Gaza/Middle East, Ukraine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing (23 January 2024)

Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. Highlights: -Middle East -Ukraine -Democratic Republic of the Congo -Somalia -Tanzania -Rohingya -Briefing Tomorrow -Honour Roll MIDDLE EAST At 2:00 p.m. today, the Security Council will begin a high-level open debate on the Middle East, chaired by Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné of France. The Secretary-General will make opening remarks. Sigrid Kaag, the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, and Jamie McGoldrick, the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim, today visited Rafah in Gaza. They met with civilians and saw UN humanitarian operations. While in Gaza, they also met with UN agencies, international NGOs and Palestinian relief workers. Despite major obstacles to the humanitarian response, the UN and partners continue to address the acute famine risk across the Gaza Strip. Between 15 and 21 January, about 1.2 million people were reached wit