UN Daily Press Briefing: South Sudan, DRC, Gaza, and Global Affairs

UN Secretary-General's Town Hall

• 💡 The Secretary-General held a global town hall with UN staff, thanking them for their service and encouraging perseverance amidst political and budget pressures.
• 🌍 He emphasized the UN's increased relevance and demand, urging staff to focus on fundamentals and highlighting the need for donor contributions and member state dues.

South Sudan Crisis

• ⚠️ The UN is deeply concerned about the alarming situation in South Sudan, particularly the detention of First Vice President Riek Machar.
• 🕊️ The peacekeeping mission urges all parties to exercise restraint, uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and resolve grievances to prevent a descent into civil war.
• 🆘 With 9.3 million people needing humanitarian assistance, conflict, climate, and economic crises push many to the brink of survival.

Sudan Humanitarian Situation

• 🚨 Humanitarian colleagues are monitoring shifts in Khartoum, receiving alarming reports of reprisals against civilians by armed groups.
• ⚖️ The UN reiterates that civilians are not targets and calls for adherence to international humanitarian and human rights laws, with perpetrators held accountable.
• 🚚 The World Food Programme distributed 1,200 metric tons of food to 100,000 people in Khartoum, marking the first aid delivery to specific areas since recent hostilities.
• 🏠 Nearly 400,000 internally displaced people have returned to their homes, but many face a lack of basic services; displacement has increased in other states due to insecurity.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Challenges

• peacekeeping mission in the DRC continues efforts to implement its mandate, calling for an unconditional ceasefire and a political solution for lasting peace in the east.
• 💔 Local partners report an increase in sexual violence, abductions, and killings in South Kivu, with victims fearing retaliation.
• ⚔️ Armed clashes in the DRC have temporarily blocked humanitarian access, though operations have resumed; humanitarian workers face high risks, with 11 killed since January.
• 🦠 OCHA is concerned about the accelerating spread of cholera in eastern DRC, with outbreaks declared in four provinces and a high case fatality rate in Monma province.
• 📈 A new IPC analysis documents the highest number of acutely food-insecure people ever recorded in the DRC.

Occupied Palestinian Territory (Gaza)

• 📉 The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen rapidly, with intensified hostilities hindering life-saving support.
• 🚑 Ambulances and their crews have been targeted, and civilians remain trapped due to ongoing hostilities, with efforts to organize safe passage underway.
• ⛺ Displacement orders now cover 18% of Gaza's territory, with newly displaced people urgently needing food, water, medicine, and shelter.
• 🚫 The complete closure of cargo crossings, including for humanitarian aid, coupled with hostilities, makes aid delivery increasingly challenging.
• 🆘 Hundreds of thousands are at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition as humanitarian stocks dwindle and crossings remain closed.
• 🏥 Gaza's health system is in freefall, with critical shortages of blood, anesthesia, and vaccines due to a sharp increase in trauma cases.

Haiti's Deteriorating Situation

• 📈 The humanitarian situation in Port-au-Prince continues to deteriorate due to ongoing violence by armed groups, hindering humanitarian work.
• 👩‍👧‍👦 UNFPA reports that safe spaces for women and girls remain open, but activities are reduced due to violence.
• 💰 The 2024 humanitarian response plan requires over $900 million but is only financed at 5%, with food security, protection, and water/sanitation as pressing needs.

Other Topics

• ⚾ The briefing noted the opening day of the baseball season and Edie Letter's birthday.
• 🇨🇷 Costa Rica was recognized for making conservation a national priority, with 28% of its land protected.
• 🇺🇳 84 member states have fully paid their budget dues.
• ❓ A quiz was posed about a country prioritizing conservation, with Costa Rica identified as the correct answer.
• 🇺🇸 Concerns were raised about potential US tariffs on imported auto cars and parts, with the UN emphasizing the importance of resolving trade issues through constructive engagement.
• 🚢 No updates were provided on the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
• 🗣️ The UN reiterated its call for a ceasefire, release of hostages, and massive humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza.
• ❓ Questions were raised regarding the possibility of an observer state leading the General Assembly presidency and potential delays in a US ambassador appointment.
• ❓ A question about US contributions to the World Trade Organization was deferred to the WTO.
• 🗣️ The UN stands by the work of its peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, acknowledging the dangers faced by peacekeepers.
• 🔒 The UN acknowledges that no communication method is entirely safe from surveillance.
• 📰 Support for journalists and media diversity was expressed.