The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Lebanon
UNIFIL reported today on further incidents that again put UN peacekeepers at very serious risk. This morning, UNIFIL’s Naqoura headquarters were affected by explosions for the second time in the past 48 hours. Two peacekeepers were injured after two explosions occurred close to an observation tower. One injured peacekeeper was taken to a hospital in Tyre, while the second is being treated in Naqoura.
UNIFIL added that, today, several security walls at the UN position 1-31, near the Blue Line in Labbouneh, fell when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) caterpillar vehicle hit the perimeter and IDF tanks moved in the proximity of the UN position. UNIFIL underscores that the peacekeepers remained at the location, and a UNIFIL Quick Reaction Force was dispatched to assist and reinforce the position.
We remind you that these peacekeepers are serving in south Lebanon at the request of the Security Council under Resolution 1701 (2006). This is a serious development, and UNIFIL reiterates that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times. Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 1701.
Security Council
And you saw that yesterday afternoon, the Security Council met on the situation in Lebanon. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, underscored that UNIFIL’s liaison and coordination team has continued its close engagements with the Lebanese Armed Forces and Israel Defense Forces, seeking to de-conflict, facilitate humanitarian missions, and avoid miscalculations. For her part, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, said that Hizbullah and other non-state armed groups must stop firing rockets and missiles into Israel. She also urged Israel to stop its bombardment of Lebanon and to withdraw its ground forces.
South Sudan
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is alarmed by reports of a series of violent clashes between armed actors in the greater Juba area of Central Equatoria state, which resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including 19 civilians. UNMISS has intensified patrols across Central Equatoria and is engaging with state and local authorities as well as community leaders to access the area and prevent further escalations.
Also, related to South Sudan, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today that the country is now hosting over half a million refugees across 30 locations. Fuelled by ongoing conflict in Sudan, this figure has almost doubled since 2023, underscoring the growing impact of the crisis across the region. UNHCR and South Sudan’s Commission for Refugees Affairs — under the Ministry of Interior and other partners — continue to support new arrivals and the local communities receiving them. UNHCR underscores that while funding for South Sudan remains generous, resources to fully meet people’s needs are still significantly low. As of October 2024, UNHCR’s activities in the country were only 47 per cent funded.