Welcome to the press briefing of the event in Geneva.
Today is Friday, 13th of June.
You have a, as you've seen, a long list of briefers, but I would like to start with the statement that has been issued by the spokesperson for the secretary General on Israeli strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which have been asked to read on camera.
So the statements and I quote says the Secretary General condemns any military escalation in the Middle East.
He is particularly concerned by Israeli attacks on nuclear installations in Iran.
While talks between Iran and the United States on the status of Iran's nuclear programme are under way.
The Secretary General recalls the obligation of UN member states to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
The Secretary General asks both sides to show maximum restraint, avoiding at all costs a descent into deeper conflict, a situation that the region can hardly afford.
And I would like also to recall the exchange that the deputy spokesperson for the Secretary General has had with your colleagues in New York yesterday where he expressed more.
He he gave more information about the call of the secretary general to to keep calm and to continue on the way of diplomacy in order to solve the issue.
As we've said also in this in this statement.
You mentioned that the Secretary General caused the obligation of the UN Member states to act in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
About what that means exactly, I mean what?
What behaviours should the specific nations in question carry out?
Sorry then Mike, I think that's exactly what we have been saying yesterday about the fact the need to keep discussing, to keep the, the way of diplomacy to solve peacefully the conflict.
You know, the, the, what the UN Charter says is it goes in the sense of the peaceful revolution, resolution of conflicts, not violence, not for attacks.
We need military de escalation.
That is what is more important at the moment.
And if I have more during the briefing on this, I will, I will.
And now let me go back to our very home press briefing list.
I'd like to start with Zaina because she has to go back to the ILO conference, which if I'm not wrong today.
And so she has just an update for you And and if possible, we will come back on this issue during the briefing, please, Dana.
Thank you, Alessandra, and good morning.
As Alessandra just mentioned, today is the closing of the International Labour Conference, the 113th ILC, and I am pleased to share with you that we will be holding a press point or a press briefing today at 1300 local time, 1:00 PM, in what we call the engagement zone at the ILC, which is just next door or outside of the Serpentine Bar.
And the purpose of this of this press short press briefing is to.
Give you guys a chance to hear more from our Assistant Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals about the details of of three really important committee discussions that took place that include decisions that were taken and these are the decision by the committee to adopt the first ever convention on biohazards at in the workplace.
The second one is a decision to the the outcomes of the first sitting of a discussion Committee discussion on the platform economy and the outcomes of that, including the recommendation to to have a convention.
And lastly, the outcome of one particular discussion from the General Affairs Committee on the informal economy, which is a very important issue for Labour and for the ILC and for the ILO, and the committee, has come up with a recommended action plan.
So at 1:00, we will have with us the Deputy Director General of the ILO, Miss Celeste Drake briefing on the informal economy.
We'll also have the Assistant Director General for Governance, Rights and Dialogue, Manuela Tomei, who's going to be briefing on platform economy.
And we will also have Mia Seppo, the ADG for Jobs and Social Protection, who will be briefing on biohazards.
And this will not be transmitted live.
But of course, there's a space for you if you would like to join us at 1:00.
I think if there are no questions, I will let you go to the briefing, to sorry to the conference and looking forward to the briefing.
OK, so I'll now let's go now to the topics.
We have quite a few with guests from the field.
I'd like to ask clients to come to the podium as he comes with Francois Batalinga, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad.
Maybe you want to start and then we go to him.
Yeah, we are very pleased to have with us today the UN resident and humanitarian Coordinator from chat speaking from Yamena, Francois Pitalingaya.
If I pronounce that correct, who will brief us on the increasingly difficult, if not disastrous situation in chat.
I I think you need to unmute your mic.
Or if you could ask the your colleagues.
So, so good morning from Jemena and thank you for the opportunity to brief you today.
Let me begin with an unpleasant assessment.
Chad is in crisis and Eastern Chad is reaching a breaking point.
A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in one of the world's most fragile and climate exposed regions.
This year Marks charged 6 consecutive year of food insecurity.
10 years ago only only six, 660,000 people were food insecure.
During this lean season, 3.3 million people will struggle to feed themselves, a staggering 400% increase over the past decade.
Climate shocks are intensifying with devastating impact.
Last year's floods, among the worst ever recorded, affected nearly 2 million people and destroyed more than 400,000 acres of farmland.
But this is the this is only part of the story.
Since the outbreak, the outbreak of the war in Sudan on the 15th of April 2023, over 850,000 Sudanese refugees have crossed the border into eastern chart, joining the more than 400,000 existing refugees who arrived waves over the last 20 years, creeping the number in just two years, two years.
Right now, nearly 300,000 people are stranded at the border, waiting to be relocated inland.
10s of thousand, mostly women and children, are sleeping in the open without shelter, cleaning water and healthcare.
These are survivors of war.
They arrive traumatised, hungry and with nothing.
They recount stories of mass killings, sexual violence, and entire communities destroyed.
This remarkable act of generosity is taking place as Chad faces its own humanitarian and developing development challenges.
Even before this influx of refugees and Chadian returnees, nearly 1,000,000 people in eastern Chad were already in need of humanitarian assistance.
Right now they are sharing whatever deal they have, Food, water and space with those fleeing the war in Sudan.
Clinics are overwhelmed, nutrition is rising, basic services are stretched to the brink.
Chad's long standing hospitality is under severe strain.
Strain a new threat now wounds.
Cholera has been detected in Elgina, just 10 kilometres from Madrid, the epicentre of the refugee crisis in eastern China.
In overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, a potential outbreak could be devastated.
the United Nations and the 65 Human 10 partners have a response plan, but that plan requires $1.4 billion for implementation.
That means only $135 million of that funding has been received and we are already halfway through the year.
Here's what that shortfall looks like in human terms.
1.5 million people urgently need clean water, but only 105,000 are being reached, mainly with only five litres per person per day, well below the 15 litres per person say and minimum standards.
240,000 children are in need of vaccinations, particularly the measles vaccine.
We are doing all we can on the ground, but without urgent funding we cannot scale up.
This is not only about refugees, it's about the Chadian communities hosting them and supporting the the national response.
We also need political will.
The only sustainable solution is an end to the war in Sudan.
Without that, pressure on, Chad will continue to mount, risking broader regional destabilisation.
If we fail to act now, with solidarity, with resources and with services, lives will be lost and the crisis will deepen.
The question is not whether the alarm has been raised.
The question is whether the world will respond or look away.
Thank you very much, Sir, for this update.
I like to open the floor to questions now in the room first.
You said the that this is the alarm has been raised.
Little bit more about why you think that alarm has not been heeded so far to the level that you that you think it ought to be.
Here we had a best funded human turn response.
So lastly, yes, last year 2024, we had one of the best funded human turn response, the maintenance response plan for 2024 required funding for $1.1 billion and they were able to receive nearly 65% of that funding.
Today we are half throughout the year and we are talking about only 9.3%.
So, so in other words, we have needs which have been increasing because we've been seeing an influx of refugees from Sudan day after day in a context where people, the host community themselves, they need humanitarian assistance.
But the response from the international community in terms of humanitarian funding has not been to the level of the needs.
So basically this is and neglected, a forgotten crisis, a forgotten crisis.
We know it's competing with other crises.
So that's why Chad has been forgotten.
And the message to you, FP and other journalists is 3 to highlight the suffering of the women and children in eastern Chad.
Could you update us on how many are arriving at the border each day and how that has fluctuated over time?
And you also described people being stranded at the border.
Presumably that's on the chatty inside.
What is the plan for them?
Is there anywhere inland for them to go?
And are these official camps at the border or are they just sort of camping?
Thank you very much for that question.
So if you remember when this of war broke out in Sudan two years ago, that was the 15th of April 2023, within a matter of of a year, we had over 500,000 people.
OK, that's a displacement more than what we saw 20 years ago.
And they entered primarily through the aggregate crossing point Adre today, the Adre today has close to 230,000 Sudanese refugees.
This is a town that has less than 50,000 people before now since the 23rd of April this year, the 23rd of April.
Now after the attack of the IDB camp in Zamzam in the Darfur region and the continuing attacks on Alpha Share, we've been seeing now refugees entering through Tine Tine in further north from from Madrid.
And we've been seeing a close to 2000 arrivals per day 2000.
Now over the since the 23rd of April, we have seen 80,000 Sudanese refugees interim Chad through the Tine border point.
And we want to make sure that what's happening at the dray, at the border, it does not happen in, in, in Tine.
These people have to be located further inland because at the Dray we have been seen insecurity, increasing insecurity affecting humanitarian workers, insecurity affecting refugees themselves and host communities.
So this have they have to be located.
We need to locate 173,000 people in Adre farther inland to the existing existing IR refugee sites or into the villages, the existing villages.
So in Chad we are initiating the process of all the villagization so that because we no longer have money to set up IR refugee sites, to set up the refugee site it requires $22 million for UNHCR.
We don't have that money today.
So with and we've been lucky because the charity and the government have this generous asylum law and this generous asylum law are basically gives us an opportunity to be able to settle some of the refugees into the existing villages.
Basically, of course, we need to add a bit of more services, health, education, water and other services.
And further north in Antenna, we have close to 20,000 refugees at the border.
We've been ascending them to an IDP site called Iddimi and now it's also already full.
Urekaswani, farther in north, close to the city of Amjaras, it's full.
So we are looking for land to settle some of these, these new arrivals.
So 2000 date arrivals, which is too much.
And the, the, the information we have is that there are two more on the way.
There are two more on the way, close to 100 a 120,000 people in Sudan, in Darfur.
It appears they may be on the way to eastern Chad.
Let me see if there are other questions for you.
Don't see any hand up here.
So thank you very much for this important briefing.
Yentz, you stay with us because I think you have some announcement at the end just in case there are also questions.
So thank you very much, Mr Bataningaya for for being with us briefing the UN Geneva journalist and keep us update on on what's happening there.
So let's go now to our second point on the agenda.
And I'll turn to my left to Sarah Bell for for introducing her colleague, Damian Mama, who's the Resident Representative in DRCI think he's joining us from North Kivu from Sake.
So Damian Mama with UNDP resident representative in DRC is joining today from Sake in North Kivu.
And he's going to brief you on the situation of returnees, the economic collapse of the region and the IQ needs to rebuild livelihood.
Damien, hope the connection works and the floor is yours.
Yeah, I can see him actually.
Don't know if we will be able to hear.
Thank you so much and greetings from sake.
I wanted just to start by saying that over the past 10 days, in a coordinated effort with the Global Fund and WHO, UNDP delivered about 13 tonnes of essential medication for tuberculosis and HIV AIDS patients.
I met a doctor yesterday who told me that over the past four months it has been a very hectic for them.
They lost many patients because there was a disruption of supply chains.
And I'm very happy that we were able to bring the 13 tonnes and 11 tonnes are coming again this week.
And the whole 23 tonnes will help bridge the gap and ensure the essential supply of essential medication for TB and it have a patient until September.
As I'm speaking some sake, I also want to tell you that this is a place where there has been a major battleground between M23 and government forces in January.
You can really see visibly a lot of destruction here and you may see in the background a few children going and passing by.
But you do see a lot of signs of hope.
And I met one woman this morning who is a mother of 12 and she told me that she, she fled a month ago.
No, sorry, she met, she fled during the the battles that shortly before January because when he started they saw the sun.
And when she came back a month ago, she realised that she could not have access to her laundry anymore and her home was destroyed.
And, you know, with five children, you can imagine what this represents for this woman.
And she was telling me that they were giving food, they were giving a temporary shelter.
But what she needs is to go back to her farm, to continue farming, to continue her economic activities, and also to have her home to be rebuilt.
So UNDP is here in North Kivu currently dedicated to providing much more kind of solutions from a long term perspective based on these needs that the populations are stressing.
I also met another one, Grace, who told me that she was a tailor.
She's actually even with a disability.
She lost her sewing machine, she lost her home and what she needs now is another machine and another home, she said.
We are given food, we are given some temporary assistance, but what we need, we need to be able to go back.
So you see a lot of hope in the eyes of these women and the stories of of of these two women basically represent the story of 22.4 million people who have returned to the areas of origin over the past five months.
You may recall that you know, the the the displaced camps were dismantled and the people who have returned have actually gone back and prepared.
The UNDP is here to provide long term solutions, trying to rebuild livelihoods, restoring homes.
And also one thing which is also very important, the economy has suffered a lot.
The banks have closed, businesses have been destroyed and many now those who are still operating and operating and 30% of the capacity, which is a major blow to the businesses.
So once it needed is also restoring businesses, providing income generating activities to women in the youth, creating jobs and also basically also responding to one of the major issues here is sexual and gender based violence.
We provide to the victims psychosocial support, medical support, as well as socioeconomic reintegration and also creating the conditions for the victims to gather the evidence that will be needed once visual services are restored because justice is also very important for these populations.
So in our response plan here in in North Kivu, UNDP intense in the next 5 months to deliver to support the creation of about 1000 jobs, provide the restoration of basic infrastructure, which will benefit about 15,000 people.
Also supporting gender based and sexual sexual violence victims, about 10,000 of them.
You know what these people need psychosocial support, medical as well as a lot of economic reintegration because that's what brings help, that brings back dignity in those communities.
Our response plan is evaluated at 25,000,000.
We have so far secured 14,000,000 thanks to Korea, Canada, UK as well as Sweden.
And our call would be to encourage other countries and donors to provide us with the 11,000,000 gap because that is essential to rebuild lives and making sure that we bridge the gap between the emergency needs that are currently here, but also the long term perspective, which is the major concern of the population that I've met both in Burma and in Saki.
And I'm happy to answer my questions.
I hope you are able to hear me.
Yeah, we, we were, it was absolutely clear, Mr Mama, thank you very much.
We also heard the children and their voices is really nice to hear too.
Thanks for this briefing and thanks for the, the, the, the glimpse of hope that you have described.
I just wanted to add to what you said that the head of the peacekeeping mission in the DRC mid bin to cater is in Goma for a three day visit to Express her solidarity with the people of Goma.
She's also scheduled to meet with representatives of the M23 Alliance to Flow of Congo to discuss priorities of the peacekeeping missions mandates, notably on the protection of civilians.
So I will open now the floor to question.
Sarah, you want to add something?
First of all, in the room if there is any hand up, I don't see any.
So I'll go to the platform.
We hear you, but not very.
Maybe, maybe the you better you hear me better.
Good morning, all of you, Damien.
Bonjour, I'll ask you the.
Question in English and of course.
So first of all, I'd like to to know if Saki you, you spoke about battles between government forces and M23.
I'd like to know if this village region, city has been occupied by of foreign military forces.
Number two, I'd like you please to tell us, repeat exactly the amount of your response plan.
I took note of 20 five U.S.
Please confirm it if it's right.
And you, you spoke about several actions that will be taken and I'd like to know if you are UNDP is collaborating with the Fon RF le font Nacional de reparation de victim.
Yes, basically here in I'll start with the last question is on yes, UNDP is among the five agencies that have signed an agreement with the government of DRC to deliver assistance to the victims of sexual violence.
In this on DRC, you know the government does not have access to many areas here, but the government has decided not to neglect the victims of war.
So they have decided to collaborate with the UN system to deliver this solution and the funding is coming from from the government of GRC.
So yes, UNDP is among among them.
Secondly, in the on the issue of sake, yes, sake, you know, sake is borders, borders Rwanda and you, you can see the, the mountains here and people are telling me once you go on the other side of the mountains, you are in Rwanda.
So you know the implications of some regional actors in the conflict here.
So what has happened here?
From what the stories people are telling me, it has been the the major position, the last position that the M23 was able to take before moving and taking Goma without taking sake.
They could not move further to Goma.
And you remember that this was a place where the former governor was also killed in action.
Your last, Yeah, last question about the numbers.
The 25,000,000, we have 14,000,000 already secured thanks to Korea, Canada, Sweden and UK and we are having a gap of 11,000,000 over to you.
This is a follow up for you Alessandra.
According what you know, is Madame Keita also going to meet the head of the forces that that are occupying Goma because you spoke?
About M 23, but I don't know what's your press release or your information is Yeah, this I what I read what is what I have at the moment.
We are expecting more news about the visit of the lady in in in Goma, but I don't know maybe Damian, you know a little bit better when what she's who's exactly meeting because that's what we have from here.
But maybe you have more otherwise, Katrina, I'll I'll update.
I did see he her here, but she's conducted meeting.
I don't have the details.
Maybe we could ask one of your colleagues?
I'll come back to you on this, Katrina.
Any other question from anyone else for Damien if this is not the case?
Good luck with your important work.
And now let's stay in Africa for our third briefer from WHO.
Tariq, you are connected, I understand.
And you brought us Doctor Shible Sabani, who is The Who representative for Sudan, who is speaking to us from Port Sudan.
But before giving you the floor, I would just like to give the floor to Jens for recalling what Tom Fletcher said on Sudan, I think yesterday.
I just wanted to remind you of the of the statement from USD Fletcher that we issued yesterday.
So just briefly, he he said that Sudan has become a grim example of what he calls the twin themes of of the times, which is indifference and impunity.
He said that Sudan is the world's world's largest humanitarian crisis with 30 million people in need of life saving aid and they are suffering on the indiscriminate shelling, drone attacks and other air strikes that **** injured and displaced people in staggering numbers.
He called for funding and he called for accountability.
And he's asking States and other actors with influence to step up to protect civilians and guarantee access for us as humanitarians and, of course, to fund our work.
He also specifically said that he insisted that they try to seek out agreement to humanitarian forces.
So we are actually able to deliver all other arrangements that will allow us to reach the areas that are so badly hit.
Thank you, Yens and I will hear from Doctor Sabani on the health situation.
Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen.
From Portugal, where to I just arrived from from Khartoum, where I was there on mission with my team and extensive team, technical and operational team.
I can tell you that Khartoum was not accessible for many two months, almost two years and then it became accessible.
During the last weeks we went there, I saw a city which is ravaged by two years of conflict.
Many facilities are destroyed, others are booted.
The basic services are almost absent, including the health services.
So many Primary Health care centres, hospitals are not working, either because they were looted, they were destroyed or simply because there is no access to electricity, no access to safe water, no human resources, no medical supplies.
I visited also WHO premises there, our main headquarters from where we used to manage our operations in Sudan.
It was severely damaged, but so are a Ministry of Health, including the Emergency Operations centre and the National Public Health Lab and so on and so forth.
Many Sudanese start with returning to Harpoon in their return.
You know that last week there was also the the eight.
So many, many Sudanese, they came back to Harpoon to celebrate with their, with their families, but actually they were no basic services again, no clean, safe water, no wash facilities, not enough for all this population which is coming back to, to Hartle.
So all these conditions contribute to the spread of cholera.
As you know, cholera started last year in, in, in July, August 2024 and it's spread to 13 states across Sudan.
In, in, in Khartoum, we reached more than 20,000 cases with 250 associated deaths recorded since July 2024.
Of course, this is in a context where the services are very limited due to a lack of access, due to lack of human resources, due to lack of funding as well.
And if I share with you the situation in the whole country till 11th of July of June, sorry, 2025, nationwide, we have 78, five, 500 cases with more than 1800 deaths recorded in 14 States and 98 localities.
So this is of course fuelled also by the movement of population.
My colleague from from Chad, the RCHC in Chad was talking about the refugees in Chad.
But actually, yes, these refugees are coming in and out to Chad, to Ethiopia, to South Sudan, to Egypt.
And this movement of population, including the movement of ID PS is contributing to the spread of polar.
But I want to say here that cholera is easy to, to control and it's relatively easy to treat as well.
I mean, with some rehabilitation, sometimes antibiotics and we can, we can manage the cases.
But the problem here is that we need to address the source of, of the spread of colour, community engagement, WASH facilities, safe water.
All this has to be addressed to be able to to address colour from our side as as WHO.
We are working on surveillance, which is key in such communicable diseases.
We are working on risk communication and community engagement, controlling safe water and so on with our partners of course.
But here I want to to bring some good news is that we started with Ministry of Health and other partners including UNICEF, MSF and other other colleagues.
We started a 10 day oral polera vaccine campaign targeting 2.6 million and they think this is good news in the middle of all this crisis.
And this is in addition to the previous campaign where we use the 115,000 doses that were available in the in the country.
The this this interventions has contributed to the decrease of the incidence of new cases of cholera and it's contributed considerably into the decrease of mortality.
The case fertility rate went down to point 0.9 in a percent in in Harton, which is a good achievement.
In other places it's still around 22 point something.
If we talk about Harpoon, then the daily cases went down or dropped from 1500 cases a day to 400 cases a day, which is a good achievement.
Again here I want to give 2 messages.
The first one is we need to invest more in the humanitarian corridors or even temporary ceasefire so we can launch.
Multi anti Gen vaccination campaign so we can target many, many outbreaks.
And you know that Sudan is facing cholera but also facing malaria, dengue fever, diphtheria and and measles.
And we need to launch a big campaign for vaccination.
And for that we need to have access and we need to have enough on them and we need to have vaccines.
And for sure, what we are calling for is peace, because the best medicine is peace.
Thank you very much, colleagues, and I remain available for any questions.
No, thank you very much Doctor for this update.
And I just like before opening the floor to also remind you of the Security Council press statement on Sudan dated yesterday that we have distributed to you.
You have it in your mailboxes.
So any question on Sudan in the room, Emma?
I wanted to just clarify the 1800 deaths from cholera through to early June.
Is that since the start of the war?
And secondly, I would like you to react to Mr Batalingaya's remarks on the risk of cholera close to the refugee sites on the border.
What would be the situation according to you, were there to be a cholera outbreak there and and how high do you perceive this risk to be currently?
We answer a question by question.
Yeah, thank you very much.
I was just waiting for to be unmuted.
Yeah, thank you very much for your two questions.
So first of all, with regards to the movement of population, either IDP's, refugees or asylum seekers, meaning within the country or outside the country, the risk is very high.
As I said, any movement of population will contribute to the spread of of polar.
So the our concern is that the Polera is spreading.
We started with five states, now 13 states are are impacted, including the Darfur's, which are the border of Champ and they were cases even in South Sudan, Polera cases in South Sudan.
And we assume that if we don't invest in the prevention measures, in surveillance, in the early warning system, in vaccination and in educating the population, for sure cholera will reach the neighbouring countries.
But not only that, it can may be spread to the sub region.
So I think it's a call for investment in all this.
I know that the situation.
I've been myself to chat to other aid to Farshana and I saw the conditions there and they agree with my friend in in in Chad, the RCHC.
And I can tell you that the situation there is not.
I mean, it's alarming, it's alarming and we need to take that into account.
So maybe cross-border, cross-border the collaboration is key in this, in this sense.
And I'm in in touch with Doctor Blanche in, in, in Chad and also with my colleague in, in South Sudan to see how we can continue the surveillance across the borders.
Now with regards to your second to the other question with regards to the numbers, yes, these numbers are not since the start of the at the onset of the crisis, but it's since July 2024 actually.
You know, cholera is coming to Sudan in a cyclic manner.
So we used to have it since the 60s, every three years there is a cholera outbreak.
But now this time the first wave started in 2023 and we controlled it in May.
So we had 0 cases late May, early June, and then in July it started coming back.
And if you can see, you can see here, I don't know if it's, you can see it, but you can see that the chain, it went back and then it's, it's came up here and then it's going down again.
So, so yes, so we need, we need to continue surveillance.
And as I said before here, the main point is to invest in wash water, sanitation and hygiene and to invest in in the surveillance.
Emma is are you ask for a follow up.
So just just quickly, are you expecting cases to go up in the coming weeks as we see more people start to move around the country?
You're you're expecting and preparing for a surge in cases?
Thank you very much for this very valid question.
Actually, yes, you know, I say that the first wave we controlled it in May and then the new wave started in July last last year, which is basically the same.
Where we are now, because the rainy season is coming very soon and with the floods, with lack of access, with, with lack of of wash again, we are expecting an increase.
But this year it, it may be even worse if we don't prepare for it because there will be a big return of ID PS from different states.
When I was at Fatom last week, I met with people coming from Darfur's, they went, they, they came through Depa till Harpoon just to celebrate it.
It means that there will be a big movement of population and this is fuelling the, the, the cholera, the cholera outbreak.
Now to be prepared for that.
Yes, from WHO side, we, we are prepositioning cholera kits, cholera response kits in, in, in many places including in Port Sudan, in Harbourne, but also in Chad to to move them to Darfur.
I have bad news is that we have now new cases in in Darfur unfortunately and we have to deal with that and our our concern is the accessibility there and the safety of our staff in Darfur.
We have a good footprint now there in Darfur's, but we are really concerned about the, the, the security situation, their safety, but also about the accessibility of our human resources and our supplies to be able to, to deal with that.
But again, I think that the main, main point is to increase the surveillance because without that we will have no idea about what's happening in Darfur's like what's happening now in Zamzam and fascia.
It's really concerning for us because we don't get the right information and we cannot respond timely and efficiently.
Other questions in the room.
So let me go to the platform, Catherine.
Yes, thank you, Alessandro.
Dr, I have a questions about the cases you spoke about Sudan, South Sudan, we the the gentleman spoke about Shad, what about CAR, a Central African Republic and DR Congo, because if you follow the border, it means that they should be also cases.
Did those two countries, have those two countries been hit last year?
And do you expect cases to raise also in those two?
We are really concerned about the situation in Sharp.
But I agree with you 100% that CAR is really concerning because on the borders there in Andafok there is, I mean the capacity is very low from both sides to be honest with you, from both sides of the capacity is very low.
I've been myself representative in CAR just two years ago and they know that the situation there is very, very difficult as well.
So we may expect a spread of cholera in that area if we don't again invest properly in surveillance in and in vaccination and wash.
Now we don't have borders with DRC, but we expect if there is a spread into the neighbouring countries for for sure the whole sub region or even the region may be affected.
But my worry now is really with regards to CAR, Central African Republic, but also Libya.
Don't forget that on the Libyan borders, the surveillance is very, very low and the capacity again on both sides is variable.
We have borders also with with Ethiopia and with Egypt, but I think till now the situation is under control on those borders over.
Yes, I know you don't have a border with with your Congo, but as you have cases in South Sudan that in fact my question I went a bit quickly.
It's South Sudan is affecting is are there risks for South Sudan to in you know, to to pass on the cases to the our Congo.
Mr Katherine, I, I agree with you 100%.
We are talking about communicable diseases.
We just survived to the big crisis of COVID and we know that communicable diseases, they don't know borders.
So here again, either we invest in controlling the outbreak where it is now and to invest a lot in terms of vaccines, in terms of wash and so on.
Otherwise it will spread to the to the whole region.
But again, I mean CAR like the other countries that I mentioned or South Sudan, even the capacity is quite low as we may expect the spread on that side more than the other side.
And if it may, it may reach DRC if we don't act properly.
Is still your hand up or is from before last follow up?
If Doctor Shabani could kindly remind us how many victims they've been last year due to the two waves.
If he has the the the the numbers, the figure.
I have the figures in front of me.
Actually the total cases is 78551 as of 11th of June and the debts are 1854.
So this give us a case fatality rate of 2.4%.
Honestly it's not acceptable.
Our aim as WHO is to keep it lower than 1%.
So the case fatality rate is still high with 1854 debts.
That's very precise and clear.
I don't see other questions for you.
But before I close, I don't know if Tariq needs to add anything.
I'm not seeing his end up.
So I guess that he will follow up if you have any further question.
So thanks again, doctor for being with us and updating us on, on, on the situation in Sudan.
Just before closing with Sudan, I just wanted to remind you that on Tuesday, 17th of June at 2:00 PM, of course, you know that Monday we are starting the next session of the Human Rights Council and the Independent International Effect Finding Mission for the Sudan.
We'll update you on the situation in Sudan.
And there will be the three speakers, the chair and the two members, Mohammed Chande Othman, the Chair of the Mission join Ghazi Azelo and Mona Rishmawi, the two expert members of the Commission.
I'll go now back to two Yens because he has an announcement for you.
Next week, the Economic and Social Council, you know them as ECOSOC.
We'll have a Humanitarian Affairs segment here in Geneva from the 18th through the 20th and it's chaired by Costa Rica.
The headline this year is renewing Global Solidarity for Humanity and there are 4 high level panels involved which are all web casts and they those are about humanitarian reform, international humanitarian law, humanitarian financing and innovation in the aid system.
Ahead of this on the 17th, so that would be Tuesday, Equusoq will hold a meeting on the transition from relief to development, which is Co chaired by Poland with a focus on finding solutions for people in vulnerable situations.
That's also webcast and you can find more on our website and I sent you the link earlier this morning.
During the week we'll also have, and this is exciting, a group of local humanitarian NGOs who are travelling here to Geneva from various countries in crisis, including Colombia, Lebanon, Pakistan and Palestine.
They are mostly women LED organisations with of course lots to say about the places they work.
The reality is that the people they are helping are facing the funding cuts they're going through and how they see the future of aid where they live and work.
Many of them are happy to speak to you in in the press and we are happy to make that happen.
So I will share with you early next week, hopefully Monday morning, a brief introduction of those who are available for for interviews.
You may match them up with stories you are using or just having a chat with them.
There are people from the front line.
It could be of interest to you.
So I will be happy to establish that contact the matchmaking.
OK, I see several hands, so I'll start with John.
Will Mr Fletcher will Mr Fletcher be attending the meeting?
And, and the venue, is that in the Palais or is that in the CICG?
So it is in the pan in, in the panel in the Palais.
And if you go on the website, you should see some, some more details about the, the different rooms.
It will be announced as usual all over.
But it it's happening here in the Palais.
And yes, Mr Fletcher will be here for for some of some of these sessions.
I had a question on Sudan for Yance, if that's OK.
Yeah, since he he mentioned it earlier, it's, it's just to follow up on.
Attack that killed five aid workers on the 3rd of June on its way to El Fascia.
We heard a lot about it on the day, but I haven't heard much since.
Have we established who struck them?
There were a lot of rumours at the time that it was actually an air strike and maybe even drones.
I haven't heard of drones hitting humanitarian convoys before.
Is that your suspicion or has it been established and, and can you say anything else about any investigations into that incident?
I don't have any more information than what we put out.
And of course, the condemnations that of, of these attacks that, that you have seen, including from us, it, it's normal in these situations that we, we ask those with investigative powers, particularly, you know, the government, the authorities of the country to like to look into that.
And in the in the Security Council press statement on Sudan I referred to before the Council member are also strongly condemning the attack and joined the reiterated the Secretary General's call for an urgent investigation and for the perpetrators to be held to account.
There are a few more details in the in the note Jamie.
We obviously see that Israel is occupied with Iran in part today, but Gaza situation remains.
So I just wanted to ask you a couple of quick questions about that.
Your statement from last night mentioned the blackout of Internet and data services.
Could you, is that willful or is that just hazard of like depleted infrastructure?
Is there is there a active effort to to impede data services in there?
You also mentioned the statement about how Eris West has opened up and that there is that 50 trucks were picked up yesterday and delivered to Northern Gaza.
How hopeful are you that that will continue?
Is there is that is that is there a repeat of that planned today or in the coming days?
And finally, sorry to give you a third question.
The you mentioned also the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and the casualties that were affiliated with an attack on one of their convoys.
As much as the United Nations does not is not cooperating or participating with GHF, to what extent can the United Nations and its teams on site at least advise or coordinate with them to some extent to ensure that civilians and other aid workers are not are not harmed?
It's this framework that unfortunately James had to connect this morning from Gaza, couldn't connect with him, the connection with him, unfortunately.
We, we can't talk to the intention of, you know, parties to this conflict, why they do things.
What we can do and we do is report on what happens when they are when they are fighting.
So indeed, there was A, and there still is a massive kind of calm blackout because of this.
I can tell you there is an active effort to try to fix it, of course.
And everybody's looking into that because things kind of ground to a halt when, when, when these things happen.
You don't think about that often.
You kind of, you understand, OK, if there's no fuel, which is also a lack of trucks can't move, but if there is no communication, it really is damaging.
So of course, there's a lot of focus on that right now.
Of course we want to see all crossing points open.
Including areas W it's of course a good development that some trucks were able to, to move across there because they can go to North Gaza right, directly.
It's the direct, direct route into that and we should not forget that.
So of course, we, we hope that can continue.
You know, we can report on this when it happens because as, as you know, it's really a lot of back and forth here.
And sometimes we think it's going to happen and then it doesn't happen.
And you hear us often brief about, yeah, we're trying to get across and then we didn't.
And many, many times over and all of a sudden it happens.
It's not a clear, it's not a clear path to this at all.
GHF, I think it's fair to say has been from a human, it's from a principled humanitarian standpoint a failure, right?
They are not doing what a humanitarian operation should do, which is providing aid to people where they are in a safe and secure manner.
So I think I will, I will leave it on that and then just say of course we have the operation ready to roll with the food and other supplies ready.
We have them in the region.
They are pre cleared by the Israelis.
We need the borders open to get in and of course we need the the safety and security and some resemblance of law and order inside Gaza in order to distribute it.
Yes, I am sure that you have seen on the media or social media, many activists now are taking civil initiative to break the humanitarian blockade on Gaza.
The one of them is Marib resistant convoy.
They're in Libya now currently and are trying to get Gaza with convoys.
Secondly, yesterday many activists met in in Cairo to walk to March the Rafah border.
My question is, as the United Nations, how do you evaluate this initiatives and how do you support them?
I think, Mohammed, just I think that we are aware of course, of all this movement and I think that what we can say about it is that we want to reiterate the fact that everyone should respect the rights of people to engage in peaceful protests.
And this of course applies also to the situation.
But I don't know if yes you want to add something to that.
It's, it's, it's more principle.
Of course, I try to stay a little bit off the social media.
I think more people should do that once in a while.
But of course we, we see that, we're aware of it.
We also saw the flotilla, you know, that's, that's, that's a big story, of course, in, in Turkey, because it has happened before the Turkish involvement.
I, I will say this, I, I think it is an expression of global frustration with the lack of solution of this.
I've said it before and I'll, and I'll say it again.
If you had been in a coma for the past two years and you woke up today and you saw for the first time what's going on, you would be, you know, astonished.
How could it reach this point?
And I think that is the feeling that is behind this.
So, you know, it's, it's a outpour of, of, of, of sympathy for those who are suffering so much and the frustration with inability to stop it.
I saw Robin, and then I'd seen another hand.
Hi, You've spoken many times about the frustrations and delays in getting UN aid across the border into Gaza.
As far as you know, does the GHF suffer those same delays?
Do they have to go through exactly the same processes that that UN aid and trucks have to go through?
Could you shed any light on on any differences, if there are any?
It is a good question and the answer is we are not part of it.
So I couldn't say, right, you know, I, I, I simply don't know 11 will assume that everything is scanned and and so on and so forth.
But frankly, I, I do not know because we're not part of it.
Prior to that, more questions on the platform Emin.
Yeah, I have a question actually in Gaza local actually journalists in Gaza said that the occupation forces are forcing Palestinian to run for aid only to target them afterward.
And the and the everyday we see like dozens of Palestinian killer.
Do you have any figures on on that, any comment on that?
And the second question actually on the Internet, full blackout, full Internet blackout in Gaza, do you still have contact with local staff on the ground in Gaza?
To your first question, you have you want to.
Yeah, on the first question you've asked.
They, they, what I can say is I think we've all been speaking basically everyday about the dangers that people are facing trying to get AIDS.
And of course these attacks on civilians in Gaza, including deaths and injury on hungry people are unacceptable.
These incidents have concentrated around the newly established militarised distribution centres where starving people tell us that Israeli forces opened fire on them.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, hospitals have received more than 200 fatalities and over 2000 injuries from these areas over the past two weeks.
And of course, our basic point is that people, it is unacceptable that people should be put in a position where they have to choose between feeding their families and placing themselves at risk.
So all life saving aid should not be weaponized, not be instructed, and be available to everyone who need it.
I had seen another hand in the room, but I can't see it anymore, so I'll go back to the platform.
I don't know why IOM is not at the briefing, you know, talking about manifestations of migrants in USA.
But I don't know if maybe James has something to say or you, Alessandra, because there's a lot of people in gaol, I mean, in prison.
And we know that being a migrant is not a criminal thing.
And then there's a lot of, you know, violence and things like that.
But the the Guardian National of National Guard of USA is taking migrants, you know, innocent or guilty, but you know, all of them to gaol.
So I don't know if you have something to say about that.
The only thing is I'm in contact with Muhammad Ali and yes, they are not at the briefing, but they have been sending a few press releases including on on related subjects.
So I would really invite you to connect with him and I'm sure they will answer your questions.
I don't see other hands up.
Ian, I have a few more announcement.
You can say two more announcement for you.
First of all, I think we have online Katherine Ruizu from Angktad.
I just she just wanted me to remind you, she's of course available for questions about that.
There is a announced, sorry, enacted press conference on Thursday on the 19th of June at 10:30.
This is on the publication of the World Investment Report 2025.
There is an embargo until 12:30 or 19 June.
So two hours after the beginning of the press conference, Rebecca Greenspan, the Secretary General of Ankta, will be there together with Nandi Collins, the Ankta Director for Investment and Enterprise.
And I understand from Kathleen that she's going to send you either today or Monday, the press release related to the press kit related to the report, and she's available for question.
Also, another press conference that I wanted to flag is on Wednesday, 18th of June at 1:00 PM, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including is Jerusalem and Israel, will launch its latest report to the Council, and they will brief you on it.
That would be Navi Pillai, the Chair of the Commission, and Chris Sidoti, the Commission, one of the Commissioners.
I have been asked to inform you from our colleagues of UNODA that Tuesday 17th of June will mark the 100th anniversary of the opening for signature of the Protocol for the Prohibition of the using War of asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases and of bacteriological methods of warfare.
What has been what has come to be known as the 1925 Geneva Protocol.
The Protocol prohibits the use of chemical and biological weapons in war.
It was drawn up inside at the conference which was held here in Geneva under the auspices of the League of Nations, entered into force in on 8th February 28.
The Protocol was the only successful disarmament treaty to be adopted by the League of Nations.
Today, 146 states are party to the Protocol.
By prohibiting the use of chemical and biological weapons, the Geneva Protocol laid the foundation for the subsequent Chemical Weapons Convention and Biological Weapon Convention, the latter being the first treaty to comprehensively ban an entire category of weapons of mass destruction.
To commemorate this 100 years from the signature.
From the opening of the signature, France, Switzerland and the UN are hosting a special commemoration event on Monday 16th June at 3:30 in Room 5 here at the Paladinacio, which will be opened by and closed by the two ambassadors, Ambassador of France and Ambassador of Switzerland.
And we will have also our USG, Izumi Nakamitsu and the Secretary General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs at the meeting.
And I think I have told you, Oh no, there is just one last information.
The Committee on Delimination of Discrimination against Women will open next Monday at 10 AM.
They will review the following countries, Mexico, Thailand, Ireland, Afghanistan, Submarino, Chad and Botswana.
And very, very last, just for those who have been following the works in Nice, at 1:00 PM this afternoon, there will be a closing press conference of the UN Ocean Conference of the 2025, and you can follow this online.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Costa Rica, Arnoldo, Andre Tinoco, together with Lee Junhua, the conference secretary General and then the Secretary General for Economic and Social Affair, and Olivier Pouvard Devore, Special Envoy of the French Republic to the Ocean Conference, will brief you on the results of this very important ocean conference.
I think that's all I had for you.
If there are no other questions, I'll call it a close.
Have a nice weekend and I'll see you next week.
