Thank you for joining us here at the UN office at Geneva for this regular press briefing today, 17 November 2023.
We have a very packed agenda and we'll start off with WHO before moving on to an update on the situation in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza, by Margaret Harris.
Well, maybe ask Margaret, she has a few announcements and then we'll move straight on to the issue of update on health issues in Gaza.
Margaret, for your announcements.
So they're really in the sort of domain of in case you missed it or don't miss it, today is Cervical Cancer Awareness Day.
This has been designated Prevention of Cervical Cancer Awareness Day.
This has been designated so that to raise in awareness of the life saving ability of the vaccine to actually prevent cervical cancer and end this cancer.
We're putting out something that should actually be in your inboxes already, so look out for that.
Tomorrow the Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week starts.
That's a whole week of activities.
This is designated as one of the top ten public health priorities and there will be again, a large number of activities and that's all going to be in your in boxes.
And I just wanted to mention also that a 10 million appeal, 10 million U.S.
dollar appeal was launched yesterday by for Afghanistan, by WHO?
For the people returning from Pakistan to Afghanistan who are in dire need.
And then over to Doctor Peppercorn for an update or over to Rolo to introduce Doctor Peppercorn for an update on the situation in Gaza.
Mark, before we do that, just to make sure we don't have any questions on your announcements before we switch to Gaza.
I don't see that's the case.
So yes, I'm happy to to introduce Doctor Peppercorn.
Peppercorn, who is no stranger to you.
He has briefed us here before.
He's WH OS representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory who's joining us from Jerusalem.
So over to you, Doctor Peppercorn.
Let me first start just being reporters that there is a mechanism for the entry of fuel, which would be, I think, the best news of today.
And and of course we really hope and plead that this mechanism is being known to be sustained and that is going to be sustained to make sure that humanitarian operation can function, that Unrun can do its job and keeping the operation going.
That the Desalina tion plans for that are that that of course the bakeries, that communication can be restored and of course that there will be fuel for hospitals and that Unitarian aspects can do its job.
So we really hope that this will be a sustained mechanisms because that's what is needed.
Whereas I want to say something about the health systems and the health distant functioning.
As we all know, it's extremely volatile and and we have difficulties WHL connecting with, with health workers, with Ministry of Health, technical staff, with even with our own staff.
I want to remain from our own staff the last 1/2 day extremely difficult to get any contact and that's because of the hostilities, the limited connectivity, etcetera.
So we didn't we don't receive the updates.
We require proper updates on injuries and deaths and and this makes it harder for us to evaluate functioning of the health system.
What we do know that the health system is on as news, there's currently over 6065%, 47 out of the 72 primary care facilities are not functioning and the others are very much partly functioning.
Over 70%, close to 75 percent, 25 to 36 hospitals are not functioning and the other ones are, as we know, partly functioning.
So there's clearly not enough support in the standard need.
I want to make the point that before the conflict we talked about 3500 hospital beds operational in Gaza and today we talk about an estimated 1400 the with an occupancy rate of over 150 based on our plants, the need at the moment will be 5000 beds.
So that describes the situation.
We are extremely concerned as well about the spread of diseases, rainy season winds have arrived, overcrowding in the shelter, the unrushed shelves, but all the makeshift shelters as well, lack of water and sanitation etcetera and and the the Ministry of Health and right away.
So we recorded already over 70,000 cases of acute respiratory infections of 44,000 cases of diarrhoea, 808 cases of chicken pox and and more than 40,200 skin rashes, scabies and lice and and and some hepatitis, hepatitis IA.
So the, the healthy source, the what is of course needed is a consistent flow of fuel, water, food, medical supplies and it will make harder for any hospital health facilities to remain partially operational.
And to respond to the, to the needs.
I want to make one other point and that is what is needed and, and what is needed at least on the health side.
And I want to focus on on very much on, on health so that there's a flash appeal addressing all key sectors.
You will hear more from the others about that.
On health, it's estimated the needs of the 90 days 200 two, 120 million WHO is a Co lead has been very active exactly of course is helping and leading and coordinating the plan.
In our own operational response plan for 90 days, we've a budget of 110 million, which is focused very much on on health service delivery.
And I want to stress again, we have to manage the number of casualties, maintaining the continuity of essential health services and reestablish the referral pathway, primary, secondary territory level.
And that means you have to go back to Primary Health care and make sure to reproductive, maternal and child emerged obstetric hairs, non pulmonical diseases, mental health, social, social, social support, travel import can be be properly addressed.
Then we need to organise an organised matter of fact into Egypt and what is needed to that complement us.
So we have to expand the existing bed capacity.
We need to do that with emergency medical teams coming in from outside to lead them to to a number of specialised hospitals and a number of strategic related strategic positions, field hospitals.
The second pillar of this whole plan is of course public health, intelligence, early warning, disease prevention and control, outbreak response.
Third pillar is of course the endless, we need an endless supply of supplies, health and logistics support and a coordination, the 4th building emergency coordination.
What we require WHO is depleting its own resources of of 10 million plus very rapidly.
We are in contact with a number of partners for flexible funding, making plans.
We need much more flexible funding, not just for the WHL operational plan for the whole of the of the flash appeal 1.2 billion.
And my last point I want to raise, we need very quickly to establish an orderly, an orderly transfer, a mechanism for an orderly transfer for the patients, the patients who need to be transferred.
And what I mean that the orderly transfer and a good selection of course a priority selection of the of the patients.
And we need to get a mechanism that over the next three months that we talk about 50-60 patients a day and over the next couple of months that most likely 15102 thousand patients when needed can be referred into each where they will get and they deserve the right treatment and health and care, of course with their guardians.
So there's an immediate need to actually to get a mechanism going as soon as possible.
That way we make sure that these patients can be referred.
This will also relieve part of the overwhelmed, the overwhelmed current health sector so that we can address the older needs in a in a better way with a current system, with the existing system.
And that will be the basic is there are 20,000 plus health workers in Gaza, 20,000 plus more than 11,000 nurses, midwives, 6000 medical doctors with 600 surgeons, paramedics, laptop patients, ambulance structure, Pocs is there in a big way.
We need to make sure that that we help them, that they can do their work wherever it's wherever is needed in Gaza.
Thanks very much to you, Richard.
We have a question for you from Isabel Sacco of Spanish News Agency.
Rolando, I would like to ask, you mentioned at the beginning of your remarks that about the possibility of a fuel, I understood entering to Gaza.
Can you tell us what is the source of this information when it could happen and I mean all that you could know if you can tell us this?
What I told you that we get reports that there is a mechanism established and we and I think that is the best news of today and in with all the other sad news and concerns and despair, that would be the bad news.
And what we plead that this mechanism will be a sustained mechanism, a sustained mechanism over the coming months and months.
A sustained mechanism to make sure that the humanitarian operations from Unrung, but also to restore connections for, to assist WFP, bakeries, UNICEF with water desalinations, etcetera.
And of course, also WHO and hospitals, etcetera to make sure that this works and that people can do their job that that that workers can do their job and that's Unitarians can do that that work.
So we you receive the information and it would be fantastic if this is going to be workhouse.
And so we plea and we hope for that all the team.
There is a note in the chat just to make sure that you can share notes, lots of numbers.
There are very important figures you've cited.
So, yeah, if Margaret, if you can share this notes, that would be appreciated.
We have a question now from Robin of AFP or Jean France Press Thank you.
Yesterday the IDF released footage that they say shows weapons found in in Al Sheeta Hospital.
Is, is The Who aware of this footage and and if so, what, what do you make of it?
Listen, I think we all watch the news etcetera.
So for me we're talking, I'm a WHR, we presented for OBT, I'm a medical doctor, public health.
So we focusing on on that.
And I think there will be a lot of comments.
I think last what was a couple of days ago, there was an I think a press conference with EG and including I think the legal counsel of WHO will make some comments to that.
So I would like to refer to that.
OK, we'll take a question out from in the room.
Yes, we have and yes from AFP.
Go ahead and yes, yes, thank you.
This is a follow up from my first question from, from FA She, she asked you what is the source of your information concerning the fact that there are there are reports about the mechanism on the fuel.
What, what is your source?
So I told me it's reported to us and and I think I hope we will get more of this today and we'll be really worked out.
And of course, if we hear anything, we'll share that update with you as well on this very important critical matter.
Follow up on my colleagues question on our Chief Abbott.
We saw so that the army was present, Israeli army was present in the in the Children's Hospital.
I don't know the name, but what can you say about the safety of the children in that hospital if you know how are them, how many children are there?
And then another question.
Mr Lassardini mentioned yesterday total blackout of communications in Gaza.
So how is the communication with your staff on the ground?
I'm not sure which office are you're referring to.
So I think I, I don't have an answer for that question.
If I had I mean like I would definitely get the communication with our staff has been very problematic like all organisations etcetera.
So yesterday with we have 30 staff on the grounds in Gaza, which 4 internationals and the other ones are nationals.
And yeah, with the national, we have the whole system.
And of course like everybody is doing and I'm sure families are doing, you have WhatsApp groups trying to trying to get in calls, right, trying to support them as good as possible, whatever you can, can do, trying to keep the spirits up, trying to keep the hopes up, trying to give them a little strength because people it's amazing.
That's from also from The Who team that the large actually almost all staff are still operational and doing their job.
We now have two warehouses we got goods in we delivered 6 times to to seven hospitals all over Gaza.
And that's that's due to the staff.
I mean there then we with the staff yesterday when we when we again lost contact, we had one more call on a satellite phone with with our international staff, a short call etcetera and that was it.
So, yeah, I think we all realised and, and, and this is where I said my plea was.
And we hear that there's hopefully that there is a mechanism and there's a plea and a hope for a fuel mechanism because this is key, this scheme not only for all the operations, but including for communication.
So this is where we want.
And then of course, we, we, we are WHO extremely worried for the safety of, of patients of, of health workers and IDP's sheltering.
And it's not just at all Shiva, but other hospitals as well and hospitals with face or my face, instant hostility.
And and I think that's the only thing that was a big much better step by our legal counsel on on Wednesday.
So you should go back to that.
But also they are that under international humanitarian law, health facilities and health workers, ambulances and patients must be safeguarded and protected against all acts of war.
So simply health, it cannot be, it can never be a target.
And I just take this opportunity to point you to the OCHA update that we shared with you yesterday, which speaks also to the issue of the cessation of the communication blackout, which obviously jeopardises, as you just read from Richard, jeopardises all life saving assistance.
And it's contained in the note that we shared with you yesterday.
OK, we'll take a question from Christian of German news agency.
And they gave me the right queue here, the OTCHA update.
My question to Richard is, are you aware of trucks that entered with medical equipment Yesterday?
The Israeli authority Cojat put on Twitter on X that 144 trucks arrived via the Rafa crossing today as as in yesterday, whereas OCHA this morning said no single truck has arrived because there's no few to distribute it and the warehouses are full.
Are you aware of trucks that arrived yesterday?
There seems to be a big discrepancy of information.
Yeah, thank you for that.
So I, I saw also the discrepancy of information and of course we coordinated with OSHA.
So as part of the one UN.
So yeah, I will follow more deadline.
And I think for me, I want to stress the point that we all, we all want a sustained flow of trucks getting into Gaza, not just for one or two days, not just for one or two weeks, but for months and months to come.
Before his war and his escalation, Gaza received more than 500 trucks per day, 500 trucks per day with all kind of essential goods, including all the goods, but 500 trucks a day.
And, and since then we've been talking about a very limited number of trucks.
Secondly, I think on all sides.
So we, we, we all wants to do better on, on the prioritisation and the prioritisation of goods and supplies coming in.
And this is I think also the, the, the, the request, the call out from the UN, the flash appeal, you've seen it.
What is of course, what always what humanitarian agencies really want is flexible funding to ensure that they make the best plans based on the on the staff and the situation on the grounds and their best assessments.
To make sure that the priority goose can come in is specifically important in in the health area and but it's actually important in in all areas always you Gary thanks very much Richard.
Of course the key is sustained long term access and flow of delivery humanitarian supplies body with a question body hugger of Phoenix TV single Orlando.
I have a question for what the a few days ago the ambassador of Israel in New York was concerned and said many WHO workers in Gaza are members of Hamas recording of that.
Have you, your colleagues met any difficulties by military forces of Israel in Gaza?
I didn't get the last part of the question, but the first part of the question.
We've never seen these reports from, from, from from anyone.
So but I've never seen those reports from anyone, including those from the ambassador of Israel to the United Nations.
We have still 4 hands up on the platform.
We'll we have John Zaracostas of Franz Foncat and Lancet.
Rick, can you hear me there?
I'm not sure if I if you mentioned this, but if you have maybe repeating, I came in a bit late, but what I'd like to know if The Who office in the OPT, if you have received any information or verified what's been out there and reported that some patients and doctors were interrogated in some health facilities.
It is especially Al Shifa, if you have received similar information or not.
And secondly, with reference to the health facilities in in the OPT, what is the situation especially in Gaza now for the Primary Health facilities?
I think on the first part of the question, I told you already, we are extremely concerned what's, what's what I think what's happening of course, not only FIFA but but everywhere.
We haven't seen this specific report, but we have been reported during the raid of the hospital staff, some staff were arrested and including several technicians.
I mean, of course it needs to be verified and, and, and that's why it's very important.
What we would really like to do isn't, is, is get a mission.
So we have a team in in Gaza, as I told you already get a mission also to of Shifa to first of all assess but much more importance now to get a mechanism, get a mechanism for ready for patients who absolutely need to be referred that they get referred in a proper way in the same way that we have a mechanism for that and that they can get referred first to a safer place, but also to into Egypt when it is needed.
On your second question, I think that's definitely and we, we know that that health system is actually on its knees and that currently 65% that is 47 or 72 primary care facilities are malfunctioning and the ones which are functioning are partly functioning, very functioning.
They say more than 70%, almost 75% of the hospitals are currently not functioning at 25 out of the 36.
And, and this was my point in the beginning and maybe you missed that.
And I think it's really important.
Gaza prior to the conflict as an health system, despite all the challenges, which was producing health indicators, which were at par with neighbouring countries, they were around.
So it was a with all the all the challenges we had, it was a functional health system which with indicators, yes, it's some areas concern quality primary healthcare, mental health and psychosocial support that many indicators at par or even something better than the neighbouring countries including child vaccination etcetera, including some of the indicators somewhere turn on mortality And yeah, maternal hotels with maternal health.
So there were 3500 hospital beds across Gaza operational.
Thirdly, it's an estimated of 1400 operational with everything what we see now and that's also reflected in our operational plan.
We think currently there's a need for 5000 pets.
The average for copper C rate is over 150% and that's why we focus on our operational plan very much.
I think what you're focusing on health service delivery and that's focusing on restoring primary refer, primary care, referral care and then to third level as well and also very much focusing on primary care.
Again that that's function.
The essential health services.
We talk of course all the time about trauma, the essential health services, maternal and child health, emergency obstetric care, the non clinical diseases, the 350,000 people we know, the conchotic diseases, the diabetes patients who who need to get their their insulin, mental health, psychosocial support.
The biggest forgotten area to that to get that restored and and together working again and complementary.
The emergency medical teams will be really important to help specific hospitals and to expand the death capacity of an existing hospitals and facilities.
And complementary to that we see there should be strategically located a few field hospitals.
Besides that of course the whole outbreak response are rewarding and constant flows flies in coordination.
So yeah, we have we we think this is critically, critically important.
A few more, John, is that a your still hand is still up?
Is that a follow up or just forgot to put your hand down?
I, I, I forgot to mention if Richard has received any reports of outbreak of waterborne diseases given Mr Lazzarini in the same room yesterday briefed us that already since Wednesday raw sewage was flying in the streets in Gaza.
And I think there's good points and extremely concerned about the spread of diseases and especially because some rain has already been falling and some of the rainy season will arrive and winter will arrive.
There's, as we know, complete overcrowding in the unrushed shelters.
But there is there's an enormous amount of other makeshift shelters, lack of water and sanitation.
That's just you have reported all across Gaza and what we already have seen since mid-october through technical, the technical stuff with the Ministry of Health and operational Unrung and WHO.
So we've recorded already more than 70 thousand 72,000 pages of acute respiratory infections, over 44,000 cases of diarrhoea, ages of eight cases of chicken pox 50,000 skin rashes, the stages light and we also get faces now of hepatitis A.
So it's all part of what you're referring to the the concern spread the diseases, water and sanitation.
And and that's why the whole area of wash is of course, wash and shelter is incredibly important.
Over to you, indeed very important.
Isabel Sacco of FA once again, yes, thank you.
I would be back to the to the mechanism that you mentioned for the entry of food to Gaza.
So I would like to know if you have any information if this time the, this fuel, if it's, it's true that it, it, it comes to Gaza, if this time the fuel could be used for the medical facilities, it could be used to, to make function the, the salinization plant, or it would be with conditionalities like 2 days ago when Israeli authorities just allowed a small amount of fuel to enter and to be use for the lorries.
So if you can, you have any information on this?
And secondly, please, on the reports that you have on the arrest of technicians in Al Al Shifa Hospital, what is the mechanism that you have to know where these people are, why they have been arrested?
Where are the, their situation?
So again on the two, I want to be very clear reported to us and I told everyone it would would be the best news.
I hope to get that we all will be better informed during the day.
What's mechanism exactly entails.
It should entail A mechanism for sustained flow of fuel to cover the areas with.
I think you're raising the question as well to make sure that unrung core operations are operational to ensure that to make sure that they can do all the work which they need to do all around this shelters and makeshift shelters to ensure that bakeries can can have the fuel that they can operate that can coordination and with assistance WB to ensure that a water desalina tion plan with assistance from use that can function that ensure that connection is restored hotel is functioning etcetera.
And to ensure we WHO that we can, we can make sure that the hospitals that's the fuel they need to run their operations.
So we hear that that that there is that will be a mechanism etcetera.
I'm listening and I would hope she is completely confirmed and including what this mechanism entail.
But this is what it should be.
It should be of course a long term mechanism to ensure that the humanitarian operations can can really, they can really do what they should be able to do.
On your second point, I cannot tell you more.
We only got that little bit reported information.
I cannot be more specific than what I was my former response.
Thanks very much Richard.
And as as Richard just pointed out, we we will indeed keep you updated on on the flow of fuel, any other goods that coming in into Gaza throughout the day.
Well, of course liaise with our colleagues at Rocha and Anurag.
We have just maybe the last three questions and we have to move on.
We have other items on the agenda.
So Christian of German news agency again, yes, thank you, Doctor Pipagon.
My question was, are you aware that trucks with medical equipment have reached the Gaza Strip yesterday as reported by Cochat?
I think we took that question in the beginning, in the first part because I think there was a bit of a seat there that that that, that I think you should really refer to the offshore reports and the offshore report on, on getting metal foods in.
And my other point on that whole issue is we of course need to sustain flow of, of of trucks, I would say of humanitarian aid in all the areas we discussed food, water, fuel, no food items, shelter protection items and of course medical supplies and and essential medicines and, and and good.
And, and what I really also want to plea with we, there isn't 1.2 billion pleasure fuel covering all the key sectors and for health.
So the VHO and partners it's 228 million and WHO for their own what we are focusing on is one in a 10 as part of that and this is what we really need and with some parts we are discussing this etcetera and we get some parts approaching us to be working on that.
We need of course is flexible funding.
We use call The Who flexible funding.
Now our 10 million this depletions almost depleted.
So we're working with other partners and why do I say flexible turning is of course it's always for this kind of operations, it works better in the short and long term because you want to make sure that your operation is based on the best investment with our teams within Ghana and that you specify your your supplies.
And this is even more important.
I think important in all areas is very important in the medical area that we make sure that the priority items come in first, what is needed both at the hospital level, both at the third level, report serve level, referral, the second first primary healthcare shelters, etcetera.
So this is what our plea is as well, that we need more flexible resources to do what we should be doing and we should be doing this now and over the coming months.
Thanks for clarifying that once again.
Last two questions, Nick of The New York Times.
Did the rather brief report you have of technicians being detained identify how many were detained and whether they were just purely technicians or whether there were doctors and other staff?
And the second question, the Archer report this morning talked about damage to the radiology department in Al Shifa.
Do you have any further information on other damage that the hospital has sustained as a result of the military operation?
So we didn't, we didn't, we didn't to get more information.
We also got the reports that the use of force during this race of the hospital reportedly caused damage and, and to the internal infrastructure, including to the walls, surgical theatres as well as equipment in the CTE and MRI machines that also what we we got reported.
And your second point was on the technicians.
We we got, we got that information.
We don't got any more specific.
What I want to add on is that so yeah, we we hold our team hopes to get to, to, to keep us soon.
But but also I mean like to to work out a mechanism, A mechanism to help the evacuation of the most critical patients, the patients which are in need.
We evacuate us to make sure that that can happen.
I think this is critically important.
We need a mechanism and it's not only for Sheba, but I think for Sheba is obvious that it is top priority.
But we need an mechanism for medical evacuation over the coming months to be worked out that patients in needs, patients in need and that it's not just multiple traumas, it's all kind of patients which are in critical need for for effectuation.
Also think cancer patients which cannot get their treatments.
So there's many other patients which should be prioritised for medical evacuation into Egypt.
You want to get a mechanism that over the coming months, like what is possible a feasible per day, 30 patients, 50 patients, 70 patients, the orderly and on Safeway transferred to Egypt wherever they're so they they can get our treatments because patients deserve and should get and that should be and that's definitely for us a top priority at the moment.
Last question from Moussa ASI of Al Mayadin.
We heard many stories in the last few days about what happened exactly in Shifa hospital just after the Israeli forces entered it.
How can you explain us please, what happened exactly in this hospital and what is the situation now?
We listened there's some stories about the Israeli forces arrested some people inside the hospital hospital.
I'm afraid I've I've actually I've told everything what we got reporters and and and as I said, we we lack communication with the health workers.
I mean, like and both our team in Gaza, as we heard as there's, there were surgeons, there were Guyanese, there were other people, health workers where we also used to work with where we lost communication.
So I think I shared all the, all the, all the data we got reporters, so and I shared them already.
And we can only say we remain extremely worried for it, for the patients, the safety, the patients, the health workers and including of course IDP sheltering now in Al Shifa.
So I think it's very important that we indeed get we get more information.
And that's why I said we really top priority is that there will be a mission going there not only to to assess, but also to work to work on on a mechanism to ensure that patients who need us get properly and safely referred.
And it doesn't only apply for Shiva Hospital that's applied.
Of course, the medical equation applies for all Gaza.
We should get a proper mechanism in place that that's really starts working.
Those patients absolutely needless, but they they deserve everybody has a right to a house, including the Gaza.
Thank you very much, Richard.
Of course, colleagues, as soon as we have more information, as we have been doing, feeding you with verifiable information.
Richard, thank you so very much for joining us.
Keep up the great work you're doing and, and feel free to join us at any time.
And thanks to you, Margaret.
I don't know if you had anything to add Margaret or not at this stage, but if there are any follow up questions, please, you know, I'll stay online if there's anything else you need.
Great, thanks so very much.
We'll move on to Myanmar.
Jeremy Lawrence of the Office of the **** Commissioner for Human Rights has an update on significant events by anti military forces.
We've just issued the press briefing notes on this in the past few minutes.
Our office is closely following closely monitoring developments in Myanmar, where anti military armed groups and their allies have made significant advances and several hundred soldiers have reportedly chosen to lay down their weapons.
It is essential that all those captured are treated humanely.
Individual soldiers are not collectively responsible for crimes and human rights violations that have been committed by the military.
Amidst rapidly changing circumstances on the ground, it is imperative that all parties strictly respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law, particularly to protect civilians.
Commanders must make this clear to armed personnel under their direction and control.
In the fighting so far, it is reported that around 70 civilians and those order combat have been killed and over 90 wounded, with more than 200,000 internally displaced since the 27th of October.
We are particularly alarmed by renewed fighting between the military and the Arakan Army in Rakhine State after an informal 12 month ceasefire which poses grave risks to both the ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya communities.
We are concerned, given past patterns, that as the military loses ground on multiple fronts, its response risks unleashing an even greater force through indiscriminate and disproportionate airstrikes and artillery barrages.
Over the past two years, we have documented the severe impact of such tactics on the civilian population.
Our office calls afresh on Member States, especially those with influence upon the parties, to to intervene decisively with intensified efforts to end this crisis and protect the civilian population and to renew pressure for the peaceful transfer of power to a representative civilian government.
I take this opportunity to remind you of the statement that we shared with you on Wednesday evening, attributable to the spokesperson for the Secretary Journal on the situation in Myanmar, through which the Secretary General expresses his deep concern by the expansion of the conflict in Myanmar, including a Rakhine state.
And he calls on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and do their utmost protect civilians.
The Secretary General also reiterates his solidarity with the people of Myanmar, and there are aspirations for an inclusive, just and peaceful future.
That's contained in the statement we shared with you on Wednesday.
Questions for Jeremy on Myanmar, Nick, New York Times.
What, what, what actually exactly you're asking international community to take in respect of what seems to be a very significant tipping point in this conflict.
This is a fairly general bland statement.
Have you got something more specific you want and you give a little bit more detail about casualties that you're reporting since the 27th of October.
Where, where did these occur?
So, well, you, you, you're fully aware of the events of in Myanmar, just the, the recent, over the past three years and even before that.
Our call on the international community and, and, and those with influence is first and foremost to put an end to this, put an end to this violence, put an end to the to, to the chaos, put an end to the civilian killings which have been taking place.
We've issued a number of reports over the past two years pointing at these violations and specifically asking states with influence to take action.
Whether that be there were talk of targeted sanctions that we that could be imposed first and foremost is also a return to to civilian rule and the elections had been held a number of years ago.
We call for a representative return to governance.
Do we have further questions for Jeremy on Myanmar?
No, I don't see that's the case.
So staying with OHCHR, Jeremy has an update on the violence in Darfur in Sudan.
We are extremely alarmed by reports that Rapid Support Forces and their allied Arab militia killed hundreds of ethnic Masalit civilians in Adamata town earlier this month in yet another ethnically motivated mass attack on non Arab Masalit civilians in West Dafur in just the past few months.
Preliminary information we have obtained from survivors and witnesses suggests Masalid civilians suffered 6 days of terror at the hands of the RSF and it's allied militia after they took control of the Sudanese army's base in Adamata on the 4th of November.
The base is just outside Elginaina, the capital of West Arthur.
Some of the victims were summarily executed or burnt alive.
Many of those killed were young Masalik men and relatives of Sudanese soldiers remaining in Adamata after the troops had fled the town.
Women and girls were reportedly subjected to sexual violence in the Adamata IDP camp and in some homes thousands have been displaced, some crossing the border to Chad, focusing on 2 IDP camps, Adamata and Doughty and the AL Kabri neighbourhood which are majority inhabited by the Masalit.
The RSF and it's our allied militias reportedly looted property, tortured ID PS and executed many of them before leaving their bodies unburied in the streets.
On the 5th of November alone, 66 masalid men were summarily executed in three separate incidents in in Al Kabri district, men were separated from women and killed.
Hundreds more men were arrested and taken to various RSF run detention camps.
Their fight and whereabouts remain unknown.
The Adamata attack is the second reported mass attack by the RSF and its allied Arab militia against Masalit civilians in a matter of months.
You'll remember, between May and June of this year, hundreds of Masalit men, women and children, including the governor of West Offer, were killed.
Many of them were buried in mass graves, while the bodies of others were left in the streets.
There are also serious allegations that in revenge attacks, some Arab civilians were reportedly attacked by some members of the Masalit militias.
All violations must stop immediately and those responsible must be brought to justice following thorough, independent and impartial investigations.
We restate the call by the **** Commissioner Volcker Turk in June on the RSF leadership to unequivocally condemn and stop the killings, other violence and hate speech targeted at civilians based on their ethnicity.
Amid worrying reports of an imminent RSF ******* on El Fashir, the capital of North Darfur, we remind them and all other parties to the conflict to respect their international humanitarian law obligations to ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
And maybe just to compliment this rather grim update, just to point you to the statement that we did share with you about an hour ago, a statement from Martha Pobey, who's the Assistant Secretary General for Africa within the Department of Peace, Political and Peace building, who to the Security Council yesterday.
And she opened her statement to say the conflict in Sudan has been raging more for more than seven months with no sign of de escalation.
On the contrary, hostilities have intensified in recent weeks.
That statement is in your inbox.
Questions on Sudan for Jeremy.
Peter, all African media.
Yeah, thanks for taking my question.
Yeah, this Sudan conflict has been raging for seven months, as you said, and it increasingly seems to be focused on Darfur.
I was wondering, Jeremy, if you think that this conflict is going to be as serious as the conflict that we had in 2003 when the Darfur was in the world headlines all the time.
I think the, the, the point that we're really making here is the focus on Darfur.
But certainly we can't predict what's going to happen.
But there are alarm bells ringing, particularly in Darfur.
We've pointed out, as I mentioned at the end of the statement, particularly now in north, the north of Darfur with the with the potential, we have real concerns over what's going to happen up there.
So I think we just need to keep a very close eye on Sudan and and plead with the media and the international community to keep a sharp focus on what is happening there because it's tragic.
It's tragic what's happening in West Arthur at the moment.
Yeah, that's, that's absolutely right.
Keep our keeping our focus on this very tragic situation.
And of course, the secretary general has appealing to seize hostilities, restore calm, maintain a dialogue to resolve the crisis.
He's also really called on the international community to step up and engage at all levels to that effect.
So indeed, thank you for your keeping a sharp focus on this very tragic situation.
Jeremy, just a follow up to what you read out.
Can you please clarify these reports are coming from your human rights monitors or human right defenders organisations who can you elaborate a little bit more on this information and if you've triangulated it?
So this is information that we're we're getting from credible witnesses and survivors from on the ground.
We can't go much more beyond sharing that.
As you know, we do systematically and very carefully scrutinise all information we receive.
As you know, we do have, we do have a, a, a strong team in Sudan and we've been following particularly this situation in Darfur very closely.
Thanks very much, Jeremy.
Further questions on Sudan, I don't see that's OK.
So thank you once again for sharing this very important update with us.
We'll now move to the Horn of Africa.
We have with us William Spindler of the UN **** Commissioner for Refugees, who has an update on the severe floods affecting thousands of displaced people in the Horn of Africa.
Thousands of displaced families, including refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are on the move yet again, escaping severe floods precipitated by ongoing heavy rains across the region.
Since the beginning of November, more than 795,000 displacements have been recorded in Somalia.
By this we refer to individual case to cases of of people being displaced, not necessarily people individuals, as people can be displaced several times.
Many of the affected, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country, were already internally displaced due to conflict and drought and have now been impacted by the floods.
Homes have been extensively damaged or destroyed and in some locations people are sheltering on the trees on higher ground.
There are also tragic reports of drownings in Ethiopia's Somali region.
Authorities estimate more than 20 people have died, while over half a million people have been affected by flash floods.
Close to 40,000 families, or around 240,000 people, including those seeking safety from ongoing conflict in neighbouring Somalia, have been displaced, more than half of them in the Dolo Ado and Boccolmayo districts.
Across 5 settlements, 213,000 refugees have also suffered the effects of the flooding.
Clean and safe drinking water is scarce, accessing health services is difficult and nearly 1000 families have lost their shelters.
In spite of the hardship, many refugees have made generous voluntary contributions to support members of the host communities who have also been impacted by the heavy rains.
Nearly 25,000 people in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camps have been affected by the floods, with many seeking refuge in schools within the camps as well as in nearby communities.
Some refugees have also opened up their homes to host the newly displaced, leading to overcrowding in many households.
Flooded roads have also hindered the movement of people, making it particularly difficult for vulnerable people to access services, including pregnant women to reach hospitals.
In Takuma camp, 100 families were forced to move to safer areas due to massive soil erosion from the rains.
Beyond displacement, people's livelihoods have also been gravely affected.
In one location in southern Ethiopia, over 65% of the land is reportedly covered by floodwaters.
Meanwhile, over 1000 livestock died and another 1000 hectares of crops have been wiped out in the Somali region, risking the worsening of an already dire food situation for thousands of refugees and internally displaced people.
The sanitation situation is greatly concerning as hundreds of communal latrines have been damaged, putting people at risk of infectious diseases, including cholera.
In addition, many roads have been ruined, impacting people's access to critical services such as health.
People's most immediate needs are food, emergency shelter, kitchen sets, blankets and other relief items, clean water and hygiene services.
Families living in flood prone areas have also also need urgent support to relocate to higher grounds.
UNACR and partners are distributing relief items to the newly displaced as well as Dignity kids to women and girls.
Affected families are also receiving cash assistance to buy local building materials to repair or reinforce shelters and meet other urgent needs.
Sandbags have been provided to protect people from flood waters.
Urgent donor support is needed to deliver assistance and protection and to save lives as the rains continue and as the impact of climate change is felt by the most vulnerable.
No, I don't see that's the case.
So thank you very much for briefing us on this, yet another difficult situation, but quite important to remain focused on this indeed.
We now turn to our colleague from the Food and Agricultural Organisation in Rome, Miss Shunsha Song, Senior Animal Health Officer of the FEO Animal Production and Health Division, who has an update on the urgency of tackling antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach.
Dear colleagues, I'm pleased to be part of this press briefing and share some information on reducing the need for antimicrobial and also mitigating antimicrobial resistance risk in agrofood systems.
Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant ****** to healthy and sustainable Agri food systems, the future of our planet and economic growth.
Drug resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and ******** no longer respond to antimicrobial agents.
It is estimated that in 2019, 5 million human deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance, of which 1.3 million human deaths were directly due to it.
Antimicrobial resistance microorganisms significantly impact the Agri food systems, the sectors leading to economic losses and reduced livestock production, poverty, hunger and malnutrition.
If AMR is not addressed, up to 28 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2015.
The 2050 Addressing AMR in the Agrifood sector is our key priority guide guided by FU Action Plan on AMR from 2021 to 2025.
Within the FU Strategic Framework, we are committed to strengthening the surveillance and research on AMR by developing an international I feel anti marketable resistance monitoring system called Infam.
The INFAM platform and systems are designed to strengthen the capacity at the country level to gather, analyse and effectively use their data within the domains of Food and Agriculture.
Coordinated action is needed to reduce the need for antimicrobuse, keep animals healthy and improved food and nutrition security while sustainable transformation Agri food systems.
Earlier this week, I Fail, in partnership with UNAP, WTO and WAHA, collectively known as the Quadripartite, posted the first plenary assembly of the Antimicrobial Resistance Multi Stakeholder Partnership Platform.
The EMR platform aims to bring together the relevant stakeholders across the human, animal, plant and environment sectors to assist in preserving anti microbuse as life saving medicines for humans, animals, plants and ecosystems.
Every year from 18 to 24 November, the world celebrate the World AMR Awareness Week.
The week aims to raise awareness of AMR and encourage the public health workers, farmers and producers, agriculture and animal health professionals and policy makers to adopt best practises to prevent the future emergence and spread of drug resistance infections.
As we observe World Awareness Week, we must remind ourselves of the significance of each sector and the importance of working together to tackle AMR.
The misuse and overuse of anti micro ***** are the primary drivers to AMR.
Therefore, adopting a whole of society and multi sector approach is essential to address this global issue effectively.
Thanks very much to you Miss Song questions.
John Zaracostas of Francois Cut in The Lancet.
Thank you for the update.
Can you shed some light please?
Which are some of the countries that are overusing antibiotics in animal health sectors and how that is contributing to IMI in humans?
The three or four countries where antibiotics are basically overused in the various sectors, whether it's poultry or other animals.
Thank you very much for the question.
So for actually basic, basic to the summer report, especially WUHA, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the release report at least 1/3 of the countries, they still use anti microbuse as growth promoters.
So sorry, I couldn't remember the clearly list.
Maybe we can share some information after this meeting.
So the growth promoter is really kind of concerns about the misuse and overuse of anti microbuse.
So and if it in FAO side, we are working on reducing the need initiative.
This is a for longer term 10 year initiative focusing on reducing the need.
In this initiative, we will provide comprehensive support to the countries and to reduce their need through better vaccination, better by security and behaviour change and also alternatives try to reduce their reliance on AMR, on anti macro *****, especially phasing out the growth promoter.
Let's go Christian, if you can wait up in and I think John you had a follow up.
Since all these organisations met, can you shed some light?
What's driving the overuse or misuse is an extense extensive lobbying to veterinarians by the companies that are producing these antibiotics for, for the various animals in the food chain.
And if you have some information on that, if you could share it with us and which are the worst violators?
I think that it's, it's really up to the different geographical area and also it very much relevant to the farming systems.
It's it's a kind of complicated situation in a different around of the world, especially in low and medium countries.
It's why so much like we say overuse or or misuse, it's like to like security, better security situation if they have this access to vaccine, if they can have access to proper animal health service.
So yeah, those are, you know, I cannot really give the very detailed information.
Maybe maybe at this point, if you agree, maybe we can have some, you know, I can share with you more detailed information after this meeting.
So because it's very complicated in the different countries, in different sectors like poultry sector, dairy sector, pig sector, the dry factors that are really different.
Maybe, John, if you can liaise with Key, maybe to get in touch with Miss Song some of those details.
We have another question for you, Miss Song from Christian of the German news agency.
What are the countries that have a particular problem?
What excuse me, what are the countries that have the biggest challenge in misuse of antibiotics in animal raising?
I will see the challenges at a country level and there are from different perspectives.
I can see the challenges from different perspective, for example from the capacity level and they don't really have the capacity at lab level and to really monitor the use of anti microbius at farm level.
So when we see overuse and misuse based on the data that that should be evidence or database.
So this is the first number one challenges and I feel we are try to supporting the members to strengthening their data collections capacities.
For example, we just, I just mentioned the N farm system and also together with WOHA and with and WTO, we work together to work on this integrated surveillance, try to get proper data, more quality qualified data at a farm level.
So another, I mean challenges is really awareness, need more awareness.
That's why we set this Awareness Week every year from 18 to 24.
The four organisations working together try to deliver the messages, the right messages to all the sectors, one health sectors, agriculture, human environment.
So come to overuse and misuse, especially maybe for from agrifood system for from a few side what try to promote sustainable, sustainable agrifood system transformation.
In this sustainable transformation, reducing the need is really part of this solution.
So sorry for the, for the interruption.
So we know this is the root cause.
That's why we try to bring this tenure initiative, reducing the use, why they use it, because it's relevant with many elements.
The first element, it is the sustainable economic side.
We, we have some initiative through farmer Field school.
We, we try to intervene through reducing the need, through behaviour change.
We got a very good result, but for example, in some farmer field school in Africa and based on the result we see the the reduced quite a percentage is more than 30 percentage of anti micro ***** in pilot farms.
But they got increased productivity.
So this is kind of π that give us a lot of confidence to really helping the countries to reducing the the overuse and misuse of anti micro *****.
Thank you very much, Miss Song.
I think Christian maybe do you want to re clarify the point you wanted to make?
My question was which, sorry, my question was which country has the biggest problem.
Is it Germany, Is it the United States, Is it China?
You have identified a problem that you are trying to solve.
So I assume you have evidence from countries because otherwise he wouldn't have identified this problem.
There's a list of based on the WAHA the the report, there are some countries they still use growth promoters.
So if I may, I can, I can find this list, I mean, with the help from our Geneva office.
So I can share this list that that would be very helpful.
Miss Song John, is this also a follow up or a new question that you want to pose?
Yes, that's that's yes, it's it's it's a new question on the on the same issue.
I was wondering if the you have any food labelling programme in the pipeline or some that exists where the various regi residues of antibiotics are named in the in the labels whether it's poultry or animal meat.
At the moment we don't have a headquarter level, we don't have this such programmes.
But there are some discussions between our food safety colleagues and with our some partners to see how we can discuss something for example, anti micro, anti micro residue free, you know, food or food items.
But it is something in discussion.
But at the moment, we don't have this project or programmes.
Thank you very much, Miss Song.
And I note that Key is going to share talking points and some reports as well to compliment what you said.
Miss Song, thank you very much for joining us at this press briefing that exhaust the list of briefers.
Before we conclude this briefing, just a couple of quick announcements from me, as usual, to keep you on track for the meetings here in Geneva.
The human rights, the Committee Against Torture is going to this coming Monday.
What day is that, 1718 Nine.
20th, the 20th of November.
We have concluding observations which will be looked at by the Committee Against Torture before they conclude their 78th session a week from today, after having reviewed the reports for Burundi, Costa Rica, Kiribati, Denmark, Egypt and Slovenia on Monday the 20th of November, this coming Monday the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, SERD, will open it's 111th session.
The three-week session will.
Over the course of that session, they will review the reports of Bolivia, Morocco, Germany, South Africa, Bulgaria and Vietnam in that order.
And just to remind you, this afternoon, the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review Working Group will adopt the reports for the reviews they conducted earlier this week for the Russian Federation, Azerbaijan, Cameroon and Cuba.
And we have a press conference to announce, while it's not being hosted here at the Palais de Nation, it's a press conference at Waipo, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, at 4:00 PM this afternoon.
It's a press conference for the launch of CLIP.
This is Creators Learn Intellectual Property and the Director General of WAIPO, Darren Tang, will be among the speakers at that press conference at 4:00 PM at Waipo.
And just two last notes, observances we have this coming Sunday, 2 observances, we have a observance, the World Day of Remembrance of Rd traffic victims.
In the Secretary General's message, Antonio Guterres says this is an opportunity to shine a light on the dark reality that every year 1.35 million lives are cut short and 50 million more suffer life changing injuries because of Rd accidents.
So urgent action remains imperative.
Secretary General says you have that message.
And the last message for me is on Sunday also, it's a World Toilet Day.
And I should point out that, of course, this day, among other things, is really to shed light on the very dire situation of clean drinking water, sanitation and access to toilets.
Really, that's some 300 million people have no access.
And if you just think about the situation in Gaza, this rather horrific ratio that we've heard here several times from our briefers about have one toilet per hundreds of people.
And how in addition to other things, you know, thousands of children are dying every day due to a waterborne disease is something that doesn't quite make the headlines, but something that we should also focus on.
So this day is really important message to talk about delivering dignity, boosting school attendance, particularly for girls, and enhancing health nutrition by preventing spread of disease and access to toilets.
So that's it for me if you have any questions.
No, I see that's not the case.
So I wish you a good weekend and see you on Tuesday.
