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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 13 January 2026

1:03:45

MP4

4 GB

13-01-2026

Press Conferences | UNICEF , OHCHR , OCHA , WHO , WMO

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 13 January 2026

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Shotlist Story

TOPICS

UNICEF James Elder (From Gaza City)

Ongoing deadly dangers for children in Gaza 90 days into the ceasefire

OHCHR Jeremy Laurence (PR)

Sri Lanka: Report on conflict-related sexual violence
Iran protests

OCHA Jens Laerke (PR)

Launch of the 2026 UN-coordinated humanitarian response plan in Ukraine.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

WHO Christian Lindmeier (Zoom)

Virtual PC on Global Health Issues with DG Dr Tedros - New reports on taxes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages will be launched, and WHO will update on cervical cancer prevention and control – Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 13.30 CET

WMO Clare Nullis (Zoom)

Global temperature press release on 2025

UN INFORMATION SERVICE GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

13 January

Ongoing deadly dangers for children in Gaza 90 days into the ceasefire

From Gaza City, James Elder for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), presented the latest situation.

More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October — roughly one girl or boy killed every day. Bombings and shootings have slowed but not stopped. Severe restrictions on essentials persist, including medical supplies and fuel.

The ceasefire enabled progress: expanded primary health services, removal of 1,000 tons of solid waste monthly, distribution of nearly one million thermal blankets and winter clothing kits, repairs to water and sewerage networks, and addition of 70+ nutrition facilities. Education remains critical: 130,000 children in temporary learning spaces, but 700,000 still in need of support.

Asked whether the children were killed due to Israeli army attacks, Mr. Elder said most deaths were from military means (airstrikes, drones, tank shells, live ammunition) and noted six children died of hypothermia.

In response to a question on humanitarian access, he stressed that bans on NGOs obstruct lifesaving aid. He also called for more pressure to allow international journalists into Gaza.

Replying to a question on medical evacuation, Mr. Elder said over 4,000 people require evacuation, including 2,000 children, but approvals remain blocked; WHO later explained the process is extremely slow and often lethal.

Iran protests

Jeremy Laurence for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conveyed the High Commissioner’s concern over mounting violence against protesters in Iran, with reports of hundreds killed and thousands arrested. Internet shutdowns severely hamper verification, though some telephone services were partially restored.

Asked whether OHCHR could verify casualty figures, Mr. Laurence said reliable sources indicate hundreds killed and thousands arrested, but precise verification is impossible without access. He warned of possible death penalty as seen after 2022 protests.

In response to a question on US intervention, he stressed protests must not be instrumentalized and dialogue is the way forward.

Read the full statement here.

Sri Lanka: Report on conflict-related sexual violence

Jeremy Laurence presented the findings of the new OHCHR report highlighting that conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka remains largely unaddressed, with survivors still denied justice. The report underscores long-standing impunity, stigma, and the need for survivor-centred reforms and reparations.

Asked whether sexual violence has stopped, Mr. Laurence said it remains a concern beyond the conflict context.

Read the full report here.

In response to a question about the use of force by U.S. security forces during recent protests, including events in Minneapolis, Mr. Laurence recalled that, under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is permissible only as a measure of last resort against an individual posing an imminent threat to life. He said that OHCHR takes note of the FBI investigation and urged a prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the killing of Ms. Good.

Launch of the 2026 UN-coordinated humanitarian response plan in Ukraine

Jens Laerke for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced the launch of the 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan amid reports of new strikes in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa. The plan seeks US$2.3 billion and aims to reach 4.1 million people with life‑saving assistance, including food, health care, shelter, protection and cash support. Overall, an estimated 10.8 million people across Ukraine will require humanitarian aid in 2026.

He added that winter disruptions “create a crisis within a crisis”.

Asked about access in areas of Ukraine currently under the control of the Russian Federation, Mr. Laerke said the United Nations does not have the access it would like, noting that around one million people there are believed to need assistance they are currently not receiving. He added that some NGOs operate in those areas, but not at the scale required.

Read the full plan here.

Announcements

Christian Lindmeier for the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that WHO will hold a virtual press conference today, Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 13:30 CET, with Director-General Dr. Tedros.

The briefing will launch new reports on taxes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages and provide an update on cervical cancer prevention and control.

Jeremy Laurence for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) announced that High Commissioner Volker Türk will visit Sudan from 14 to 18 January.

During the visit, he is scheduled to meet with authorities in Port Sudan, as well as civil society representatives and the UN country team. The High Commissioner will also visit Northern State, including the Al Afad gathering site, and engage with people displaced by the conflict in Darfur and Kordofan, along with meetings with humanitarian partners.

Clare Nullis for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that on 14 January, WMO will issue a press release on the consolidated global temperature figure for 2025.

The release is prepared in collaboration with eight data set providers, including Copernicus Climate Change Service, the UK Met Office, NASA, NOAA, and the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The press release will be under embargo until 15:00 CET on 14 January, coordinated with NASA and NOAA releases.

Michele Zaccheo, for the United Nations Information Service, said that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, which opened yesterday its 100^th session (12-30 January, Palais Wilson), is concluding this morning its review of the report of Maldives. It will begin this afternoon the review of the report of Ghana. He added that the review on Uganda had been cancelled.

***

Teleprompter

Bonjour, Tormond.

Welcome to this press briefing for today, Tuesday, the 13th of January from Eunice Geneva.

This is Miguel Zacchaeo sitting in for Alessandra Lucci.

[Other language spoken]

We've got quite a few things on the agenda.

[Other language spoken]

And then there are a couple of announcements on global health issues and global temperatures, just to give you a heads up in terms of how we'll proceed.

I see that James Elder is already connected with us from Gaza, where in spite of the ceasefire there of course a lot of continuing issues for children.

And we're going to hear from him now.

[Other language spoken]

Thanks so much, Kelly.

[Other language spoken]

Nice to be back in touch, everyone.

And, and to our colleagues in the media, happy New Year.

More than 100 children have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire of early October.

That's roughly a girl or a boy killed here every day during a ceasefire.

[Other language spoken]

Whilst the bombings and the shootings haven't have slowed, have reduced during the ceasefire, they have not stopped.

So what the world now calls calm would be considered a crisis anywhere else.

And unfortunately, the ceasefire has had an unintended effect.

Palestinian children have disappeared from view since the ceasefire.

UNICEF has reported the deaths of 6060 boys and 40 girls killed in the Gaza Strip.

This 100 figure, it only reflects incidents where sufficient details have been available to record those children killed.

So the actual number of Palestinian children killed is expected to be higher.

Hundreds of children have been wounded.

I sat with one of those, one of those wounded children just a few days ago, 9 year old Abid al Rahman.

He was just collecting wood with his friends in Khan Eunice when there was an air strike.

Shrapnel has ripped through his his eye.

That Shard of explosive metal still sits there, unable for surgeons to remove it.

At the same time as air strikes continue, severe restrictions remain on essentials in Gaza, from sabbatical supplies to cooking gas, from fuel to parts for life saving water and sanitation systems.

Colleagues, it is very important to know the ceasefire has allowed genuine progress in areas in health, UNICEF and partners, we've expanded the primary healthcare services, including immunisation in particular, to what was completely unserviced areas in the north.

I spent the last couple of days in Jabalia in Bettla, here to improve hygiene and sanitation.

We're using everything from donkeys to bulldozers, removing 1000 tonnes of solid waste every single month.

Now it's been raining and it's bitterly cold.

In Gaza though, because of the preparations UNICEF started for winter, it means that we've been able to supply almost a million, a million thermal blankets and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of winter clothing kits for children.

Remarkably, we've made urgent and life saving repairs to water pipelines, to pumping stations, to sewerage networks.

These are the backbones of all the sectors in Gaza.

And this has happened on the back of Palestinian ingenuity, more than spare parts being allowed in.

And in nutrition, we've added more than 17 nutrition facilities across Gaza.

Famine has, of course, retreated.

However, even with these modest gains, 2 years of war has left life for Gaza's children unimaginably hard.

They still live in fear, the psychological damage remains untreated, and it's becoming deeper and harder to heal the longer this goes on.

A ceasefire that slows the bombs is progress, but one that still buries children is not enough.

It's a warning, and it demands enforcement, humanitarian access and accountability.

This is the time to turn reduced violence into real safety, Open Access for all, aid, increased medical evacuations for children, and make this the moment when the killer killing of Palestinian girls and boys in Gaza truly ends.

[Other language spoken]

It's a heartbreaking report that, you know, also to realise that in spite of a ceasefire, we're still having to hear these stories.

We've got Ricardo here.

Ricardo Peters is up here also in case there are questions, I'm looking in the room.

[Other language spoken]

Hi, I'm Alicia Gar from a Spanish news agency.

I wanted to ask if all the children that have died since the ceasefire is because of the attacks of the Israeli army and not from unexploited ordinance or other effects from the war.

[Other language spoken]

Alicia, hi there.

[Other language spoken]

OK, We're we're now passed 100 children killed.

These children are killed from air strikes, drone strikes, including suicide drones.

They're killed from tank shelling, they're killed from live ammunition, they're killed from quadcopters.

There's been a very small number from UX OS, but we are at 100, no doubt more than 100 from all those areas of of military means that I explained.

Now there are other children who have died.

Of course, we've had children die of hypothermia again in the last few days.

So we've now gone to six children who died of hypothermia just in, in, in, in this winter.

[Other language spoken]

I wish I could take a camera and show you, you know, 30-40 kilometre winds ripping through tents on the beach.

It's bitterly cold.

[Other language spoken]

You know, I often think, Alicia, what, what should a day look like for children now in Gaza?

Surely in a ceasefire, the bare minimum would be you go to sleep safely, you go to sleep warm, you wake up and you have a drink you can wash and you go to school.

We're probably at a point where one or two of those things can happen right now.

But to go back to your question, yes, Alicia, we're talking about military means there.

And the final thing I'd add to that is I've spoken a lot in the last two years, a lot more than I wish I had to about shrapnel and the devastation it reads on a child's body.

On Sunday, I was in the north and I held some shrapnel that I was told was from a tank shell basically the size of of two your two fingers here.

But it's it's sharp like a razor blade and it's very heavy.

I mean, I held it so cautiously because I thought the slightest movement would cut me.

But of course, shrapnel moves at super spot Sonic speeds you're on, and it doesn't cut like a single projectile.

It it shreds organs, it shreds blood vessels, it causes catastrophic bleeding, and of course it moves unpredictably through its path.

Far too often that path is children.

[Other language spoken]

James, really good to see you again.

[Other language spoken]

Detail on on why they're being killed?

Is there any pattern here?

Is it that these children are straying?

Maybe into the yellow zone?

Or is this just completely random?

And if you have a couple of case studies you've looked at, please share them.

[Other language spoken]

Oh, it's good to connect.

So it's difficult to talk of the colours of zones because they call it different, different spaces.

But the zone I'm in now, the zone where just over a million children are, is the zone where those children have been killed.

Of course, the ceasefire is across the Gaza, is across the Gaza Strip that we know.

There is that yellow line to the West of that yellow line where all the Palestinians are.

That's where these attacks have occurred.

I don't know the rationale.

I don't know the reason given.

Obviously we don't have, there is no real rationale or reason for these hundred or the 20,000 reportedly killed beforehand.

I'll certainly share with you some of some of those anecdotes directly of children killed.

The children, of course, I'm seeing Emma, the children wounded the last few days.

Well, end of last week was particularly bad.

There were multiple attacks in the north and again in Khan Eunice where tents were were destroyed after an air strike there.

Emma, to give you a sense of how precarious things are for people here, during the ceasefire in Bettler here, families told me that they were only walking out around trying to tend their vegetable gardens because we had clearance to be there.

So therefore they felt it was safe.

These are families who've gone back.

Everyone wants to go back.

And a very big shout out to my colleagues who put up the first temporary learning centres and the first health clinics in the north, which helps people when they go back, Emma, they've gone back to rubble, but they do not want to be intense.

These windswept tents I see on on the beach, they want to be at home.

So thousands of people are setting up their tents next to the rubble.

It's a very stark image to see someone's home, the remnants of it next to next to their tent.

But they all explained to me how dangerous it is still to walk around.

A man explained his brother had been shot 2 days earlier by a sniper.

I met the man, I saw where he'd been shot in the hand.

I met a mother who showed me her tent and showed me the shrapnel where it had ripped through and gone through the mattress.

And it was only because she'd been sleeping with her baby and she'd left that tent minutes earlier that she and the baby weren't injured.

So that's the life that continues for far too many families here during this ceasefire.

[Other language spoken]

We've got a lot of hands up, so thanks for your time in the front to my right here, please, if you don't mind identifying yourself for James's benefit.

[Other language spoken]

Alexandrobua AFP Israel suspended dozens, I think it's 37 for any humanitarian organisation from accessing Gaza.

Can you tell us what impact does it have on the humanitarian situation and the conditions of living there?

Yeah, that those those bans will obviously come into effect in the coming month.

But the blocking international NGOs blocking any humanitarian aid much or less those critical, critical colleagues, that means blocking life saving assistance.

You know, I walked through NASA hospital, I've seen but many, many times the impact of say an MSF there.

So it means blocking humanitarian assistance.

It means less assistance, it means less support on the ground.

[Other language spoken]

So it's an obstruction at a time when we have so, so much to do.

It's it's impossible to overstate just how much steel is required to be done here.

I mean, UNICEF we can speak to we've, we've been, we've been able to get 70% of our pre positioned and pipeline supplies have entered during the ceasefire.

OK, that's that, that, that's extraordinary.

I'm talking thousands of trucks just for UNICEF.

So we've massively increased the aid, but you need partners on the ground and it still doesn't meet the need.

And I think that tells you everything about what people here have been made to live through without food, water, medicines without, without dignity.

So if I can the, it's, it's fundamentally critical.

And and my last point, I guess I would say to that is, you know, I think it needs to be asked when you've got key NGOs banned from delivering humanitarian aid and from bearing witness.

And when foreign journalists are barred, you know, then is the calculation that restricting scrutiny is going to restricting scrutiny of suffering of children is going to restrict the consequences?

That is the other question.

I think that we are very disappointed isn't being asked much more frequent frequently.

Why are international journalists still not in Gaza?

[Other language spoken]

No one else is.

I'm not when I'm walking out here in Gaza City.

I'm not in the South.

I think there needs to be a lot more pressure on allowing international journalists to come in.

And I say that because this is my 7th mission and every time I see the 360° devastation, flattening, flattening of homes, of homes, my jaw drops.

It is absolutely as staggering yesterday as it was the first time I saw it more than two years ago.

Nick coming, Bruce, go ahead.

[Other language spoken]

Good to see you.

I wonder if the ceasefire has at least.

Allowed some streamlining of medevacs.

Of of children.

Who have been injured in this conflict and what update you can give us on that score?

And at a time when there's some effort going into getting kids back into some form of education, are you at least able to?

Access the kind of supplies you need to to support that and what are the items that are particularly priorities that you can't receive at the moment?

[Other language spoken]

To the first point, medical evacuations, that was very much our hope as well.

That has not been the case.

No is the short answer.

It's still more than 4000 people and I think that around half that, around 2000 children still require medical evacuation.

So if I, if we go back to the, to the boy I spoke to, you know, Abid al Rahman, who I met a few days ago, he, he will lose the sight in that eye and pretend in the other eyes at risk if he doesn't get medical evacuation.

He's been on that list for some time now.

Same with a little girl I saw in chief of hospital, absolutely the same deal and going the other way, not just medical evacuations going out.

So the answer is no, no, no noticeable improvement both on getting children out and approvals and on receiving countries, host countries, European countries taking those children.

A doctor explaining some of the most basic medical equipment that they needed for for newborns at Shifa that have been banned and how some some of the supplies only come in when goodwill people will sneak in a catheter or something for a newborn.

On the good side, you just have to send up set up an ICU for paediatrics in Sheefa.

That's the first time she has ever had that in its history of paediatric ward education.

[Other language spoken]

It's impossible to put in it to to say what is the priority here.

As I said earlier, water and sanitation serves every single sector.

[Other language spoken]

Nutrition is critical.

If you talk to Palestinians, the two things it's homes and education because because so education is central to their recovery.

And for them, it's not about just catching up on learning.

It's dignity, it's identity and it's that better future.

And by that I mean when I've seen water systems, sewerage systems repaired, generators repaired without the parts, that's because of ingenuity, that's because of education.

When I see 30 students graduating at our Shiva hospital to be surgeons, that's their education.

When I see teachers working with very limited supplies, that's because of education.

So every Palestinian knows if they are to recover, it's education.

So Nick, UNICEF, we've got more than 130,000 children into temporary learning spaces.

That's been a remarkable increase.

But there's 700,000 children here.

We need much more.

And to answer your question on supplies, no.

So I sit in a temporary learning space with 14 year old girls who are immaculately dressed, many of whom have incredible English.

And there's three girls to a desk and there's barely a pencil on the desk.

So the most basic school supplies remain restricted.

And I'm talking pencils, pens and notebooks.

And that goes as well for recreation kids.

Recreation kids are about play.

We're talking about the most essential critical materials for children to start to recover from trauma.

When I talk to trauma councils, they're like I say, what are your tools?

Their tools did they say are two-part 1 is like breathing techniques and the other is drawing.

But they don't have paper.

They don't have crayons.

I see children having had a a piece of paper where they've written on both sides and now they're riding on a side again.

So whether it comes recreation kids for trauma or whether it comes education supplies, we keep pushing, the denials keep coming.

[Other language spoken]

I apologise for the noise.

As you know, there's a little bit of a construction.

If it gets to be too much, perhaps we can one ask them to stop temporarily and perhaps also raise the volume a little bit in the room.

[Other language spoken]

Good morning, James and Happy New Year.

Following up on the details you gave us in the beginning of the briefing, Gaza had one Eye Hospital.

Is that not functioning or is it repaired and functioning again?

And secondly, do you have any data how many children have lost their eyesight completely or partially?

[Other language spoken]

I don't know in the Eye Hospital, but we have a brilliant health colleague not far from me.

I'll find out and come straight back to you after this briefing.

And I'm not sure if it's been desegregated that way.

It's a very good question on eye, on eyesight.

Certainly the two wounded children I saw in the last couple of days, both children, it links to Nick's question.

Both children would recover with surgery that they need, but the surgery cannot be done here.

So again, we are still at a point where some basic medical supplies are blocked.

And to link back to your point on eyesight, that includes, you know, that includes also things for hearing aids and that includes, you know, things like wheelchairs.

[Other language spoken]

So there is a long, long way to go, but I'll come back certainly on the Eye Hospital and do my best, John, on numbers around eyesight, just as we tried so long on things like amputations and and injuries in general that will permanently incapacitate a child.

Next up, I've got Gabriella Sotomayor online.

[Other language spoken]

Good morning to all.

[Other language spoken]

Ask this question but I I will try.

You you mentioned that drones and everything are targeting children.

So my question is, is there like a, do you see a like a, a level of interest in kind of ethnic cleansing?

I mean because children if if you kill.

Children, they, they don't grow old and they don't, they are not more, you know.

Palestinians there.

So what?

What is your your comment on that?

[Other language spoken]

Look, UNICEF is very clear on this.

It's impossible for us to to to try and understand the intent.

But it's very difficult at the moment for Palestinians to continue to start to restart their lives, right.

The devastate all the sectors that you know the devastation to homes is unprecedented, 85 to 90% of schools damaged or destroyed and I mentioned earlier why education here is so so in pretty so so critical if there is to be a recovery and we can't get in notebooks and pencils.

And of course the hundred children now is remarkable, of course, because it's another hundred families grieving during a ceasefire for children killed.

But of course it's only added on top of 20,000 the reports of 20,000 girls or boys.

So there are a whole range of factors.

The devastation of agriculture, the devastation of the healthcare system, the famine.

You know, every other week there's been very good news that was talked about late last year that for the first time a minimum food basket, it's like 3 different types of food that children were getting.

That's very, very good news.

It's very good news.

Famine is on retreat, but it simply underlines this was always man made.

As we've said dozens of times, this was always a political decision, this was engineered.

This was not.

This was not a logistical problem.

Once we're allowed to get foodstuffs in, once we're allowed to restart nutritional centres, once we're allowed to get enough emergency nutritional supplies in, then that's the impact it has.

But understand that if you're a two or three-year old child, all, most of your life you've suffered nutritional deprivation and that has lifetime consequences, almost impossible to reverse.

And some of those consequences are around, you know, the, the, the, the intellectual capacity of, of children.

So all those things combined may push somewhere towards the answer you're looking for.

[Other language spoken]

I've got a question from Catherine from Kong Bukonga.

[Other language spoken]

Good morning to all.

Good morning, James and happy New Year.

My question is a following a follow up of John's question regarding children who needs to go under surgery.

Are there children supposed to leave the the the country and be accepted abroad and that are who are not allowed to fly out?

Are you still waiting for authorisations for these children to leave the country with a parent?

[Other language spoken]

And I have spoken even in this last trip to many, many children and families who either, OK, if I think of yesterday, the child will have his leg amputated.

The boy we mentioned today, Abid Al Rahman, he will lose sight in an eye, maybe both.

The girl in chief of hospital may well die.

All three of those are absolute candidates for medical evacuation.

All three of those have so far been denied.

They've been through a formal process.

They have all been denied.

We're probably still around 2000 children who require medical evacuation.

So we've not seen anything near like the improvement we need both in terms of getting them out, utilising the West Bank corridor.

If you need more on that, I think Ricardo can speak to it.

So it's both about medical evacuations have have ebbed and flowed for time.

In the first stages of the war, many children went through Rafa.

Soon as Rafa closed, we saw a 90% reduction.

So the remarkable lack of a child surviving an air strike and the horrors that rings of shrapnel on fire in their home, only then to die from their wounds over weeks because they were banned from leaving.

Then that changed and more children were allowed out.

But because of the Rafa crossing, we were, we weren't seeing countries open their doors, hospital doors and all their hearts.

I'm talking European countries, North America, Australia, that was not happening.

We're still not seeing that to nearly enough.

There are some countries, there are countries like Italy who've taken a relatively large number.

There are many other Western European nations who have taken a grossly inadequate number of children who, quite simply, their lives will be saved, their limbs will be saved, if they could make that fairly straightforward journey.

Yeah, just to add to that, when, when I was last in Gaza, that is what really stayed with me.

The amount of parents outside health clinics or or temporary shelters waving papers showing that they've done everything they.

Could to try and get their children evacuated from Gaza and yet things were not moving and obviously when you have.

Such life threatening injuries as James mentioned on kids across the strip.

And at that time there wasn't a ceasefire everyday counts and and it was just not moving fast enough.

And it's beyond just an issue of opening a crossings like Rafael, as James mentioned, but also political will from from member UN member States and countries to absorb that that that demand and support Palestinian children who are fighting for their lives and and yet cannot get the medical attention they they so desperately need.

Thank you very much both.

Katrina, see your hand is still up.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, thank you, Miguel, for giving me the floor back.

It's regarding the the figure about children waiting for leaving the country.

Or.

Would need to leave the country.

James, you spoke about 2000, you mentioned 2000 children.

Does it mean that 2000 children should leave the country or how many out of them have their exits?

Has the exit been denied?

Refused.

Could you clarify these figures?

[Other language spoken]

So, so medical evacuations is AWHO mandate and they have been, to be quite frank, tireless and brilliant on that.

I've seen what they've done both in terms of going through the crossfire, but also in terms of the bureaucracy.

So I do want to defer to them, but I know it's more than 4000 people have been approved in that process for medical evacuation.

Then whether they are approved to actually leave by the authorities is a different matter of that 4000 and I was trying to find these out, but I believe it's around half.

That means 2000 children have satisfied the criteria for medical evacuation.

Now some of those will have the diseases that we see children suffer and get treated with quite easily in other countries, right?

But the vast majority are are wounds where if they're going to get treated, as they say, they lose an eye, they have an amputation and or they just continue to live in immense pain.

But it is around 2000 who've sufficed, satisfied the criteria and they're now waiting for the approval by the authorities to get out of Gaza and to have a third country to go to.

Thank you very much, James.

I'm looking to see if there are any further questions on this.

[Other language spoken]

We appreciate the stress and strain of your 7th mission in Gaza.

I've got Christian.

Perhaps he wants to come in on this topic since you mentioned WHO.

[Other language spoken]

Yeah, thank you very much, James And James Mayor, thanks for this, for this update.

[Other language spoken]

Few words on the on the evacuation.

Process as it just came up now and.

Let me remind everybody, we also have a press conference with the DG today at 1:30 this afternoon.

But on the on the topic, one thing, before the conflict, before the war, we had 50 to 100 patients evacuated from the Gaza Strip on a daily basis.

[Other language spoken]

The, the, the procedure is extremely complicated.

It's from starting with a medical doctor needs to refer and that needs to certify the the need for an evacuation.

Then people need to send that recommendation to a referral committee.

Finally, this referral committee approves the person and that patient list goes to WHO this list gets submitted.

That's then when people have a referral in hand.

But that's the beginning of the process.

Unfortunately, it goes further.

It needs security clearance at the very end from the Israeli authorities.

It needs a country to pick up the and accept medevac people and patients and their companions.

And that's these last two steps are very often where despite the referral papers in hand, despite the the system in Gaza ready to go and ready to evacuate, we still cannot evacuate patients.

And they did either do not get accepted outside or cannot leave because of the companions for security clearances, what have you.

So the the process extremely tiring and and unfortunately deadly long.

It's a lethal process nearly for some.

We can't speed it up at this point.

Thank you for coming in on that, Christian.

I don't know whether you want to say a little bit more now briefly about the press conference that you mentioned or whether you'll come back later.

If if I'm on, thank you very much, I can do that right away.

Yes, that's the only thing to say.

We have at 1:30 today, so that's already in 2 1/2 hours DG press conference.

You've also seen the invitation and it's also on, especially on health taxes.

Today the 2 reports.

You can have the the reports beforehand.

Many of you have already asked for it.

If you haven't done so, please check with media enquiries for the reports that will be discussed today amongst many other topics.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Christian.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you to Ricardo here in Geneva.

And we're now going to move on to Jeremy Lawrence from the human rights side and got 2 items for us, right?

Thanks, Michaeli, and good morning, everyone.

As you will have seen, the High Commissioner has just issued a statement or is issuing a statement imminently on Iran.

We are horrified by the mounting violence directed by security forces at protesters across Iran, as reports indicate hundreds have been killed and thousands arrested.

The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop.

The labelling of protesters as terrorists to justify violence against them is unacceptable.

We urge the Iranian authorities to halt immediately all forms of violence and repression against peaceful protesters and to restore full access to the Internet and telecommunications services.

As we saw most recently in 2022, broad sections of the Iranian population have taken to the streets demanding fundamental changes in the governance of their country.

And once again, the Authority's reaction is to inflict brutal force to repress legitimate demands for change.

This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue.

The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard.

All killings, violence against protesters, and other human rights violations must be investigated in line with international human rights norms and standards, and those responsible held to account.

Several hospitals are reportedly overwhelmed by the number of casualties, including children.

Nationwide Internet and telecommunication shutdowns are one of the main challenges to full verification.

There are reports indicating that members of security forces have also been killed.

It is also extremely worrying to see public statements by some judicial officials indicating the possibility of the death penalty being used against protesters through expedited judicial proceedings.

The High Commissioner stresses that Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully their grievances need to be heard and addressed and not instrumentalised by anyone.

Thank you, Jeremy, you expect there might be some questions on that?

I see a couple in the room.

I think Jeremy first want to go ahead.

[Other language spoken]

Jeremy, right there.

Was wondering, I know communications have been cut, but has your office been able to verify any of the figures around the casualties?

And the second question will be, has your office been asking the Iranian authorities access to Iran lately?

Starting with your first question, yes, we have problems verifying information, namely because two reasons our office doesn't have direct access to Iran.

Secondly, because of the Internet shutdown.

Now, from what I've heard this morning is that to an extent there has been a partial restoration of telephone services, but the there's still serious issues with the with the Internet.

With respect to our office, yes, we are in touch with the Iranians over this, as we have been in the past.

Similarly with respect to the 22 protests following the the killing of Massa Amini.

And we will continue to engage with them.

[Other language spoken]

Of course.

[Other language spoken]

Just to repeat the question please for my colleague, have you verified any of the deaths yourselves?

I I know you have difficulties, but have you confirmed any and how many?

And do you have any details of mass arrests as well?

[Other language spoken]

So just to more or less repeat what I'd said to Jeremy is that we're getting information from various sources on the ground.

These are reliable sources.

The, the, the number that we're hearing is hundreds and that's what's been reported.

I cannot give you a precise verified number.

That's not possible.

We're just not in a position to do that, I'm afraid.

Sorry.

With respect to arrests, yes, we're there are thousands of, of arrests have taken place.

That's what we're hearing the same, you're probably hearing the same from your sources on the ground in Iran as well.

Obviously, the the concern is, you'll recall after the 22 protests that there was the threat of the death penalty being imposed against those who participated in the protests.

In fact, since those protests in in 2022, at least 12 people have been executed directly in connection with those protests.

That is our concern at this stage as well.

[Other language spoken]

So we'll go to Alexander in the room for AFP and then to set to go online.

[Other language spoken]

The United States has stated its readiness to intervene in Iran.

What would be your thoughts on these threats and the potential consequences of such an intervention?

First and foremost, as the High Commissioner said in his statement, there is concern that it's been instrumentalized the the protests and, and it shouldn't be instrumentalized by anyone when it comes to human rights.

It's protect the the right to protest peacefully.

And we'll say that you've heard aside here hundreds of times.

So nothing changes.

And that should be respected by Iran.

The excessive use of force in in respect to the protest is, you know, a violation of international law.

We would like to think the best way forward for for this is dialogue, obviously, and for the people of Iran to who have got legitimate grievances, for their grievances to be heard and to be able to express them peacefully in demonstrations or otherwise.

[Other language spoken]

And then we'll go to Jamie in the room.

Yes, thank you very much for doing this.

You said there are reports indicating that the other members of security forces have also been killed.

Do you know the the number of the security forces who are killed and injured?

And secondly, who have been actually attacking the security forces?

As you said, Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully.

[Other language spoken]

I, I'm, I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you because I can't give you precise numbers, verified numbers.

The Iranian authorities have said a number of their security forces have been killed during the process of the demonstrations.

[Other language spoken]

There have been reports.

Of an opening of some phone lines out of Iran today, calls getting out.

Just wondering if you could sort of qualify that in terms of your efforts to collect information about what's going on.

Is that giving you an opening to get greater information flow from Iran given that the Internet situation is still very patchy?

[Other language spoken]

Yes, we've heard the same reports that the telephone services.

A, a limited up online Internet, not so much so, but these are, it's, it's crucial to communicate mostly also to the outside world and to, to communicate with organisations like ours or other human rights organisations.

But most importantly for the, for the people of Iran to be able to communicate amongst themselves.

I, I guess many of them are, are, are frightened themselves and they want to check and know the whereabouts of their loved ones.

So to that extent it's crucially important, but much more needs to be done to to ensure the Internet is back online.

[Other language spoken]

Question about the violence used by US security forces against protesters in some U.S.

[Other language spoken]

And do you have any information about the situation of this?

[Other language spoken]

Musa, sorry to interrupt.

I think Jeremy will take that question, but he'll he's got another item.

So I think we'll finish up with Iran, then we'll move to Sri Lanka.

And then it's not we can part.

[Other language spoken]

I'm sorry.

[Other language spoken]

It wasn't clear to me at the beginning.

[Other language spoken]

Any more questions on Iran, going once, going twice?

No, I think your next item then on Sri Lanka.

Thanks for your patience.

A paper published by the UN Human Rights Office this morning highlights the conflict related sexual violence in Sri Lanka remains largely unaddressed with survivors, both men and women, still being denied long overdue justice.

Titled We Lost Everything, even Hope for Justice, the brief is based on a decade of monitoring and reporting by the UN Human Rights Office and extensive consultations with survivors, local experts on gender based violence, civil society and others.

It concludes that the Government of Sri Lanka must urgently follow through on its commitment to advance domestic accountability and undertake transformative reforms.

With specific attention to this issue.

The document finds that the lack of accountability, acknowledgement and reparations for gross human rights violations and wartime crimes have created a legacy of impunity that continues to shape the lives of survivors today.

Many victims from the conflict, which ended in 2009, continue to suffer chronic physical injuries, infertility, psychological breakdowns, and suicidal thoughts.

Survivors and their representatives described an enduring climate of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment, contributing to underreporting deep stigma and the near absence of effective remedies.

Sexual violence in conflict constitutes a serious violation of international law, which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.

Sri Lanka is legally obligated under multiple international treaties and commitments to prevent, investigate and prosecute such violations and ensure reparation for survivors.

The paper highlights how militarisation and emergency legal frameworks have created an environment in which gender based violence, including sexual violence, continued to be reported after the conflict.

Beyond the shocking cruelty of the abuses, including rape, sexual mutilation, forced nudity and public degradation described by survivors, many felt that such attacks were intended to cause lasting trauma and breakdown communities.

As one survivor put it, sexual violence is a torture that never stops.

The paper finds that stigma extends to their families, and children born of rape have been labelled and discriminated against.

Communities remain fractured by silence, fear and unresolved trauma.

It calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate and concrete steps to publicly acknowledge past sexual violence committed by state forces and others, and to issue a formal apology.

It should also implement survivors centred reforms across the security sector, judiciary and the legal framework, establish an independent prosecution office and ensure access to psychological and social support.

UN human rights chief Walker Turk says recognition, truth, accountability and reparations are critical to restoring dignity to survivors and advancing reconciliation and healing in Sri Lanka.

[Other language spoken]

Sexual violence is a torture that never stops.

We'll, we'll just take a, a pause there to let that sink in.

I'm going to see if there are any questions on on Sri Lanka and I see a hand up Nick, go ahead.

[Other language spoken]

Jeremy, are we to understand that it sexual violence has stopped?

Can you say categorically it has stopped or is it still continuing?

It's been associated very much with the police in the past as well.

[Other language spoken]

Sexual violence, this report specifically is referring to sexual violence in relation to the conflict, Nick.

So sexual violence we have documented in the past and in in fact, the High Commissioner referred to this during his visit to to Sri Lanka last year.

[Other language spoken]

I'm looking to see if there's any more questions on Sri Lanka.

If not Moussa, perhaps you'd like to repeat your question and then and and see if for for Jeremy, I assume.

[Other language spoken]

Gabriella, do you have a question on Sri Lanka or is it on another subject?

Hi Ben, is is on another subject.

OK, So let's go to Moussa and then we'll come to you.

[Other language spoken]

Well, my question.

About the violence used by US security forces against protesters in some US city like Minneapolis, Do you have any information about the number?

Of detainees or NGOs?

And do you have any information about the situation of the Venezuelan president who was kidnapped by the United States?

[Other language spoken]

On your the the second question, I don't have anything further to to add apart from what we said in the past with respect to your first question and the violence.

And I guess you're referring more specifically to Minneapolis.

Under international human rights law, the international use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life.

We take note of the FBI investigation and insist on the need for prompt, independent and transparent investigation into the killing of Miss Goode.

We urge all authorities to take measures to de escalate tensions and refrain from incitement to violence.

[Other language spoken]

I think Jamie wanted to come in on that.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you, Moussa for the question.

Following up on that, you say that the use of lethal force is only permissible as a, as a measure of last resort, I guess, an individual representing an imminent threat to life.

What is the assessment of the UN Human Rights Office about whether there was an imminent threat to life or not in this case?

Jamie, that wouldn't be really for us to make a a judgement call on.

What we have said quite categorically is there needs to be an independent and prompt investigation into this.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, thank you very much, Michele.

[Other language spoken]

Do you have a comment on the situation of the people inside Venezuela?

Because I heard that the new President, Delci Rodriguez.

Said that everyone that says something against the government will be detained.

Is that accurate?

Do you have a comment on that?

And also what about Edmundo Gonzalez, who was elected president in the elections of 2024?

I mean, he's the the the president of the country.

[Other language spoken]

It's is there.

[Other language spoken]

If you have comments.

[Other language spoken]

The second question I, I would actually point you probably to New York.

I think that's more of a political question that they can they can take.

With respect to your first question, I, I guess the the answer is simple, Lee, that the people of Venezuela should be entitled to live in peace and go about their lives with with all due respect for their human rights.

Obviously, there has been the the people of Venezuela have struggled over years and we would like to think that there that there is progress in in helping them transform their lives from from and to avoid the misery that they've experienced for so long.

[Other language spoken]

I don't see any other questions.

[Other language spoken]

Sorry, Jeremy, I just wanted to could you just.

Re read your.

Statement because about in response to Moussa's question because it sounded like you said the international use of lethal force.

I think what you meant to say was intentional so could could you clarify that for me?

[Other language spoken]

You are absolutely right if that's what I said.

So under the under international human rights law, the intentional use of lethal force is only permissible as a measure of last resort against an individual representing an imminent threat to life.

Thanks for that, Jamie.

Gabrielle, I don't know if is that an old hand or a new hand.

[Other language spoken]

Maybe this is for for OCHA, but.

I I heard reports that in in Venezuela are 8 million of people in need of humanitarian assistance and.

The.

Government doesn't allow any humanitarian organisation to come in, not the media, international media to come in.

So if OTA has something to say about this issue, thank you so much or.

[Other language spoken]

Yes, 8,000,000 is what we have in our response plan of people who are in need of humanitarian support at the moment.

There are humanitarian organisations already in Venezuela and they are responding as I speak and we actually have fairly good access across the country to do as we have done in the past and that we hope to continue in the course of of this year.

I think as I, as I mentioned last time, these are very of course dramatic political developments, but the everyday living situation, humanitarian situation for these 8 million people haven't changed that dramatically.

So it's very important that we can stay and continue to deliver.

[Other language spoken]

Before we let Jeremy go, perhaps we'll have him.

Here's an announcement to make about Sudan.

So let's have him do that and then we'll go to Ukraine.

[Other language spoken]

You will have seen yesterday we issued an advisory.

This is before the High Commissioner heads to Sudan.

He departs tomorrow.

He will be in Sudan from until the 18th of January.

During the visit, he's scheduled to meet with authorities in Port Sudan as well as civil society representatives and the UN country team.

He will also visit the northern state, including Al Afad gathering site and engage with people displaced by the conflict in Darfur and Kodafan and with he will also meet with humanitarian partners.

[Other language spoken]

And over to Jens for the launch of the 2026 UN coordinated humanitarian response plan in Ukraine, which I believe is going on right now.

Yes, thank you very much, Chairman Killian.

Good morning, everyone.

As we are right now this morning working to confirm the reports that we are receiving about another round of deadly Russian strikes overnight that reportedly has hit Kiev, Khakif and Odessa and possibly other locations.

We are right now launching in Kiev the United Nations coordinator to monetary response plan for 2026.

And we're doing this, of course, in collaboration with the government.

It's a plan that complements the government's own support and with our many humanitarian partners in Ukraine.

And indeed, it is live stream right now and I can see it is ongoing.

So the electricity cuts that we hear from these overnight attacks in Kiev has apparently not yet at least hit the launch.

So you can follow that on UN web TV.

As the war in Ukraine grinds on and soon enters its fifth year, humanitarian partners aim to reach 4.1 million people this year with life saving support and that includes food, healthcare, shelter, protection, cash assistance as well as other types of aid.

Overall, an estimated 10.8 million people across Ukraine will require humanitarian assistance this year, including internally displaced people of whom there are 3.7 million, and others affected by the war.

To realise this plan, we and our partners are asking for 2.3 billion U.S.

dollars this year.

Frontline areas and northern border regions face the highest humanitarian needs due to the shelling, destruction of civilian infrastructure and persistent disruption to essential services that people rely on to get through winter.

That's power, that's heating, that's water.

We have particular concern, of course, of people living in territories occupied by the Russian Federation because they remain largely cut off from essential services and protection systems.

As I mentioned, widespread disruptions to power and heating during extreme winter conditions.

And we're talking -10° and some places are creating a crisis within a crisis and pushing people to the breaking point.

Humanitarian assistance is delivered to complement the national response and national and local organisations alongside their international partners, including the UN.

They play a central role in this response, often the first to act in the most difficult and dangerous conditions.

The full plan is now available online and I will share the link in a in an e-mail to you just after the briefing.

[Other language spoken]

Hi, regarding the people living in the occupied territories by Russia, do they have access to the humanitarian aid or do you know how is their situation different from the other territories?

It is different because these are, as you know, contested areas.

For the United Nations, this is still Ukraine.

For the Russian Federation, it's not Ukraine.

So there are issues at that level.

And at the moment we do not have the access as United Nations as we would like to see because you know, as I mentioned, there's a million people there that we believe are in need of humanitarian assistance that they are currently not getting.

There are some NGOs that are operating there, but not at a scale that that is required.

[Other language spoken]

Going to give that a moment to see if there are any more questions on Ukraine for Yen.

[Other language spoken]

Thanks very much.

He's relieved and we'll I think, I hope, I'm hoping Claire Nollis is still online because she had an announcement to make.

There she is.

[Other language spoken]

The floor is yours.

[Other language spoken]

Happy New Year to everybody.

It's just a quick announcement to say the both Meteorological Organisation tomorrow, the 14th of January, we will be issuing a press release on the consolidated global temperature figure for 2025.

We're doing this in conjunction with eight data set providers that includes the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, includes EU, KS Met Office, NASA, NOAA, Japan Meteorological Agency, and and and.

Well, three others that that's just to give you.

An indication we're getting a lot of media enquiries about it.

Copernicus for Europe have already.

Issued.

Their figures under under embargo, so and their embargo will lift at 4:00 AM tomorrow.

The WMO press release will be under embargo until 3:00 PM Geneva time tomorrow afternoon.

And the reason for this is that we coordinate with NASA and NOAA and so, you know, we have to be bound by by by their time frame and they will be issuing their respective releases at at 9 AMUS time tomorrow just to explain, you know.

All the data.

Sets have slightly different methodologies.

So they, you know, we all have slightly different, different, different figures, which is why the WMO issues this, you know, this combined press release.

They're just so decision makers can have, you know, 1 consolidated figure to, to work from.

So we'll try, it's been a bit of a last minute scramble just because we only got the data in late last night, but we will try and issue it under embargo ahead of time.

Might not have time for translations, but certainly in English.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

I don't see any questions on that.

If there's nothing further.

No, if there's nothing further, well, I've got just some announcements regarding, as you know, probably those of you follow the treaty bodies of the human rights pillar.

The Committee on the Rights of the Child resumed this week.

They're meeting at Pallie Wilson and they've reviewed the Maldives.

I believe it's Ghana today.

The review of Uganda has been cancelled.

Other countries are under review or Pakistan, Ethiopia, Colombia, Spain, Malaysia and Malaysia.

So I think if there are no further questions, I know some of you are covering the WHODGS press conference this afternoon at 1:30 and so we'll wrap it up there.

Thanks very much.