28 JULY 2020

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today¡¯s noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

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Questions and Answers

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Question: ?Thank you, Farhan.? Recently the Syrian Government declared that it is rezoning the Yarmouk refugee camp to be part of Damascus.? So, I want to ask if Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA?[United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] was notified, if you have any news about that? ?And if you don’t, could you please ask this question ¡ª if Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA was consulted and this which will abolish the Yarmouk refugee camp and disperse 250,000?Palestinian refugees from the area? ?Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: ?I don’t have any information so far from the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Relief and Works Agency, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµRWA, about this.? But, I will check with them and see whether they have anything.? And with that, Toby from NHK, you are on.

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Question: ?Thank you, Farhan.? On 20?July the Israeli occupation authorities came to the village of Pepkor, next to Bethlehem.? And in midday, they stole a huge stone which is from the Byzantine period.? It used to be used for baptizing.? And took it in a midday robbery.? So, I want to ask also this question to Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO?[United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], if it is aware of this theft of Palestinian historic stone, which weighs seven [metric tons]? ?Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: ?Thanks for saying.? I’ll leave it, of course, to my colleagues in the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµ Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµESCO, to deal with any issues.? At this stage, they have not made any comments on this.? And with that, if Selwin Hart is ready, I will turn the floor over to him.? Thank you all and now let’s hear from Mr.?Hart.

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For information media. Not an official record.