Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nepal & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right.
Good afternoon.
Sorry for the usual delay.
We're having a little bit of a email breakdown today.
So if you're sending me emails and I'm not responding to this time, it's not I'm not ignoring you.
We're just not getting them.
I Sorry, 2 seconds.
All right.
Good afternoon.
In a very short while, we will be joined by Naveed Hanif, who as you well know, is the Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, as well as Steven Hill, the Assistant Secretary-General in the Office of Legal Affairs.
Both of them will be in person, and Bill Hare who is the Chief Executive Officer of climate Analytics.
He is joining us virtually, and I think I can see him online already.
They will be here to talk to you about the launch of the Secretary-General sea level rise report.
Also, programming note for tomorrow at 11:30 at 11:30 A.M.
We will start with Lnise Collins, who will brief you here for the last time in her capacity as spokesperson music is not a bad choice of music, at least.
Lnise Collins will be here to brief you for the last time in her capacity as spokesperson for the President of General Assembly and she will be here also to introduce Melissa Summers, who will be the spokesperson for the incoming president of the General Assembly.
I will be here at noon Sharp or close to it.
And then at 12:30, Ambassador Jerome B Nf, permanent representative of France, will be here in his capacity as president of the Security Council for the month of September.
For the briefing by the President Security Council, it'll be in person only.
So if you want to ask questions, you will have to be here in person.
Our Secretary-General is in Bishk in Kyrgyzstan today ahead of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, which will take place tomorrow.
During his visit, Excuse me.
He's already held a number of bilateral meetings with leaders from the region.
He met with the president of the Kyrgyz Republic, Sady Jaaporov, congratulating him on Kyrgyzstan's chairmanship of the SEO.
They discussed the strong cooperation between the UN and the Kyrgse Republic, including on climate change, environment, and socioeconomic development, as well as peace and security in the context of Kyrgyzstan's upcoming membership of the Security Council starting in 2027.
They also discussed various regional developments.
He also had meetings with President Rahman of Tajikistan and President Mirzoyv of Uzbekistan.
Those readouts were shared with you.
In the evening, he attended the official opening of the Sixth World Nomad Games.
He's already had a pull aside meeting with the President of Turkey, President Erowan and tomorrow we expect him to have more bilaterals.
We'll share those with you as they happen.
Tomorrow, of course, he will deliver remarks at the meeting of the SEO plus meeting.
The Secretary-General remarks will focus on the importance of multilateral cooperation, the need for collective action to address today's global challenges.
We'll share those remarks with you in due course and any other updates we may receive.
Meanwhile, our Deputy Secretary-General is in Palau today representing the Secretary-General at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting, which is taking place today and tomorrow.
During her visit, she will engage with Pacific leaders, regional stakeholders, and various members of the UN system to discuss Pacific Islands priorities, including sustainable development, climate change, and ocean protection.
Also today, she participated in her own launch of the Secretary-General Sea level rise report alongside Peter Thompson, our special envoy on the ocean.
From there, miss Palau will will travel to Italy, and then where she will be in Rome to convene the fourth gathering of the Artificial Intelligence and Human Development Report, excuse me, artificial and Human Development, which as you already know, is a global series of high level dialogues to examine how one of humanity's most transformative technologies is shaping human progress.
She's also expected to meet with senior officials from the government of Italy as well as the Holy See and heads of UN agencies based in Rome.
Turning to Libya, I can tell you that the Secretary-General welcomes the signing in Libya yesterday of an agreement addressing the first two milestones of the UN support mission, Libya's political roadmap.
Those milestones are reconstituting the board of the high High National Election Commission and addressing contentious issues in the legal framework for presidential and parliamentary elections.
The agreement marks an important step in advancing Libya towards national elections and ending the transitional period.
The Secretary-General calls on all relevant Libyan actors and institutions to engage in good faith to advance this agreement, which demonstrate that progress is possible through dialogue.
And just in time, an update for you on Nepal and the response to the floods that are the ongoing response to the floods.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that as of this morning, national authorities in Nepal have confirmed 903 people dead and over 267 injured, more than 4,200 people remain missing.
Over 10,000 people have been rescued so far and that includes 252 foreign nationals.
The government of Nepal has more than 20,000 personnel deployed for search and rescue and has declared a flood emergency in 15 municipalities with two more designated at impact.
Our resident coordinator Napal Pérez continued to lead our support for the government led response.
Humanitarian agencies are now setting up a coordination hub in Naut to strengthen planning and information sharing among partners on the ground.
Access remains the biggest challenge.
We're told that roads are usable only as far as Newarkt and that some sections of the Pritvi Highway now are completely blocked.
Power has been restored in two impacted district Duding and Newarkt and work continues in Rasua, which was the hardest hit by the floods.
As assessments of the situation continue, we're getting a clear picture of what people need.
Some 65,000 people require emergency water, sanitation, hygiene support.
More than 22,000 children need protection.
2,600 children under five are expected to need treatment for severe wasting and around 10,500 pregnant and breastfeeding women need nutrition assistance.
Nine schools have been damaged, nine of them completely destroyed, eight more being used to shelter displaced families.
More than 10,000 school age children need psychosocial support, and preliminary reports indicate that 107 children may have been separated from their parents or caregivers.
Family tracing and reunification is now an urgent priority.
We and our partners are scaling up a response alongside the authorities.
The World Food Program has dispatched nearly 80 metric tons of food reaching some 9,200 people with enough to cover their needs for 15 days.
UNICEF has moved therapeutic food for about 500 severely malnourished children, 15 emergency medical teams have been mobilized, 11 of them working in the field right now.
Close to 400 people have received psychological first aid in Newarko and more than 3,200 dignity kids have gone to women and girls.
Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that nearly 60 civilians were killed and 240 injured in attacks across the country over the weekend.
That's what authorities are telling us.
In Kyiv the Kyiv region, including the capital city, was the hardest hit with drone strike and an ammunition depot triggering a powerful explosion that killed 38 people, including residents of a care facility for older persons and injured 52 others, many of them children.
Around 200 houses as well as the care facility were either destroyed or outright destroyed or just damaged.
On the front lines in the Kerson region, four people were killed, 60 others injured and civilian casualties were also reported Donetsk Dentsk, Kharkiv, Odessa, Sumi, and the paritza region.
We joined our humanitarian coordinator in Ukraine, Mattis Smile, in reminding all parties that measures must be taken to protect civilians.
Our humanitarian colleagues are responding following the attacks in the Kyiv region, who WHO delivered medical supplies to hospitals treating the injured while the Ukrainian Red Cross society and several local NGOs with support from UN agencies provided mental health and psychosocial support, drinking water and cash assistance.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to reach people affected by hostilities despite the ongoing access constraints.
On Friday, OCHA facilitated a humanitarian convoy to the frontline community of Doris in the Dots region.
They delivered medical supplies, hygiene kits, and other relief items to about 700 residents who remain in the area.
Turning to Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues warned that violence continues to endanger civilians, force thousands more people from their homes across the country.
In Blue Nile, local authorities report that nearly 22,000 people may have been displaced in the past seven days due to escalating fighting in the locality of Gisan.
Many are sheltering in schools or fled to other areas, including towards the state capital.
In North Kordofan, attacks on Saturday on villages in the northeast and northwest of the capital Elbaid reportedly caused casualties and displacement with reports that civilian properties and livestock were looted.
A day earlier, drone strike in the eastern part of the city also reportedly caused casualties.
The International Organization for Migration reports that increase insecurity in North Kordofan yesterday displaced some 450 people.
In West Darfur State, civilians were reportedly killed and injured last Thursday when a drone strike hit a fuel market in a town near the border with Chad.
The attack also damaged a civilian property, and in South Kordofan, renewed fighting around two towns in recent days has also forced families to be displaced.
Meanwhile, a humanitarian coordinator for Sudan Denise Brown said today the detention of humanitarian personnel by non state armed groups is unacceptable.
A statement, she warned that increasing number of aid workers are being detained, endangering humanitarian personnel, disrupting critical humanitarian operations.
She called for their immediate and unconditional release.
We once again call on all parties to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect international humanitarian law, and allow humanitarian organizations to operate safely and independently.
Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, we continue to remain very concerned about the impact on civilians on the because of the continued Israeli airstrikes and other military attacks over the weekend in Gaza.
We're particularly concerned about reports that a young boy was among the fatalities and also one of the strikes damaged items at the Alksa Hospital compound in Delbala.
Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, of course, must always be protected.
They should not be attacked or used for military purposes.
Meanwhile, we and our humanitarian partners in Gaza continue preparing for the rainy season.
Over the weekend, municipalities in Gaza informed our colleagues that they had mapped the needs related to flood risks in hundreds of localities across Gaza.
However, humanitarian partners warned that efforts to support people ahead of the winter are hampered by insufficient funding, limits on the approval and volumes of items entering Gaza and shortages of engine oil, spare parts, and heavy machinery, as we've been telling you repeatedly.
Efforts are also constrained because most of Gaza's land remains inaccessible, including areas that are less vulnerable to flooding and that could be used to set up tents.
Turning to the West Bank, our colleagues on the ground say that settler related violence continues over the weekend with incidents involving theft, arson, vandalism, and attacks and confrontation multiple areas, resulting in property damage and injuries.
On Saturday, Israeli settlers stoned a house in Kusra village, less than half a kilometer from where three families have been isolated following the establishment of a new settlement outpost a few weeks ago.
Just outside of Ramallah, our colleagues have reported three consecutive days of attacks by Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli security forces.
Here alone, attacks have injured a dozen Palestinians and sometimes prevented movement of people and vehicles, including ambulances to both getting in and getting out.
Heading north to Lebanon, our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission there continue to observe extensive IDF activity inside the country.
In recent days, peacekeepers have recorded significant IDF artillery activity across the missions of our area of operations across the blue line and at sea, as well as troop deployments, engineering works, and position maintenance.
Also, our UNIFIL colleagues reported unguarded ammunition stockpiles in Sector East, possibly originating from an IDF firing position.
Peacekeepers also secured unexploited ordinances found in Sector West before handing it over to a disposal team.
Despite all of this, between Thursday and Sunday, UNIFIL facilitated nine humanitarian missions, eight in Sector West and one in Sector East.
Separately, Jean Arne, the special coordinator at interim for Lebanon, just completed his visit to New York.
As you know, he briefed the Council in close consultations.
He also met with representatives of Lebanon, Israel, various members of the Security Council and regional countries.
In his interactions with member states, Mr.
Ahnu emphasized the major security and humanitarian economic challenges facing Lebanon, including the need to ensure substantial international presence in the southern Lebanon following the end of Unifils mandate to help avoid a security vacuum.
He's now back in Beirut where he'll continue to engage with the Lebanese parties.
He will also continue to outreach to regional and international stakeholders in a position to contribute and particularly the strengthening of the Lebanese armed forces as a key actor in safeguarding Lebanon's internal stability, Lebanon's independence, and Lebanon's territorial integrity.
Quick update on Ebola and from Rwanda, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that we and our partners continue to support the government led efforts to strengthen preparedness for Ebola.
While no confirmed cases have been reported, Rwanda remains at risk due to the proximity to the affected areas in the DRC and continued cross border movement of people.
The World Health Organization is working with national authorities to strengthen information sharing and support facilities across the country.
Risk communication, community engagement activities are ongoing in 11 high risk areas.
More than 20,000 frontline personnel, over 10,000 community members have been reached with information on Ebola transmission, symptoms, prevention, treatment, and the reporting of suspected cases.
In July, emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated $2 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to help Ebola preparedness in Lebanon.
And today we mark the International Day for people of African descent.
Observe this year under the themes expand the Human Rights of people of African descent.
This year's discussion examine preparatory justice through the return of cultural artifacts, the human rights situation of youth of African descent, and the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration Program of Action.
In his message, the Secretary-General says, We recognize the enormous contributions of the people of African descent across politics, government, science, the arts, culture, innovation, so much more.
He also recalls the work still need to be done towards ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights, equality and opportunity.
As a reminder, every September here, there's a high level week Every September, we remind people that there is an extra accreditation needed if you do not already have a UN accreditation.
For all of you who have colleagues coming in who are not accredited, today is the last day to register.
Of course, if you have your existing UN pass, you don't need an extra pass.
Lastly, we have a quiz for you today.
Chris, are you ready? This country has the world's longest national anthem taking around 6 minutes to sing.
Whoa.
Come on.
In 2030, this country will celebrate the hundredth anniversary of its first World Cup football win.
Yes, Namo.
Very good.
I know.
That's right.
We didn't start with Uruguay with the World Cup.
Anybody know what the anthem is called? Orientalis La Patria La Tumba.
We thank our friends in Monteviideo who sent us a check for $2 million 517,307 American dollars and we appreciate each one of those.
All right.
Speaking of appreciation, I, please.
The outcome.
Is the United Nations preparing an appeal for Nepal to deal with the ongoing impact of this terrible disaster? Yes.
I have no doubt an appeal is being prepared.
Obviously, before issuing an appeal, we need to have a full assessment and a needs assessment of what is actually needed, what we need the money for.
So as soon as we have an update on that, I will share with you.
And this weekend saw a revival of military action between the United States and Iran.
Does the secretary with impacts on US facilities in the region and in Iran itself, does the Secretary-General have any comment on this revival of military action? I mean, the resumption of exchange of fire between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran is very regrettable to say the very least.
We've had about a month of relative calm.
Again, Secretary-General urges everyone maximum restraint.
He encourages a return to diplomatic activity, to diplomatic talks that would lead to a settlement to help restore stability and confidence in the region, and I'll leave it at that for now.
Yes.
No, Thank you.
On the meeting that the Secretary-General had with President Erdoğan of Turkey, did he talk about the Kurdish peace process and did he encourage him on finding a bringing that to a quick solution? Thank you.
I don't have a full readout.
I know it was not a formal meeting, but a pull aside, being a little different, just the two of them talking.
As soon as I have some sort of readout, I will share with you.
I know that we are principal position on the Kurdish peace process, as we've said, we're supporting it and encouraging its full implementation.
Kirsten, welcome back.
Thanks, Steph.
Yes, I'm wondering if the Secretary-General is aware of the proposed or the visa restrictions that are due to go into effect on September 15th that will impact international journalists.
Is he aware of this? Is he concerned that this could impact coverage not only of the United States, but of the United Nations given it limits journalists to 240 days and many journalist organizations are very concerned about the impact that this will have on journalists.
Look, of course, countries have the right to decide on visa policies, but we would hope that We see here in our host country a policy that allows for the maximum amount of international journalists to cover and including to cover the UN.
Yes.
Thank you, Steph.
There is lots of misinformation following the Nepal China flooding, particularly in the Chinese language media.
For example, the BBC said that China censored the footage of the Chinese border being devoured in a matter of seconds.
The interpretation is that China is trying to China is concerned about the instability in Tibet and also, for example, Reuters said that China failed to provide early warning to Nepal But the fact is that the Gla outbreak that led to the flooding happened in Nepal.
What does the Secretary-General have to say on this rampant misinformation? We're not in a position to fact check the work of journalists worldwide.
What I can tell you is that especially in disaster settings, the flow of accurate information is paramount.
Yes, please.
Thank you.
Italian media yesterday mentioned the chance that the Italian premier Giorgio Meloni won't take part into the General Assembly.
Do you know anything about this and does the Secretary-General, don't we haven't gotten a confirmation from all delegations as to who will be the head of the delegation.
We, of course, understand that each member state, each head of government or head of state has different scheduling priorities.
We always hope for the highest possible representation during each General Assembly.
But I don't have any specific confirmation on the Italian side.
Is there a deadline for unlike accreditation for media, heads of states and heads of government are able to show up and get a ticket at the door, so to speak.
Thank you.
All right.
Any questions online? Okay.
I will ask you to be patient for 2 seconds while we're joined by our guests who hopefully are in the back.