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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Secretary-General
Good afternoon. It is almost nice to be back. This morning, the Secretary-General, who as you know, is attending the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, spoke to a high-level humanitarian conference for the people of Sudan. He said that, in his previous capacity as UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he saw firsthand the enormous generosity of the Sudanese people — as they supported their own internally displaced population, as well as refugees. Now, he added, the international community must show the same level of support to the Sudanese people in their moment of despair.
Later in the day, he participated in meetings of the African Union Peace and Security Council [at the level of Heads of State and Government], on the situation in Sudan and on the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo — and I’ll have more on that later on the situation on the ground. On Sudan, the Secretary-General repeated that there is no military solution, that the parties to the conflict must engage for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The Secretary-General addressed the African Union Peace and Security Council during a closed-door session. But, as you can imagine, he repeated our call on the parties to the conflict to engage for an immediate cessation of hostilities there. Speaking about the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I can tell you that the Secretary-General called for the swift implementation of the conclusions of the Joint Summit of leaders of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Throughout the day, the Secretary-General had a number of bilateral meetings. including with the departing Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, as well as the Presidents of Kenya, Rwanda and Guinea-Bissau. And as a reminder, he will deliver remarks tomorrow during the opening session of the African Union Summit, that will take place on Saturday, and obviously we’ll share those remarks with you.
**Sudan
On Sudan, just to give you more granularity, unpleasant granularity to say the least, I can tell you that we are very much alarmed by the escalation of fighting in and around the Zamzam displacement camp in El Fasher, in North Darfur. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the camp have increased over the past week, with reports — including satellite images — indicating the use of heavy weaponry and the destruction of the main market area. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Zamzam have reported extensive civilian casualties, with humanitarian personnel among those reportedly killed. Zamzam is estimated to be hosting hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
And as you know, it is also among the locations in Sudan where famine conditions have been identified, making reports of the destruction of the camp’s market area particularly concerning and in fact, it’s one of these locations where we lose the right words to describe the horror of the situation. As you well know, the World Food Programme (WFP) and partners have been working to deliver critical food and nutrition assistance to 300,000 displaced people in and around Zamzam. This latest round of violence puts families and critical aid operations at further risk.
We demand that the parties to the conflict adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law. Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are prohibited. All sides must take steps to protect civilians from harm — and those seeking to leave the area voluntarily must be allowed to do so in a safe and dignified manner.
And just to flag that on Monday, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher — alongside Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees — will together launch the 2025 Sudan Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan. They are expected to call for strengthened protection and support for civilians impacted by nearly two years of conflict and the need to assist nearly 26 million human beings in need inside Sudan and across borders.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
To move to the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which is bleak, as well: Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that large numbers of people are fleeing combat zones in South Kivu. According to local partners, many people had sought safety in Bukavu in recent days as fighting moved through South Kivu. Partners on the ground also said that M23 [23 March Movement] is currently in Bukavu, but no active fighting is being reported.
Yesterday, partners delivered food assistance to about 12,000 people in Idwji island in Lake Kivu. Partners also started food distributions to more than 40,000 people in Kalehe, about 65 kilometres north of Bukavu. Meanwhile, in North Kivu, unexploded ordnance remains a major threat in Goma. Humanitarian partners also say that many displaced people are still on the move in and around Goma. Several displacement sites have also been vandalized and looted in recent days, and some humanitarian partners have relocated supplies to avoid further looting.
We continue our assessments in and around the town of Goma, including in the towns of Rutshuru and Nyiragongo where large numbers of people have arrived in search of safety. In Nyiragongo, humanitarian partners report that schools are only minimally functioning, hospitals have experienced extensive vandalism, and there is no water.
Meanwhile, our peacekeeping colleagues in the Democratic Republic of the Congo tell us that they have intensified their efforts to protect civilians after the recent attacks by the CODECO armed group in Ituri Province earlier this week. The head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), Bintou Keita, condemned the heinous attack, which killed more than 80 civilians.
On Tuesday, the Mission set up two temporary operational bases in the villages of Lodha and Aar, in the heart of Djugu Territory, to prevent the intensification of community violence and to protect civilian populations. The Mission has also deployed reinforced patrols to secure Djaiba, including the displaced persons site, to deter further incursions and to try to reassure the population that is traumatized. Bintou Keita also appealed to everyone’s sense of responsibility and humanity to put an end to this new wave of violence.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
From Gaza, our World Food Programme (WFP) colleagues tell us they reached more than 860,000 men, women and children with food parcels, hot meals, bread and cash assistance. More than 19,000 metric tons of WFP food have entered Gaza. WFP has also distributed nutrition packs to some 85,000 people, including children under five, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. WFP has provided more than 90,000 people with cash assistance in the last two weeks, enabling them to meet their basic needs. Overall, the Cash Working Group partners have provided multipurpose cash assistance to about 230,000 people.
Efforts are also under way to establish more food distribution points, especially in North Gaza, to reduce travel distances, transport costs and protection risks for families. Partners are also providing fuel for critical services. Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered 5,000 litres of fuel to Al Awda Hospital, in North Gaza Governorate. Today, WHO also distributed 100,000 litres of fuel to hospitals in Gaza City. As you can imagine the fuel is critical to make generators work.
In the south, education partners in Rafah are preparing for the reopening of at least a dozen schools as displaced families return to their home areas. As you know, schools across the Strip had been used as shelters for Palestinians displaced during 15 months of hostilities. In Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, partners are providing cleaning materials to restart learning activities.
And turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that operations by Israeli forces in northern areas are still ongoing. This has been the longest operation in the West Bank in two decades. WFP has provided cash to more than 190,000 people, and food assistance to 8,000 in the area. And in Jenin, WFP reached more than 1,100 households displaced outside of the refugee camp with a one-time cash transfer to cover basic needs.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that over the past two days, 77 trucks carrying UN aid have crossed from Türkiye to Idlib through the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing. The trucks carried 1,600 metric tons of WFP food aid, as well as health supplies, blankets and other items from UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Since the start of the year, nearly 200 trucks with UN aid have crossed from Türkiye — that’s more than triple the amount compared to the same time last year. To better understand the needs, OCHA is increasing the weekly assessment and monitoring missions In Syria.
This week, our colleagues completed two such missions to the Tal Refaat and Nubul subdistricts in Aleppo Governorate, and to two villages in the Suran subdistrict in Hama Governorate. The teams met and discussed with local authorities and communities. Both missions revealed a significant scale of destruction of homes and infrastructure. There are no or limited healthcare facilities and basic services available for the hundreds of returnees. Many have returned from displacement camps in northern Syria carrying nothing but their personal belongings.
And just a reminder that many of the 6 million Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries are weighing the momentous decision as to whether or not to return to Syria. Since December 2024, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that some 270,000 have returned home to Syria.
And just on the political end, Geir O. Pedersen, our Special Envoy for Syria, is in Munich to attend the Security Conference. Prior to that, he participated in the Paris Conference on Syria. In a joint statement, the representatives at the Conference reaffirmed the commitment to a free, inclusive, and sovereign Syria, aligned with the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2016). They also urged for the setting of a clear timeline for constitutional reform and free elections. Participants also highlighted the UN’s key role in the process and endorsed Mr. Pedersen’s efforts. Separately, Mr. Pedersen met bilaterally with the Syrian Caretaker Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani, reaffirming our support for the transition.
**Abyei
And just a quick note from our peacekeepers in Abyei, who strongly condemn the recent carjacking incidents by unknown gunmen targeting its personnel and contractors in northern parts of Abyei. In the past two weeks, two separate incidents have been recorded. The gunmen also seized personal belongings of staff while subjecting them to rough physical treatment. These criminal acts may potentially hinder the effective implementation of our mandate there. We urge authorities and community leaders in Abyei to work closely with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) in its investigations and bring the perpetrators to justice.
**Financial Contributions
Finally, it’s Valentine’s Day. What do we love more than roses and chocolate on Valentine’s Day? Money! Exactly. Today, [four] Member States have paid their dues in full. Three European nations and one North African nation, three of the four have access to the Mediterranean Sea. The fourth is sometimes considered a Mediterranean country due to its climate, history and culture but does not have access to the Mediterranean. It’s a tough one. We thank our friends in Algiers, Zagreb, Monaco and Belgrade for their countries’ payments to the regular budget. We are now up to 57. Dezhi?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yes. There was an attack, a drone attack, at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. We saw the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] statement. What does the Secretary-General have to say on this incident?
Spokesman: We agree, with what Mr. [Rafael] Grossi has said. It’s obviously yet another stream of extreme development seen. It’s another obviously increases the risks of a horrendous and uncontrollable, nuclear, accident, and I think the Secretary-General has repeatedly expressed that opinion throughout the unfolding situation in and around Zaporizhzhia.
Question: Such kind of attack is not to anybody’s interest. Is that right?
Spokesman: I mean, I think you can answer that question, Dezhi.
Correspondent: Because I think it’s right.
Spokesman: Right. And when I say, “an uncontrollable nuclear incident”, it is obviously no one’s interest.
Question: Okay, my next question. On Syria, we heard there’s another batch of 77 trucks of cross-border humanitarian delivery, right? Can you explain a little bit why there’s still cross-border humanitarian delivery?
Spokesman: Logistically, it’s easier. First of all, we already have the logistical hub in Gaziantep and other places in southern Türkiye, given the state of the roads, but also given also the insecurity that we’re seeing in parts of Syria. It makes sense to keep using it, and we’re obviously grateful to Türkiye and to the transitional authorities in Syria that permit us to continue to use those points. Yvonne Murray, RTE?
Question: Thank you very much. The US Vice-President, J.D. Vance, has told European leaders this morning that the biggest threat to Europe is not from external actors like Russia and China, but internal issues to do with immigration and restrictions on free speech. Does the Secretary-General think that he’s right?
Spokesman: I mean, we are seeing a lot of remarks and speeches by various political leaders. We’re not going to do colour commentary on it. The Secretary-General thinks we are in a moment of great uncertainty globally, and we hope that all Member States can work constructively as one through the structures of the UN, which already exist, to try to deal with all of these challenges. All right, anybody online? Excellent. That was short and very sweet. See you Monday.