UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Rolando Gómez, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section at the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons and representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 

Ukraine human rights report 

Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), informed that today the OHCHR was publishing a new report on Ukraine, which covered key human rights developments from 1 June to 31 August 2024, during which civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure had significantly increased. With 589 civilians killed and 2,685 injured, there had been a 45 percent increase in casualties on the previous three months. The deadliest single day had been 8 July when a large-scale coordinated missile attack by the Russian Federation left at least 43 civilians dead. As of 31 August, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine had verified that conflict-related violence had killed 11,743 civilians and injured 24,614 in Ukraine since 24 February 2022. 

During the reporting period, Russian armed forces had continued to target energy infrastructure across Ukraine, said Ms. Throssell, affecting essential services and deepening concerns about the plight of the civilian population with winter approaching. Those trends continued into September. Regarding prisoners of war, the report, based on hundreds of interviews, details how Russian authorities have subjected Ukrainian POWs to widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment. A range of factors indicated that supervisors in the detention facilities were aware of this treatment and had the ability to prevent it. Some public figures in the Russian Federation had explicitly encouraged inhumane treatment, and even killing, of Ukrainian POWs. The report also assessed that that Russian POWs had been subjected to torture or ill-treatment by Ukrainian forces during initial stages of captivity. 

Danielle Bell, head of the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), speaking from Kyiv, said that since February 2022 her team had interviewed close to 400 released Ukrainian prisoners of war and over 200 Russian prisoners of war (POWs). Their findings showed that the Russian authorities had systematically subjected Ukrainian prisoners of war to mistreatment and torture. The Ukrainian POWs had described sleep deprivations, electrical shocks, and degrading treatment; 68 percent had also reported sexual violence. The abuses were reported in both the occupied territory and the Russian Federation, showing systematic patterns. Conditions in detention facilities were generally described as poor; ten Ukrainian POWs were reported to have died in detention due to the conditions and inadequate health care. Furthermore, prominent Russian public figures had frequently called for execution of Ukrainian POWs, noted Ms. Bell. When external figures had visited the internment sites, torture and mistreatment would stop, she said. There was an overall climate of impunity. On the other hand, over half of the interviewed Russian POWs had reported mistreatment, severe beatings, threats of violence and sexual violence, mostly in the early stages of their capture. HRMMU’s teams continued to have unimpeded access to POW detention sites inside Ukraine, said Ms. Bell. Accountability for abuses remained essential and ending torture remained an imperative, stressed Ms. Bell.

The report also looked into Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and the impact on civilians. Between March and August 2024, Russia had launched nine waves of large attacks primarily targeting energy infrastructure; some sites had been attacked repeatedly until they were destroyed. Some nine gigawatts of production capacity had been destroyed, leading to energy deficit and reliance on imports. This had affected provision of basic services, disproportionately affecting poorer and more vulnerable categories. Rolling blackouts were expected in the upcoming winter. A 45 percent increase in civilian casualties had been recorded compared to the previous reporting period, said Ms. Bell. 

The report can be accessed here. 

Responding to questions from the media, Ms. Bell reiterated that the HRMMU had unrestricted access to POW detention sites in Ukraine. A very open dialogue continued with the Ukrainian authorities on where to make improvements. The prosecutor office of Ukraine had commenced an investigation into five alleged cases of torture. More than half of interviewed Russian POWs had experienced torture or ill-treatment, said Ms. Bell, which had taken place primarily in the initial stages of their captivity, after which it had largely stopped. The scope and scale of torture in Russia and the occupied territories of Ukraine were different, she explained: this was happening not just in a few locations or on random occasions, but for the duration of the internment. In advance of visits by external authorities, torture would stop and food rations would increase, which indicated that those running the facilities had been aware that what they were doing was wrong. Every perpetrator needed to be held accountable. On another question, Ms. Bell said that the OHCHR had recorded 12 civilian deaths in the Kursk region of Russia, following Ukraine’s incursion. OHCHR had requested access to these areas, as well as to the occupied territories, which would allow them to look into the exact circumstances of certain attacks. Possible attacks against nuclear facilities were a matter of concern. OHCHR was worried about the upcoming winter; if the attacks against the energy infrastructure continued, blackouts could intensify. Ms. Bell explained that the HRMMU would interview Ukrainian POWs in the weeks after their release, usually while they were recovering in hospitals; HRMMU visited Russian POWs in the places of detention, but it did not have access to POWs inside Russia. 

Conflict in Lebanon

Jens Laerke, for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), informed that the UN and humanitarian partners in Lebanon had just launched, with the Government, a three-months Flash Appeal to address the rapidly escalating humanitarian needs in the country. The appeal aimed to support one million people with humanitarian assistance. The ask to international donors was USD 426 million. Since mid-September, Lebanon had experienced an unprecedented surge in casualties and displacement. In just the past two weeks, more than 1,000 people had lost their lives and over 6,000 had been injured. There were today an estimated one million people directly affected or displaced by the crisis, according to the Lebanese authorities.

UN and NGO partners were already responding with food, nutrition for children, water, and essential supplies such as mattresses and hygiene and emergency health kits. Distribution was taking place especially in collective sites housing displaced families. The appeal aimed to rapidly reinforce and scale up these essential services in support of the Government-led response. The full appeal can be found here. Mr. Laerke said that OCHA urged all parties top respect international humanitarian law and engage in immediate de-escalation to prevent further loss of life and suffering. It was feared that with the ground invasion, the situation could get event worse. It was easy to break and hurt people, but rebuilding some sort of normality took time and money. De-escalation was needed now. 

Replying to questions, Mr. Laerke said that further internal displacement was to be expected. There were an estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees, along with Palestinian and other refugees spread out in the country. OCHA’s appeal looked at the totality of the needs in the country. Getting UN staff in and out of the country was not an immediate concern, he explained. Mr. Laerke, in a response to another question, said that the humanitarian appeal for Gaza and the West Bank was currently 49 percent funded. Rolando Gómez, for the UN Information Service, said that the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, continued to adapt to deliver on the mission’s mandate, and stood ready to facilitate any diplomatic efforts. Peacekeepers’ safety and security were paramount, and all parties were reminded of their duty to respect this. UN believed that the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) remained the best way forward. Referring to a statement from UNIFIL, he added that despite the dangerous developments in the region, peacekeepers remained in position.

Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the OHCHR was gravely concerned by the widening hostilities in the Middle East and their potential to engulf the entire region in a humanitarian and human rights catastrophe. The prospects that the situation might deteriorate further with terrible impact on civilians, and that it could rapidly expand to embroil other States in the region, are real. With armed violence between Israel and Hezbollah boiling over, the consequences for civilians had already been terrible. Israeli strikes in Lebanon had reportedly killed over 1,000 people in the past two weeks alone. Hundreds of thousands had also been displaced in Lebanon, alongside those recently fleeing into Syria, and over 60,000 had been displaced in Israel since Hezbollah’s escalation of missile fire from 8 October the year before.

All parties to the conflict had to clearly distinguish between military targets and civilians and civilian objects in the way they conducted hostilities. They needed to do all they could to protect the lives of civilians, their homes, and the infrastructure essential to their daily existence, as clearly required by international humanitarian law. The High Commissioner urged all parties to pursue negotiations to end the current path of destruction and violence that shows no end in sight. He reminded everyone to ensure accountability of those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law that had taken place or were ongoing, whoever the perpetrators might be, and to ensure justice for the victims.

Full statement is available here. 

Replying to a question on the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, Ms. Throssell said that this had sent shockwaves across the region. OHCHR was concerned about the impact on innocent civilians, which was the foremost concern for the UN Human Rights Office. The Office could not directly on this specific attack, but it was questionable whether the size of the bombs used was in line with the principle of proportionality. 

Cristhian Cortez, head of delegation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for Lebanon, speaking from Beirut, started by saying that his own brother-in-law had been killed while working for Lebanese Civil Defense. This was just one of the million histories of fear and trauma in Lebanon. The current escalation came on the top of the severe economic crisis when 75 percent of the population were living under the poverty line. The Lebanese Red Cross had been at the front line of the emergency response from the first day. They were the first primary responders of the emergency services in the country, working 24/7 in the transportation and evacuations of the injured around the country, especially in the south. Since the escalation, they had responded to thousands of medical emergencies, provided critical care, and distributed food and essential supplies to displaced families. IFRC had dedicated CHF two million out of its emergency funds, but its CHF 51 million appeal for Lebanon was only four percent funded. International support was thus urgently needed. Some 80,000 people had now fled from Lebanon to Syria, including returning Syrian nationals and Lebanese refugees. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent was actively responding to this influx, working at the border, providing urgent medical care, relief supplies and shelter. They were deploying as well mobile health units and emergency medical teams to assist the people in need.

Mr. Cortez stressed that today more than ever Lebanon needed support from the international community. All parties in the conflict had to respect international humanitarian law. Humanitarian workers and civilians should not be targeted. Humanitarian response to Lebanese crisis could not continue without steady international support. 

Humanitarian situation in Gaza

Louise Wateridge, for the United Nations Reliefs and Works Agency (UNRWA), speaking from Amman, provided examples of her colleague’s daughter was born in Gaza City on 31 October last year, amid relentless bombing. Another colleague’s four-year-old daughter had been shot in the neck and died in her father’s arms while trying to flee Gaza City. At least 11,000 children had been reported killed in the last 12 months, although the exact number was presumed higher, because many were still buried under the rubble. She then spoke of her colleague Abdallah, a photographer, who had been hit in a strike while documenting north Gaza, both his legs had to be amputated. 

Twelve months into this war, Ms. Wateridge said that 1.9 million people had been displaced, a reported 41,000 people had been killed, 63 percent of buildings had been damaged or destroyed… but she could not quantify the horrors that people had endured relentlessly for 12 months. She could not fully portray the fear instilled upon an entire population, every hour, of every day. She could not share the overwhelming smell of blood in hospitals surrounding doctors in despair, unable to save countless children. The situation in Gaza was as bad as it had ever been. An immediate ceasefire was needed, along with the return of hostages, and safe and sustained delivery of aid, to give families a chance to rebuild their lives, stressed Ms. Wateridge. 

Floods in Nepal

Azmat Ulla, Head of the country office of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) for Nepal, speaking from Kathmandu, said that the current floods in Nepal were unprecedented. For more than two days it had rained without a pause. The human toll was profound not only with lives lost but entire communities being cut off from the rest of the country due to landslides and destroyed infrastructure. In Kathmandu alone, over 3,600 people had been rescued, and many had lost not just their homes but their entire livelihoods. Access to essential resources, such as fresh water, would be a challenge. And even when the floodwaters receded, there could be a major outbreak of dengue. There were still many villages which are isolated due to impassable roads and broken bridges. The Red Cross had been coordinating with the local authorities to clean roads and access people in need, and these efforts were making a difference. The Red Cross was preparing for a long-term recovery. As the nation faced an increasing threat of climate change, preparedness within communities was the key, stressed Ms. Ulla. Having trained volunteers and prepositioned relief items were both of utmost importance to be prepared for future challenges.

Answering a question, Mr. Ulla emphasized that he had never witnessed such intense, continuous flooding. IFRC was hoping to raise, together with its members, about one million Swiss francs. 

WHO strategic plan to fight dengue fever and other arboviruses

Dr. Raman Velayudhan, Unit Head, Global Program on control of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the World Health Organization (WHO), informed that today, the WHO was launching the Global Strategic Preparedness, Readiness and Response Plan to tackle dengue and other Aedes-borne arboviruses. The Plan aimed at reducing the burden of disease, suffering and deaths from dengue and other Aedes-borne arboviral diseases by fostering a global coordinated response. Dengue cases had surged across all six WHO regions, with an estimated four billion people at risk globally. The number of cases had approximately doubled each year since 2021, with over 12.3 million cases as of the end of August this year, with over 6,000 deaths. Dr. Velayudhan explained that factors such as unplanned urbanization and poor water, sanitation and hygiene practices, climate change and international travel, were facilitating the rapid geographical spread of dengue, which was now endemic in more than 130 countries. Similar trends were also observed for other arboviral diseases, such as Zika, chikungunya and more recently the Oropouche virus disease, especially in the Americas. This global escalation underscored the urgent need for a robust strategy to mitigate risks and safeguard populations taking into account that urban centres were at greater risk. 

Dr. Diana Rojas Alvarez, Team Lead on Arboviruses, Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Department at the World Health Organization, said that the new Response Plan also addressed chikungunya, which was a virus also spread by Aedes mosquitoes. To date, 118 countries had reported CHIKV transmission. In 2024, over 465,000 chikungunya cases had been reported globally. High circulation had continued in Brazil, with one of reported cases in the Americas reported from other countries including Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia. India had reported over 69,000 cases as of June 2024, with reports of continued outbreak activity. Dr. Rojas Alvarez said that Zika virus was also spread by Aedes mosquitoes and could also be transmitted sexually between people and from mother to child during pregnancy. While Zika virus disease had declined, globally, since 2017, it still occurred at low levels in several countries in the Americas and other regions. So far in 2024, 36,343 had been reported in the region of the Americas, mostly from Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Belize. 

Finally, Dr. Rojas Alvarez spoke of the Oropouche virus disease, a re-emerging arboviral disease in the Americas transmitted through the bite of infected midges (sometimes called "no-see-ums" or “jejen” in Spanish), very small insects that usually bit during the day and inhabited humid areas with organic matter and in forested areas such as the Amazon basin. In 2024, an increase of Oropouche virus disease transmission and expansion in the Americas had been reported. As of September 2024, over 11,600 cases of Oropouche had been reported in six countries, with most of the cases in Brazil, with additional cases in Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Guyana. Imported travel cases had also been recorded in the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe. The symptoms of Oropouche virus disease resembled dengue fever so it can be easily misdiagnosed in areas with the co-circulation of multiple arboviruses. WHO called on countries at risk to implement appropriate actions to prevent and control midge populations and other transmitting insects, strengthen entomological surveillance, and make sure the population know which measures to take to protect themselves and their communities. WHO was supporting countries, through its PAHO office, by providing technical recommendations to strengthen surveillance and response capacities across the region.

Answering questions from the media, Dr. Rojas Alvarez said that Mexico was endemic for dengue and other arboviruses. Oropouche was an emerging virus’ PAHO had sent diagnostic kits to all countries in the region. Identifying vectors of transmission was a priority, she explained. 

Questions on Mexico

Responding to questions from a journalist, Elizabeth Throssell, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that from today Mexico would have its first woman president, a milestone achievement. OHCHR had repeatedly stressed the importance of the vital work of journalists in Mexico, whose work should be protected. The new president was encouraged to continue working towards poverty reduction in Mexico. It was clear that Mexico had complex challenges in addressing violence; the OHCHR remained concerned about the use of the military in maintaining public order. The authorities should intensify their efforts to address the issue of missing persons in Mexico, something that the OHCHR office in Mexico had worked on. The Office would continue to work promoting the human rights agenda in the country. 

Announcements

Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), informed that a press conference would be held at 2 pm today by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Vaccination (SAGE).

2 October would be the World Oxygen Day. WHO was helping countries generate their own oxygen. Oxygen was an essential medicine used to care for patients at all levels of the health care system, said Ms. Harris.

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the the Committee on Enforced Disappearances would conclude on 4 October at 5 pm its 27^th session and issue its concluding observations on the reports of the three countries reviewed during this session: Ukraine, Morocco, and Norway.

The Human Rights Council today was considering Universal Periodic Review reports of Vanuatu, Eritrea, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, and Cambodia.

On 7 October at 10 am, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) would present its State of Global Water Resources report. Speakers would be Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General; Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director, Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere; and Sulagna Mishra, scientific officer.

Finally, Mr. Gómez informed that today was the International Day of Older Persons, while 2 October would be the International Day of Non-Violence.

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