Bonjour, Bonjour, Bonjour AB Ave As a point, the press, So Vondra de le Ventrame, we've got, we've got a a reasonably busy schedule between briefers and announcers.
So I would suggest that we get straight into it.
Our first topic will be jointly addressed by Ocha.
So our Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and WHO we've got first up OCHA Edem was was so don't know, I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly.
Who is the OCHA Director for Operations and Advocacy Division and speaking to us from Gaziantep in Turkey, the topic is the humanitarian transition in Syria.
Thank you very much and greetings from Gaziantep.
As you said, I'm currently on the whole of Syria mission stopping also with Altap.
We did Syria, we did Lebanon, we did a man and Altap is my emergency director colleague who will call who speak as well.
During my time, during our time in, in Syria, we visited Damascus, we visited Homs, Aleppo, Latakia and we witnessed of course, hope of a renewed Syria for the people of Syria after so many years of suffering and and hardship.
We could feel the momentum, we could feel the change and we must collectively do everything we can to support the people of Syria.
We must do so in close concert with the humanitarian reset, which you've all heard about by, you know, the emergency relief coordinator, Under Secretary General Thomas Fletcher, Tom Fletcher putting local response at the centre, empowering and in country leadership and of course pushing for common services in Syria.
People continue to grapple, of course with the staggering need, the need in Syria, 16.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
People, you know, population movements and renewed displacements continue while the level of hostilities, as we've all heard and you can see in in the media has subsided.
Localised tension and clashes make protection risks, you know, a major and growing concern.
And here we've heard accounts of that as well during our basis in attack in particular.
Confronted with the realities of worst violence, people we sold to our inexperienced, unimaginable losses.
Some fear more is to come.
And the people we kept we met kept repeating.
Firstly and foremost, they want security.
We are also witnessing an encouraging trend of returns since December with over 1,000,000 internally displaced people who have returned to the areas of origin and over half a million refugees returning from neighbouring countries, according to UNACRS latest figures.
Insecurity, damaged homes, inadequate services, lack of livelihood opportunities and the threat of unexploded ordnance remain key barriers to the return.
Of course, we always say as humanitarians, we stay to deliver.
We continue our humanitarian operations with the funding that we have and of course, if we got more, we could do even more.
UN and our partners are reaching 2.4 million people each month through in country and cross-border operations.
And here I've just had a briefing also from the teams in Gaziantep, even as they wind down after 14 years of a lot of work, I'm sorry, since 2014, a lot of work on the cross-border.
Many of the people are experiencing many people in Syria.
We are confronted by needs that are we were unable to meet the people of Syria need recovery, restoration of basic services.
We heard that a lot and livelihoods.
This message resonated throughout the mission on our way out of Aleppo.
And here, of course, Alta will speak to some of the things we saw from the BHO support to health services also supported by the Central Emergency Response Fund.
I'll leave that to Alta to speak to that.
He, he, he's the expert in that area.
We hope that the US announcement of the sanctions being lifted, as well as the European Union's recent decision to lift its economic sanctions can facilitate relief, recovery and development.
Our mission to Syria aimed at supporting the adaptation of the coordination model.
You've heard about how we had different approaches, complementary, of course, from a man from Gaziantep, where I am, and also from Damascus.
So we're hoping we're engaged with the authorities on this regard, bringing it all back together to to Syria.
I was glad to witness the ongoing progress on the transition to this unified approach led by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Damascus and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, who is also visiting here, Gaziantep with me today.
Our colleagues in Syria will continue these discussions in close concert with the interim authorities and we look forward to the progress.
Let me conclude by reiterating 3 key asks that we heard from women we spoke with in a village in rural Aleppo.
We asked, what are the three most important messages you want us to take out there?
First, the interim authorities, humanitarian community, the international community.
And here they were very clear.
They told me they needed a reconstruction recovery, reconstruction of of their their lives basically of shelled homes.
They told me they needed basic services and can return to their livelihoods.
The women farmers asking for tools and services to be able to **** the land themselves, irrigation and issues like that.
I also can speak to Gaziantep, but in the interest of time maybe to pass over to to Alta.
Thank you for very much for that.
The the audio was perhaps a little less clear.
I'm going to ask if we can see if that can be improved a little bit.
It's a bit echoey coming through to Geneva, but we did, it was understandable.
And we'll now go to Altaf Musani, WHO Director, Health Emergencies.
The floor is yours and then we'll take questions.
And again, let me echo what my counterpart Adam has said.
It's, it's always very unique and humbling to be able to from the Geneva level go down and, and interact with not only our teams, but as Adam has said, a tremendous opportunity to to be in multiple cities, see displaced individuals as well as host communities hosting them, interact particularly with a number of health facilities.
We were in Aleppo where we interacted with the entire team of Al Razi hospital.
And you know, the, the stories that come out, the, the, the interventions that they have done now then and before are just remarkable, remarkable.
And so let me just pay testimony and, and acknowledge the thousands of healthcare workers who have stood this test of time, not only the last 14 years, but in the last 55 years, where there's been an under investment in health, who have battled disease, cholera and COVID, who battled climactic changes, whether it's drought, malnutrition, or whether it's conflict.
And there's a series of these elements that come together and really get expressed through one's healthcare.
And so let me just take a couple seconds and define what healthcare looks like.
We as the World Health Organisation, hand in hand with with our ministerial counterparts, define risk.
And in in Syria, the risk to traumatic injuries very high.
The risk of unexploded ordnance and remnants of of war continue to cause injury.
We have recorded at least 909 casualties, including almost 400 deaths and 500 injuries, of which majority of them were women and children.
This is just seeking either water and or seeking shelter or returning to their place of residence.
So clearly Uxos and unexploded ordinances combined with the the remnants of war, a public health risk that we we need to be very clear that the health sector needs to be present and and have that ability to provide support.
On the disease side, certainly cholera and acute watery diarrhoea.
To date, between August and December of last year, we've already recorded more than 1444 suspect cases of cholera associated with 7 deaths.
This is particularly in in Latakia and Aleppo, particularly around displacement camps.
We know that when cholera gets hold in camps, it can it can serve as a brush fire, increasing both morbidity and mortality.
And then of course, bring your attention to malnutrition.
A recent report by Save the Children was citing more than 50% of children under 5 are not receiving treatment, but are, are, are severely acute malnourished.
And here again, from a public health standpoint, we need to be able to, to watch that risk and intervene and, and save those children.
It's already a dire situation that, that, that report points out 50% of children are not receiving the, the, the, the, the treatment for, for Sam.
But more importantly, there's at least 400, more than 416,000 children in Syria that are at risk for severe malnutrition.
Again, on maternal and child health care, we have 50% of maternity hospitals in Northwest Syria have suspended due to financial cuts that we're witnessing globally, but are being really apparent in, in, in Syria.
And then of course, last but not least, when we look at the system overall that that what Mike Ryan said yesterday in our intervention is the heartbeat of a, of a nation and we need to make sure that that heartbeat continues.
We had really uncomfortable stories talking about how that system hasn't had that investment, 50 to 70% of the Syrian health workforce has left the country, putting a strain on those availability of services that are needed, as Adam has spoke about.
And then of course, the workforce combined with the infrastructure.
So whether it's hospitals like an Al Razi in a hospital in Aleppo or whether Holmes Grand Hospital and homes, these are what require investment going forward.
And I think as Adam has laid out, we have a challenge as the humanitarian community to be able to address acute needs, those returning.
And again, we welcome the lifting of those sanctions because we know that we'll facilitate the confidence of individuals wanting to return home, that challenge of where they return in terms of what they have in terms of basic social services, in particular health.
And then, of course, looking forward, and I think as Adam clearly pointed out, we need to balance those acts of the support now, but looking forward in terms of reconciliation, reconstruction and recovery.
So that's that's on on Syria.
Altaf Moussani, Adam Osorno, thank you both for bringing the spotlight back on Syria.
Obviously, the humanitarian situation there, you know, very important in its own right and for the stability of the whole region, but it's, you know, it's sort of not not been not been focused so much of late.
I'm going to I'm going to wait and see whether we have any questions.
Thank you for this briefing.
Just a few questions, if I could just start with, with Altaf, just on the 50% of maternity hospitals in Northwest Syria being suspended due to financial cuts.
Can you just give me a few details on when that was suspended, what impact that's having on pregnant women?
And if you have any numbers on how many women that is affecting?
And also you mentioned there about the 900 casualties and 400 deaths of people returning home seeking water from unexplained ordinance.
Are you just able to give a time period of when, when those figures were reported?
And just a broad question both for Adam and ADTAF, in terms of funding coming through for Syria, are you getting enough?
But in terms of like base level, what you have, is it sufficient or are you kind of quite gravely concerned that you're not going to have sufficient means to help with what is clearly a major process ahead in terms of getting Syria back on its feet?
I'm just going to jump right in here on on.
So this is a UNFPA report and it's the suspensions have been from late last year.
So it's not just the financial cuts that have been announced as of this year.
But and Adam will speak more to some of our our overall humanitarian financing.
Our appeals continue to be underfunded, particularly in health.
And so we have several milestone moments whereby ODA continues to shrink.
But this is having a deep impact on making sure that the financing needed for our frontline partners, particularly these facilities that I spoke of and, and, and just to cite the report here is 50% of maternity hospitals in northwest Syria suspended since September 24/20/2024.
And this leaves pregnant women facing the grim reality without giving birth within, without providing the essential medical care.
The the report further states that there are 4.1 million people, women of reproductive age in Syria as of January 2025.
When we look at risk, whether it's to women, women, children, we continue to address that risk in a very dynamic status to be able to understand who is seeking healthcare, when are they seeking healthcare and what are they seeking healthcare for.
Obviously, it gets very complicated when the healthcare system doesn't have the investment to be able to to provide those vital services.
And our challenge is always that there might be barriers to care, There might be physical barriers, might be financial barriers, there might be social barriers.
And so our challenge has always been as healthcare providers get those who need healthcare to the door, and then we need to make sure that that system as they walk through that door is comprehensive.
And it's not just addressing a single disease, a single health condition.
They might have other family members.
So it's, it's really important that we track this particularly for for women of childbearing age in terms of an impact.
And then again on the UX OS and explosions, explosive remnants of war here, here.
We've tracked this since December 2024 and citing the data that at least 900 casualties resulting both in death and injuries, majority of women and children.
And this is something that we're seeing.
Adam and I, as she pointed out, went to a host community where we saw, you know, a lot of returnees trying to come back.
And as more come back, we had an interesting conversation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society, their frontline partners.
They're providing mobile care in these environments.
And so they need to be able to refer these children that, you know, either are looking for water, looking for food, trying to manage their land, who don't understand what what the the remnants of war look like, or Uxos in particular.
And often are just again, an indirect impact, but having a direct impact on, on, on, on on their lives and livelihoods.
So, you know, Long story short, making sure that we have the ability to work within the system.
And we've done this throughout the world in, in various contexts where UX OS are present.
There's mine education, there's mine awareness, there's actually picking up these mines using the the, the mechanisms that that have been tried and tested to remove them from the ground.
So there's an entire programme that is associated with that.
And we need to make sure that we integrate that programme as we've done in many parts of the world with the healthcare system so that as and when situations as I sided with the 909 casualties, the healthcare system is able to come in and stabilise quickly and provide the necessary rehabilitative care and, and post op care, post surgical care that it may be required as a result of being exposed to, to, to those UXOS.
I'll hand it over to Adam.
Thank you for the question on funding and I think also we've covered quite, quite a few specificities there.
Let me, I was looking at the Security Council statement by my colleague Ramesh Rajasinghe on the 21st of May and he said the UN and its partners are appealing for 2 million billion to reach 8 million people from January to June.
Today we've received only 10%.
So that was out there in the Security Council.
If you look at our statistics, we are struggling.
We as Secretary General has said we're doing less with less.
As the UN and Under Secretary General Fletcher has said, we are overstretched, under attack and under underfunded.
And this is, you see it on the ground.
I'll have us talk about some of what we saw.
We if we had more funding, we could do more.
Last year we asked for 4.2 billion, we received 1.5 billion and were able to reach millions of people.
That was 35.4% coverage this year as of almost June, only 10%.
In the council statement, he also talked about in northwest Syria alone, 40 of 83 protection centres have closed, leaving a gap in services for vulnerable people even at a time when they are returning home.
The people of Syria need our support, they need funding, they need resources to be able to to rebuild their lives after a lot of years of disruption, conflict and suffering over.
Bruce, go ahead, New York Times.
Thank you for the briefing.
Lifting of sanctions sounds like kind of a silver bullet that you know should trigger an automatic sort of improvement in the situation.
But I'm just wondering how quickly you expect to see tangible results.
From that and what are the?
For freeing up restrictions.
On particular sources of funding that will have an impact on, on your programmes in Syria.
And secondly, a question just for Alta Fusani, you, you mentioned back on these UX air casualties, you said since December 2024 up until what time where are these?
Particularly concentrated I mean is this?
Spread sort of pretty much equally across the country or is it very much in in sort of areas that were the sort of the centres of conflict in the centre of the country, if you could just.
Enlighten us a bit on that.
Thanks Nick for your question on on the sanctions, I think we we've seen that in, in, in different contexts.
And for sure back in November 2023 when I was in in Damascus and the previous two times we saw first hand the impact of our inability to take basic, I don't know, medical and here also can speak to it.
MRI parts into hospitals to be able to do scans, to be able to, you know, treat people as, as necessary.
We've been asked as humanitarians the impact of sanctions.
We've briefed the sanctions committee in New York, my colleague Michelle Sad and I in different forum to different member states on the impact of sanctions.
And we've been clear on one thing.
We as humanitarians stay away from the frame, We stay away from the politics of it.
But we do see that if things are lifted, if to the daily life of the person in Syria, what we saw the daily people trying to get back to their lives the day the sanctions were lifted, the Syrian # went up a bit.
It improves the daily lives of of people.
We don't have a timeline.
And here of course, the member states, the negotiations as necessary at the New York level, at the Geneva level, at the regional level and also capital level will be necessary.
You do raise an important point.
We are trying to understand the impact.
They are different intricacies related to that.
There's the SISA act, the extensions related to that.
So give us time to unpack maybe the timeline.
But I can certainly say that the very day it was lifted or the next day, we could see the impact, even the hope in people's eyes or what this means because the sanctions have loomed dark over Syria.
And here I'm not talking about the politicians, I'm talking about the daily lives of the daily that the Syrian from that mother who just wants to make a living to that father who just wants to protect and take care of his family.
So I know it's not a clear finance response and an answer, but we believe that we need time to unpack the consequences.
If you look at sanctions globally, as I said, briefings, the sanctions committee on Somalia, sanctions on Central Africa, public sanctions, on serious sanctions.
We are really trying to bring the empirical evidence of the impact.
And it takes time for humanitarians to sometimes times muddled through that political water.
I'm really hoping that with the economic sanctions lifted, we'll also see the impact on our goods and services in the country, on the cost of doing operations in the country, on the ability to move goods quicker into the country.
So it will take time, but I believe the people of Syria are hopeful that this will change their very day lives in the country.
I think just practically as Adam has said, sanctions on healthcare.
So this is decades without investing into the health system and as I cited earlier, healthcare workforce when they don't have the necessary equipment and means to provide life saving interventions.
Over time, we have seen as I mentioned, 50 to 70% of the healthcare workforce has left the country seeking other opportunities.
Let me be also very practical when we talk about MRIMRI machines, CT scanners, laboratory equipment, all our ability to ensure the latest equipment with the ability to upgrade softwares in order to function in a several settings has been constrained by sanctions.
Of course, health cluster partners, including my own institution continues to work through the system to apply for, you know, exemptions and licences.
However, the, the, the sanctions have had a deep impact on the functionality of healthcare and we've got some data points on that.
And then just on your issue of Uxos, this is something that we've been tracking from late last year, December 2024 to present.
Of course, we as healthcare providers don't have a mapping of where these Uxos are.
If if we did, certainly we would raise the caution with those who do minor risk education and community engagement to be able to site very clearly no go areas.
However, we're starting to see the admission rates and consultation rates and the emergency rooms increase those being affected by individuals.
And as I cited earlier, children and women going about their daily life, trying to get water, trying to get food, trying to rebuild our walking through agricultural lands, roads, potentially rivers where you know, we will not have an idea of where the the the the Uxos will be present.
However, a clear and present danger, a part of a wide range of public health risk, as I cited earlier, whether it's cholera, whether it's trauma, whether it's mental health, psychosocial support, whether it's the the need for maternal care to ensure that women of childbearing age can deliver safely.
This is a wide range of public health risks that we need to to to monitor but equally manage from a health perspective.
And I think as Adam said, the investment in the health system in Syria is the investment in in the people of Syria, which is the investment as the presenter cited, we'll stabilise Syria going forward as well.
So it's the window is now.
And we're certainly appealing for and calling for that investment case now to deal with returnees, to deal with host communities, to deal with the health system and and what we witnessed first hand, tremendous resilience, tremendous opportunity, but we need to, we need to do this quickly.
I think, Adam, did you have a point to make on funding and then we'll go to Ahmed from Anadolu.
Thank you so much for this briefing.
My question for Adam, do you have the latest number that shows how many Syrian refugees turn back, return back to their country from neighbouring countries since the fall of Assad regime?
And also if you have, I would like to learn that specifically from Turkey very, very in.
I didn't get the colleague's name who just asked the question or what agency, but I will.
My name is Mohammed from Turkey's another news agency.
So the trends, as I mentioned earlier is about over 1,000,000 internally displaced people who have returned to the areas of origin and over half a million refugees returning from neighbouring countries as reported by UNHCR.
So a good stream of returns there.
I will speak to Gaziantep very quickly, but I also wanted to mention the absolutely phenomenal work that the civil society organisations, Syrian Arab Red Crescent and local Syrian NGOs, particularly women LED NGOs have done and are doing and I really want to salute them.
This is part and parcel of our humanitarian reset, but also from 2016 localization and the local localization agenda.
There's a lot that they do.
They are the unsung heroes of of course this response.
And I really wanted to do that.
I also wanted to zero in a bit on the the pool funding system, you know, either the Central Emergency Response Fund or the the Syrian Humanitarian funds based in Gaziantep and also based in Damascus.
We're trying to consolidate and here we're able to have a lot of flexible approaches.
We're able to also support locally LED actors, particularly these NGOs that I've mentioned very briefly on Gaziantep.
I also want to highlight the phenomenal efforts that the colleagues have done over the last since 2014, the lifeline that they have provided.
I have been impressed by the briefings I've received here from our partners since 2014 / 62,000 trucks UN have been dispatched from Turkey to northwest Syria.
A real good collaborative effort also from the government of Turkey and their support to the Syrians in this regard.
Good efforts also by the people of Syria.
On the other side, good efforts by all of all humanitarian actors really wanting to salute them.
Since the start of the year 1000, trucks have loaded and entered Syria from from to clear.
So looking at how we capture all this experience and everything that they've done here and responsibly wind down the cross-border operation, it won't close overnight.
We need to responsibly look at the best efforts, of course, in collaboration with the interim authorities and also the government of Turkey.
If there are, I'm going to look and see if there are any more questions.
If not, I know that both our speakers are also able to take questions on the coordination and response model in Lebanon.
In the interest of time, I would just ask you maybe perhaps to channel those through if you have questions through through Jens and Margaret who are here.
And if, if possible, if there are no more questions online, I'd like to thank both both.
I just actually had a question on Gaza, but don't know if you want me to ask that later after the other speakers.
Sure, go ahead if you think that you have, I mean, yeah, but by all means, go ahead.
It's just on the point of aid distribution in terms of security, if Orchard could just detail what plans are being put in place to ensure that distribution is safe because there's been concerns raised about looting.
And also there's been reports this morning that some bakeries are reopening now that some flour has gotten into the the enclave.
Any details on that from Orchard would be great.
And also just confirmation at the stage, still no medicines getting in, right?
Just confirmation of that please.
Secretary General will speak on this.
So you want to just leave that for for now?
So, yeah, I think we'll, we'll just defer if that's OK.
I, I if there's nothing more on Syria or Lebanon, then I'd like to call Saif Magango from Human Rights from OHCHR.
Yeah, We are warning today about a real risk of a further deterioration in the already dire human rights situation in South Sudan.
Follows a sharp increase in hostilities between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and the Sudan People's Liberation Army in opposition and their respective allied fighters.
At least 75 people civilians have been killed and 78 injured since the latest hostilities broke out in February.
Thousands have been displaced.
The latest fighting broke out following a series of armed attacks in Nassau County in Upper Nile state in.
February that were attributed to the White Army militia group.
High Commissioner Volcker Tark is urging all parties to urgently pull back from the brink and uphold the 2018 peace agreement.
He is also calling on all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects and to facilitate humanitarian access in line with their obligations and international law.
We are also concerned by the arbitrary detention of dozens of politicians.
Linked to the SPLMIO, among them the country's vice president, ministers and members of parliament.
At least 55 high-ranking government officials affiliated with the SPLMIO were arrested across the country between the 5th and the 26th of March, many of them without arrest warrants or due process.
All those are literally detained.
It must be immediately and unconditionally released.
We appeal to the authorities to also take prompt, effective and meaningful steps to halt hate speech.
Thank you very much, Safe.
Any questions for human rights on South Sudan?
We've we have a lot of people standing by patiently.
We're going to go to Maputo next, where the Mozambique representative for the UNHCR, the refugee agency is based.
You're here to introduce my guests in a better way than I can.
Thank you everyone for joining today's briefing from UNHECR.
We have very great opportunity to hear from our representative in Mozambique, in Maputo Xavier, the country that facing multiple crisis, but we rarely hear about the crisis that a lot of ID PS internally displaced Mozambican and also that the country hosting refugees which also hit by a cyclone in drought several times during the during the year.
So please, I will give a floor to our representative so that you can have a deeper understanding of the situation at the moment.
Good morning, everybody, and thank you for this introduction.
You did hear recently about Mozambique, but you heard about Caro Delgado because it has one of the world's largest gas reserve and many multinational companies are setting their base in Cabo Delgado and they are living like by side, side by side with IDP.
Because Cabo Delgado is also the epicentre of significant farm conflict for the last five years now.
And already more than 1.3 million this have been displaced by the conflict.
Regretfully, we see recently a surge in attacks, attacks against civilians, civilian infrastructure, civilian services.
And we see the number of possibly displaced people raising 25,000 new displaced in the last days or weeks.
But in addition, the areas impacted by the conflict are growing, more and more district are affected, even new provinces are affected by the conflict.
And last week we saw attack in the province of NASA with a new displacement.
And this development of course, intervene at the moment of extreme financial constraint for all human humanitarian actors in Mozambique, not only for UNHER.
And we have this very difficult equation.
No needs are increasing, but budget are reducing.
And as my colleague said in Geneva, Mozambique is grappling with a triple crisis.
I did mention already the armed conflict and the for displacement, but there's also a recurrent extreme weather events, drought, but cyclones who have been eating Mozambique back-to-back, three major cyclones in the beginning of the year eating the same areas where forcedly displaced people have found refuge and protection.
These people displaced by the conflict have been hit a second time now by the cyclones.
And the third crisis is the civil unrest which has developed following the post electoral elections.
Let's not forget that as a result of the civil unrest, thousands of Mozambique fled as refugees to neighbouring countries, in particular to Malawi, most on back now.
But it is a reminder of how fragile the situation is and in this very challenging environment, the NHR is struggling like those directors to respond effectively to the needs.
Production services is significantly impacted.
Our capacity to support women, girls affected by gender based violence, our capacity to provide mental health, our capacity to provide civil documentation with the government of Mozambique to the people displaced is seriously impacted.
But one of the new concern by the response for IDP, we're also concerned by the response to refugees.
Mozambique has currently 25,000 refugees on its territories.
The government of Mozambique has opened it's border, has opened it's schools, it's health centres to refugees.
They mainly come from Democratic Republic of Congo.
You know the situation currently in Congo and regretfully UNHCR may have to suspend it's support to these government services due to the financial situation.
We don't think it's fair nor sustainable to ask the government of Mozambique to be on it's own the burden of for displacement.
Whether IDP, the refugees who are having a government, who are having a population, communities who have demonstrated commitment, solidarity, hospitality in favour of the displaced people and it's not the time to abandon them.
In addition, this triple crisis I mentioned is feeling a very difficult economic situation and the food price on the rise.
They were already very high, but they have increased by 10 to 20% in the last weeks, while incomes for the people have gone down.
So we are afraid that this economic crisis might be the tipping point.
The perfect storm is coming.
It's not the moment to turn away, it's the moment to support Mozambique.
To support the people of Mozambique, to protect this place population, to bring solutions and to prevent it is not the moment to sit on our hands.
Let me see if there are any questions in either online or or in the room.
I don't see any at the moment.
I don't know, Eugene, if you have anything to add.
OK, Thank you very much for connecting with us from Maputo.
We've got several more speakers and lots of questions.
Next up from UNDRR, that stands for Disaster Risk Reduction.
We've got Genti Kirshwood, who is the head of global risk analysis and reporting there.
Thank you very much for this opportunity and I'd really like to commend the the work of the humanitarian colleagues who have spoken before today.
And I would like to draw attention to the fact that I think in each of those cases, there was a recognition that at some point in that erosion into humanitarian need, there was an issue of a natural hazard, whether it was drought in Syria, whether it was the floods in Mozambique or in South Sudan.
It's clear that we live in a in a complex age.
And I'm here today to talk to you about a report that we will be launching on Tuesday, which is really talking about investing and financing for a resilient future.
And that may sound a little bit theoretical, but for those of us who, well, for those of you who were born in 1990, you had a 63% chance of living through a one in 100 year, a catastrophic flood in your lifetime.
For those of you who were born in 1990, but we're are now the parent of a child born in 2025, your child will have an 86% chance of living through a one in 100 year event.
And those events are affecting us all.
But of course, they're affecting the countries that are already struggling with other challenges like we've heard today the most.
And So what our report that is coming out on Tuesday really dives into is the fact that we have been chronically underestimating and under measuring the impact of disasters on our global system and on our global progress towards sustainable development.
We, we the report outlines how the direct costs of disaster losses are have already increased significantly.
They have doubled in the last 20, in the last 20 years.
But at the same time, what we're also seeing is that those costs, which are 200 billion a year, are in fact only a fraction of the real costs.
And the report outlines how some of the kinds of cascading effects that we've heard around about earlier in this in this briefing, but also around ecosystem challenges, around healthcare, education, labour impacts, mean that the real cost of disasters as we're starting to measure them, are actually closer to 10 times that amount, $2.3 trillion annually.
And the tragedy is most of those costs are preventable.
And So what the report digs into is how we can better align our financing systems, how we can better use public and private investment to make sure that we're optimally reducing the burden on governments.
We're enabling facilities for sustainable long term investments that can help prevent elements of displacement and humanitarian need.
And we're trying to make sure that as we move into a complex climate future, we have the risk analytics and the and the facilities and the know how to be able to create a sustainable future together.
The report outlines different spirals of unsustainable development which are contributing, for example, to increasing debt burden, slower recovery times in countries that are already vulnerable and are also contributing to a unsustainable and in and unsupportable humanitarian response repeat cycle.
The report calls for the international community, governments and communities to look at some of the tools and opportunities in case studies of success around the world of where resilience building is able to reduce costs and it's able to create a funding environment that can allow countries to reduce their debt burden and continue on a path to more sustainable development.
I'd also like to note that this that many of the topics raised in the report, many of the maps, many of the analytics which have been developed with obviously input from from the leading organisations around the world, including IPCC partners, some of the great scientific networks.
This work is a collaboration around a better risk understanding framework.
And much of this work will also be showcased at our upcoming Global Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction, which is being held from the 2nd and the 6th of June here in Geneva, hosted by the Government of Switzerland.
So I would like to really request all of you to consider joining us the Global platform.
We're very happy to share the further information on the report and the analytics included in the coming days.
And and we look very much forward to connecting either now or in the future around some of the themes, particularly ahead of the financing for development conference and some of the upcoming opportunities to make sure that structural adjustments are able to build resilience moving forward.
Thank you very, very much for that fascinating look ahead and maybe I don't know for, for the upcoming conference.
Do you have, are you, will you be the contact point for our friends here in the media?
The two hands that went up in the back row are are your your primary contacts and of course we'll be in touch both on the report and the GPI.
Think with emails later today.
Let me see if we have any questions online and if not we'll move ahead to announcements.
I think I've got is I'm not here.
I don't see unless my oh, there you go, there you are.
So look ahead at what to expect in the final days of the World Health Assembly over this weekend and early next week.
About the World Health Assembly that, as you know, is ongoing today.
The Assembly has already met in the morning and has awarded prizes to individuals or entities in recognition of their outstanding contribution to public health.
The list of awardees is on the website.
The plenary has also elected 12 members that are entitled to designate a person to serve on the EB that is going to meet after the Assembly next week.
The Assembly has about more than a dozen of health topics on the agenda, so let me just highlight a few that might be of interest in Committee A.
Committee A is going to take up the issue of mental health and social connection and we'll also consider draught global strategy on traditional medicine.
The assembly is the sorry.
The committee is also expected to adopt decisions on lung health approach on kidney health, on sensory impairments and is also expected to designate 17N as a world Cervical Cancer Elimination Day.
It will also take up the women, children and adolescents health, including the recognition of World Prematurity Day in Committee B.
There's going to be an adoption of an updated road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health impacts of air pollution.
More details about the agenda as well as the relevant documentation is in the media highlights that we have already sent you.
As for tomorrow, the the World Health Assembly is going to be meeting for half a day only.
It will meet in the morning in the two committees.
Midday events are going to take place as planned.
Committee A will conclude the remaining work from today.
It's not planned to take any new items.
While Committee B is scheduled to take up a decision on lead free future and lead mitigation, as well as to adopt A global action plan on climate change and health, among other issues.
Monday 26th May is going to be a full day of work in the two committees which are expected to take up the antimicrobial resistance and health in the 2030 agenda.
As of now, Tuesday 27 May is scheduled to be the last day of the 78th World Health Assembly.
The detailed programme of works are going to be communicated via daily journals as usual.
You can find them on the website and on the WHA app, and we will be sending media highlights, as has been the practise so far.
It's that's it for you, but it's not really it for for WHOI don't think.
And if if there are any concerns over access over the weekend, please let me know.
I think that we've informed security, we expect that all accredited correspondents will have access tomorrow to cover.
So we've got Claire coming up next, and she's got a new WMO report on global temperature predictions for the next five years.
Yes, good morning everybody.
The World Meteorological Organisation and the UK's Met Office next week will be producing their annual update on global temperature predictions for the next 5 years.
It's called, somewhat confusingly, the the Global Annual to Decadal Update, but it does cover the period 2025 to 2029.
It focuses on temperatures, precipitation patterns, and predicted sea ice.
We will be releasing this Wednesday, the 28th of May.
We'll send out everything under embargo Monday morning at the latest.
It's quite a technical report, but we will be having a technical briefing led by the UK's Science Media Centre.
It's very, it's accessible to, to all of the UN journalists here.
I will send you the link after this briefing so you can register if you want.
The embargoed briefing is at 11:30 Geneva time on Tuesday.
So I know that overlaps with with this briefing, but I will send you the information anyway.
Looking ahead a little bit further next week, the World Meteorological Organisation and UNESCO are Co sponsors of a big international glacier conference that's being held in Tajikistan, in Dushanbe, hosted by the government of Tajikistan, which as everybody knows is very impacted by glacier retreat.
Our Secretary General will be there.
There is no big new report planned as such.
You know, we issued our reports on climate and on glaciers earlier this year, but there will be a, a press release.
So we'll make sure that you get that, you get that and fitting in nicely with what our colleagues from the UN Office of Disaster Risk Reduction said.
The global platform on Disaster Risk Reduction does take place here in Geneva the week starting the 2nd of June.
WMO, we are very actively involved at that.
There will be a multi multi hazard early warning stakeholder forum on the 1st 2 days on the sidelines of this of this platform and we will send you details of that.
One of the biggest natural hazards is obviously tropical cyclones.
And yesterday, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service issued its predictions for the forthcoming Atlantic hurricane season.
The no outlook for the 2025 hurricane season predicts once again that it will be above normal activity.
There is a 60% chance of an above normal season.
Noah is forecasting a range of 13 to 19 total named storms and this includes 3 to 5 major hurricane category major hurricanes.
So that's category 3 or above.
If the predictions are correct, it'll be the 10th successive season that we have had above average activity.
But as we all know, it just takes 1 landfalling hurricane to, you know, to wreck economies, to ruin lives, turn back years of socio economic development.
And if we cast our minds back to last year, the devastation in the Caribbean, which we saw from from hurricane barrel, the catastrophic damage in the United States from 2 hurricanes Helen and Milton.
So, you know, obviously advanced forecasts, advanced warnings are really, really, really important as ever to to save lives, to protect property.
I'll give you I'll send you out the figures in the in the briefing notes after this.
Looking in the room, look carefully online since I appear to have missed one earlier.
So since I missed my question earlier to you, you and Dr, I'd like to ask you a similar question, which is regarding the defunding of a number of organisations well within the the US restructuring of NOAA and defunding of NOAA as well as defunding of projects related to weather forecasting globally.
I was wondering what's the impact of that would be and how it may affect the early warning systems.
OK, for that I think I'll I'll actually quote from the NOAA press release on the on the hurricane forecast.
And this is a quote from the acting NOAA Administrator, Laura Grimm saying NOAA is critical for the delivery of early and accurate forecasts and warnings and provides the scientific expertise needed to save lives and property.
This is a follow up quote from, if I can find it, sorry, from I'm Ken Graham, who is the director of Noah's National Weather Service.
He's the former director of the US National Hurricane Centre.
So Ken Graham said, in my 30 years at the National Weather Service, we've never had more advanced models and warning systems in place to monitor the weather.
This outlook is a call to action.
Be prepared, take proactive steps now to make a plan and gather supplies to, to, to be ready.
The World Meteorological Organisation, we continue to collaborate very, very, very closely with the United States, with no, with the National Weather Service, with other parts of the US.
They are very, very valued, very constructive, very important members of the United States, of the, of the World Meteorological Organisation.
Obviously we're, you know, we're monitoring the situation.
We're not, we're not complacent.
But you know, as I said, we are, you know, we're committed to, to continuing to work closely with and in support of the United States.
I don't know with it whether there's a there's a follow up or whether there are other questions to Claire from from our community online.
Just scrolling up to make sure I don't miss anybody.
I've got a few remaining announcements and I will come back to you Paul on on the question that you asked with the with the contact.
The first announcement is on behalf of the Human Rights Council.
The Human Rights Council says that the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development will hold its 26th session from the 12th to the 15th of May.
The session will be held in The Tempest building at the Palladinacion.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will talk will open the session session on Monday.
Sorry, so odd, something odd about the dates, I think.
But anyway, let me let me come back to this announcement as I feel like there's something a little bit wrong about the the dates on this.
Probably they mean June, but I'm going to, I'm going to check with cheque about that.
There is there's an announcement from UNESCO that is inviting everyone to the Open Air exhibition from Geneva to the World, a journey to transform curriculum and learning which will take place along Kay Wilson in Geneva.
Throughout the month of June.
You're invited to wander the Open Air gallery and trace the UNESCO IB Global Journey.
And Ibe is the International Bureau of Education, which you know, began in 19 in 1925.
In pursuit of inclusive, resilient and future ready education, there's an opening of this exhibit.
It takes place on the 3rd of June at 2:00 PM at La Bivet Trumpet on Kate Wilson.
And there's an online registration form that you can fill out before the end of the month there.
There's a meetings update on the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which continues through the 30th of May.
It's concluding this morning.
And we also have the Conference on on Disarmament, which will announce the date of its next public plenary meeting.
And I believe that the next the, under the, the, the presidency currently is under Kazakhstan and will be followed by Kenya, Malaysia and Mexico.
The, the session, the current session of the conference goes until the 27th of June and then there will be another session from the 28th of July to the 12th of September.
I think that that is, that is all I have for you.
You know, we invite you to follow the UN Security Council stakeout today with which we expect the UN Secretary General to speak.
It's on protection of civilians.
We expect that he will speak on Gaza at that occasion.
So please follow that on you on web TVII don't have an exact time for that.
The meeting in the security, sorry 10/20 Thank you very much.
So it's been posted so but so thank you.
I think that that probably wraps it up for today and I wish you a great rest of the day.
