Yemen/ Israel, Palestine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (30 December 2024) | United Nations

Noon briefing by Florencia Soto Nino-Martinez, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

Highlights:
Secretary-General’s Message for New Year
Yemen/Israel
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Syria
Syria/Humanitarian
Lebanon
Mozambique
Republic of Korea
James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr
Financial Contribution

Secretary-General’s Message for New Year
The Secretary-General said that throughout 2024, hope has been hard to find.
Wars are causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement. Inequalities and divisions are rife — fueling tensions and mistrust. The Secretary-General also reported that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat, with the top ten 10 hottest years on record.
This is climate breakdown — in real time, he said.
We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose, he stressed, adding that even in the darkest days, he has seen hope power change.
There are no guarantees for what’s ahead in 2025, he said, and pledged to stand with all those who are working to forge a more peaceful, equal, stable and healthy future for all people.


Yemen/Israel
This morning, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, briefed the Security Council about the hostilities between Israel and the Houthis which have taken an escalatory turn over the past weeks.
Mr. Khiari reiterated the Secretary-General’s grave concern about the intensified escalation and echoed his calls that international law, including humanitarian law as applicable, must be respected by all parties. He also appealed to all to respect and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Mr. Khiari warned that further military escalation could jeopardize regional stability, with adverse political, security, economic and humanitarian repercussions.

Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that the very means of people’s survival are being dismantled. This includes an onslaught on health care, emergency services and humanitarian access alongside relentless attacks that kill and maim civilians by the hour.
The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, where said that Kamal Adwan Hospital of North Gaza is now out of service. He said that this follows the raid, forced patient and staff evacuation and the detention of the facility’s director on Friday.
Yesterday, OCHA, WHO, the World Food Programme, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and the UN Department for Safety and Security, delivered basic medical and hygiene supplies, food and water to critical patients, caregivers and staff who were evacuated from Kamal Adwan to the Indonesian hospital in North Gaza that is non-functional.
OCHA said that ten patients were evacuated from the hospital, four of whom were arrested by Israeli forces at the checkpoint leaving the area. Seven patients along with 15 caregivers and health workers remain at the facility, which is severely damaged and has no ability to provide medical care. The team reported that the hospital has no water, electricity or sanitation.
Yesterday’s mission to North Gaza was exceptional because most of our attempts – over 150 since October – have been denied by the Israeli authorities. Even the few that were initially agreed to have faced heavy impediments.
Between Friday and Sunday, three of the four attempts to access the area were denied by Israeli authorities. Only this one was let through but faced major impediments. OCHA emphasizes that it should not require breaking a siege to help survivors in critical need. Aid workers must be granted safe and unhindered access to assist people wherever they are.
Armed looting also continues. Two incidents recorded over the past three days in southern Gaza have affected dozens of truckloads of supplies and further exposed drivers to serious risks.
Meanwhile, fighting and Israeli restrictions on commercial and other imports also persist. And these continue to dangerously paralyze the humanitarian operation, at a time when families urgently need more food, shelter materials, and clothing to survive the bad weather.

Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/ossg...