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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 14 October 2025
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Press Conferences | WMO , UNICEF , UNDP , ICRC , WHO , OCHA
UN Geneva Press Briefing - 14 October 2025
UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
14 October 2025
Situation in Gaza
Jaco Cilliers, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Special Representative of the Administrator for the Palestinian people, speaking from Jerusalem, said that he had visited Gaza twice in the past two months, and he would be going there again the following day. Gaza today was one of the most destroyed places on earth, said Mr. Cilliers, and yet one of the most determined to recover. For that to happen, all parties had to respect the ceasefire.
The destruction in Gaza was almost beyond comprehension: the debris alone could fill Central Park up to 12 meters high. Since January 2025, UNDP had safely assessed, removed, and recycled over 81,000 tons of debris, equivalent to 3,100 truckloads. UNDP had also reused 13,200 tons of materials. All operations had been conducted in line with international environmental and safety standards, ensuring that what was cleared today became the groundwork for Gaza’s recovery the day after. Mr. Cilliers explained that the next phase of Gaza’s recovery would begin with clearing the ground. Without debris removal, aid could not reach people, reconstruction could not begin, and dignified return was impossible. Mr. Cilliers stressed the need for unhindered access, entry of heavy equipment and fuel, and additional funding to scale up operations. The most recent Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, led by the United Nations, World Bank, and European Union, estimated that USD 70 billion was needed for recovery and reconstruction, with USD 20 billion required in the first three years. Mr. Cilliers reminded that UNDP teams had remained operational throughout the war, side by side with UN and national partners, delivering lifesaving and recovery-enabling interventions in multiple sectors.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded that the previous day, UNIS had sent out three statements by the Secretary-General and his Spokesperson.
Christian Cardon, for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said that many families in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories had been reunited the previous day. He explained that the ICRC had not been involved in negotiations prior to the hostage and detainee release, but it had been called by the parties to act as a neutral intermediary in transporting those released. Twenty Israeli hostages and 1,809 Palestinian detainees had been handed to the ICRC. Since October 2023, he reminded, the total of 172 Israeli hostages had been released with the involvement of the ICRC, as well as 3,473 Palestinian detainees. Unfortunately, since October 2023, the ICRC had not been given access to either Israeli hostages or Palestinian detainees. Numerous ICRC staff, including detention, medical and weapons contamination experts, had all been involved in the release operations. Compared to previous release operations, these releases had been much more discrete, which was something the ICRC had insisted on.
In the coming hours, days and weeks, searching for human remains would continue, and it would be a massive challenge on both sides. Remains of four deceased Israeli hostages had been handed over. ICRC called for dignified management of bodily remains, for which forensic expertise, body bags, and refrigerated vehicles were all needed. Weapon contamination in Gaza remained a massive challenge which would be central to any further reconstruction and search for human remains still under rubble. Mr. Cardon stressed that the top priority now was to ensure that aid should be coming to the people and not the other way round. That was an important shift which had to happen. The elderly and people with disabilities, among others, had to have access to aid. ICRC had just reopened its presence in Gaza City, informed Mr. Cardon.
Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), stressed that delivery of medical supplies had to increase as the pressure on hospitals would not stop overnight. Since the ceasefire, WHO teams had been scaling up our operations. So far, WHO had deployed an emergency medical team within 24 hours to boost surgical and emergency care at Al-Ahli Hospital, with more deployments planned in Gaza City as people begin to return. WHO had also brought eight trucks of medical supplies into Gaza, including insulin, lab supplies, and essential medicines. Finally, WHO had reached the European Gaza Hospital to retrieve cancer and other life-saving medications and intensive care unit equipment, including incubators, mechanical ventilators, and patient monitors. Equipment and medicines were transferred to Nasser Hospital. Missions were ongoing to pick up more trucks from Kerem Shalom and to resupply hospitals.
15,600 people, including 3,800 children, needed medical evacuations. Since October 2023, WHO had supported the medevac of 7,841 patients include 5,405 children. Medevac needed to be expedited and for this more countries were needed to accept patients, while West Bank medical referral pathway, including to East Jerusalem, had to be restored. Before the war, as many as 100 patients had been evacuated from Gaza every day, reminded Mr. Jašarević. Mental health needs had mor than doubled, with over one million people now believed to need mental health support. Nearly 42,000 people in Gaza had life-changing injuries, of whom 5,000 had undergone amputations, and they needed rehabilitation services. Only four nutrition stabilization centres were currently operational, which needed to increase rapidly. Infectious diseases were also a major challenge. What was needed now was a permanent ceasefire and unhindered access for humanitarians.
Replying to questions from the media, Jaco Cilliers, for UNDP, said that the most recent assessment was that USD 70 billion was needed for recovery and reconstruction. The timeline for reconstruction was to be determined by the availability of funding, among other factors, but this was likely to take at least a decade. Some 55 million tons of rubble was estimated to be currently present in the Gaza Strip, enough to fill up 13 Great pyramids of Giza. It was encouraging to see donors stepping up to support both humanitarian and early recovery efforts in Gaza. Mr. Cilliers spoke of bodies being found in the process of rubble removal at a site of a destroyed mosque. Civil defense units were then called to the spot, along with the ICRC and the WHO, to ensure proper and dignified handling of bodily remains.
On the funding situation, Mr. Cilliers emphasized that the recovery would be a long process, but there were encouraging signs from several donors. It was hoped that the private sector could generate up to 50 percent of funding in the long run. Some 84 percent of buildings in the Gaza Strip were believed to have been destroyed or damaged, and in some parts, such as Gaza City, those figures went up to 92 percent. Water and sanitation were among the most pressing challenges in Gaza. Unexploded ordnance represented another major challenge. When it came to revitalizing private sector in Gaza, UN agencies were working on different aspects, including providing microcredits, supporting young entrepreneurs, creating opportunities, purchasing assets for new businesses, etc. Strict due diligence process was in place, to ensure that all private companies applying for support were vetted.
Answering further questions from the media, Mr. Cardon, for the ICRC, said that more bodies of deceased Israeli hostages would be handed over today, but could not provide further information. The first part – release of living Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees – had been completed in one day, as planned, but finding and identifying human remains of all hostages might take longer, warned Mr. Cardon. There was a risk that this process would take quite a long time, both regarding the remains of Israeli hostages and Palestinians killed in Gaza. The question of the missing people, including searching for human remains, was critical, which was something the ICRC had emphasized to both parties. While the ICRC was not involved in the search on the ground, it remained in contact with Hamas, part of a confidential process which needed to remain such until all bodies were handed over.
Mr. Cardon stated that mass influx of aid had not happened yet, as there were still insufficient numbers of trucks coming in, while there was a need of 600 trucks per day for six weeks to alleviate the most pressing needs. Not all entry points were open right now, he said, and that was what had to open urgently. Mr. Jašarević, for the WHO, emphasized the need for more countries to come forward and accept patients evacuated from Gaza. The well-established corridors to East Jerusalem, West Bank, and Jordan also ought to reopen without delay. Ricardo Peres, for UNICEF, reiterated how devastating the past two years had been for children across the Gaza Strip. There were some 3,800 children in need of medical evacuation; 25 percent of all children injured in Gaza had life debilitating injuries; even wheelchairs and crutches had not been allowed to get in. This process of reconstruction and rehabilitation would take years.
Responding to further questions, Mr. Cardon said that as of several days earlier, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had still been operating. ICRC continued to maintain communication with Hamas and all other armed actors within the Gaza Strip. Israel, as the occupying power, had the obligation to ensure that the population under its occupation had access to water, food, medicine, and other necessities. On another question, Mr. Cardon said that no incidents had occurred during the release and handover of hostages and detainees the previous day. Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that humanitarians were now able to move on the ground more easily, as there were fewer restrictions on movement inside the Gaza Strip. It was a very fluid situation, however: over the weekend, over 310,000 individual movements of people had been recorded from the south to the north. Regarding the entry of aid, Mr. Laerke said that this was a part of the 20-point plan, but this had not happened yet. When exactly this was going to happen was out of the UN’s hands, but the UN remained both determined and patient to do what needed to be done. In the meantime, OCHA continued to advocate with everyone to have all crossing points open. UN was ready to roll once the permission and conditions were there. Mr. Pires, for UNICEF, added that the enthusiasm felt in the international community had not yet been reflected on the ground as enough aid was still not getting in. The level of destruction was huge, and at least 600 trucks a day were now needed, day after day. Aid was still not getting in sufficiently, he reiterated. Since 10 October, UNICEF had brought in 41 trucks of aid, including winter supplies for children and families. Ms. Vellucci, for UNIS, stressed what was needed now was for the ceasefire to be implemented fully and for all parties to respect their obligations. UNRWA remained the backbone of UN operations in Gaza, said Ms. Vellucci.
Plight of Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazar worsened by global funding cuts
Carla Haddad, Director of the Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said that the funding crisis in Cox’s Bazaar was threatening to undo the progress made there over the years. UNICEF was doing everything possible to stretch every dollar, but it was running out of options, and various activities and services were being interrupted, including child protection, water, sanitation, and education. Over 600 cases of child recruitment by armed groups had been recorded this year alone. Projections suggested that future contributions for the Rohingya children in Cox’s Bazaar would be very serious and no cost-cutting would manage to offset the lack of funding. Even more efficient response could not replace the resources needed to ensure continuity of life-saving services.
Ms. Haddad spoke of meeting a schoolgirl in Cox’s Bazaar who was pleased to be able to attend school and follow her country’s curriculum. It was now questionable whether existing education programmes could be maintained. For children who had already lost their homes, losing access to education would be devastating. Mothers in nutrition centres spoke of reduced access to food, soap and water, which had also led to increases in child malnutrition and contagious diseases. This was a test of the collective will of the donor community; predictable, safe funding was needed to ensure UNICEF could continue its meaningful work for the children of Cox’s Bazaar.
Answering questions from the media, Ms. Haddad gave examples of a family whose two sons had been abducted by armed groups. While awareness-raising campaigns on forced recruitment were ongoing, the danger remained real, and it was a major source of stress for many families. If girls were out of school, the first copying strategy was frequently early marriage. On another question, she stressed that global funding cuts were coming from the public sector, including the US, but several other countries as well. As a result, UNICEF was now seeing a 20 percent reduction across the organization. The private sector, on the other hand, was seeing a momentum, getting more engaged and helping create a safety net while the situation stabilized globally. Private funding included individual donors, of whom there were currently over 11 million. So-called “highest-value channels” included millionaires and billionaires. Companies were other donors, who were subject to proper due diligence. Finally, foundations, faith-based and membership organizations also supported UNICEF’s work. Ms. Haddad emphasized the importance of non-earmarked contributions.
Global status report on neurology
Dr. Neerja Chowdhary, Technical Officer at the Neurological, Sensory and Oral Conditions Unit, at the World Health Organization (WHO), said that headaches, migraines, strokes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, and dementia were all neurological disorders, conditions that affected the brain, spine, and nerves. Over three billion people were affected by neurological disorders. These diseases were the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide, but they were often misunderstood, underfunded, and overlooked. What made neurological disorders different was that they often needed lifelong care. They affected not just the person, but their family and carers, and they were expensive, not just in money, but in time, energy, and emotional toll.
In many countries, especially low- and middle-income ones, people could not get the help they needed, as there were not enough neurologists, medicines were too expensive, services were provided only in big cities, and many people faced stigma. In 2022, countries around the world had come together to change this situation by adopting a global plan called IGAP: the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders, a roadmap to make brain health a priority. New WHO’s Global Status Report on Neurology showed that only half of countries reported data, while only one in three countries had a national policy for neurological disorders. Only 25 percent included these disorders in universal health coverage benefit packages, and only 20 percent of countries reported functioning intersectoral promotion/prevention programmes.
Dr. Chowdhary stressed that the Global Status Report on Neurology was a wake-up call, and that countries needed to make brain health a national priority; ensure everyone could access care without financial strain; carers ought to be supported who are often forgotten; and data systems needed to be improved. Most importantly, people with lived experience had to be listened to as they knew what was needed. WHO was leading the way by working with governments, experts, and partners, helping countries build better systems, train health workers, update their treatment guidelines and essential medicine lists and develop policies that work for people with neurological conditions and their families. No one should be left behind, stressed Dr. Chowdhary.
Announcements
Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), informed that on 16 October at 10 am, WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin would be presented by Ko Barrett, WMO Deputy Secretary-General, and Oksana Tarasova, WMO Senior Scientific Officer. An embargoed report would be sent out later today.
On 20 October, the WMO would open its extraordinary Congress to mark the 75th anniversary of the Organization as a UN specialized agency, and to inject more urgency and accelerate the “Early Warnings for All” initiative launched by the UN Secretary-General in 2022. Several high-level speakers would address the opening session on 20 October, including the President of Mozambique. UN Secretary-General would address the congress on 22 October, ahead of his speech at the UNCTAD16 conference.
Finally, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), stated that the United Nations Forum on Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law was holding today the second and last day of its fifth session. The theme of this session was “Democracy and climate change: focusing on solutions”.
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Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Welcome to the press briefing of the UN Information Service here in Geneva.
Today is Tuesday, 14th of October and we have, we are going to have quite a few information coming from the situation in Gaza.
But before going to Gaza, I have the pleasure to welcome a colleague from UNICEF, Karla Haddad, that I have here on my right, who's UNICEF, Director of the Private Fundraising and Partnership Division of UNICEF with Ricardo.
Carla has come to tell us about the plight of the Rohingya children in Cox Bazaar, which I understand you've visited recently.
Please, you have the floor.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, that's right.
Good morning and and thank you for your time right now in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar.
It's the largest camp there.
A funding crisis is unfolding and is threatening to erase years of progress for the Rohingya children.
I was there last week and it was disheartening to watch classrooms close, services shrink, and the futures of hundreds of thousands of children that are hanging via thread.
So last week we visited the different parts of the camp, UNICEF with our partners.
We're doing everything possible to really stretch every dollar, but we're running out of options.
Education, water, sanitation and hygiene assistance are among the hardest hit protection services for women and children in this very large refugee camp.
The largest are being interrupted just as risks are increasing.
Recent data shows a staggering reality for children, with 685 cases of child recruitment by armed groups reported this year alone, more than five times the total recorded for all of 2024.
And the year is not yet over.
Indications are that the situation will be even more dire next year.
The overall Rohingya response faces what we call right now in UNICEF a funding Cliff in early 2026.
So we're progressing towards this funding Cliff at high speed, with worst case projections suggesting that already insufficient contributions could fall by half.
Even with efficiencies, integration of programmes, localisation of the support and the saving of 10s of millions of dollars, no amount of cost cutting can offset such a deep decline.
And across the camps, kindergarten and grade one learning facilities remain closed, so children are not schooled, denying education to the youngest of children.
Youth vocational centres are shuttering, leaving adolescents vulnerable to recruitment, exploitation and abuse, and rising insecurity overall.
And, and these are not abstract numbers, they are warnings.
A leaner, more efficient response, which we're trying to do, cannot replace the resources needed to sustain life saving services.
I just wanted to share that in the camps I met 14 year old Salma, one of three girls in a classroom of 18, so majority of boys.
Only three girls remain in this classroom.
She told me how proud she was to finally study the Myanmar curriculum, something her parents once thought would never be possible.
That progress came only through years of engagement and trust building within the community, but is now at high risk.
So we're faced with impossible choices.
Not only UNICEF, all the partners operating there.
We've prioritised reopening classes for adolescents like Selma, both for their education and for their protection.
When adolescents have no safe place to go, they face heightened risks.
And I heard it from several children.
Risks of child labour of course, early marriage for girls and exploitation.
Last week we were able to reopen classes for younger children.
A moment of hope yet?
Kindergarten and grade one, as I said, remain closed and whether we can sustain existing programmes next year is still uncertain.
So for children who have already lost their homes, friends and sense of normalcy, this uncertainty when it comes to schooling is devastating.
Very quickly I wanted to share with you what I talked about with 15 year old Muhammad.
He met me to to tell me what had happened when the school had closed.
He thought it would never reopen.
So he stayed home, took care of his ageing parents and of his siblings.
And each morning he watches children go to school and says I feel like my childhood has ended.
Across the camps, families feel the same despair.
Mothers in different centres, UNICEF support and nutrition centres speak of reduced food assistance.
So critical issues around food and food security, shortages of soap and clean water.
Childhood diseases are on the rise and malnutrition too, some or severe acute malnutrition among children is now at its highest level since the height of the crisis in 2017.
So this is not only about an education emergency, it's a child protection and survival crisis for children.
It is a test really for our collective will and we're repeating this everywhere across public and private sector.
Without predictable, flexible funding, we will see more children out of school and malnourished, more girls forced into early marriage and more young people losing hope in the future.
So we'll stay in the camp, we'll stay and deliver.
That's our mantra.
But our ability to do cohesive and meaningful work depends entirely on voluntary funding.
And I left Bangladesh more convinced that ever that even if the situation there is not on the media headlines, we really owe it to those children to bring their situation to your attention.
[Other language spoken]
This is absolutely right.
So I thank you very much for this briefing for telling us about your trip.
I see Emma, Emma Writers has a question about Good Morning.
[Other language spoken]
I was wondering if you could say more about the recruitment into armed groups, actually, which groups are they?
And did you speak to, to any children about maybe some comrades that they'd lost, why they're tempted, why it's better than the alternative that they're facing in the camp?
[Other language spoken]
I won't be able to name the armed groups.
There are several armed groups in the region.
But I, I spent time with the family and they were happy for me to use information from what they've shared.
And it was honestly heartbreaking.
So there was the mother, the father and the children.
One of their sons was abducted and then returned and the other two.
So they had two sons abducted.
And what they talk about is fear in the camp at different moments of the day because of the funding shortages, we're rationing everything we do in the camp.
So there is, it's not a direct correlation, but there is a sense of heightened insecurity.
And it could be that the child is walking somewhere either to school or to fetch for food or get some clean water from the water points and and they get abducted could happen during daytime or anytime in the evening.
And what they were saying is the stress.
Honestly, you could see the parent talking about the details of the stress of having someone missing.
And we know what it does to a family.
So not only they're coping with food shortages and other matters, but also having a different moments.
One of their boys abducted.
What is interesting is the boy who came back became an activists in the camp and they're really ramping up the support across the adolescents and youth to sensitise children on, you know, improved security awareness.
Be situation aware when you move around.
But this is very disturbing for us.
I mean, we're talking several years into this camp of sustained support and seeing an increase in recruitment is is extremely worrying for the future.
So we've spoken to several families and this is the number one stress that they have right now.
And of course, they come to early marriage and wedding their their girls.
And this is kind of an issue of no option if the girl is out of school, the immediate consequence is early marriage for economic reasons and also for protection, even for protection.
So we're put in impossible choices and we're putting these families in front of impossible choices.
Thank you very much.
Are there other questions in the room or let me see on the platform John Zarro, Costas, Francois and The Lancet?
[Other language spoken]
I've got a question for Carla, but on another topic.
So I'll wait if there are more questions on on Cox's Bazar.
I don't see any, John.
So no, I don't see other questions from Coppice Bazaar.
So please go ahead before we let Carla go.
[Other language spoken]
Nice to see you again.
I was wondering how you're doing in the fundraising for funds for Gaza, given that some of the areas that UNICEF is actively involved, education, nutrition and WASH are very underfunded below the average, John.
We, we will have a very consistent part of the briefing on Gaza, but this is a very specific question for us as UNICEF.
I don't know if you want to answer before you go.
And then, but we will have much more on Gaza, including from UNICEF.
[Other language spoken]
So I mean, the funding crisis, the global funding cuts are coming from the public sector.
And again, it's not just the US, it's the domino effect with the different European countries following suit because of the geopolitical situation and prioritising, prioritising other budget lines.
So ODH shrinking massively.
This is, is an important piece.
And we know that for UNICEF, we're living a contraction of 20, 20% across our programmes, across the organisation.
Now what I can say is as much as things are shrinking on the public sector side, there is a momentum for the private sector side.
And even if we don't go to the private sector saying you have to compensate for the public sector, the private sector has a role to play per SE in itself.
And we've seen a revived momentum now for Gaza, for Ukraine, for other underfunded and also wilfully neglected.
I think that we have a momentum now across the humanitarian development sector to really have a meaningful approach with the private sector to at least create that safety net until things stabilise more globally.
And Gaza is no exception.
And especially now there will be a renewed attempt to support because they know that all the agencies are ready to deliver the aid that we we were kind of handcuffed and the private sector could not just support to support.
So I think we need, we need to really ramp up our appeals and, and bring the private sector at the table.
And, and that's really timely that you speak about that because our next speaker is indeed going to speak about the reconstruction needs on for Gaza.
I'd like to thank you very, very much for for being committed.
This is a question for her, not on Gaza, please.
[Other language spoken]
So is that on Gaza?
But I would like to hear from UNDP because there is going to speak a lot more about funding.
Carla, do you need to go or can you stay?
OK, but that's done this in this case, let's do this.
We have online.
You can stay on the podium.
You should show in in Ricardo too.
We have the privilege to have online the special representative of the Administrator of UNDP for the programme of assistance to the Palestinian people, Jago Celier, I would like to welcome.
And Jago is going to speak about reconstruction and funding.
So yes, I understand, but Carla is going to stay here.
She's nicely waiting.
And we will take the question on the economic issue, reconstruction and funding for Gaza just after Jaco's intervention.
And then we will have Christian Cardone for IICRC, Ricardo and maybe I don't know if that equal to 1 to say something on the humanitarian side of the situation in Gaza.
So because Yako needs to go afterwards.
[Other language spoken]
And then I'll take the question on the economic issues, reconstruction and funding.
OK, Thank you very much for your patience.
So Yako, thank you very much for being with us.
To brief the journalist here in Geneva, as I said, you are the UNDP Special Representative for the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian people and you would like to brief us on the issues related to the reconstruction needs of Gaza and funding.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much also for the introduction and thank you very much, colleagues.
I'm speaking to you from Jerusalem, but just to indicate that over the last two months I have travelled to Gaza on 2 occasions already.
I was also scheduled to go into Gaza on on Sunday.
It's unfortunately be being postponed, but I will be travelling there tomorrow also to further support our programme on the ground.
Let me maybe just first of all say that the destruction that you see in Gaza, obviously, as has been mentioned before, is devastating.
It is very terrible to see it in person, to see families digging through rubble for their belongings, to see young children who are looking for water and food but should be in school on the streets is just is just shocking to see once you travel and are in Gaza.
However, in spite of this, the resilience of the people in Gaza is incredible and also their determination to rebuild the Gaza Strip is really incredible in terms of their willingness and determination.
We also, as UNDP, call on the need also for all parties to respect the just declared ceasefire.
It's important also for the long term stability and the recovery in Gaza.
Let me maybe just give you a quick indication of the early recovery challenges faced in Gaza.
I will just highlight the challenges around debris removal.
For instance, if you look at the debris challenges and what needs to be done, it is comparable to building a 12 metre wall around Central Park and if you fill that with debris then that is the amount of debris that needs to be moved.
In Gaza as UNDP, we've already removed about 81,000 tonnes, that is about 31 or 3100 truckloads.
The the majority of the the debris removal is at the moment to provide access to humanitarian actors so that they can provide the much needed aid and support to the people in Gaza.
But we also help with hospitals and other social services that needs to be cleared of debris.
We have reused about 13,200 tonnes of debris.
We use crushing machines so that the debris can be reused for anything from Rd pavements, but also to providing flooring for some of the shelters being built in Gaza.
Just to give you an estimate of the challenges that the reconstruction efforts will cost, it will The RDNA, which was jointly done by the UN, the European Union and the World Bank, estimate that about $70 billion will be required for the reconstruction of Gaza.
That means that also in the next three years, about $20 billion will be required.
We also call on much needed access to provide also opportunities to address the reconstruction and early recovery efforts in Gaza.
This includes also a much needed heavy equipment that needs to help with the restoration and the repair of damages and reconstruction efforts as well.
UNDP has been on the ground from day one.
We've continued to work and stay and deliver in Gaza.
We are covering both the humanitarian to the early recovery to also the development areas.
It's obviously a long road ahead, but we hope that with the support of UN partners and other international and national actors that the recovery efforts can start as soon as possible.
Let me leave it there and back and over to you.
Thank you very much.
If I can ask the journalist, please, let's concentrate the questions on this and then we will have, as I said, humanitarian colleagues speaking about humanitarian situation.
Lots of hands up and I'll start with Jamie, Associated Press Yako, thank you.
Mr Chillers, thank you for coming back to see us.
You just mentioned the RDNA.
Could you clarify exactly when that time frame is that?
I'm looking on the Internet as we speak and I don't see that figure of 70 billion.
How recent is that?
When was that established and and how quickly can you start drumming up funds for that?
And Jamie, maybe you had also sorry, you also had a question for Carla.
So before your hand.
OK then.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No, no, let's, let's keep it to that.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So you just mentioned the interim RDNA was done in in March and that figure was 53 billion.
Since then, the World Bank has done an updated assessment that has brought the figure to 70 billion.
And that is what also the most recent pledge would be just to indicate actually that the United Nations with the Technical Support of UNDP and the European Union and the World Bank is also now updating the RDNA with the physical damage, which is what will be needed.
So also to provide a more comprehensive recovery plan and framework for the challenges in Gaza.
Thank you very much, Emma Reuters Yes, I, I was just wondering, can you say how many million tonnes there are of rubble in Gaza right now?
And does that include Gaza City?
There's been a lot of recent demolitions.
Can you say how much extra rubble that that has generated And next steps for for pledging, for forgetting donors and states on board?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So the estimated damage and rubble throughout the whole of Gaza is in the region of 55,000,000 tonnes.
You know another way to put it apart from the example from Central Park that I mentioned is also equal to 13 pyramid in Giza.
That is the mountain size of the the challenge that needs to be filled.
Obviously a big part of that is now in Gaza City.
There has been incredible destruction and just, you know, just and many houses have been destroyed.
There is about 425 housing units that have been either fully destroyed or damaged.
So that also gives you an indication of the size and the challenge that needs to need to occur as well.
And there are also a number of new, as we mentioned in terms of the funding, funding request.
It is great to see, as was mentioned previously by my units of colleagues, donors also stepping up and making a commitment to also help both with the humanitarian but also the early recovery efforts in Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
And he's been from Agence France Press in Geneva.
A question on the, on the work that you you will be doing with the rubbers.
Do you expect to find bodies in those rubbers and what is the procedure in those cases?
Who is in charge of taking care of of the bodies and to to identify them, if you could give some indications about all, all that part of the of the work.
[Other language spoken]
Or other agencies?
[Other language spoken]
Unfortunately this is a this is a reality in a very sad situation of the work that we're doing.
Also in rubble removal.
We have actually come across such incidents already where three bodies were were found in the process of removing some of the rubble.
The UN and the, the debris removal cluster has a very strict altar based on international standards and policies and procedures and, and Sops for how to deal with such incident.
I can maybe share with you that you know, we, what we first did is, is calling the Civil Defence unit just to, to mark of the area.
Then the ICRC are called in to help with identification of the remains as well as WHO of how to take care of those remains.
And then obviously they are also religious considerations that we have to do for for these types of bodies and for burial.
So those are also taken into consideration and addressed during this very difficult.
Unfortunately, we anticipate that many more bodies will be discovered in this process of rubble remove indeed.
And we will hear also from ICRC later on.
And yes, you have a follow up.
Yes, you, you mentioned that you already have found three bodies.
Could you let us know since when, when do you have began your, your, your work?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, we started actually with trouble removal already in 2012 in Gaza.
But we have been active since the war started on on the 7th of October, since the since January 2025, we have done the rubble removal.
The the bodies were discovered actually in a mosque about two months, two months ago.
So that's that's where they were discovered during the initial phases of providing spaces and open spaces also for shelter, shelter opportunities.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Can you tell us a bit about your discussions with the Israeli authorities?
Do you have the go ahead to go in?
Do you have the go ahead to bring heavy equipment?
When do you expect this work to start?
And on the money side, do you have any commitments, firm commitments towards the sum of $70 billion yet?
[Other language spoken]
So we're in constant negotiations and discussions, all under the umbrella of the UN, together with all of our UN agencies, funds and programmes to allow access for not only the emergency humanitarian supplies, but also for equipment, including shelter materials that are obviously needed at the moment, especially as we get closer to the winter and the conditions that people in Gaza will also face.
We hope that the ceasefire would also provide, provide the opportunity to accelerate also access for other equipment, as you mentioned, heavy equipment like bulldozers and and other trucks are needed and we hope that the access can also be provided for that as soon as possible.
On the funding situation, the recovery will be a long process.
There are very good indications from donors already including what we're seeing throughout, you know, the, the Arab world, but also from, from European partners.
The American America has also indicated that they are going to be coming and supporting some of the early recovery efforts.
What we've learned from these very comprehensive processes is that it unfortunately takes a lot of time and it will in Gaza also take some time for the reconstruction or recovery to be fully completed.
It's usually a combination from donor funding, but also bringing in the private sector to help with the recovery effort and providing funding for recovery typically in big or after big conflicts.
And the private sector can generate about 50% of the funding opportunities for recovery efforts as well.
And then they will continue to be innovative.
Other ways also found for the funding challenges with that will will arise into the future.
Thank you very much.
Jeremy launch Radio France International 2 questions on on figures.
Also, I think I've seen that 80% of the buildings in in Gaza have been whether destroyed or or or damaged.
But I think the the, the figure dates back to September 2024.
So I'd like to know if you have a more recent figures, is it still 80%?
[Other language spoken]
Do you have more recent figures?
And also something I think you mentioned the challenge of remnants of war within the rubbles.
How easy, that's not the the exact word, but how confident are you to get the adequate equipment to get rid of those remnants of war?
And would that be an issue maybe for the Israeli authorities if they consider the the the material to be dual use, for instance?
Yeah, that the first of all on the on the destruction, those figures have actually gone up.
It is now in the region of 84%.
In certain parts of Gaza, like in Gaza City, it's even up to 92% of the destruction.
So there are various degrees, but this is also what we are currently doing.
[Other language spoken]
We will do physical verifications of the damages and also make sure that all both the social infrastructure but housing infrastructure is also recorded and properly recorded so that both the needs and damages can be estimated for for the rebuilding efforts as well.
As you mentioned correctly mentioned, one of the biggest challenges is also unexploded ordinances and how to deal with them.
We have an unmasked team that are on the ground working together with UN OPS on identifying remnants of war and how to also then properly mark them and make sure that they are dealt with in the debris removal.
We have 33 phases which which varies from from very slight opportunities where there might be remnants of war or unexploded ordinances to those that are high risk.
And at the moment we are mostly dealing with situations that are focusing on the least dangerous.
So we're pretty cleaning roads and immediate areas such as I mentioned hospitals as well.
There is an effort under way to scale up the the, the the teams and the work being done on unexploded ordinances, including various organisations that have been identified to come in.
And we hope that they can also be provided access because that's something that is always the first phase of any reconstruction efforts, but also the efforts to remove debris.
Thank you very much, Yakko.
I know that then you will have to leave.
We have still quite a few questions, if you don't mind.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
That's all.
[Other language spoken]
I keep up with the room.
So Emma and, and then our new colleague introduced, please.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Did you say 35,000,000 tonnes of rubble?
I'm just a bit confused because a year ago it was higher than that.
Could you just clarify and explain?
[Other language spoken]
It's actually 55,000,005 five.
That is the amount of debris that is expected at the moment.
But that number, again, as we mentioned, is also increasing, you know, and has increased.
[Other language spoken]
Alexandro EFP in Geneva, given the assessments you've been able to to make so far, are you in position to give an estimate on how long it's going to take to rebuild Gaza?
It's a very difficult, you know, estimate to make and I think one will have to start with prioritising what would be the immediate needs.
So part of the assessment that we're doing together, as I mentioned with the World Bank and the European Union, is also not to identify only what has been destroyed, but also to make sure we prioritise what are the areas that first need to be restored and focused on.
Not all the areas might be restored.
For instance, you might decide not to restore all the hospitals but focus on the most important or for schools or for large apartment buildings.
So prioritising what comes first and when is a realistic timeline for that will be will be kind of part of the damage assessment that we are doing as well.
But you know, the, the estimate for rebuilding is quite considerable.
It will also depend on the funding and support and opportunities to access and bring in reconstruction material, which will affect the timeline as well.
Thank you very much.
Let me now go to the platform.
I see Isabel Sacco, Spanish News Agency.
[Other language spoken]
I would like to, to know how the funds, once they are in place, how do these funds will be allocated to, I suppose to private companies to, to, to, for the reconstruction of Gaza.
So what is the plan, the business plan in that sense to be to be sure that the, the, the finance, the money will be, will be well used.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, So working on bringing private sector back to life is going to be one of the most important area.
It's estimated that 88% of the private sector infrastructure has either been totally destroyed or partially destroyed, 66% has been totally destroyed and 22% have been partial partially destroyed.
What we do in terms of, you know, revitalising the private sector are various things together with other agencies and funds and programmes as well.
For instance, WFP is working on restoring the bakeries, which is much needed for providing bread for the immediate humanitarian needs as well.
We are also providing grant funding and microcredit loan loans 2 private sector companies and also then working on young entrepreneurs to start new businesses.
And there are many young people without jobs.
The majority of people are obviously without jobs in Gaza.
So starting the private sector but also creating opportunities for them.
And this also includes buying certain assets or equipment that the private sector would need to start off their businesses and then also providing some initial capital funding.
In the long run, one will have to look at loans and other opportunities to make them accessible for small and medium enterprises to also continue to work and focus on the private sector and entrepreneurship, which is desperately needed to create jobs and income streams for people in Garthham.
Isabel, you have a follow up.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, sorry I, I didn't explain myself well.
What I wanted to know is how the, the funds, who will be the, the institutions that we will deal with choosing the international companies that will go into Gaza for the reconstruction, How will be the in that, in that area, the accountability process?
[Other language spoken]
OK, so you know as was mentioned, the number of companies will probably look at private sector investment and would would look at starting also the construction efforts in Gaza.
We have a very strict due diligence process and where companies are are checked and they verified that they are within the private sector approved measures.
And we have various also lines that we that we use to make sure that companies are vetted and that those that we work with are fully vetted in terms of compliance.
This is both in terms of EU standards and vetting procedures, but also American and specifically for us in the UN, the UN procedures for vetting both private sector companies, but also those that are working as contractors for the United Nations.
Thank you very much, Gabriel Sotomayor, processor.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra, for taking my questions.
My question is how much money has Israel pledged and how much has the United States pledged for the reconstruction of Gaza?
Second question, just to clarify, are the borders fully open?
Can journalists enter Gaza?
Do you know if we can enter?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, on the, you know, on the, on the amount, I won't be able to say exactly how much will be coming in.
I know that we have had discussions yesterday with the American State Department officials who are looking at various interventions for helping to support the reconstruction efforts in in Gaza as well.
And then in terms of the opening of the borders, it's obviously a very important part of the agreement and who will get access, including the role of bringing in journalist.
I'm not aware that anybody is allowed in at the moment, but we hope that that would also change because a lot of people, organisations and groups will be needed to help support through building efforts in Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
I'll take John and Nick and then we will go to the humanitarian that John, you had a question, I don't know if it was for Yaako or for Carla.
[Other language spoken]
Also for the representative from UNDP you mentioned earlier, so that you the revised estimate is 70 billion.
When was that done?
Was it by the EU, the UN and the World Bank?
And you mentioned in the reconstruction you hope 50% of the funds to come from the private sector?
Is that 50% of the 70 billion?
And thirdly, most immediately, and I see Christian in the audience from ICRC Water and Sanitation, there's been a lot of damage in the last few days to sewage in Gaza.
How urgent is that and how much money are you willing to put up front for water and sewage?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So maybe just to mention, the figure of 70 billion is actually an addendum that the World Bank specifically did based on recent methodology.
That figure came out in September, as was mentioned, when the full RDNA was done, that figure was on 53,000,000.
But now with the ceasefire in place, we are hoping to also do both the rapid damage needs assessment but also the physical verification of the damages as well.
Yes, in terms of the the 50%, I think that is the long term ambition that also some of the recovery costs including for the 70 billion will come from private sector.
You know that they will also contribute in the long run to the rebuilding efforts.
That is the only long term stability and hope for recovery efforts.
But I think the immediate needs will have to be covered by donors and by other resources and funds available for the reconstruction effort as well.
You're 100% right.
Water and sanitation is one of the biggest challenges in Gaza.
UNDP is actually, you know, supporting water trucking in Gaza.
We have on a daily basis provide about water to 300,000 people a day.
There are some huge sanitation challenges as well.
UNDP originally was involved in the building of of the Con Unis wastewater treatment plant that has been damaged, but we're looking already to to restore that so that sewerage treatment can already take place.
It is one of the biggest challenges.
We're also looking at other options for the trains and sanitation kind of opportunities as well and how to address that through many of our programmes and funds.
Thank you very much.
And Christian will maybe tell us more when it comes to the podium.
John, is that a follow up?
I'd like to go to Nick and then let's say.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, Yeah, It is a colour you mentioned, Sir, 20 billion in the first three years.
That seems to be the same estimate as in February, but do you think you need to revise that figure given that the needs are much higher now?
Yes, I think one has to be realistic also if there's going to be that amount of funding available for the reconstruction rebuilding areas.
But yes, that figure would have come up.
You're right.
That is the original amount that was that was given for the reconstruction efforts as well.
But I'm sure that will also have to be revised again.
It will determine for the first three years a lot on funding from various sources, including donors, multilaterals, the IFIS and other funding sources that will contribute to that.
Thank you very much.
Last question, incoming Brews, The New York Times.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for taking my question.
There's been a lot of discussion about the need to destroy the tunnel networks in Gaza Strip.
Is the UN involved in that?
And what are the implications of that for the kind of work you want to do on infrastructure recovery and restoration?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We're not involved in any of those type of operations or projects at the moment.
I think that will have to be as they in the longer run, one has to see how to address that and then what will be the implications.
But at the moment, that is not a focus of the immediate early recovery needs that we're focusing on in Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you so very much.
[Other language spoken]
Well, it's just a clarification, Sir.
[Other language spoken]
Again, you mentioned $20 billion / 3 years and but 70 billion all told.
Can you just what is the 70 billion.
You're talking about if that's not the 20 billion?
And if you could also just say, you also mentioned that there are very good indications from donors already.
Can you be specific about that?
What specifically are you hearing from the Arab world, from the European partners and Americans at the moment?
Yeah, I think you know, the again, the timeline is dependent on on how quickly both funding and other opportunities are available and access also to bring in the recovery efforts as well.
So the timeline is is still undetermined in terms of how quickly that will be.
You know, I mean, I think 11 are looking probably in the region of a decade or decades and even longer for the overall recovery of Gaza to to to be fully addressed as well.
But that is determining on a of of factors as well in terms of the funding sources, a number of number of countries have already indicated that they are willing to to to to complement their existing funding for rebuilding efforts in Gaza, but also address the larger challenges in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem as well.
We've heard very positive news from a number of our partners, including European partners, the European Union, Canada, for instance, as well.
The Germans have indicated some funding.
And as I mentioned yesterday, there were also discussions with the United States in terms of their interest to support the early recovery and humanitarian efforts as well.
Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
Because I don't know how to thank you, really.
I know that you're really busy, but we really appreciated that you came to the briefing.
And please keep us informed, keep us updated on the reconstruction efforts now in Gaza.
And good luck with your very important work.
Thank you very much for being with us.
And before I let Carla go, Jamie, you had a question for her.
I thought there were more, but just ask us what we then we can go to the end.
[Other language spoken]
I just wanted to ask you, you mentioned the renewal, I think of private sector could without giving advertisements to your private sector about your private sector donors.
Can you tell us specifically who you're targeting in the private sector?
I mean, are these or could you like tell us what sectors they're in?
I mean, can you just try to help us hone in a little bit on who, who, where the money could be coming from?
I mean this is not coming from UNICEF boxes that are don't given around at Halloween time in the United States where kids put coins in the box.
I mean it's coming from other places, right.
Yes, thank you for the interest in that.
So when we talk about private sector writ large, it's we call it private sector as a category, but if you dig into it, you have individual giving, Mr and Missus, anyone around the world, they give in through digital online, they can do, we call them pledged donors.
They give monthly on an average for 8 to 10 years.
And this is what we call liquid gold.
It's completely unearmarked and we have 11,000,000 supporters who give like that online.
It used to be face to face prior to the pandemic.
We still have that and some do give through different local, you know, greeting cards along time ago trick or treat in the US you have different things that happen in a compact.
That's one thing individual givers.
Then you have what we call highest value channels.
These are the billionaires and the millionaires.
So we have a very robust strategy for billionaire giving and we have a platform called the International Council platform that weighs approximately 500 million.
And these are billionaires who want to give to UNICEF either to specific areas of the work or completely on earmarked.
And we put for the most flexible funds possible to to maintain the ability to support contacts that are underfunded or forgotten.
Then you have the corporates and it was mentioned earlier, due diligence is extremely important, how we vet court, the corporate sector, the companies who we partner with.
There are due diligence common criteria for all the UN agencies and then each agency has its own criteria depending on the risk appetite of an agency and the reality and the DNA of the mandate of of the agency.
And then you have foundations like just to give an example of big institutional foundations, Rockefeller, Bill and Melinda Gates, Asian foundations, Gulf Foundations.
And then you have multi faith-based and membership organisations across the different religions.
So it's really writ large at the mass level, at the general public level and at the highest value possible channels, corporate foundations and and billionaires.
This is the categorisation.
Thank you very, very much, Carla.
Thank you so much and thanks for staying on the podium throughout.
Let's keep our Yeah, yes, I had also my my initial follow up.
That's right.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry, Carla, yes, it was about what you mentioned earlier about this momentum you were talking about.
Is it something that you have seen that there is a momentum that companies or private sector is approaching UNICEF now on Gaza or it's or is it's more a wish from your side and how much the appeal for Gaza is funded?
[Other language spoken]
It's both it's a wish and there is momentum.
I think we've never been in a situation where the private sector has been so interested in contributing to some of the global challenges.
Now it's complicated, it's complex work.
We need to really find the the sweet spot on how we engage.
But it's it's across the board.
And some partners will only be interested in those contacts that are not in the media headlines.
So you know, it's, it's a conversation, maybe just one example on that that will make it real for you.
Many corporates will want to earmark and channel their funding to a specific area that fits their interests, their policies, where they operate.
And we have these negotiations and conversations with them and more and more we tell them, can you include in your giving a window that is UN earmarked?
And we use the argument of equity, you have a role as private sector to also be equitable, not to be for some children somewhere, but to be for all children everywhere or for all civilians everywhere.
And so we have these conversations and very often we end up succeeding in in creating more of a portfolio approach in their giving.
It's complex, but it's now there is momentum.
And I think with the global funding cuts, we cannot afford not to engage intentionally with the private sector, but also to challenge them not just on the income, but on the influence on how their work can influence negatively child rights, what they do in their supply chains.
Is there all the issues around child rights from child labour, child well-being, all those issues.
So there's a conversation that goes beyond the income generation, that is more on the influence the private sector can exert and how we can leverage their own influence to channel more support to contacts like Gaza or others.
Carla, so thank you very, very much for all this briefing.
And Ricardo, you come back afterwards.
So now let's go ahead with the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Gaza.
First of all, I think I don't need to imagine, but we have sent you 3 statements and read out yesterday from the Secretary General on the hostages, on the ceasefire, an honest conversation with the Israeli authority.
I won't really read them here, but I'd like to point out to them, because of course, the developments that we had in the last hours are extremely important.
And one of the actors of these development was, of course, ICRC.
And I'm happy to give the floor to Christian Caddon now to tell us a little bit more about what happened and what are the needs now.
Thank you, Christian.
Thank you very much, Alessandra.
[Other language spoken]
So I, I will focus on on three main issues, maybe a very brief recap of of yesterday release operation, which by the way is not over.
My second point will be on, on what's happening today, specifically when it comes to human remains.
And then third, maybe briefly on, on, on humanitarian aid to come in and, and back maybe to some questions on what we also see as a as, as priority sectors for the, for the massive reconstruction ahead.
[Other language spoken]
So back back on yesterday, but briefly, I mean the first important information, many more families have been reunited yesterday.
That was the top ICRC mission and goal obviously of the operation of yesterday and and and we obviously welcome that development.
As you know, ICRC was not involved in the negotiation that that happened prior that operation.
What happened is that the ICRC is called and requested by the parties, Hamas and Israeli authorities to play that role of neutral intermediary.
As you know also this is a role that we have played since October 2023, but also in several occasions in that specific context, but also in, in many other wars On before yesterday, 20 hostages were handed over to the ICRC and then handed over to the to the Israeli authorities.
And then on the other side, we had 1809 Palestinian detainees who were handed over to the ICRC, as you've seen from an Israeli prison and then back for some of them to Gaza and others to the West Bank and, and a little number also to East Jerusalem Later in the day yesterday also 4 deceased hostages were handed over to the ICRC in Gaza and then were handed over by the ICRC to the Israeli authorities.
That brings us to a number since October 2023 of 172 hostages that have been released and where ICRC was involved in the release operation and 3473 Palestinian detainees who've been released again since October 2023.
No need to remind you that we never, unfortunately never had access to both the hostages and the Palestinian detainees, despite having repeatedly asked in bilateral, but also publicly to get access to the hostages and to the Palestinian detainees.
For your information also when it comes to Palestinian detainees, ICRC had had probably one of its biggest activity in that context was the visits to Palestinian detainees prior the 7th of October 2023.
For that very complex operation of yesterday again, which continued today and probably in the next days and next weeks, we had to deploy additional staff, 2323 staff in addition to 350 staff inside Gaza including 50 internationals.
Part of these expertise that we needed yesterday for the release operation.
Obviously you have weapon contamination expert, you have detention expert, you have medical expert.
You can well imagine that you when you welcome hostages and even Palestinian detainees who spend times either in Gaza for the hostages or in in places of detention, you need a, a specific medical attention and that's the, the specialised stuff that we have deployed for that operation.
I also want to share with you that when it comes to the Palestinian detainees, the ICRC despite not having been able to access them over the last two years was able to do what we call pre release interview with each and every one of them were released yesterday including in the presence of our medical expert.
That was very important to do that prior their release and that's the way we were there in in any other context.
So that's yesterday.
By the way, if we compared to previous operations that you have followed in the last two years, we also very much welcome the fact that compared to previous operation, these ones were much more discreet.
We didn't have the ceremony.
And this is clearly something that ICSC has been extremely clear about being with Hamas or the Israeli authorities, that respect of the dignity of hostages, Palestinian detainees and obviously and then we'll get back to that.
Human remains should be entered all the way OK today, very soon you you'll have in your inbox an ICSE, another ICSE press release specifying a bit what we will be doing in the next hours, but probably days and weeks.
The research for human remains, it's obviously even bigger challenge than having our, I would say the people alive being released.
That's a massive challenge.
As you know there will be human remains being handed over from both sides, the Israeli authorities but also Hamas already today and we started yesterday with the four deceased stage that were handed over.
We will be, we will play a role also in facilitating this very sensitive operation we've called once again and in particular when it comes to the human remains for dignified management of the bodies.
And this means also that we need our forensic experts all along during this very sensitive operation.
We will also be providing whenever needed, very concrete materials, body bags, but also refrigerated vehicles, making sure that again the the the the dignity of of the of the human remains can be respected.
And also obviously the identification of this people to make sure that as soon as possible the families who have been waiting for already too long can have the information about their loved, their loved 1 deceased.
This remains also a a huge challenge when it comes to when weapon contamination in the area.
I think that's listening also to colleagues from UNDP before with with the challenge we have in front of us when it comes to the reconstruction.
The issue of weapon contamination will be central when starting the cleaning, but also obviously when when, when starting the search for human remains that are still under the rubble as we as we all know very, very well.
Now briefly maybe on, on humanitarian aid and what's what we also see as top priority at at the moment.
I think the first thing to be very clear about is that it's about AIDS coming to the people and not any more people going to the eight.
Let me just clarify that over the last months, we've all seen how complex it has been for humanitarian actors to do their work.
And, and basically most of the actors, ICRC included, were not able to organise sufficient distribution of aid inside Gaza.
And what we've seen instead it's people coming back from distribution sites being wounded, if not killed in many instances.
So the first important thing I would say beyond the number of drugs and, and many details that you're probably going to ask me afterwards, it's it's that that's the shift that needs to happen.
It's that the the aid should come to people.
And when we are talking about humanitarian principles, it's to make sure that actually elderly people, handicapped people warned that people can have access to the humanitarian aid that has not been possible over the last weeks and months in in Gaza.
So we are ready, obviously, as many other actors with, with trucks ready to come in, some already entered as we've all seen yesterday with any kind of, of materials, not only for the short term, but also for the long term.
I, I, I heard a question about what's the priority in terms of infrastructures, what's very clear and what we have seen, including in Gaza City.
And by the way, ICRC just reopened also its activities or its presence inside Gaza City.
You remember that was suspended since the 1st of October.
But what we can see is that water infrastructures, wastewater infrastructures, hospitals, electricity infrastructures, most of them collapse or are on the verge of, of collapsing.
So it's very important that in addition to the emergency aid that will be in the trucks, there's also materials to allow the key actors to to rebuild these infrastructures.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Christian.
This was really insightful.
I will now maybe turn to who wants to start WE 2.
Thank you, thank you, Alessandra.
So just really a few a few points on on immediate needs for for supporting health system in Gaza right now.
You have probably seen Doctor Tetris had had a post yesterday.
We managed to to get to Alahli hospital and deploy medical medical teams there.
We also got 8 trucks with the medical supplies for WHO but also for health partners.
We reached European Gaza hospital to retrieve some equipment and and moved it to the NASDAQ hospital and we are on the way to get more trucks at the at the at the Kagem Shalom.
Crossing now what, what, what is really needed I mean, we've been talking to you on all these different parts of a, of a health response in in recent months.
Well, first we need to scale up the delivery of medical supplies because the the, the, the pressure on hospitals is not going to ease overnight.
We need really to bring as many supplies as we can right now to, to, to make sure that those health workers who are still providing healthcare have what they what they need.
As I said, we managed to get to Alexa Hospital, to Al Ahali Hospital, where we deployed some, some tents.
And I will give you all, all these details in a note.
Second thing is really to expand the medical evacuations from Gaza.
15,600 people, including 3800 children need to be medically evacuated.
And since October 2023, WTO has supported the medical evacuation of 7000 841 patients, including 5405 children.
What we need, we need more countries to accept patients from Gaza and we need restoration of all the medical evacuation routes to West Bank, where we had a medical referral pathway to Jordan, but also to to to to East Jerusalem.
So we need all those ways to which patients from Gaza were going before the before the war to be to be restored.
Just to remind you that before the October 2023, we had between 50 and 100 patients from Gaza getting out of Gaza for medical care on a daily basis.
We need to support rehabilitation of hospitals and increase the deployment of emergency medical teams and this is basically to restore specialised services.
When we were talking to you about the hospitals that were still minimally functional, they were just providing minimum care, Many of the specialised services were not available anymore.
So we need really to do that and Doctor Peppercorn was talking about the prefab facilities to increase the the capacity and to have a specialised services.
Let's not forget mental health.
We need to ensure mental health services are integrated into all levels of care from community to hospital level.
Mental health needs have more than doubled with over 1,000,000 people now requiring urgent support with available services that are far from what is needed.
And I really invite you to, to read the, the, the document on mental health psychological support that has been posted.
And it's really details the, the, the need of people in Gaza who went through horrible trauma and, and were exposed to conflicted violence, displacement and insecurity were, were, were constantly in fear.
And obviously everyone needs support on that.
We talked to you about the need for rehabilitation.
We issued a report.
You will remember some 10 days ago, nearly 42,000 people in the Gaza have life changing physical injuries and one of four in these injuries are in children.
So and life changing injuries account for 1/4 of all reported injuries.
Since October 2023 / 5000, people have faced amputation.
These people need rehabilitation services and we need to make sure those rehabilitation services are available.
We need to expand screening and treatment of malnutrition.
In 2025 alone, over 500 people died from the effects of malnutrition.
Right now, only four stabilisation centres are functioning.
We also need to scale up disease surveillance.
We've been telling you occasionally about emergence of, of diseases.
You will remember we had we had the meningitis, Guillain Barre syndrome, acute respiratory diseases.
We need to make sure that we can capture that any, any possible transgender respond to it.
And again, we need for that access and we need a resumption of medical evocations and we need flexible funding.
And again, we need this ceasefire to last.
So I will stop here and all these numbers will be sent to you in a note.
[Other language spoken]
Hey, sorry, Tariq and Christian on the other side.
Thank you very much to both.
And Ricardo is here also to answer your question on Gaza on behalf of UNICEFA, open the floor to questions now.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Christian for coming to see us.
You mentioned that the more operations are continuing.
How many bodies do you expect to be handed over today?
And could you just sort of give us a perspective because it seems like this is a really important point going forward?
How difficult is the process of obtaining human remains?
What are the challenges and particularly how concerned are you that any delays might jeopardise the ceasefire?
So what are you telling both sides either to tamp down expectations or or encourage patients so that this important element doesn't derail the progress that has been made so far?
Thank you, Jimmy on, on the, on the number.
I would have had the same answer yesterday when it comes to the, the living hostages or or Palestinian detainees.
And, and believe me, that's a big issue for us.
[Other language spoken]
We know that we have to be ready.
[Other language spoken]
It's starting today.
It's even more complex to have detailed on that when it's human remains.
And I'm now moving into your, your second, second questions because actually what we also understand from the parties that that's the complicated part and that's the part that might take longer.
I think there was a, a, a very clear understanding that the first part, so leaving hostages and leaving Palestinian detainees was supposed to take place in one day mission accomplished by by the parties.
But now there is clear indication that this might take much more time because of the difficulty to find the human remains in Gaza in particular.
That's the case for the human remains of hostages.
But in general human remains is as we've discussed before, that may be under the rubble considering the intensity of the conflict over the last days, particularly in in Gaza City.
Now are they in Gaza City, Are there in the South of the Gaza Strip, are there in the middle of the Gaza Strip?
These are information that that we don't have yesterday.
What I can tell you is that at some point we were notified that there would be release in the north and they would be released in the South.
That may be the same scenario for the human remains that may be also.
There might be also other places where ICRC will have to be to to move.
But again, that's part of the big challenge our team on the ground are facing is that this information are coming really in, in last minute.
[Other language spoken]
So I mean, yeah, that you sort of alluding to, I mean, what are you telling both sides, either the Israeli side or the OR the, you know, the Hamas, Gaza, Palestinian side?
And I mean, is, is there the possibility that this could take weeks?
And is there a possibility that some remains may never be returned?
And that's the case in, in, in again in many war zone.
Yes, I, I think that there is clearly a risk that that will take much more time.
What are we telling to the parties is that that should be their top priorities.
And again, not only when it comes to the human remains of hostages, but other human remains, a tendency that we have seen in other conflict zone is that the the the authorities the moment there is a ceasefire will postpone that or there will be a rush to rebuild and then neglecting the research for human remains.
So that's why in a moment where all want to rush, we ICRC remind the parties of the importance to respect that specific step.
Obviously again, for the families to be able to to be notified as soon as possible.
And that's possible.
We've seen in certain place that when, when the authority, the concerned authorities are taking the necessary time to to do the identification of the bodies, families get the answer more quickly.
And it also has a consequence on any initiatives of reconciliation for, for the future.
So the, the, the question of the, the, the, the missing people and in particular the research of human remains is absolutely key.
And, and, and again, that's what we've asked to the, to the authorities.
Thank you very much, Emma.
[Other language spoken]
It's on the same topic.
So the four hostage remains returned yesterday.
Did Hummus give you any indication that they know where they might be?
Are are they pretty much starting from scratch?
What's your impression?
And is ICRC involved in that search or really just the the transfer?
And to follow up on what you said about AIDS, has the really big ramp up or scale up of aid that is so badly needed in Gaza, has that really happened yet or we're still sort of in in a waiting pattern?
And for Tarek, please on the medical evacuations, have you been given any indication of how quickly that can begin?
And is there any guarantee that transfers back to Israel, which were happening before the war can resume?
Is that part of this agreement at all?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No, we're not involved in in the search, in the concrete search on the ground of the human remains.
Obviously, we are in in very close contact with with Hamas as we speak.
That's what our team are doing both by the way at at the political and security military level.
And that's also the case, by the way on the on the other side, you know, when it comes to what we know or what we should know right now, knowing that that will happen in the next hours, I think it's probably the most sensitive operation that we are handling.
So obviously these are information that we need to keep extremely confidential until the moment the bodies are handed over to the authorities on the other side.
And and that's the same thing for the other side that, that's, that's the the main reason because from experience we know that that can have jeopardised that process.
So you will understand that I cannot go into the details of of that one.
Now when it comes to the, the aid, the answer is no, not yet.
The shift has not yet happened.
We are still witnessing, you know, only few trucks coming in and, and, and large crowds approaching these trucks in a way that is absolutely not conformed to humanitarian standards.
So figures are talking about the need for 600 trucks per day for six weeks to elevate some of the of the first needs.
I think we're not yet there yet.
We are clearly not yet there.
Sorry.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We don't know what will happen where we can really hope and we will do our best to get people as fast as possible.
These are really people who who have life changing either injuries or disease because we're not talking only about the people with, with the trauma injuries.
And if we look in, in the, in the statistics of, of people who have been evacuated, let's say since May 2020, four, 766 had a trauma injury, but 681 were oncology patients.
There were 250 people with ophthalmology issues, congenital anomalies, cardiovascular diseases.
So it's a mixture of people who have been injured, but also people who had a pre-existing condition.
So we need really again to find countries that will accept.
And if you look at the, you know, a fact sheet, you will see the, the numbers of per country who accepted the most with Egypt accepting almost 4000 people, followed by United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, EU countries and others.
We need countries to be willing to accept patience, but we need those, those really well established corridors to Jordan, to Egypt, to East Jerusalem, where where people were referred in in the past.
And you will remember that we were issuing yearly report on on, on a referrals from Gaza to, to, to neighbouring to neighbouring places.
So, so we will do our best.
We just have to understand that this is we are really talking, I'm giving you numbers.
These are really people who need to go out to receive medical care, to try to have a normal life again and, and, and sooner.
It happens better than it is.
Do you want to add something?
[Other language spoken]
Just to chime in.
I echo what my colleagues just said and reinforce how devastating this these last two years have been for children across the Strip and that that won't change with a temporary ceasefire.
Obviously that's that's the very first step that we have been calling for so we can start rebuilding that humanitarian system that has been basically dismantled or very close to being completely dismantled over the last couple of months.
3800 babies in need of medical or children in need of medical evacuation.
We know that 25% of all children injured in Gaza have life debilitating injuries.
So that that's several thousands of children who need better treatment and are not getting access to it or even a wheelchairs and crutches and and are not being able to to get access to those supplies because they have been denied over and over to get in.
So we're working on that.
[Other language spoken]
This will take, as our UNDP colleagues said, weeks, months and maybe decades in terms of the reconstruction, but also making sure that the health systems are, are back on track and that, you know, the UN can do what it had been doing before this war started and, and started devastating the lives of, of children and, and, and their families.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Sorry, I'll do a little bit of housekeeping here.
So we've got two question in the room and three online, but Christian needs to leave at 12.
So can I ask first those who have question for Christian?
And yes, I saw your hand up Simone, is that for him too?
OK, let's start with the two and then I go to the platform and and we'll see if we can release you quickly.
And yes, yes, thank you.
So it's a follow up to what you say, but it's also open the question to to Yens and think it's listening you, you say that she is in the room.
Yes, OK, OK, yes, you mentioned that only a few trucks are coming in.
Do you have explanations about about why is it because the logistic is complicated or are you doing requirements to enter It's not possible.
And so the same question to to to the UN torture, which has a global, global view of the situation.
If this is for security that trucks are not entering, we would like to understand.
OK, I'm sorry, bear with me.
[Other language spoken]
But I'll ask Christian to answer first.
I go to see let's ask all the questions to Christian and then our the other colleagues will be able to answer.
You really have a hard stop.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No, no, let me let me let Christian answer and then I'll go to Simon.
[Other language spoken]
And yes.
So the answer is that I mean, there are different factors.
Yes, security is 1 obviously, but that's mostly when trucks will get inside the Gaza Strip.
But before that, they are the entry points and, and again to be updated in the next hours.
But to my knowledge, not all entry points are open to have humanitarian aid inside Gaza.
And that's the main issue right now.
And and that's what humanitarians, including the ICSE have been calling for in the last hours is making sure that because of the huge needs, all entry points can be open like it used to be, as you know in the past prior October, whether through Karamsalam, Karamsalam, sorry, whether to the north, whether to the South, Rafa.
And that's what needs to happen urgently.
Simon, Yes, Christian, what is the, your main interlocutor in Gaza still the Hamas or you are speaking with other armed groups in Hamas to, to collect remains of a stage or order?
And the second question, could you confirm that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has stopped its operation in, in Gaza?
You, you mentioned also that there has to be a shift in the, the process of bringing aid into Gaza on the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
What I can tell you is that until very recently, until few days ago, they were still active on the ground.
And I'm knowing that because we were still receiving on daily basis people wanted coming back from the distribution sites.
As we speak right now, we we've been informed that they might be a shift knowing that all the other traditional actors will fortunately be able to restart the operation as they used to do prior 7 of October.
But to be confirmed if the, the the Gaza Humanity Foundation will continue to play a role it you would have to to ask them obviously.
And yes, we obviously continue the dialogue, as I said before, with Hamas authorities inside, outside Gaza, by the way, political level, but also security, military level and any other actors that could have an influence as as we speak, on the humanitarian situation, on the, on the, on the response, on the access of humanitarians.
And yes, within Gaza, you have complication.
And yes, within Gaza you have other actors.
And yes, ICS, he is in touch with all actors present on the ground, all armed actors present on the ground.
Gabriella, is your question for Christian?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
My question is according to international humanitarian law.
I would like to know if Israel is primarily responsible for the well-being of Palestinians and especially the children and, you know, reconstruction, but but the well-being, well-being of them and for maybe for Alessandro, I don't know who can answer.
[Other language spoken]
Yesterday at the hostage release ceremony in Israel, one of the speakers mentioned that this was not a genocide.
So what do you think about that?
Thank you very much.
OK, I, I, I will go into the, the I will answer the, the your first question.
Yes, obviously Israel as the occupying power, as the obligation to ensure that the population occupied as access to vital infrastructures, as access to food, water and health.
And and This is why again, the ICRC and many other actors called several times on this to be granted as soon as possible and not only to be granted, but to be substantially increased in in the near future.
Gabriel, I I think the answer is not for me to comment to what other people say.
I think the question of genocide.
We have debated enough and to express ourselves from this and OHCHR did the same.
John, do you have a question for Christian or?
Yes, actually it's also for the Yens and Tariq and Carol.
OK, so the number of can you hear me?
Yeah, no, I so I understand it's for Tariq and Yens.
Can you wait a moment please?
Because he has to go.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Since the peace deal came into force, how many requests for aid have been approved by the Israeli authorities?
And what are the items that are being rejected primarily?
And if Yens could give us an update on the tonnage that has gone in, if not in truck numbers?
[Other language spoken]
OK, maybe I'll ask IANS to answer this afterwards.
Let me just go to Laurent, Where's a question for Christian and then we will come back to all these questions about the AID.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
First, Christian, you mentioned that the operations yesterday, which were much more discreet than than previous ones.
So would you say that there wasn't any even minor incident to report in all the releases that you facilitated yesterday?
And then second one has some of your staff who was constrained to leave Gaza City come back permanently to the office in, in in the northern part of the territory?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
On on the first one, yes, indeed there there were no major incidents report as I mentioned at the very beginning, we can we can say that 20 hostages as well as 1809 Palestinian detainees were brought back to their families yesterday evening all of them.
So, so yeah, we, there's no, I would say incident to, to, to be reported.
And indeed, and I do confirm that contrary to the previous operation, there were no ceremonies as you can have also witnessed.
I'm not sure I understood the second question, but I guess it's about our presence in Gaza City, which was yeah, yeah, yeah.
The, the, so the, the, the, the, the activities as have resumed from our Gaza City office and they were suspended, suspended from the 1st of October.
So that that's obviously an important development and and we are ready to scale up.
I would say like any other actors, obviously as we speak, our response and also the setup that we have inside Gaza City.
Thank you very much.
Christian policy promise kept 5 to 12.
And I'll now turn to thanks very much for coming and and and briefing the journalist.
I'll turn to Yance and Tariq and Ricardo, whoever wants to answer the other questions were really on the can you come here on the humanitarian situation, the aid coming in, etcetera.
Yes, I'll start with you and yes, you may want to also ask your question to yes afterwards or no, no.
So the question was already asked, so just need to answer.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So, John, if I, if I understand your question correctly, I'll try to unpack it a bit.
You speak about requests and approvals of convoys inside Gaza that that's your first part.
I do not have numbers on that, but I have evidence that we have from our colleagues on the ground who says that humanitarians are now able to move more easily in many areas.
So teams are reaching peoples in places that have previously been cut off.
So movement restrictions inside Gaza is clearly better now that they have been in the past.
And we we use that of course to pre position supplies to deliver as much as we can.
It is a very fluid situation.
I know it's self-evident to say, but I want to put a number of that on.
On that over the weekend we saw 310,000 individual movements of people mostly from the South to the north, right, actually exclusively from the South to the north, the three 310,000 and we had an additional 23,000 movements in other directions.
So that gives you a a sense of the of the scale of the amount of people moving and how many they are moving.
The other part of the question, if I understand correctly, it's about the entry of eight.
Now wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just do that immediately?
Now we can't do that.
It is of course part of the 20 point plan, which the UN was not part of drafting, but we are happy that it's in there and we want to see it happen as soon as possible.
[Other language spoken]
We are of course determined to scale up.
We need this scale up.
We won't stop until we get it, but it's out of our hands when exactly it is going to happen.
So the term my boss Tom Fletcher used yesterday was we need some determined patience.
Determined patience, so determined to do what we set out to do.
And as I say, we won't stop until we have done it.
But we need that patience because when, how, where, how much, who's going to count and so on and so forth is not in our hands right now, right?
It's not in our hands right now.
We have 190,000 metric tonnes in the region ready to go in an update from the 170,000 we spoke about recently.
So it's now 190,000 metric tonnes that are in the pipeline just in the region, Jordan, the West Bank, Egypt, even Cyprus.
We can just to add to what Jans just said very, very correctly, it seems to me that after the ceasefire was agreed, it's a temporary ceasefire.
It's always good to remember.
We hope it will hold and become everlasting peace for the region and and Palestinians, of course.
But the enthusiasm that came from the international community, from people on the ground that this was the beginning of the end of all the suffering and things would change rapidly.
It's just not being reflected on the ground day in and day out.
We are not getting enough aid in because of all the the reasons Yen's explained right now.
And we are being moved, being able to move more freely indeed inside Gaza.
But the level of destruction again is, is so huge that it, it will take at least 600 trucks a day, which is the aim that we have.
And we're, we're far from that at the moment.
UNICEF also has over 1700 trucks ready to get in with all sorts of different life saving supplies that children desperately need.
But the process is still not there to, to reflect that enthusiasm, enthusiasm that came after the guns went silent because the aid is still not getting, getting in in enough scale.
Thank you very much.
And yes, yes, a follow up to to Jens and maybe if you want on UNICEF or WTO on the entry points, how many are actually open?
And do you also required like the Red Cross that more entry points are open?
[Other language spoken]
On Sunday, Karam Shalom was open and we actually had a staff there who saw fresh produce go again.
She spoke about bananas, potatoes and all the fresh produce, which is something that we've been talking about for for for a long time.
So that was Sunday.
Yesterday, we don't have any updates.
Yesterday was, as you know, very much focused on the hostage release and keeping pretty much everything else.
Hold your horses, everyone.
We need this to happen, right?
We hope that that will change.
You know our what we are asking for in terms of crossings that are that are open, we need all of them open.
Those that are not functional for various reasons, some of them have have been partly destroyed or they're so destroyed just across the border into Gaza that you need Rd clearance and so on and so forth.
So they they may not be immediately operational, but we are calling for them to be repaired so that they can become operational.
So that that's about as much as as as, as I can say, OK, I'll take the other two and then we will close because there is still a couple of speakers.
Would you believe it, patiently waiting, Christian?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Are you saying that you're saying it's not in our hands?
That sounds so passive, but I understand correctly that Otcha is knocking on the doors and asking Israel to give the green light.
What is the response?
Are you not getting a response or is the response wait and see or what exactly is happening?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Of of course, we're advocating with everyone.
And we were there in Sharm El Sheikh yesterday as well, with 22 heads of states of government who we are asking to help us push all, all buttons you can to get this up and running as soon as possible.
So of of course, we're doing that.
Of course we're doing that.
The reply, the proof is in the pudding that I mean, it is when these border crossings are open and we're talking particularly of course about Karam Shalom, which is historically the big entry point for goods.
While Rafa was the entry point for, for for pedestrians going back and forth.
That has since changed as as we all know, we would like Rafa to be opened up very much as well.
That require of course the agreement of Egypt.
But still, even if the border crossing crossing is open from Egypt, the stuff going in still needs to be checked, cleared and screened by the Israelis.
There's a lot of things that needs to work together, but trust me, believe me, we are not passive.
I have my boss in Sharm El Sheikh working at maximum speed yesterday trying trying to work these things out.
How did you say determined patience?
Determined patience, right, Jamie?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I'm looking at your latest Daily News update after the last few days.
I don't see any numbers of trucks that have in them.
Can you be specific about how many since the ceasefire began, I believe it was on Friday.
Can you tell us how many trucks, 8 trucks have gotten in over the time since then?
And specifically yesterday you mentioned hold your horses, was the message because of the exchanges yesterday that's done.
Can we let go of the horses now because and are, are their trucks ready to roll?
Are they moving?
Are there any foreseen immediately?
That's the first question.
My second question is just very briefly, you also mentioned about the ease of movement within Gaza and the people 310,000 which is also mentioned in the statement.
Is that because of security primarily or is it also because there is easier?
I mean what is what is the reason that all these people are moving to the north?
Is it they're returning home?
Is it simply the security situation is much better so they're able to move what what do you attribute that move those movements to?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I do not have at the moment consolidated numbers of on trucks on the movements from from the South to the north.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I think you should ask the Palestinians themselves why, why, why they move.
I don't want to speak on their behalf, of course.
And I had seen another hand.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
My understanding is, is that it's actually closed today for a Jewish holiday.
Karim Shalom, is that definitely the case?
And would you have a comment on that?
I mean, this is the moment to scale up and it's closed for a holiday.
And is there any indication that the way that aid will be vetted will change at all?
Or will it be the same careful cheques and balances by COGAT that we've seen over the past two years?
[Other language spoken]
Well, on on the second part, again, you have to ask those who require these cheques and balances.
I don't know if that'll change in terms of of holiday.
I, I do not have any comments on that.
Of course we, we want to see as much aid, get in as fast as possible and as often as possible, but we respect profoundly the cultural and religious customs and rules that are in the places where we work, wherever we work.
[Other language spoken]
I've got still three people on the line.
I'm sorry.
You know, it's like a 2 year war and you know, it's kind of an important moment right now.
The the yes, could you just I mean, the number I heard over the weekend, I'm trying to find it, but I I remember hearing something about 300 trucks that may have gotten in or 400 over the week 400 maybe it was the number.
I mean, you say you don't have any consolidated numbers.
I mean, is that because you're not involved?
I mean, why is it that there I'm hearing numbers of trucks, but UN doesn't know about them.
[Other language spoken]
Who Why?
Why is there No, I just don't understand why the UN doesn't have these numbers yet.
And, and can you just try to predict out as to when the next time you're going to have trucks rolling into into Gaza?
I think the, the latter part is easy because once we get the message from, you know, the, the parties to this peace agreement, which has just started that the borders will, will be open, then of course we will, we'll start moving in.
And on the first part of the question, I'm sure.
No, I think my, my reply will be the same.
I do not have consolidated numbers from recent days.
Pretty clear.
OK, Let me go to the three question online and then please, there are other colleagues who want to brief you and wait impatiently.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
Well, this question maybe also goes for human rights, but they are not there.
So my question to gents is, do you fear that this is a move of Israel to have the hostages back and then could close again the border for humanitarian aid or do you fear that could happen?
[Other language spoken]
I I know that that's speculative.
Exactly.
I don't, I mean, yeah, I, I think, I'm sorry, Briella, but I think that that's speculative.
Yeah, I, I don't think we have to, to speculate on what's might be the reason for one or the other or what is happening.
I think that we, we have a situation now.
The Secretary General has very well described it in his statement.
We need the ceasefire to make this ceasefire work.
We need to implement it.
We need time and access and everything we've been saying until now, Gabriella, and we will work for this.
We are working for this someone.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I'm I'm the to the colleague to the bridge.
I'm very sorry.
If you can wait a little bit more.
Sorry.
OK, let me let me go to the people who have been waiting on the platform.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yes, I was, you said that yesterday and today maybe the movement of supply that you have inside Gaza is easier.
So I would like to do, I would like to do to give us another of idea of what is the volume that you have now in Gaza for how many people and what kind of supplies now?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
You'll have to ask the operational agencies about that because they are the ones with the actual material aid.
ORCHA is a coordinating agency.
We do not have material aid to distribute.
[Other language spoken]
I, I didn't know from WHO perspective.
I gave you the what are our priorities.
So and you will have all these numbers and we we can't speculate what will happen, but you know, we need, we need access to be able to, to try to do this to, to support the health system.
You want to add anything now from UNICEF side?
We do have a lot of supplies pre positioned inside Gaza that we have been using for many months.
And and we hope that we will add even more once the, the the crossings are open.
But as far as a consolidated number in terms of supplies, I, I don't have that right now, Imogen.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Not every crossing is open.
It's it's, it's only very new, but you've all said you're getting some aid in things are looking a bit better than they were, say, a week ago.
Are you working directly with Unrah?
I'm just not clear what Unrah's role is here.
Of course.
[Other language spoken]
I mean, I, I, no, I don't have any specific information on that.
But we've been saying until now and I think Juliet has been very clear.
Last time when she came in brief you that one was there.
Unruh continues to work.
Unruh is the backbone of our operations in Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
See if you have more precise information on that, but I think that is pretty clear.
But imagine if you want to have you know more specific information on what they are doing like now.
Now please ask the question to Juliet John.
Yes, it's a follow up to Jamie's question and images.
I was wondering perhaps since Jens can't give us consolidated figures, if Tariq Ricardo can tell us how many supplies went in for their agencies.
And secondly, perhaps Alessandra, we can reach out to Rome and the World Food Programme since they're the lead for logistics, maybe they have some numbers on what's going in, especially for food, given there's still famine in Gaza.
[Other language spoken]
Just to answer quickly, your second part of the second part of your question, we are discussing I I believe I expect WFP to be here on Friday to, to, to brief you on Gaza.
So on the first part of the question, yeah, as I said, so on Sunday, we had eight trucks of medical supplies, including insulin lab supplies, essential medicines, not only for WHO, but for health partners as well.
This was, it was in the post by Doctor Tetris.
And you will have the you'll have it in my in my notes.
[Other language spoken]
And Gabriella and I think that's the last question, Gabriella.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra, thank you for giving me the the floor.
Well, just to just to have a time frame when I mean is there is there positive signs because you are saying that aid is not coming right now like you want.
So what is the time frame that you have that you would say, OK, this is, this is rolling.
What, what do you, what would you say to that?
I mean, according to your experience in other conflicts?
I mean, I don't think we need to go to ask for experience in other conflicts.
We've had a ceasefire before in Gaza where we were able to roll in.
I think it was actually within minutes of its announcement because we had the crossings open to do so.
We are in the same situation today.
We have been, of course, contingency planning for this scenario.
That's why we have 190,000 tonnes of aid in the region.
So we are ready to roll when the permissions are there and the conditions on the ground allows us to do so.
Ricardo, you wanted to add some figures.
Yeah, just to add on the number of trucks so far.
This is what we have And, and in the last 24 hours things might have changed and I don't have the latest, but since the ceasefire was agreed on Friday, UNICEF had 41 trucks carrying winter clothes, tents, tarpaulins, dignity kits and disability kits that entered Gaza.
UNICEF has an additional 1370 truckloads of life saving supplies ready for immediate dispatch with thousands more in the pipeline.
So we're planning that in the coming weeks if access improves and more corridors are open, that more shipments will come, including therapeutic food for children suffering from acute malnutrition.
Let's not forget half a million people are still in famine situation or conditions.
We have vaccines, medical equipment, water purification systems, alongside more winter supplies for children and families.
Thank you very much.
Thanks to everyone for this very really informative briefing and for all the questions.
I'll ask now to Tariq to stay on the podium and, and, and ask her colleague, his colleague, sorry, Doctor Nirja Choudhury, technical officer for the Neurological, Sensory and Oral Conditions Unit to come to the podium.
Can we have the plate, please?
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Ricardo, please.
Thank you very much.
I sent you and thank you very much, doctor, Doctor Nirja for for your patience.
We have sent we have sent to you the press release also linked to the report.
It has been published now.
[Other language spoken]
Some of you have asked for embargoed copied earlier, but now it's it's being out.
So I'll ask Doctor Nisha to tell us more about this really landmark report on neurological disorders and burden of, of, of of diseases.
Thanks a lot, Tarek, and hello everyone.
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Have anyone of you had a severe headache or migraine?
Or do you know or have known of anyone who has had epilepsy or stroke or dementia?
These are neurological disorders.
These are conditions that affect the brain, the spine and the nerves.
Other conditions are also included, such as meningitis, the autism spectrum disorders, nervous system cancers, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and many more.
The surprise fact is that more than 3 billion people, that is 1/3 of the world's population, are affected by these conditions.
These are the leading cause of ill health and disability, but at the same time, they're often misunderstood, neglected, underfunded and overlooked.
So what makes neurological disorders specific?
First of all, people with these conditions often live, require lifelong care.
It's not only the person with the condition who's affected, but also the family and carers.
The carers are most often women who provide informal care at home.
And also these conditions are expensive and that's not only in terms of financial costs, but also in terms of the time and energy they take and also the emotional toll.
People with neurological disorders, especially those living in low and middle income countries, very often don't get the care that they need.
There are not enough neurologists.
Medicines are not available in many parts of the world or when available, are expensive.
People with neurological disorders only.
The care for them is only available in urban centres and they face stigma.
They're often excluded and denied their basic rights.
So what has been done so far?
Countries unanimously came together in 2022 to endorse the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and other Neurological Disorders.
This is a 10 year road map for us to now take action to change the situation.
And now we have the release of the global status report on neurology.
This tells us that where we stand in order to reach the targets of the action plan.
So very briefly, some key messages and data that we have in this global status report.
Firstly, only half of the countries actually provided data for the report.
That means we still need to know more.
One in three countries only have policies for neurological conditions.
Only 25% of countries actually include neurological disorders in their universal health coverage benefit packages.
Only 20% of countries have functioning intersectoral programmes for brain health promotion and the prevention of neurological conditions.
And only 25% of countries actually have legislation to protect the rights of people with epilepsy.
Now what's also important to note with these numbers is the disparity that exists.
For example, in low income countries, there are 82 times fewer neurologists as compared to high income countries.
When it comes to carer support and services.
High income countries, the they have 70% of them have these supports for carers, while only 15% of low income countries have these services available.
And if we think about what is done in terms of the research output for neurological disorders, it's almost double that in high income countries as compared to low income countries.
As you reflect on these numbers, what do you, what do we believe needs to happen?
We now, in fact with the global Status report, have a wake up call.
Countries need to prioritise brain health and neurological conditions in their policies.
People with neurological disorders need to have access to care without financial strain.
Carers need to be supported.
They're very often neglected.
We need to have programmes for the promotion of brain health and the prevention of neurological disorders.
And most importantly, we need to listen to people with neurological conditions and their families.
They know best what needs to be done now.
WHO has been working hard in this direction.
We've been working with regional offices and country offices, with governments, with experts and with other stakeholders to strengthen health systems in countries, to improve the capacity of health workers to provide care for people with neurological conditions, to help update standard treatment guidelines as well as essential medicine lists in countries, and also to make policies reflective of the needs of people with neurological disorders.
What we need to do is to work together to ensure that no one is left behind, whether it is a child with epilepsy, the older person with a stroke or the young adult with migraine.
Thank you very much for listening.
Thank you very much.
It is very interesting briefing.
Any question to WHO in the room or online give you a second.
I don't see any hand up.
So thank you very much.
And I see that the press release has been distributed.
So you have it in your in your mailboxes with all the figures which were mentioned in the information which was mentioned.
Terry, do you have anything else?
[Other language spoken]
So thank you very much to WHO for participating in this briefing.
And I go now to our last speaker, who's Claire.
I think she's still connected.
[Other language spoken]
Claire, you wanted to give us, you had an announcement on the greenhouse gas bulletin, right?
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I've got a couple of announcements.
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[Other language spoken]
All right.
Sorry.
I've got a couple of announcements and I know you've you're overloaded today, so I will be brief.
The World Meteorological Organisation will be launching its greenhouse gas bulletin on Thursday the 16th of October.
There will be a press conference with our Deputy Secretary General, Co Barrett, and our Scientific officer, Oxana Tarasova at the Pele at at 10 O clock.
We hope to send out embargoed material later today or tomorrow morning at the latest.
This is the annual report that we do ahead of the climate change negotiations.
It's on greenhouse gas concentrations.
The results this year without breaking the embargo that the results are pretty alarming.
I've I've written many press press releases and this one sort of sounded a few red red bells warning bells for me.
So that is on Thursday at at 10 O clock.
Then we are also sending out a media advisory hopefully later today.
The world meteorological I'm I'm frozen on on my screen.
[Other language spoken]
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Sorry, my video was frozen.
Next Monday, the World Meteorological Organisation is holding an extraordinary Congress.
And I I know there's a lot of other high level events happening next week as well.
We we also have one, it is 222 functions.
One is to mark the 75th anniversary of the World Meteorological Organisation as AUN specialised agency and in more immediate practical terms, it is to inject and accelerate, inject more urgency and accelerate the early warnings for All initiative.
This is an initiative which was launched by the UN Secretary General back in 20/20/22 to ensure that everybody is protected by life saving early warnings by the end of 2027.
So we are at the halfway point.
So the extraordinary Congress is the chance to, you know, take stock of what we've achieved, which is a lot and where we still need to go, which is also quite, quite a long way.
We do have a number of high level speakers at the opening event on Monday morning, including the President of Mozambique.
There are also other ministerial level speakers.
We will give you details of all of this in the media advisory which will go out today or latest tomorrow.
Also to put on your agenda, and I think Ang Turd has already announced it, that the UN Secretary General will be addressing the WMO Extraordinary Congress on Wednesday, the 22nd of October at 2:00 PM.
This is just ahead of his address to the to the big Ang Turd conference and again, details of this will be will be in the media advisory.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Claire for this announcement.
Any question to WMI don't see any.
[Other language spoken]
I also have one since since Claire has reminded you of the press conference, I only wanted to tell you that the United Nations for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law is holding today, the second and last day of its fifth session here at the Palais.
The theme of the discussion is democracy and climate change, as we've already told you, focusing on solutions.
Today they will have three panels devoted to the following subject.
Legal clarity, democratic defence and creativity.
Harmony with nature.
Interconnected solutions for interconnected problems.
And that is all I had for you.
[Other language spoken]
So unless there are burning questions for me, which I don't see, I thank you very, very much for following it.
And bon appetit and to Friday, thank you.