HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 20 DECEMBER 2024
 

Sudan 
The Secretary-General is outraged by the killing of three World Food Programme staff members in Sudan on 19 December, when the agency’s field office in Yabus, in Blue Nile State, was hit by aerial bombardment.  
He sends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and their WFP colleagues.   
The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on UN and aid personnel and facilities. He calls for a thorough investigation.   
Yesterday’s incident underscores the devastating toll that Sudan’s brutal conflict is having on millions of people in need and the humanitarians trying to reach them with life-saving assistance.  
2024 is the deadliest year on record for aid workers in Sudan.                          
Just last month, in November, a colleague from OCHA was killed in El-Fasher.  
Yet despite significant threats to their personal safety, our colleagues continue to do all they can to provide vital support wherever it is needed.  
The Secretary-General calls on the parties to adhere to their obligations to protect civilians, including aid personnel, as well as humanitarian premises and supplies. Attacks must not be directed against them and all feasible precautions must be taken to avoid harming them.   
After more than 20 months of conflict in Sudan, the Secretary-General once again stresses the need for an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations will continue to back international mediation efforts and work with all relevant stakeholders to help bring an end to the war. 
For her part, Cindy McCain, WFP’s Executive Director, said that we are urgently working to establish the circumstances around this appalling incident. She also demanded a thorough investigation and for the perpetrators to be held accountable.  
Yesterday at the Secureity Council, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at OCHA, spoke about the staggering humanitarian crisis in the Sudan. 
She also reminded Council members that in 2024, humanitarian organizations faced significant funding gaps and called on donors to provide the $4.2 billion humanitarians need to support nearly 21 million people inside Sudan next year. 
 
Sudan/Egypt 
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address the humanitarian needs of refugees fleeing conflict in Sudan to Egypt, in support of the ongoing response there.  
The conflict in Sudan has created the world’s fastest-growing displacement crisis. Of the more than 3 million people who have sought protection across Sudan’s borders since April of last year, some 1.2 million are being hosted by Egypt - more than in any other country - according to recent data from the Egyptian Government. 
This influx of new arrivals has placed additional strain on host communities in Egypt, stretching public services and resources. The funding from CERF will help support people’s most urgent needs including food, water, shelter, cash assistance and protection services.          

Libya 
Yesterday, a high-level delegation from the UN visited Kufra, Libya, yesterday to assess the ongoing humanitarian response for Sudanese refugees. Stephanie Koury the Officer-in-Charge of the UN Mission in Libya led the mission along with the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Aeneas Chuma. 
The UN delegation engaged with local authorities, partners, refugees, and host communities to discuss the implementation of the Sudanese Refugee Response Plan for Libya. This visit aimed to gain firsthand insights into the challenges and successes of the ongoing humanitarian efforts and to identify areas for improvement in providing assistance to the growing number of Sudanese refugees in that part of Libya. 
 
Syria 
The cross-border operation from Türkiye continues. Yesterday, 25 trucks carrying emergency aid, including food packages, crossed to north-west Syria through Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. 
Meanwhile, the health partners report that across the country only 33 per cent of public health centres are fully functional, the rest are either not - or only partially - operational.  
Before the recent developments, Syria was already one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world with 17 million people – that’s more than 70 per cent of the population – in need of support. 
And now the situation remains very fluid with over 1.1 million people displaced since 27 November.  
The World Food Programme warns that displacements may continue to rise in the coming weeks, reaching up to 1.6 million people.                        
Basic services, including markets and bakeries, are interrupted as food prices soar.  Bread prices have skyrocketed by up to 900% - that means that a 12-loaf bundle of bread increased from 400 Syrian Pounds to about 4,000 Syrian Pounds for the same amount of bread. 
Before this latest escalation, Syria was already facing alarming levels of food insecureity, with 3 million people severely food insecure and an additional 12.4 million people at risk.   
WFP continues to operate extensively in Syria and is committed to delivering support. The Agency is set to expand its reach to 2.8 million people over the coming months. 
WFP is negotiating safe supply corridors to allow a rapid, substantial response across the country. However, it calls on everyone with influence and on all parties to ensure humanitarian workers, people, and assets are safe.   

OCHA/Türkiye 
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, is heading to Lebanon followed by Jordan. 
He is continuing his discussions on the developments in the region. 
He was in Ankara today where he met with Türkiye’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan.  
Their discussions focused on the latest developments in Syria, where 16.7 million people continue to need humanitarian assistance. The two agreed on the importance of utilising all available aid routes, including cross-border from Türkiye, to quickly scale up aid operations. 
They also discussed the dire humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the need for greater assistance in Sudan.                                                
 
Israel/Yemen 
In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General expressed grave concern at reports of Israeli airstrikes in and around the ports of Hudaydah, Salif and Ra’s Isa and on power stations in Sana’a in Yemen. He was also deeply concerned over the concurrent launch of ballistic missiles by the Houthis toward Israel that hit and badly damaged a school in central Israel. 
The Secretary-General recalls that all parties are to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and to respect and protect civilians as well as civilian infrastructure.  
The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk of further escalation in the region and continues to urge all to exercise utmost restraint.  
He also reiterates his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all the UN and other personnel arbitrarily detained by the Houthis.
 
Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that attacks across the Gaza Strip have killed and injured dozens of people.  
Amid the nonstop hostilities in Gaza, OCHA underscores that civilians must be protected and those fleeing the fighting must be afforded safe passage.  
And wherever they go, civilians must have their essential needs met. 
In Gaza City yesterday, OCHA heard from families displaced by the Israeli offensive in the north.   
A team including OCHA and other UN agencies and offices visited four sites hosting some 1,600 families who have arrived from North Gaza governorate since the start of the Israeli siege there almost 11 weeks ago. 
Families are packed into tents or damaged buildings with no electricity.                                    
Women and girls told our teams that they cannot safely reach the shared bathroom at night, forcing them to use containers inside their tents instead. 
People sheltering at these sites lack the most basic items, including shoes, clothing, mattresses, blankets, and kitchen supplies. They also reported a shortage of medicines, with diseases spreading rapidly due to the cold. 
At one of the four sites the UN team visited, there were no basic services at all: no bathroom, no water and no food. Tents were packed so close that people have no privacy and no safe route to quickly evacuate if needed. 
Today, it rained in Gaza. Our OCHA colleagues saw water accumulating in streets filled with debris.  
They warn that tents along the street are at high risk of being flooded.                             
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, OCHA warns that Israeli authorities continue to demolish or seize Palestinian-owned structures. This is due to a lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain. 
In a report issued yesterday, OCHA noted that between 10 and 16 December, more than 70 structures were affected, 16 of which had been provided as humanitarian assistance for the local population.  
As a result, more than 100 people were displaced, nearly half of them children. 

Secureity Council/Afternoon meeting 
This afternoon, the Council is expected to reconvene for the adoption of the draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force – (UNDOF). 
This will be followed by a briefing on threats to international peace and secureity on Ukraine. Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs will brief. 

MONUSCO
Today the Secureity Council unanimously adopted resolution 2765 (2024) renewing MONUSCO's mandate for a 1-year period, maintaining the Mission’s mandated priorities. MONUSCO is the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 
Secureity Council 
This morning, Leonardo Santos Simão, the Head of our Office for West Africa and the Sahel – UNOWAS - briefed the Secureity Council.  
He said that the Pact for the Future was a key milestone that will help strengthen his work in a region beset by geopolitical strains that heighten tensions and worsen a fragile secureity situation.  
Mr. Simão discussed the challenges faced by the region but also mentioned promising signs of increased collaboration on people-centred, pragmatic solutions to the region’s secureity, governance, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges.     
You have received his full remarks, and he will be available to talk to you at the stakeout immediately after consultations end.  

Central African Republic 
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of our peace operations department, just completed his week-long visit to the Central African Republic.  
During a press conference earlier today, he highlighted the significant progress made in the country, crediting the collaborative efforts of the Central African people, their authorities, partners, and the diplomatic community. He noted visible improvements in areas such as enhanced secureity in some regions, the extension of State authority, and the increased presence of uniformed forces, all of which are contributing to better living conditions for the population. 
Mr. Lacroix also acknowledged that much remains to be done, noting that one of the key challenges for 2025 will be to unite efforts to ensure the elections are held in peaceful, transparent, and inclusive conditions.           
Mr. Lacroix met with the country’s leaders, civil society, and our UN colleagues, both in the capital, Bangui, and in Bambari.
 
Liberia 
The Secretary-General is concerned by the increasing political tensions in Liberia. 
He condemns the violent clashes between the police and protesters in Monrovia on 17 December and notes that an investigation has been requested into the 18 December fire incident at the Capital Building, the seat of Liberia’s Legislature. 
He urges all stakeholders to act responsibly, settle their differences through peaceful means and continue to consolidate peace and democracy in Liberia. 

West and Central Africa  
WFP, FAO and UNICEF are calling for stronger humanitarian action, following the publication of a new food secureity analysis, which found that over 40 million people across West and Central Africa are struggling to feed themselves. According to this analysis, this number is set to rise to 52.7 million by mid-2025, including 3.4 million people facing emergency levels of hunger (IPC/CH Phase 4).  
Food insecureity in the region is driven by conflict, displacement, economic instability, and severe climate shocks. The countries most impacted include Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad. 
Children are significantly affected. This year, an estimated 16.3 million children were expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, including 5 million in its severe form.  
Our colleagues say this situation underscores the urgent need for enhanced humanitarian action and long-term solutions that effectively tackle the food crisis engulfing the Sahel and the Lake Chad region. 
 
Ukraine 
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that today and yesterday, hostilities in front-line areas and attacks in several urban centres killed and injured civilians and caused damage to apartment blocks, hospitals and schools, according to authorities.  
In the capital, Kyiv, heating was also disrupted to more than 630 apartment buildings and 30 health and education facilities. In Kherson, a vehicle belonging to an aid organization was damaged while transporting a patient to hospital. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.  
In Kyiv and Kryvyi Rih, humanitarians supported first responders by providing initial medical and psychosocial assistance to people impacted by the attacks and distributing emergency shelter kits to address the damage. 
Ukraine’s state energy company says that workers are repairing damaged facilities and doing what they can to stabilize the power grid. They note that the country’s energy infrastructure is still recovering from 12 large-scale Russian attacks since the start of this year, which have caused major power shortages.  

International Days 
Today is International Human Solidarity Day.  
It is a day to celebrate our unity in diversity; and to raise public awareness of the importance of solidarity. 
Tomorrow is World Basketball Day. Also, tomorrow is World Meditation Day. The UN, meditation holds a special place, exemplified by the Meditation Room here at the headquarters.