENERAL / GAZA
The Secretary-General, in a press encounter this morning, said that after nearly 80 days in which aid to Gaza had been blocked, a trickle of aid has finally crossed over. In recent days, almost 400 trucks were cleared for entry to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. But supplies from only 115 trucks have been able to be collected, he said, and nothing has reached the besieged north.
The Secretary-General said that all the aid authorized until now amounts to a teaspoon of aid when a flood of assistance is required.
Mr. Guterres pointed to the need for safety and security mitigation measures to be in place for our convoys. Our staff’s lives are at risk if we continue to be prevented from distributing food parcels and wheat flower directly to the people in desperate need, he warned.
At the same time, he said that 80 per cent of Gaza – or four fifths of the territory – has been either designated an Israeli-militarized zone or an area where people have been ordered to leave.
The Secretary-General reiterated that the United Nations will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Regarding U.N. operations in Gaza: Yesterday, we moved another batch of around 100 full truckloads to Kerem Shalom and picked up about 35 from the Palestinian side of the crossing to bring them closer to where people need them in Gaza. As a reminder – supplies we collect usually reached the crossing a day or two earlier, because of the time-consuming procedures at Kerem Shalom. And the truckload sizes don’t exactly match: Inside Gaza, our teams stack an extra layer of pallets on each truck to make the most of the space. Yesterday’s deliveries included more flour, nutrition items and medical supplies.
Today, the World Food Programme said that 15 truckloads of critical food supplies were looted last night on their way to bakeries. WFP said that hunger, deprivation and anxiety over whether food aid is coming in are all contributing to rising insecurity. WFP appealed for support from Israeli authorities to get far greater volumes of assistance into Gaza – faster, more consistently, and transported along safer routes, as done during the ceasefire. They stressed that the number of bakeries and sites where Gaza’s population can access food must not be limited.
Even with all the challenges, our teams on the ground say that the little aid that’s getting through is already reaching people in need. A handful of bakeries managed to fire up their ovens yesterday, using flour and fuel we provided, and our partners already picked up the bread for direct distribution. And, in the south, a field hospital has received a much-needed batch of medical supplies this week.
The World Health Organization warned yesterday that the intensification of hostilities has brought Gaza’s already weakened health system to a breaking point.
This follows yesterday’s attack on Al Awda hospital, in North Gaza, where patient triage tents, including one provided by WHO, caught fire, burning all medical supplies in the warehouse and destroying vehicles in the basement. WHO’s attempt to reach the hospital yesterday was impeded. And as of earlier today, sources at the hospital tell us that the fire had not been fully extinguished.
Over the past week alone, four major hospitals have had to suspend medical services because of hostilities, attacks or displacement orders in their areas. That’s Kamal Adwan, Indonesia, Hamad and European Gaza hospitals.
WHO tells us that 4 per cent of nearly 700 attacks on health care in Gaza since October 2023 were recorded over the past week alone. That’s 28 attacks – or four times the average number of attacks per day. At least 94 per cent of the hospitals in Gaza are now damaged or destroyed, and half of them are no longer operational.