Gaza, Yemen, Ethiopia & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (30 Nov 2023) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
- Secretary-General 
- Gaza
- Yemen
- Mali
- Ethiopia
- Ukraine
- Taxes
- Kissinger
- Victims of Chemical Warfare 
- Briefing Tomorrow
GAZA
The humanitarian pause has now entered its seventh consecutive day.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that it has enabled a major increase in the delivery of basic supplies into and across Gaza, primarily by the Egyptian and Palestinian Red Crescent Societies and UN agencies. However, as the Secretary-General told the Security Council yesterday, the level of aid “remains completely inadequate to meet the huge needs of more than two million people.”
Yesterday, UN agencies delivered lifesaving medicines and surgical supplies to two hospitals in Gaza city - Al Ahli and Al Sahaba - which are estimated to be sufficient to meet the urgent health needs of 100 patients at each facility. The two hospitals also received a total 10,500 litres of fuel, enough to operate generators for about seven days.
Despite the pause, there has been almost no improvement in the access of residents in the north to water, as most of the main water production facilities remain shut down, due to the lack of fuel and some also due to damages.
Enhanced aid distribution, including fuel to hospitals, water and sanitation facilities, and IDP shelters, also continued in areas south of Wadi Gaza, where the vast majority of IDPs are staying. Cooking gas, which has been entering daily from Egypt since the start of the pause, has been available in the market at one distribution centre in Khan Younis, but in quantities well below demand.
Yesterday, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, reiterated his concern about the high risk of infectious diseases in IDP shelters, attributing this to severe overcrowding and the disruption of health, water, and sanitation systems. He noted that more than 111,000 cases of acute respiratory infection, 36,000 cases of diarrhoea in children under five, and 24,000 cases of skin rash had been recorded since the start of the crisis.

YEMEN
The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, met today in the Saudi Arabian capital with the Minister of Defense, Prince Khalid Bin Salman.
In Riyadh, he discussed with the Saudi official the progress towards an agreement between the parties to the conflict in Yemen on improving the living conditions of Yemenis, reaching a sustainable nationwide ceasefire, and resuming an inclusive, Yemeni-Yemeni political process under UN auspices.
Mr. Grundberg stressed the need for continued concerted regional support to Yemen on the path towards sustainable peace and a future that meets the aspirations of all Yemenis.


ETHIOPIA
The Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that an estimated 1.5 million people in Ethiopia have been impacted by flooding since late October. More than 600,000 people have been displaced.
The most affected regions include Somali, South East, Gambela, Oromia, Afar and Sidama. The Somali region alone accounts for 80 per cent of those affected.
The floods have caused extensive damage to crops, livestock and vital infrastructure. Houses, shops, schools and agricultural lands are submerged. Additionally, there is a rise in health risks with increased cases of cholera, malaria, and dengue fever.
Many people are still grappling with five consecutive seasons of severe droughts in the Horn of Africa.
Earlier this week from November 24 to November 26, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, and the head of the Ethiopian Disaster Risk Management Commission, together with UN and NGO representatives, visited areas affected by the floods to assess the situation and explore how to scale up relief efforts.
The UN and partners are supporting the Government response and providing food, shelter, water and sanitation, as well as logistics support – but the assistance is insufficient.
In addition to stepped-up logistical capacity, we also need increased funding beyond the immediate humanitarian response to support communities to adapt to climate change.
This year’s Humanitarian Response Plan for Ethiopia, calling for nearly $4 billion, is one third funded at $1.3 billion.
Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=30+November+2023

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