So let's continue with the press briefing of today, the 3rd of November.
We will have a a briefing on the situation in the Middle East.
But we're waiting for Liz, she's a little bit late to to arrive.
So I would like now to start already with Yens, but on just one second, sorry because.
OK, no, let's let's change the order.
Why we are waiting for Liz.
I'll give the floor for the announcement to Christian, Christian Nimmeyer for WHO has a few announcements for you and we will be waiting for Liz for starting the the the rest of the topics.
Yeah, good morning everybody.
And apologies I wanted to be there in person that didn't work out today.
Anyway, 3 short announcements on The World Health Organisation is releasing the 2023 edition of its Global Tuberculosis Report on 7N.
The report features data on disease trends and the response to the epidemic from 192 countries and areas.
It provides A comprehensive and up to date assessment of the TB epidemic and progress in the response at global, regional and country levels.
We have the press conference, a virtual press conference scheduled for seven November, that's Tuesday at 4:00.
Because we, the first announcement you sent was a different timing when we try not to get in a conflict with OMTAT colleagues who asked us to move a bit because they have a briefing as well.
Not to collide here, but we need to confirm that still an embargoed press release will be shared on the morning of seven November and the codes and the the fixed timing will be also sent or reconfirmed later today or Monday.
Secondly, W Jo is now accepting the submissions for the 5th edition of the World Health Organisation Health for All Film Festival and these submissions are possible until 31 January 2024.
Double Jo invites all film makers and video artists worldwide submit their short documentaries.
Fictions are in animation films of 3 to 8 minutes for the categories of better health and well-being, universal health coverage, health emergencies and that's where it becomes very up to date, physical activity and health, migrants and refugee health and other categories.
So again, that's up to 31 January and the registration is open.
Last but not least, W Joint ILO will publish world first estimates of the global, regional and national burdens of non Melanoma skin cancer attributable to occupational exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation for 183 countries.
That's expanding from 2000 to 2019 and this will be launched on 8th November.
The estimates provide the first comprehensive global picture of the distribution of occupational exposure.
And the materials will be offered under embargo on Monday, 6th November.
And the joint press conference will be held on Wednesday, 8th November.
A media advisory still to follow.
Thank you very much, Christian.
And I'm looking at the room.
Is there any question for WHO and Christian, of course, we'll stay also for the rest of the briefing in case there are questions later on.
Mexico reported its first outbreak this season of the highly pathogenic age 5 N 1 bird flu on a farm in the state of Sonora in the north of Mexico, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Do you have any reports on that?
Thank you so much, Christian.
I have nothing on Yeah, sorry, I have nothing on this.
Colleagues in, in, in, in the, in our regional office in the Americas would be following.
I have nothing on it with me today.
Christian, you mentioned on the launch of the TB report, we're getting the press release on Monday morning.
Is there a possibility to get the embargoed report in advance?
They're very bulky and these are busy days.
So it would be nice if we could get access to the embargoed report ahead of Monday.
I know this is always an issue.
I understand they're still working on it to finalise it.
But please get in touch and we'll put you in touch with the team to to see what's possible.
Thank you very much, Christian, and thanks for these announcements.
And yeah, we let's try and have you at the press conference at 4:00 because otherwise we would have another press conference.
And Katrina's here to tell us about the publication of the LDC report of Ankita, the Katrina.
Okay, I'm going to be in French and my notes will be in English electric category exterior.
Online gennan vuppa merci beaucoup pas la Don cuisinos Coleg ET alene musevant uppali gal keti arachilaj, the senior economist of FAO from the Markets and Trade division, who is circling in from Rome with key.
Let me see if he is, if we have the connection.
My intervention concerns this morning of the FAO Food Price Index, which we released this morning.
As you are well aware, the FAO Food Price Index monitors 5 food commodity groups, cereals, vegetable oils, dairy products, meat and sugar.
Now in October, the FAO Food Price Index registered a slight decline, reflecting decreases in the price indices for sugar, cereals, vegetable oils and meat.
The index for dairy products is the only one to rise in October.
With this drop, the index has still stood one OH .9% below its value one year ago.
If your sugar price index declined by 2.2% but remained four, 6.6% above its year earlier level.
The decline was mainly due to a strong pace of production in Brazil.
However, Mahab's remained concerned over a tighter global outlook in the months ahead now.
Secondly, the FAO Cereal Food Price Index declined by 1.0% month on month due to drops in rice and wheat prices.
Price prices decreased by 2.0% due to subdued global import demand, while wheat prices fell on strong supplies from the United States and strong competition among exporters.
By contrast, quotations for post grains rose slightly, led by maize due to thinning supplies in Argentina.
FAU vegetable oil price index also dropped, but slightly.
That is oh point 7%, mostly on lower palm oil prices, underpinned by seasonally higher outputs in key producing countries and persistent subdued global import demand.
The decline was partially offset by increases in soy, sunflower and red seed oil prices.
Oil prices for soy mill increased on demand from the biodiesel sect and sunflower, while due to firm global import purchases.
Well, meat prices fell by 0.6% from September as fluggish import demand, especially from Northeast Asia, together with the **** exportable supplies in key exporting countries LED prices of pygmy prices to fall, partially offsetting marginal increases in prices of poultry pygmy prices.
By contrast, those declines, the FAO Dairy Price Index, rose by 2.2% month on month, ending nine months of declines.
World milk powder prices increased the most due to a surge in demand for near and longer term supplies, especially from North East Asia.
Uncertainty over milk supplies due to the impact of El Nino weather conditions on milk supplies in the months ahead in North New Zealand also exerted the some price pressure.
I stop here and if our colleagues have some questions, I'm ready to provide some answers.
Thank you very much and thank you, Upali.
Let me see if there is any question in the room.
Otherwise I'll go to the platform.
You know, you have said cereal prices have actually dropped, including rice and wheat and several other commodities, several other food items.
Recently, there have been a lot of reports, particularly in Financial Times and other, you know, publications that India's ban on rice exports as actually going to affect countries badly and rise the prices of rice, you know, very severely.
Do you see any trend, I mean any link between India, which is the largest exporter of rice and its decision to ban the rice exports on the international prices?
Thank you for this very important question.
Actually, as you may have noticed that in last few months, prices have been increasing mainly because of the ban imposed by India and its spillover effects on suppliers from other countries, especially Thailand and Vietnam and other countries.
Because you know with the usual what happens is when a country imposes a ban on any exports, any food commodity exports, then there is this cascading effect that led to that increase.
But at the moment this month, what happened, I mean, October last month, what happened was there was this import side was subdued, although we the markets are still markets are still concerned about the potential potentially thinning rice markets at the international level.
Thank you very much Palette.
Let me see if there's any other question for you.
So thank you very much for for this briefing.
And let's go now to the issue of the Middle East.
I think we have been hearing a lot about this, but from the Secretary General to the statements that we have distributed to you, I call your attention on the latest report, situation report from UNRWA that we have distributed this morning.
And I give the floor to Yens for an update on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
As the crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory continues to worsen, we and our partners will release an updated flash appeal on Monday the 6th of November, covering the remainder of the year.
The cost of meeting the needs of 2.7 million people, that is the entire population of the Gaza Strip and 500,000 people in the occupied West Bank.
It's estimated to be 1.2 billion U.S.
The original appeal launched on 12th of October asked for 294,000,000 to support nearly 1.3 million people.
The situation has grown increasingly desperate since then.
The revised flash appeal will outline the needs for food, water, healthcare, shelter, hygiene and other urgent priorities following the massive bombardments in the Gaza Strip.
We urge donors to promptly make resources available for the response.
Our ability to ease the suffering of the Palestinian population will depend on adequate funding, safe and sustained access to all people in need wherever they are, sufficient flow of humanitarian supplies and, importantly, fuel.
It will also depend on protection and assurances given by the conflict parties to the private sector and NGOs to operate.
The opening of Israeli crossings will be paramount.
Meanwhile, in today's situation update, we can report that in Gaza the Palestinian death toll over the past 17 days has reached 9061.
Women and children comprise some 62% of these victims.
At least 195 Palestinians were killed and about 800 injured in less than 24 hours between Thurs Tuesday 31st of October and Wednesday 1st of November in two rounds of Israeli air strikes on Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
And that is according to the Minister of Health in Gaza.
Some 120 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble.
And yesterday, 2nd of November.
Also in the Jabalia refugee camp, an UNWA school sheltering thousands of internally displaced people was hit and at least 20 people were reportedly killed and five injured.
In terms of internal displacement in Gaza, the number has swelled to nearly 1.5 million.
This includes nearly 700,000 people sheltering in 149 UNWA facilities, reaching almost four times their intended capacity.
To give you a picture, this means that in some shelters, up to 240 people are living in classrooms of of 40 to 60 square metres.
The Kan Yunis Training Centre is currently the most crowded shelter, hosting 22,100 ID PS internally displaced people more than 10 times its capacity.
Since the start of the hostilities, nearly 50 UNWA facilities have been damaged by the fighting.
And let us not forget the situation in the West Bank, where violence has also been spiking.
Since 7th of October, the UN has documented over 130 deaths and more than 2200 injuries.
Settler violence and extensive access restrictions throughout the West Bank have displaced nearly 1000 Palestinians.
I want to remind you that later today, you can follow online from New York a member state briefing on the humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
And that's from 3:00 PM Geneva time.
And I sent you the link, the direct link to that, to that event in my notes.
And at that event you are referring to the one of the speakers will be Philippe Letzerini, Commissioner General of UNRWA.
We have distributed to you the statement that he made yesterday.
Many of the things he said also have been also mentioned by Jens.
I just would like to add that to the date of yesterday, 72 UNRWA colleagues have been killed in Gaza since the war began, often with their families.
The Commissioner General mentioned the case of May, a bright software developer in their mid 20s with physical disabilities that you had seen in one of the videos that Hunra had published a few some time ago and who was killed in the Jubilee refugee camp with members of her family.
Our condolences, of course, goes to all these victims.
So let's go now to human rights with Liz also on this matter.
Yes, good morning, everyone.
I mean first of all picking up on on what Jens has been saying about the West Bank.
While much attention has been on the attacks inside Israel and the escalation of hostilities in Gaza since the 7th of October, the situation in the occupied West Bank, including E Jerusalem is alarming and urgent amid the increasing and multi layered human rights violations of Palestinians occurring there.
Since 7th of October up to the 2nd of November, we believe 132 Palestinians, including 41 children, have been killed in the West Bank.
124 of those by Israeli forces and some 8 by settlers.
Israeli forces have increasingly used military tactics on weapons in law enforcement operations, including an operation overnight involving air strikes on Jenin refugee camp.
Law enforcement is governed by international human rights law, which prohibits the intentional use of lethal force except when strictly necessary to protect life.
Settler violence, which was already at record levels, has also escalated dramatically, averaging 7 attacks a day.
In more than 1/3 of these attacks, firearms were used.
We have documented that in many of these incidents, settlers were accompanied by members of the Israeli forces or the settlers were wearing uniforms and carrying army rifles.
Along with the near total impunity for settler violence, we're concerned that arms settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities.
Entire communities are being forced from their land by this violence.
Since the 7th of October, nearly 1000 Palestinians from at least 15 herding communities have been forced from their homes.
In these circumstances, settler violence may amount to the forcible transfer of a population, a grave breach of the 4th Geneva Convention.
Israel, as the occupying power, has the obligation to ensure the safety and protection of the occupied population under international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
In repeated incidents, armed settlers have given Palestinian communities ultimatums to leave their homes or be killed.
In one chilling example of the intimidation communities are facing, pamphlets were reportedly left by settlers on Palestinian vehicles.
These had threatening messages telling them to leave now or face what was termed elimination.
Despite hundreds of settlers being involved in this daily violence, since 7th of October, Israeli forces have reportedly arrested only two settlers for assaulting Palestinians and for killing one Palestinian farmer.
Since the 7th of October, Israeli forces have arrested almost 2000 Palestinians.
We have received credible and consistent reports indicating a further increase in the ill treatment of detainees, which in many cases could amount to torture.
2 Palestinians arrested since the 7th of October have died in custody.
Those detained are reportedly not granted due process and judicial guarantees as required by international law.
Many communities in the West Bank are essentially in lockdown, with roads and checkpoints closed and their freedom of movement restricted.
Some of the most vulnerable, vulnerable Palestinian communities have been left completely isolated, without access to essential goods and services.
Now turning to the situation in Gaza, the intensification of the fighting in northern Gaza has continued to add to the shocking number of casualties, which according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, has reached over 9000 killed, among them 3700 children.
The last few days have seen intensive strikes by Israeli forces on Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, as we've heard, with dozens of residential buildings destroyed.
Similar strikes were also reported in other parts of Gaza, for example in Alburyj refugee camp in central Gaza, with dozens of buildings reportedly destroyed.
There's been a **** number of casualties reported, as well as the reported use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in some of the most densely populated areas in Gaza.
We have serious concerns that the principles of distinction and proportionality are not being respected by both sides.
We strongly urge Palestinian armed groups to immediately stop launching inherently indiscriminate rockets into Israel.
They must also immediately and unconditionally release all the hostages they hold in grave breach of international humanitarian law.
We also recall the obligations of the de facto authorities to respect and protect the human rights of the people of Gaza.
Thank you very much to the colleagues.
So I'll start with the room.
First of all, Ben, who has been asking the floor.
Well, actually 2 questions.
First of all, to understand better the appeal, are you taking into account in this amount the eventuality of of the opening of of Israeli crossing.
So will you be able to pre position aid or is it only taking into account the the current flow of aid passing through Rafa?
And my second question is in the West Bank, to what extent do you need to increase your level of aid?
It is based on the needs that we have identified so far.
It's not based on how much can we get in or not get in.
It's based on, on, on, on the needs.
So, so, so that's the first thing.
The second thing is that you mentioned the, the, the Rafa crossing.
We have been saying it's, it's certainly not enough and and it still is, is not enough.
We, we saw yesterday more trucks coming through, 102 trucks passed at the Rafa.
It's still far from enough, which is why we are calling for more openings, including openings from Israel, the proper into, into, into Gaza.
But the, the bottom line is that the appeal is as they always are based on the needs as we have assessed them at this moment in terms of, of the, of the West Bank, of course, our, our access is, is somewhat better there.
But the the, the appeal, the one point $2 billion appeal for the remainder of the year also include aid for half a million people in the West Bank.
I'm also going to ask gents about the appeal.
You said the original appeal was around $300 million.
I would like to ask, can you tell us how much it was founded to assume the pace of reaching the increased amount?
Yeah, No, no, no, that that is true.
The the original appeal, which was launched on the 12th of October, just a few days after the outbreak of of hostilities, asked for $294,000,000.
As of today, it has received 25% of of that funding, which is of course 25% more than nothing.
What is going to happen on Monday when we actually launched the actual appeal because I'm just providing you with a top line number because we thought it was important to get that out fast.
But when the actual updated revised appeal go online on on Monday, that funding level will of course drop because the ask is is quadrupling essentially, which is why we we are urging donors to promptly make resources available because they are they are urgently needed now.
Hope that answers your question.
Yesterday we had a press conference by The Who and Mike Ryan got quite angry about the difficulties for humanitarian aid, not only to go for Rafa, but then to to go further and to be able to be distributed.
He was especially talking about the problems of ensuring the confliction, making sure that the people who transport the aid are safe.
And so I was just wondering if you could shed some light on that, on how exactly this is supposed to work and why it's so complicated, even if we have more trucks now.
And the second question is about the Israeli passages.
Is there any hint that the Israelis would accept to reopen those?
Because at some point there was word that the Hamas destroyed them more or less when they crossed over to for the attacks on October 7th.
In reply to the first part of of your question, the the solution is humanitarian forces.
The solution is humanitarian forces.
That's what we are suggesting.
It's something that has been done in many other contexts.
We as ochre have deconfliction mechanisms in places either have now or have had in the past, northwest Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan and and many other places.
So it's absolutely not beyond our competency to, to set up and facilitate such such mechanisms.
It requires pauses, it requires agreement between those doing the fighting that they will stop.
So that's kind of the the bottom line on that.
In terms of of openings, I think what we are looking at are, are the openings that, that were available before the escalation on, on the 7th of October.
And as, as you know, Rafa crossing was only recently in the in the last few years open for crossing for consignment for goods.
It is primarily crossing for passengers.
The the crossing that is that is designed and well tested and have been used for many, many years is the current Shalom crossing from the southern tip of Israel, just in the border area between Gaza, Israel and and Egypt.
So that is an obvious, an obvious kind of opportunity for opening the valve, if you like and allowing more goods in.
Yens and Christian has put in the chat the link to their dashboard where they record, recorded the latest attacks, figures, attacks against health facilities.
We have so many questions.
If it's fast, please, because I've got like 10, I will be super fast to list.
Just to, to know your, if, if your office has an opinion on the fact that Israel just announced that they are sending back workers, Palestinian workers from Gaza who were stuck in Israel and they are now crossing via Karem Shalom.
So do you maybe have an opinion on that in terms of of legality?
We've seen the same reports, I understand that these among these people who are being sent back among those Palestinian workers and indeed hospital patients who'd, who'd been detained in the aftermath of the 7th of October.
So first of all, we, we were very concerned that at least 4000 Palestinian workers and hospital patients were detained without sufficient legal basis in military facilities after Israel revoked their, their permits.
But then as you said, there are worrying reports that some are being sent back into Gaza despite the gravity of the situation there.
And I don't think we, we, I really need to explain the gravity of the situation, but basically they're being sent back.
We don't know exactly to where it probably isn't clear whether they've got even a home to go to.
And it's incredibly difficult and dangerous situation because there are hostilities going on.
So we are deeply concerned about that.
OK, let's go to the platform now.
Yes, good morning for Jens on the on the rougher border crossing.
I was wondering how many trucks with aid are currently waiting at the rougher border crossing.
And secondly, on the appear, could you provide us a breakdown of the donor countries of which have donated money so far for the, for the, for the first appear.
The the Rafa crossing is managed by the Egyptian Red Crescent that, that the Egyptian government has asked that the Egyptian Red Crescent manages that.
So I don't have a number of trucks waiting, but I think we have heard from many agencies that they have been pre positioning supplies, making sure that in case there is an an opening and in case that there is a humanitarian pause on the other side of the border and they can go in safely that they are you know, ready to do so.
On the on the appeal as it is today, I mentioned that it was 25% funded.
The largest donor to that is the United States of America who has provided 24 and a half, $1,000,000 to the flash appeal.
The second largest donor is the the surf, the Central Emergency Response Fund, which as you know comprise a large number of donors who put their money in this pooled fund.
And the third in the top three is Japan was provided 7,000,000.
For that I give these numbers with a caveat that they are from the our financial tracking system which is a self reporting system.
So it is as good as the information that the donors give to us.
They do give us the information, but there can be some some time lags in in the reporting.
Yes, thank you for taking my question.
This is not really a question.
This is more for you, Alessandra.
We had this week to have a briefing with Inora.
It was concealed, but I think like me and a lot of colleagues, we will really be grateful to have it.
So if you have any information, if you are richly doing it or not.
Yeah, thank you very much, Yuri, for this.
The briefing indeed was foreseen with the Philippe Ladzarini, with the Commissioner General who had to travel to Geneva for a couple of days and we had worked out this press conference for you.
He would also have to, he had to to address also Member States and other counterparts.
Unfortunately, because of the situation, of course, he could not travel.
We have always opened the possibility of a virtual press conference, but I think the commissioner general and his team are looking for a new date for him to come to Geneva and he really wants to address you in person.
So as soon as we have a new date, we will be very pleased to announce it.
I'm also hoping that on Tuesday we will have the spokesperson of ONRA who will speak to you directly at this briefing.
Gabriella yes, thank you, Alessandra My question is for for Liz and maybe for you or other spokesperson that want to say something.
The director of the New York Office of UN **** Commissioner for Human Rights, Craig Mockibert, has resigned.
He said that once again, we are seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes.
An organisation that we serve appears powerless, powerless to stop it.
So my question is, do you share his his comments?
What what are your reactions to this resign.
I, I, I think that he spoke with the **** Commissioner Volcker Turk, if you can tell us about it.
Yes, thank you for that, Gabriella.
I think the first thing to say is, is that the staff member concerned, he actually retired.
It was a long announced retirement and we have seen the the comments that that he made with regard to the situation.
These are of course his personal views.
2 quick questions for one for yes, I just want to make sure that the total is 1.2 billion is what you're now asking for.
You said that that's the need, but I just want to be clear that that's the actual appeal that you're making.
And then secondly, for for Liz, Liz, there have been more and more words about the use of the of the term genocide or possible genocides or grave, grave risks for genocide.
Could you tell us who, if anyone is making a formal assessment about whether or not genocide has been committed?
So on, on the first part, the indeed the, the appeal that we I hope to share with you on, on, on Monday, it's in it's entirety is an updated flash appeal from the originally launched one.
And the total that it's asking for is $1.2 billion.
So that's not in addition to the original flash appeal of 294, but that is included.
It's an upgrade of that and that is true to address the needs of a total of 2.7 million.
People, the entire population of Gaza plus half a million people in the occupied West Bank.
He's maybe on the genocide issue.
Thank you for that, Jamie.
I mean, obviously with regard to that, you know, as is often repeated, it is up to a sort of a legal decision and establishment.
I'm not aware specifically of of who may be looking into any formal assessment of that, but it has been raised.
I think obviously one thing that we would always highlight is of course that states do have the obligation to prevent genocide.
Liz, I was wondering if your human rights monitors in the West Bank, if they have any information.
We were told earlier in a briefing that the clinics in prisons in Israel, in the OPT or in Israel holding Palestinians have been closed since the 7th of October.
Do you have information that that is the case?
And you mentioned the two people that died.
One of the people that died was a 25 year old diabetic.
So do you have any information if the detainees and prisoners are able to get medications for chronic conditions or not?
I, I don't have specific information with regard to the, the, the, the status, let's say of, of hospitals, for example, within detention facilities.
I mean, I think what we are concerned about of course is, is that, you know, there have been and there are large numbers of, of Palestinians in detention.
So we are concerned the treatment that they are receiving.
We are concerned that in some cases they are being denied, for example, family visits, access to lawyers and medical care.
But I don't have specific details on, for example, what may have happened to to the two that died in custody.
But clearly that's that's a real concern that people do do need, you know, people do have the right to have medical care, including people in detention.
And and just just for the colleagues, I don't know if Christian wants to add anything or any other colleague who's online.
Please just raise the your hands.
Let me go back to the there is a question from Imogen.
If you couldn't distribute your notes, Liz, maybe it's already done.
But colleagues at the OHCHI will will do that.
In case Elizabeth like ex director, the Bureau of New York.
So with regard to, to what is being said and yes, obviously the, the the group of experts didn't make reference to, to genocide.
I mean this, this is really something that we have to, to stress.
The definition of genocide under international law is very specific and requires additionally proof of an intention.
So this type of investigation needs to be taken by a competent court.
Now, obviously in the midst of hostilities, it's very difficult to make that kind of determination.
But but of course we have spoken about war crimes.
We have raised multiple repeated concerns about war crimes, including relation to collective punishment, the conduct of hostilities, the taking of hostages, summary execution of civilians, as well as forcible transfer.
So I think it, you know, it's very important to stress that, you know, war crimes are affecting people.
You know, it's not something that is lesser as it were.
And I mean with regard to to the people who have been arbitrarily detained, we would as we would in any other circumstance, we would call for that for their immediate release indeed.
I have question for both Yen's stand list.
Arab countries tend not to be very generous when it comes to United Nations appeals.
Do you see any change in this attitude, any movement, any indication that perhaps they might respond a little bit more generously to your appeal?
And then in regard to the aid that is coming in through Rafa, it hasn't been any movement on the situation with fuel.
Fuel has not been got in.
Nobody even mentioned the word today.
And yet it seems to be an essential need.
So what is happening on that score?
And then, Liz, regarding the situation in the West Bank, I was wondering first whether you or other UN agencies have monitors in the West Bank, whether you are sort of seeing what is going on first hand or whether your information is well second hand or whatever.
And then have you brought your concerns to the Israeli authorities?
And if So, what has their response been?
And hi, Lisa on on, on funding.
I, I read out the, the top three funders of the of the flash appeal as it stands today before the revision.
And I'm happy to send you the full list.
But as I meant as, as, as you heard, but no Gulf countries or Arab countries within that top three except those who are part of the the funders of the Central Emergency Response Fund.
One should not forget that that a lot of donors including including from, from, from the region are contributing to that and will help fund in through that through that Channel.
We ask all donors, all donors for money.
And that is of course governments.
But it goes beyond that can be foundations, charities, individuals, very rich people, you and me.
So everybody can contribute to, to to that.
We have a particular fundraising drive and I can send you the link to that as well to what is called the OPT humanitarian fund, which is a which is a pooled fund, which is an excellent mechanism for very fast channelling of of money to operating agencies on the ground in terms of fuel.
I think I mentioned that, that our ability to ease the suffering of Palestinian people will depend of course on funding, on access, sufficient flow of supplies and in particular fuel.
Of the 102 trucks we saw crossing yesterday, none of them carried fuel.
No fuel has gone up till now.
And if I may finally little update, a little correction.
I told you that the Member State briefing is at 3:00 PM Geneva time.
That is not correct because they're still at one hour or there's a 5 hour time difference still with New York because of summertime.
Sorry, it's actually at 2:00 PM Geneva time.
Yeah, just for one week, I think we have 5 hours of difference with New York, please.
So Lisa, with regard to to us having people on the ground, yes, we we do have staff on the ground in, in the West Bank.
We do also have national staff in, in Gaza.
But as I think has has been flagged on a number of occasions, they are clearly working under incredible, incredibly difficult circumstances.
So we do have colleagues who are on the ground in the West Bank.
We do also have other colleagues who, who are following and monitoring, collecting information very closely with regard to all the different elements.
I, I, I sort of highlighted some in, in the briefing note, but there are obviously many issues there.
Have we brought our concerns to the Israeli authorities?
Well, I think you know this, this is clear.
We, we have, but not only that, we have been looking through what we have been doing over many years with regard to, to, to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
You know, there have been numerous reports covering a whole range of issues.
So these these you know these these issues, they've been brought into even sharper focus because of the current situation.
But a lot of these issues a long standing and things that we have highlighted, we have documented and we have raised on a number of occasions.
Regarding this question for Gensa, regarding the limited inflow of aid through the Rafa crossing, can you tell us how the delivery of this aid is being prioritised?
I mean, this has been distributed for any reason logistical or security only to civilians that are close to the crossing or this aid can go farther away to other places where there are also displaced people to the Yunra schools and other locations.
And also a second one please on how how many UN employees have left the Gaza since the opening of Rafa crossing and how many are still waiting to leave.
As, as you know Ochi as a coordinating agency, we do not have aid on our own in those trucks.
So we have relatively little visibility of exactly where it goes.
We know that the needs are enormous across the Gaza Strip.
We know that there is extremely little access to the northern part of the of, of of the Gaza Strip.
It's, it's very dangerous and bombardment continue on a, on a daily basis.
So we have, we have the aid going in and we are seeing more of it as we as, as, as the days go by.
But it's, it's certainly not enough.
It's important also to to stress and, and that is one one of the reasons why we, we emphasise that in order to be able to implement the 1.2 billion appeal that that we now have, we need more crossings.
But one single crossing and the southernmost tip of the strip is not enough.
There are other crossings that can that can be opened and we hope to see that happen very fast.
And the second question, I don't have the numbers.
Let's we have an answer before the end of the briefing.
The question again, I'll come back to the issue of genocide and its determination.
There seems to be an effort of seeking some kind of moral equivalence in terms of describing this as war crimes at one end and at the same time saying that the war crimes committed by the Palestinians on one side as well as the war crimes committed by Israel.
Don't you see that this kind of moral equivalence or any equivalence that you're bringing about, you seem to be adopting some kind of a transactional approach to the whole issue of determining genocide.
Without Human Rights Council deciding on this issue, there won't be enough moral pressure.
At a time today, 9000, more than 9000 people are killed and every 10 minutes one child is being killed.
At what point will it then be called a genocide?
Well, I think that is that is what I have said.
I mean, really, given, you know, the nature of genocide, very specific definition.
And that really is for a competent court to say.
But I don't think by us referring to war crimes, we are trying to either have some kind of moral equivalence, as you've put it, or undermine.
What we're making it clear is that the, the different sides here, they, they both have obligations under international humanitarian law that applies to the Israelis and that also replies to the, the Hamas in, in Gaza.
So I don't think it's a moral equivalence.
I think it's, we're making it quite clear that there are obligations.
And I think, you know, there are countless, I'm sure discussions of, of the whole nature of the legal situation here.
But I think what we shouldn't lose sight of is that people, civilians are being killed and harmed.
And I think we always need to keep the victims at the forefront of our mind.
OK, just Christian wants to say something maybe on this, on this or something else.
Christian, do you have do you have something to add?
Yeah, thank you very much.
And thank you very much, Liz, for for this clarification because that's exactly where I wanted to come in.
I think this it's a bit difficult to have this discussion.
Is is it or is it not a war crime?
Who will declare it when a war crime?
I I would like to say does it really matter?
It doesn't matter for the for the people on the ground, definitely not what we call it.
And and to give you 1 figure which I think is staggering.
In Israel, the what we had 1405 hundred deaths so far, 70% are being women and children.
In Gaza, 9061 deaths, 70% are women and children.
And it shows you, these 70% throughout show you where the problem is.
It's, it's the women and the children.
It's the innocent civilians that are losing here.
And that's why we need to get this humanitarian access.
And ideally, as Jens and others pointed out, the cessation of hostilities, but at least the humanitarian pause to bring in the supplies, to bring shelter, to evacuate the most, the most desperately wounded and so on and so forth.
Let's think about the victims.
Look, I have three more questions from people who have already asked questions.
And Catherine, I'd like to call it afterwards to a close because we still have 1 briefing item.
Isabel, Catherine, please don't raise your hands again because I won't take it.
And then we have to go to Sudan.
And eventually, if we have time afterwards, I'll take more questions.
Thank you, Alessandra, for taking my question.
So, Liz, you are talking about war crimes, but the attacks of Israel against Gaza seems systematic, widespread and deliberate.
So could this constitute a crime against humanity?
Well, I mean, we, we are sort of talking about numerous different war crimes and that is something that we're highlighting.
I think we really just need to keep sort of monitoring and, and looking at the situation.
But going back to the point, you know, by, by talking about war crimes doesn't mean that we're minimising what, what, what is happening.
I think, you know, as we, as I've said, and as, as Christian has just said, you know, we're talking about the impact on people, on women, on children, all manner of, of, of the, the, the violation of human rights here.
So I think, you know, for us, we're, we're, we're continuing to monitor and look at the situation unfolding.
But as we've been quite clear, we've been talking about many different war crimes and as Christian said of humanitarian ceasefire, that is needed as much as the secretary general said several times, we can't work without.
We need a humanitarian ceasefire.
I I forgot to ask you a question before to you to ask you specifically about whether you brought up the issue of the apparent collusion between Israeli military and settlers in the West Bank with the Israeli authorities.
You never actually answered whether you got a response on any of your historical.
Interactions with the Israeli authorities over the years.
So perhaps you could, you know, talk a bit more about that.
Well, I mean, as I said, we have documented in a number of reports over the years various issues, including that this is this is in a way, it's not new.
We have raised this issue, you know, publicly as it were, and I think that you know, it, it's as I said, a lot of these issues in a way they're not new, but it's just precisely because of this, this intense moment, this intense crisis that we're in that a lot of these are now coming into to focus for us and they're coming back.
But but you know, we have documented over the years many different instances, including this aspect of of collusion.
Is the **** Commissioner seeking to travel to Israel or to the occupied territories, Palestinian territories?
And also, in view of what you have told us, the seriousness of the situation in the West Bank, what are the communications that your office has with Palestinian Authority, which is at least the formerly the entity that managed the territory?
Thank you for for that, Isabel, I think on your first question, yes, the, the **** Commission is seeking to travel to the region.
So we'll share more when we have clearer information on that.
And As for the, the, the, the relations, the contacts with the Palestinian authorities, well, of course, because, you know, our colleagues are trying to monitor the situation in as complete a manner as they can, as they have done for many years.
But obviously it's, it's, it's increasingly difficult.
So that includes obviously, you know, having contacts and discussions and raising issues.
Thank you, Katherine, and then we move to thank you, Alessandra, for giving me the floor.
This is a question for Liz.
My question is related to the situation of workers in the OP TS.
As you know, yesterday there have been discussions about the situation in the OP TS at ILO during the governing body.
And we've heard in a briefing this morning that there were 11,000 legal workers in Israel.
And we've heard also that these people are expelled.
So is there, do you have a position about that or any comments, official comments about the situation of workers?
Katherine, you, you, you have more figures to hand than I do.
I didn't have sort of specific figures with regard to workers.
I think, I think as I said, you know, with regard to the reports of, you know, workers and also hospital patients, you know, being sent back, that is deeply worrying.
I think in the broader sense, you're talking about sort of people, you know, losing their jobs.
I think one of the things to highlight is of course, that, you know, key aspects of this are, are, are the economic situation, the the, the poverty, the fact that people don't have jobs, that there are **** rates of, of unemployment.
That is something clearly that that should not be overlooked.
But I don't have anything more specific on that.
So I'll hand over to Alessandra, just Catherine, I'll, I'll like to refer you to the information that was given to us by UNRWA and I read it here for you.
The continued movement restrictions imposed on Palestinians from the West Bank to access Jerusalem and Israel, including for work reasons, are having an impact on the Palestinian economy.
Prior to seven October, an estimated 230,000 Palestinians had work permits to access the Israeli labour market.
These workers represented a significant contribution to the overall economy of the West Bank, particularly due to the relatively **** salaries from Israeli businesses.
It is expected that this will result in an economic downturn and increased increased pressure on unwrought services as more people become reliant on the essential services provided by the agency.
We've distributed this note to you.
It's the Situation report #20 I think I've sent it yesterday night.
So thank you very much to everybody.
Thanks to my colleagues for for this extensive briefing.
And I ask them to stay on the podium because both of them would like to brief you on the situation in Sudan and start with the ends.
The situation for civilians in Sudan's Darfur region is getting worse by the day, and since a military escalation last week, the impact on local communities is increasingly violent.
Renewed clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in Nyala, Salingi, Al Fasha and El Ghana, all four corners of Darfur, have killed dozens of civilians and wounded many more.
Thousands have been displaced and civilian property has been destroyed or damaged.
The humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Unquita Salami, last night issued a statement expressing her alarm that civilians are being caught in the fighting in the context of heightened intercommunal tensions in Yala.
In South Darfur alone, at least 17 people were killed and 35 more injured over the past week.
An estimated 17,500 people fled from the fighting and have sought safety in other Nyala neighbourhoods and in the AL Serif camp for internally displaced people.
In addition to the military clashes, inter criminal fighting has also been reported between Salamat and Habaniya tribesmen in South Darfur state, with people fleeing their villages.
In North Darfur, clashes between the two armed forces have reportedly killed 10 people and injured 42 over the past week.
Many more have been displaced.
And in Central Darfur, clashes have resulted in people in the AL AL Hasahiza IDP camp, already displaced, being displaced again.
While much hope is being placed on the Jeddah talks to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and facilitate humanitarian access, we call on all parties to refrain from escalating and expanding the conflict at this moment.
Darfurians have suffered enough, not least women in the past and in the current conflict overall in Sudan, more than 5.7 million people have been forced from their homes and 25 million people, that's more than half of the population, now need humanitarian assistance.
Some 3.7 million people have received life saving assistance since April.
Of those 1.6 millionaire in Darfur, but this is less than 1/3 of those we need to reach with food, healthcare, water and sanitation and services addressing gender based violence.
Fighting needs to stop and passes to the conflict need to ensure safe passage of relief to all people in need in Sudan.
We're deeply alarmed by reports that women and girls are being abducted and held in inhuman, degrading, slave like conditions in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces in Darfur, where they are allegedly forcibly married and held for ransom.
Credible information from survivors, witnesses and other sources suggests more than 20 women and girls have been taken, but the numbers could be higher.
Some sources have reported seeing women and girls in chains, on pickup trucks and in cars.
Initial allegations arose early in the conflict in the Khartoum area, which has remained largely under the control of the Rapid Support Forces.
One of the reports indicated that women and girls had been abducted and detained at a location in the city's Al Riyadh district from as early as the 24th of April.
Since then, we have continued to receive reports of abductions, with an increasing number of cases being reported in the Darfur region, particularly North, Central and South Darfur, and in the Kordofan region, there are shocking reports.
These shocking reports come amid A persistent increase in cases of sexual violence in the country since fighting broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces six months ago.
According to our documentation, at least 105 people have been subjected to sexual violence since the hostilities began on the 15th of April.
As of the 2nd of November, our Joint Human Rights office in Sudan had received credible reports of more than 50 incidents of sexual violence linked to the hostilities, impacting at least 105 victims.
Among these were 86 women, one man and 18 children.
23 of the incidents involved ****, 26 were of gang ****, and three were of attempted ****.
At least 70% of the confirmed incidents about sort of 50 confirmed incidents of sexual violence recorded.
37 incidents in total are attributed to men in RSF uniforms.
8 armed men affiliated with the RSF, two to men in unidentified uniforms and one to the Sudanese Armed Forces.
The remaining cases involved as yet unidentified men.
We restate **** Commissioner Folkertok's calls on senior officials of both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as well as armed groups affiliated with them, to unequivocally condemn these vile acts and issue urgently clear instructions to their subordinates demanding 0 tolerance of sexual violence.
They must also ensure that abducted women and girls are promptly released and provided with the necessary support, including medical and psychosocial care, and that all alleged cases are fully and promptly investigated with those found responsible, held accountable and brought to justice.
Let me see if there is any question on this matter.
I go to the platform, Lisa.
It's really hard to digest.
I don't know where to begin.
Liz, I'm well, OK, Since I mentioned you first, please send us your your notes.
We haven't received them yet.
And and you say that most of these, these rapes, these atrocities are, are the result of the Paramilitary Rapid Response Force, whatever they're called is is that right?
I mean, and who is listening to your plea?
I mean, you are you are asking for an unequivocal condemnation of of what is happening.
It doesn't seem as if anybody is is they're able to do anything about this.
So are there any solutions and Yens and perhaps this is for lose as well, I don't know, but the Jeddah talks are going on.
I guess that's a good thing that they've resumed, but there doesn't seem to be any progress.
I mean, have they taken up this issue of the rapes that are going on in Darfur, among other things?
And then you say that people are fleeing to different areas within Darfur.
Are any of them able to get into Chad themselves or is that passageway blocked?
And are you able to get any aid in you?
You have said that it's insufficient, but I mean, how insufficient are you able actually to get any aid in?
Sorry, it's a bit of a mess, my questions, but there you go.
I think, I think the colleagues have got it.
And also there are there is William online for for UNHCR in case you want to intervene.
Yeah, thank you for that, Lisa.
I mean, I'm, I'm total agreement with you.
I mean, it's it's just such a a shocking but probably not surprising story coming out of Sudan.
The women and girls are caught up in conflict and that results in, you know, sexual violence.
And as we're saying, you know, these people being abducted and being held in degrading slave like conditions.
From the information we have, yes.
I've lost my train of thought there, but I'm just saying yes, I mean, you know, horrific story, horrific accounts.
The majority, yes, you know, we believe, you know, we're committed by by the RSFI think you know, one of the things to to_and again this, is this is not unusual that we do have sort of more than 20 women and girls have been taken that's.
That's the information we have but.
Of course the number could be higher and.
This is always the the problem with with you, know conflict, related sexual violence that you know it, it's, not fully reported because because of often the shame and and the the problem in reporting you're.
Making the point about who's hearing our plea, well, we hope that the, the, the authorities, that we hope that the both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces are hearing our plea and we will continue to make it because it's not acceptable.
It's horrific and it needs to stop.
Indeed, the, the Jetta talks are, are ongoing.
These are not UN talks per say.
They are between the parties.
We are from, from Orcha of course engaging in the sense that we are advising on the humanitarian track of, of, of the talks.
But that's as far as, as, as that's as much as information as I as I have at this point in terms of aid going in, I mentioned that some 1.6 million people have received life saving assistance since the beginning of of this crisis in Darfur.
It's the crisis in is in Sudan.
But Darfur is certainly a flashpoint 1.6 million, it's far from enough.
It's actually less than 1/3 of the estimated number of people in need.
And if I may just to give some top line numbers on on on the horrifying things that we are seeing with women getting raped and gender based violence.
We we know from our colleagues in in UNFPA that they consider a total of 4.2 million people, including refugees in Sudan at risk of gender based violence.
That's just mind nommingly **** number of course the the humanitarian appeal that we have it's about it's an appeal for about $2.6 billion addresses this, this issue as as as well.
That appeal is only 34% funded at the moment, but the capacity to help is there.
There are 149 partners in the appeal and that is UN agencies, international NGOs and no less than 82 national NGOs.
So very deep penetration in in the country via these national NGOs who can, who can reach people where they are, but they of course, again need the funding to do to do that.
This is for both agents and Liz on Sudan, to what extent do you fear a repetition of conflict in Darfur on the extent of, or I mean on the scale of the one that was experienced between 2003 or 2019 or 20, so where hundreds of thousands of people of billion died.
And at that time the the situation was considered as a genocide.
In fact, the the former president at the time, the AL Bashir, was charged for genocide by the International Criminal Court.
So do you relieve, I mean, is, is it possible for you that you, you were we, we, we, we could arrive to that point again?
Yeah, if, if I can just say I, yeah, if I can just say I, I think there's some echo there.
The the, the crisis in, in, in Darfur that that, that we had a couple of decades ago was very bad.
Now, many of those who are experiencing the crisis that we have today experienced Darfur 20 years ago as as children.
And it's absolutely it's, it's hard to imagine that they're there.
And now all this comes back and there are, and there are things that are that are similar.
That's why we highlight this intercommunal hostilities that becomes part and parcel of this fighting between the two armies.
And if that continuous like that, it, it is, it is deeply traumatising and it's it's very, very, how can I say it's conflicts that grows that that goes very, very deep into the communities and there it's very difficult to heal it afterwards.
And William, maybe you want to add something on that.
Just to compliment what Yan's and and Liz have said.
Our Director for External relations is currently in South Sudan.
She has just been across the border into White Nile state and she's at the border between Sudan and South Sudan.
And she's reporting that just in the last three days, there have been more than 10,000 people arriving from Sudan into South Sudan.
And we have seen a sharp increase in the last week with 50% more arrivals this week than last week.
So we are trying to find out what the reason for this increase is.
But I think that it's safe to say that the conditions that Liz and and Jens have described the, the horrific violence, the, the human rights violations, the sexual violence are some of the factors that are pushing people to, to, to flee.
And another interesting thing to, to, to, to add is that in the past most of the people arriving in South Sudan were S Sudanese who had been refugees in Sudan.
So they were returning to their home.
So these are people, citizens of Sudan fleeing into South Sudan.
That's, that's that's the information that that I want to to share with you.
Thank you, William, very, very useful.
So I don't see the question on this subject.
In the meantime, I got an answer on the issue.
I think it was asked by Gabriel if I'm wrong about the number of Anwar staff who went out of Gaza.
And no, we're speaking about international staff here.
2 international staff went out of Gaza, but two came in as they are rotating their personnel and boosting international presence.
So now that makes approximately a total of 16 international staff of in Gaza, inside Gaza.
I don't have much more for you.
Just to remind you that the Human Rights Committee, which is closing this morning, it's 139 session, is going to brief you at 2:00 PM in this room on the conclusion on the findings of the analysis that they made of Iran, White, Republic of Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, USA and Venezuela.
With the three, I think there's the vice Chair of the committee, Mr Jose Manuel Santos Pais, who's going to brief you together with two committee members.
Please be reminded that this Monday, this coming Monday, the Committee Against Torture is going to review the report of Kiribati.
Coming up, it's Denmark on the 8th of November and 9th of November, Egypt on the 14 and 15 and Slovenia.
And then finally, we've spoken about quite a few press conferences by just what I like to remind you that on the 6th of November at 2:00 PM, you will have a press conference by the Minamata Convention on Mercury and UNEP.
That would be on the major outcomes of the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury that took place in Geneva this week.
And the speaker will be the executive secretary of the Minamata Convention Secretariat together with Marian Bailey, Sorry, Monica, Stan Kevich, together with Marian Bailey, the Senior Coordinator, Office of the Convention, and Issaquah Toda, the senior programme management officer of the Secretariat.
That is what I had for you.
If there are no further questions, I don't see any.
So have a nice weekend and I'll see you on Tuesday.
