Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
All right, good afternoon, everyone.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General delivered his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos today. He outlined how climate change and ungoverned artificial intelligence are two profound threats that demand much more attention and intelligent collaboration than they are receiving, as they threaten to upend life as we know it. He called out parts of the private sector that are actively backtracking on climate goals, telling them: You are short-sighted and on the wrong side of history. “To the corporate leaders who remain committed to climate action,” the Secretary-General went on to say, “Your leadership is needed now, more than ever. Do not back down. Stay on the right side of history.”
Regarding artificial intelligence (AI), the Secretary-General underscored how, through the Global Digital Compact, the United Nations is working with governments, industry and civil society to ensure that AI becomes a tool of opportunity, inclusion and progress for all people. In remarks afterwards, the Secretary-General said that we have witnessed in recent days in Gaza an example of robust diplomacy that should be recognized. The Secretary-General also participated in the annual off-the-record “IGWELL” lunch organized by the World Economic Forum, and he also continued with a number of bilateral meetings.
**Colombia
This morning, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the head of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, briefed Security Council members. He said that, as last year ended, Colombians celebrated the eighth anniversary of the Peace Agreement, but that tragically, the first days of the year have been marred by violence in the Catatumbo region of northeast Colombia. This has resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, including former combatants, signatories of the Peace Agreement, as well as local leaders and members of communities. Thousands of people have also been displaced.
Mr. Ruiz Massieu called again for armed groups to cease all actions that place at risk the civilian population, and to allow unhindered access for humanitarian responders. Local teams of the Verification Mission have assisted in the evacuation of at-risk persons including ex-combatants from the areas of confrontation, and UN humanitarian colleagues are offering their support to the affected population, he said.
And you will have seen that the Secretary-General also issued a statement, calling for an immediate cessation of violence and reiterating the importance of fully implementing the Final Peace Agreement as the cornerstone for consolidating peace in Colombia. And this afternoon, Council members will hear from the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Haiti, María Isabel Salvador, and the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Ghada Waly.
**Colombia/Humanitarian
Staying on Colombia, where earlier today, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mireia Villar Forner, together with the Government, launched the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for Community Priorities. It seeks $342 million to address the urgent needs of two million of the most vulnerable people in the country, where more than nine million people need assistance this year. The plan focuses on empowering local communities and responders, particularly in critical areas such as the Pacific region and the border with Venezuela. Women, children, and indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities remain the most affected by conflict and climate-related emergencies in Colombia.
**Yemen
We welcome the release of the 25-member crew of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship that was taken hostage in November 2023 while transiting the Red Sea. In a statement, Hans Grundberg, our Special Envoy for Yemen, said that this is a step in the right direction. He urged Ansar Allah to continue these positive steps on all fronts, including ending all maritime attacks. These measures are critical in improving the space for mediation, he added, which in the long-term will facilitate the resumption of the Yemeni political process that millions of Yemenis have been yearning for.
Mr. Grundberg also expressed his gratitude to the Sultanate of Oman for its determined and tireless efforts to advocate for the release of the Galaxy Leader crew. For his part, the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, stated that IMO will continue to rigorously uphold its commitment to the safety of seafarers worldwide, who continue to face risks in their essential work. We reaffirm the importance of ensuring that international law be respected in full in relation to maritime navigation.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process ad interim, Sigrid Kaag, visited southern and central Gaza today. This is her first visit since the ceasefire started on 19 January. In Khan Younis, she visited a newly built temporary learning space where 3,000 children get education, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Ms. Kaag also spoke with children and mothers at a nutrition centre and a centre focused on mental health and psychosocial support. The Special Coordinator has so far held several meetings in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and continues to engage the countries of the region. She also spoke earlier this week with Kaja Kallas, the Vice-President of the European Commission, about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Meanwhile, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) say that the UN and our partners are seizing every opportunity presented by the ceasefire to step up our support to people across the Gaza Strip. This includes increasing the flow of incoming supplies and deliveries, as well as scaling up storage capacity, repair work, life-saving services and needs and damage assessments. OCHA says the UN and our partners are dispatching incoming supplies to designated emergency shelters and distribution centres across the Gaza Strip. We are distributing food parcels and flour and working to reopen bakeries.
Yesterday and Monday, our United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) colleagues distributed 118 trucks of more than 53,000 food parcels to communities in Khan Younis and to the UNRWA shelters in Deir al Balah. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says that yesterday, 20 trucks carrying critical supplies — including for safe births, emergency obstetric care, postpartum kits, contraceptives and winter items — were offloaded in Deir al Balah. Twenty more trucks carrying UNFPA assistance are entering northern Gaza today.
The UN Office for Project Services is distributing fuel to ensure that critical services such as healthcare and water pumping and desalination can run on back-up generators, in the absence of electricity. The UN and our partners are also supporting infrastructure repairs, including to water wells and desalination plants. Our humanitarian partners are carrying out rapid assessments in newly accessible areas to identify people’s most urgent needs, including water, hygiene, sanitation and healthcare. They are also stepping up disease surveillance efforts. We and our partners are setting up trauma stabilization points to handle emergency cases and are mobilizing specialized care teams.
We also have an update on the situation in Jenin, in the West Bank. OCHA warns that the ongoing operation by Israeli forces in Jenin is putting people’s safety and welfare at risk, while destroying infrastructure as basic as roads, electricity and water pipes. Ten people have reportedly been killed, with dozens more injured. OCHA warns that since yesterday, the Jenin Government Hospital has been disconnected from the water grid and electricity network. It relies on dwindling water reserves from emergency tanks that were installed just weeks ago in preparation for such situations, through an allocation by the occupied Palestinian territory Humanitarian Fund, which is managed by OCHA. Our partners are set to refill water and fuel reserves at the hospital as soon as they secure access to the facility.
**Lebanon
According to a new food security assessment, nearly a third of Lebanon’s population is facing acute food insecurity following the escalation of conflict in late 2024. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis on Lebanon, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Agriculture, shows that some 1.65 million people in Lebanon are now facing crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, which is IPC Phase 3 or above, up from 1.26 million before the escalation. Meanwhile, 201,000 people are grappling with emergency levels, which is IPC Phase 4, twice the number as before. The report projects that food insecurity is expected to persist over the next three months, with no short-term return to pre-crisis conditions. With challenges ahead, ongoing humanitarian efforts in supporting recovery will be critical. The full study is online.
**Syria
Moving to Syria, where we and our humanitarian partners continue to support the response across the country, as security permits. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that, from 14 to 20 January, 44 trucks carrying over 1,000 tons of food aid from the World Food Programme have crossed from Türkiye to northern Aleppo through the Bab Al-Salam border crossing.
UNICEF, WFP and the World Health Organization (WHO) — with the support of community health workers — continue to screen children and breastfeeding women for malnutrition across the country. In the cities of Homs and Hama, UNICEF and its partners have deployed mobile teams to provide nutrition services following the return of thousands of families.
In the north-east, more than 20 medical mobile units are providing primary health consultations and support for critical cases in collective centres in Ar-Raqqa, Al-Hasakeh Governorates and Ain al-Arab district. And over the past week, more than 6,300 patients received medical consultations. However, underfunding is affecting the health response, and OCHA tells us that in the north-west, nearly half of 60 emergency obstetric and new-born care facilities are facing imminent financial risks, putting the survival of pregnant mothers and new-borns at risk.
**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travel
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, will travel later today to attend the nineteenth Seminar for Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys of the UN Secretary-General. Following the seminar, she will travel to Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, arriving on Sunday, 26 January, to attend the Africa Heads of States Energy Summit on behalf of the Secretary-General and meet with senior government officials and stakeholders. During the Deputy Secretary-General’s engagements, she will aim to raise ambition of national commitments to provide energy access to 300 million people across Africa and strengthen action with partners to implement a sustainable and fair energy transition. The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York next Wednesday.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
We have an update from our peacekeeping colleagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who are deeply concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the country’s East. In recent days, the M23 [23 March Movement] armed group, which has continued to occupy new territories in North Kivu Province, reportedly seized Minova yesterday. Minova is a critical hub along the supply route to Goma.
Also in North Kivu, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) reports that heavy clashes persist between the M23, the Congolese Armed Forces and other armed groups, particularly near Sake. Yesterday, fighting in Bweremana claimed at least 10 lives, triggering displacement flows towards Kalehe in South Kivu, as well as to Goma and Rusayo, while exchanges of mortar shells continue to threaten men, women and children in sites for displaced people in the area.
Since Saturday, the armed group has captured other localities in South Kivu, resulting in casualties and the displacement of over 250,000 people. Following MONUSCO’s withdrawal from South Kivu in June 2024, UN peacekeepers are no longer present in the province. MONUSCO reiterates that it is imperative that the group lay down its weapons and abides by the ceasefire in place since 4 August 2024. The peacekeeping mission also urges all parties to remain committed to the Luanda process.
**Sudan
On Sudan, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are deeply concerned about the impact of a series of reported drone attacks on civilians and critical civilian infrastructure in the northern, eastern and central areas of the country. Today, an attack reportedly targeted the um Dabakir power station around Kosti, south of the capital, Khartoum. This follows another reported strike on a power station in Northern State earlier this week, which disrupted electricity and water supplies to the capital Dongola and surrounding areas.
Attacks were also reported over the weekend. This included an attack on a hydroelectric facility at the Girba Dam in Kassala State on 18 January, which knocked out power to hospitals and healthcare facilities, as well as drone attacks that same day on power stations in Gedaref and Sennar states.
A week ago, a reported attack on the Merowe Dam — which is the largest dam in the country — severely disrupted water and electricity in Khartoum, Northern and River Nile states. OCHA says that major cuts to water and power risk depriving people of access to critical health services and safe water supplies. We stress that, under international humanitarian law, the parties have a clear obligation not to attack objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. They must also take all feasible precautions to avoid and minimize incidental civilian harm.
**Somalia
Turning to Somalia, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that we, along with our partners and together with the Government, today launched the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan. It aims to support some 4.6 million of the most vulnerable people in the country with humanitarian and protection assistance. These efforts will require $1.43 billion.
Our humanitarian colleagues note that Somalia continues to face a complex, protracted humanitarian crisis fuelled by conflict, insecurity, poverty, widespread displacement, climate shocks, disease outbreaks and lack of access to basic services. Nearly 6 million Somalis are estimated to need humanitarian assistance in 2025 — with women, girls and marginalized communities particularly vulnerable.
Despite major access challenges, humanitarian organizations managed to reach 3.5 million people in Somalia last year with at least one form of assistance. The country is now experiencing widespread dry conditions following poor October to December rains. Our humanitarian colleagues say that at least 4.4 million people face high levels of acute food insecurity, and 1.6 million children are likely to suffer from acute malnutrition through July.
**Holocaust
Tomorrow, at 1 p.m., the Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme Education, along with UN Publications, will host a book launch and discussion with Professor Debórah Dwork, the author of Saints and Liars. The launch will take place at the UN Bookshop and will be broadcast live on the UN Publications Facebook page. This is one of many events hosted by the Holocaust and UN Outreach Programme ahead of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
**Honour Roll
And last, in the past couple of days, we’ve had seven additional payments to the regular budget. We thank our friends in Australia, Azerbaijan, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden and Ukraine for their cheques, which take us up to 24 fully paid-up nations. And with that, I’ll take your questions. Edie first.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Farhan. You said that the Secretary-General had bilateral meetings in Davos. Can you tell us who the meetings were with?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe the first couple meetings have already happened. Those are with the head of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and with President [Félix] Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Question: And I assume you’ll keep us updated on that. I might have missed it. Is he coming back here from Davos, or is he traveling elsewhere?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I just mentioned the DSG’s travels, which sync up with the SG’s, because they will both be attending the nineteenth Seminar for Special and Personal Representatives and Envoys of the Secretary-General. So, that’ll take a few days, but he should be back at the start of next week.
Question: And on a completely different subject, can you get us an update on whether there are any new UN efforts to try to bring the warring parties in Sudan together?
Deputy Spokesman: I mean, what I can tell you is, on this, that Ramtane Lamamra, our envoy, continues with his efforts. I don’t have any particular progress to say about those efforts, but he continues to be in touch with the parties and do what he can to bring things back together. Gabriel and then Pam.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. A follow-up to Edie’s question. Does the Secretary-General plan to meet with Syria’s Foreign Minister while in Davos?
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t have anything to confirm. Obviously, if that comes up, we’ll let you know.
Question: All right. And on another topic, yesterday, [Donald J.] Trump’s nominee to be UN Permanent Representative to the United Nations was asked, do you share the view that Israel has a biblical right to the West Bank? And she answered yes. Your response?
Deputy Spokesman: Our response is that the West Bank is part of the occupied Palestinian territories. And of course, as such the future of the West Bank, Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, needs to be dealt with through negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities. Yes. Pam and then Michelle.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. In the same hearings, there was some discussion of UNRWA, US cutting off aid to UNRWA, and that comes as the Israeli law goes into effect at the end of the month. What is the plan B? Is there any plan to use, as the ambassador-designate mentioned, other agencies of the UN to deliver aid? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: I think we’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it one more time — that we believe it’s simply not possible to replicate all of the functions that UNRWA has in the occupied Palestinian territories, and indeed, among Palestinians and other countries, as well, with other groups. Although there are certainly other UN groups that are capable of providing food or medical assistance and so forth, the simple involvement of UNRWA, which, as Muhannad Hadi pointed out to you, just, I believe, yesterday, UNRWA is the second largest hiring body in Gaza outside of the Palestinian Authority. The sheer number of people who work for UNRWA and the work that they do cannot be replicated elsewhere. Michelle?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. A follow-up to some questions that were asked yesterday, and I don’t expect you to necessarily have the answer now. But, on funding, how much does China, as the second largest contributor, owe currently to the UN? If we could get those figures.
Deputy Spokesman: I’ll try to get you the numbers of how much it owes. I believe, China paid its dues in full last year, and we mentioned it at the time. [He added later that China’s yearly contribution to the UN regular budget is just under $700 million.]
Correspondent: Okay. All right. If we could get whatever the latest is, that’d be great.
Question: And then just on Gaza, you know, we heard a lot. There’s been the warnings from the IPC about looming famine for a long time in Northern Gaza. Now that the UN is getting more access there, what are you finding on that front?
Deputy Spokesman: For now, what we’re finding is greater signs of hope that we can get food in and avert famine. I don’t have any information on deaths as a result of the last few weeks, prior to the ceasefire, to share with you. Obviously, we’re assessing information as we get it. You know, just as we’re assessing information once rubble is cleared, we’ll get more information on the casualties from the phases in the war up until now as those activities get carried out. Yes. Maggie?
Question: Just following up on that. So, since the ceasefire, do you still have to coordinate with COGAT, or do you have kind of free rein to bring in the trucks? Are you still getting these denials and things that you were getting last week before the ceasefire?
Deputy Spokesman: I think, as Mr. Hadi pointed out to you, we have access for the trucks. So, I mean, although there’s always matters of coordination with local authorities on the ground, the sort of issues we had up until the ceasefire have not been in effect. We’ve been able to get hundreds of trucks coming in each day.
Question: And just one other question. So many pictures, drone footage now coming out from Gaza of all the destruction and the rubble. You were mentioning some infrastructure projects the UN’s helping with. Is the UN going to help with this clearing of all the rubble that, you know, has piled up?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. One of the things the UN does in conflict zones and in post-conflict situations is deal with the questions of rubble removal, demining, and the clearance of unexploded ordnance and rebuilding. Those are handled by various different groups, including the Mine Action Service, the UN Office for Project Services and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). But this is something that will take time. We’re in the early days yet, and so we’re just in the first phase, which is one really of assessment. Okay. We’ll first go to Mike on the screens and Stefano and then back. Mike?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Real quickly, two questions for you. There are reports that three Israeli hostages released on Sunday said that they were held in UN shelters at various points in time. Is the UN investigating this on its own, or is it they’re waiting for information to be forthcoming from Israel?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, yeah, this is a very serious allegation, and we call on those who have information on this to share it formally with UNRWA or other parts of the United Nations, so that we can investigate it further. As you know, any time we’ve received information on the misuse of facilities, we followed up with investigations. It’s unclear at this stage whether the shelters were among those that had been abandoned during the fighting. So, we’d need further knowledge about that and other aspects of what happened.
Question: Second question and final question. Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s office announced that he was invited by the SG to attend Monday’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony and will be meeting with the SG on Monday. First, can you confirm that? And secondly, if so, what does the SG hope to accomplish in that meeting?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. It’s early yet, but certainly the Secretary-General will be there for the Holocaust ceremony, the remembrance ceremony that takes place on 27 January. And he looks forward to meeting with President Herzog. Of course, that is a solemn event where we try to work together as a community to learn the lessons from the Holocaust and ensure that the sort of tragedy that happened as a result of this horrific event will not recur.
Question: In terms of the meeting itself, is there anything planned specifically, in terms of agenda?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn’t have anything to say on that at this point. Okay. Stefano, and then we’ll go to Benno.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Can you confirm that Panama’s Government wrote a letter to the Secretary-General, and what is the response that the Secretary-General is sending to this letter, concerning what Trump said during his inauguration?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I’m aware of the reports that the Secretary-General will be getting this letter. I can’t confirm that the letter has been received formally as of yet. Regarding the question of Panama and the Panama Canal, I just refer you to what we’ve been saying in the past. Obviously, all Member States of the United Nations are entitled to have their sovereignty and their territorial integrity respected. And beyond that, I would refer you to the United Nations Charter itself. Benno?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Just following up, if the President of Israel is meeting the SG, do you still consider the SG a persona non grata by Israel?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe I’ve made it clear over the past years that the concept of persona non grata is one that applies [to] States’ relations with other States. The United Nations is not a State, and we do not believe that the concept of persona non grata applies to us.
Question: Okay. Then I rephrase. Would you consider it as a step to re-establish the ties between the SG and Israel?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that those ties have continued throughout. The Secretary-General, in fact, had seen President Herzog just yesterday.
Question: Okay. About the United States pulling out of WHO. If I’m right, I think, Mr. Trump has to write a letter, an official letter to Mr. Guterres, to the SG. Did you receive any such letter?
Deputy Spokesman: Oh, we have not received it formally so far.
Question: And on the Paris Agreement?
Deputy Spokesman: What? No. Obviously, we’re aware of these reports, but we would have to formally receive the documents. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to reports that Hamas is now back in control of Gaza and its administration?
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t have any information to verify that. Obviously, we’ve seen the same photographs and the same videos that you’ve seen. All I can say is that we continue to expect the parties to uphold the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. And, of course, that would include Hamas to abide by its commitments under that agreement. Yes. Sinan in the back.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I have a question about Syria. Syria’s new Defence Minister this morning says Damascus is open to talks with the Kurdish-led forces on the integration into the national army but stands ready to use force if negotiations fail. What’s Secretary-General’s reaction to this rhetoric?
Deputy Spokesman: We want all parties to avoid any unhelpful rhetoric, at a time when we believe that the country and the forces in the country should be coming together.
Question: I have one more question, if you don’t mind. And I wonder what Secretary-General… I mean, he always says the Syrian should decide about the future, what they want, especially when it comes to the structure of the State, but I’m sure he has an opinion. What would be the ideal structure for the country? For example, the Alawite Shias or the Kurds, they are seeking for a federal system there, but we know the transitional government is against that. What’s Secretary-General thinks about that? What will be ideal for the future of Syria?
Deputy Spokesman: These are things that we want to be agreed to by the parties themselves. We’re not going to impose any solution. That’s simply not how we work. Our envoy, Geir Pedersen, is in touch with the parties, and he will try to learn from his discussions with them what formula is best as an acceptable solution amongst all the parties. Dezhi then Benno.
Question: Yes. Let’s get back to the [Elise] Stefanik hearing yesterday. In that hearing, obviously, quite some lawmakers, they said that if US cuts back, China and Russia are ready and very eager to fill that void. Do you agree with the observation?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn’t comment on those sorts of discussions. It’s very clear that if any country steps back from the world stage, other countries will take up its position.
Question: Well, in that hearing, they also said that China had a great success increasing the number of nationals employed at the UN. Do you have the numbers of the Chinese national employees and the US national employees?
Deputy Spokesman: You know, your colleagues just yesterday asked about the national employees, and your colleague, Mike, on the video yesterday pointed out that there’s a document of the General Assembly that gives the numbers of employees by their nationality.
Question: So, yeah. So I checked that, in 2023, the US employees, 5,670, top one… number-one country. China, 1,647. If I count correctly, it’s not in top 20. Is that fair to accuse that from the top-one country?
Deputy Spokesman: I’m not the one making the accusation. The numbers are what they are. Benno?
Question: Thank you. My question is about UNRWA. It’s my first noon briefing after a while, so sorry if you were asked that before. But, end of the month, obviously, UNRWA is not allowed to work anymore in parts of the Middle East. Can you tell me what you expect after that deadline passes?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. I mean, we have talked about this at length, but, Benno, I would refer you in particular — last Friday. Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of UNRWA, was the guest at the noon briefing, and he spoke extensively about UNRWA’s posture and UNRWA’s expectations. So, I’d refer you to what he said then. And with that, good afternoon, all.