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.
**Briefings Tomorrow
Good afternoon. Happy Monday. Tomorrow, our guest will be William O’Neill, the High Commissioner’s Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti. He will be here to brief on the situation in Haiti — there you go, just making sure you are paying attention.
Then, at 1 p.m., Kaja Kallas, the European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, will be at the Security Council stakeout, following her briefing to the Security Council.
**Commission on the Status of Women
Today, the Secretary-General kicked off the sixty-ninth annual Commission on the Status of Women, and that meeting will last until 21 March.
At the opening this morning, the Secretary-General said that three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, women’s rights are under siege. “The poison of the patriarchy is back,” he said, “and it is back with a vengeance,” and added that now is the time for those of us who care about equality for women and girls to stand up and speak out.
The Secretary-General stressed that equality for women and girls is a human right, it is a matter of justice, and the foundation of sustainable development and lasting peace. He urged all countries to deliver on the commitments they made last September when they adopted the Pact of the Future.
These commitments include investing in women and girls’ education and training, in their economic empowerment and eradicating all forms of violence and harassment, among others.
Today is also the International Day of Women Judges.
It is a reminder that by investing in women justice leaders, we can help ensure that women — and all members of our societies — are met with fairness and equality before the law and that justice is better served.
**Syria
Turning to the situation in Syria. I can tell you that the Secretary-General is alarmed by the violent escalation in the coastal areas of Syria, that has seen widespread summary killings, including of entire families, and the loss of one of our colleagues from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). He expresses his sincere condolences to Syrians mourning the loss of loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured.
The Secretary-General calls on all parties to protect civilians and stop inflammatory rhetoric and actions, as Syria contends with the legacy of 14 years of conflict and over five decades of authoritarian rule.
The Secretary-General reiterates his concern over escalating tensions among communities in Syria.
The bloodshed in Syria must stop immediately, he said, and perpetrators of violations must be held to account. The concerns of Syria’s communities must be addressed in a meaningful manner.
The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement by the caretaker authorities of an investigative committee, as well as a committee for the preservation of civil peace. The Secretary-General underscores the importance and urgency of inclusive and transparent transitional justice and reconciliation processes for sustainable peace in Syria.
In a context of widespread disinformation and heightened tensions, the Secretary-General also highlights need to ensure and protect the space for independent media and human rights organizations to carry out their work of monitoring and verification and to shed light in a transparent manner on the reports and allegations.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, briefed the Security Council members in closed consultations this morning on these developments and stands ready to support efforts towards an inclusive Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political transition, in accordance with the key principles of resolution 2254 (2015).
And you will have seen that our Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, called, in a statement yesterday, for a prompt, transparent and impartial investigation into all the killings and other violations, and stressed that those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards.
And earlier this weekend, the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, jointly urged all parties to protect people and infrastructure and to allow for the safe, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
And of course, the escalation of violence in Syria is severely impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure. As of yesterday, hundreds of people —including women, children, and some medical personnel — had reportedly been killed. Thousands have reportedly been displaced in the area, and thousands have crossed into Lebanon to seek safety.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that power outages in Latakia Governorate have disrupted water pumping. Schools in Latakia and Tartous were suspended yesterday and today.
The Homs-Latakia highway remains blocked, further limiting humanitarian access. Humanitarian operations in the area remain severely disrupted, with insecurity halting all movements to and within the coastal areas.
Civilian infrastructure has been severely impacted, including six referral hospitals and several ambulances. Other medical facilities in the area urgently need medical supplies and support.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza. I can tell you that the Secretary-General is very concerned about Israel’s decision to limit the electricity supply going into Gaza.
This latest decision will substantially reduce the availability of drinking water in the Gaza Strip. Starting today, the facility is set to run on backup generators, which will reduce water production capacity.
Restoring this connection is vital for tens of thousands of families and children.
Also, I can tell you that our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) notes that all crossings into Gaza have been closed for the entry of cargo for nine consecutive days now. OCHA tells us that the Kerem Shalom crossing also remains closed for the collection of cargo for a ninth straight day, which is severely impacting the delivery of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip.
We and our partners warn that fuel shortages are affecting aid operations. We are currently examining how to prioritize the remaining stock.
Last week in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, six bakeries shut down due to the lack of cooking gas. And as of yesterday, 19 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme are still operating — and trying to maximize their capacity to bridge the gaps.
Despite limited resources, last month, we and our partners working on reproductive health expanded maternity services and scaled up the distribution of medical supplies to support 5,000 births over the next three months. Additionally, thousands of post-partum kits were distributed to mothers and newborns in shelters and hospitals across Gaza, as well as winter supplies and clothing to about 12,000 women and girls.
Despite these successes, our health partners report that more than half a million women of reproductive age lack access to family planning and reproductive healthcare.
Over the past week, our partners working to support education in Gaza have opened additional schools.
Thousands of children can now access learning in North Gaza, Gaza city, Deir al Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. However, our partners tell us that about one third of children in Gaza remain cut off from any type of formal, informal or even distance learning activities.
Turning to the situation in the West Bank, OCHA tells us that operations by Israeli forces in the north continue to be reported. In Nablus, over the weekend, there were activities by settlers vandalizing farmlands and water wells belonging to Palestinians.
OCHA reminds us that since January 2023, more than 2,000 Palestinians — half of them children — have been displaced due to heightened settler violence and access restrictions.
**South Sudan
And an update from South Sudan, where our peacekeeping mission (UNMISS) is intensifying efforts alongside international peace partners to de-escalate the tensions following clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed youth in Upper Nile, as well as persistent conflict between organized forces in Western Equatoria state.
The Mission and its quartet partners — which are the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development otherwise known as IGAD — are meeting with key political actors and signatory parties to address the fragile political and security situation, urging them to uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement in letter and in spirit.
As you’re aware, in another effort to prevent violence and reduce tensions, an aviation crew member contracted to the UN peacekeeping mission, Mr. Sergii Prykhodko from Ukraine, was killed and two others injured on Friday when a UN helicopter came under fire while undertaking an evacuation mission in Nasir.
We, of course, join Nicholas Haysom, the head of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, to express our deepest condolences to Mr. Prykhodko’s family and paid tribute to the crew members for their extraordinary courage under fire. A memorial service will be held in the coming days.
**Sudan
And turning north to Sudan: Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the situation on the ground in Sudan continues to worsen and we remain concerned about the continued violence mainly in North Darfur State. Last week, rising insecurity there forced more than 23,000 people to leave their villages in Dar As Salam locality, which is more than 60 kilometres south of the state capital El Fasher.
While humanitarian needs grow, funding is shrinking. The Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, today expressed her deep concern over sweeping funding reductions and suspensions announced by top government donors recently.
These cuts come at the worst possible moment for Sudan, when famine is spreading, and over half the population is going hungry. Also, disease outbreaks are deepening the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In White Nile State, a cholera outbreak in Kosti locality has infected hundreds of people, claiming 94 lives between 20 February and 5 March. The outbreak is linked to people drawing water from contaminated sources, particularly the White Nile River, after electricity outages disrupted the town’s water supply last month. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) warns that more than 290,000 children in Kosti are at risk of diseases.
In Kassala State, in eastern Sudan, a hepatitis outbreak is spreading among displaced communities sheltering in overcrowded gathering sites.
The outbreak is attributed again, of course, to poor sanitation, lack of hygiene and limited health awareness, putting already vulnerable people at further risk.
Ms. Nkweta-Salami urged major government donors to reconsider their decisions to reduce funding for programmes that save lives and help people in distress, we urge others to step up to help fill the gaps left by these devastating cuts.
And just to remind you that for decades, humanitarian donors have been a lifeline for Sudan. Last year alone, they contributed $1.8 billion through the country’s humanitarian response plan, funding essential assistance for at least 15.6 million people. This year $4.2 billion is required to provide humanitarian aid in Sudan, yet just over 6 per cent of the funding needed to provide support to nearly 21 million people been received so far.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), our humanitarian colleagues warn that continued clashes and violence in parts of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu are having a devastating impact on civilians.
According to our local humanitarian partners, shelling struck a hospital in South Kivu yesterday, killing five healthcare providers and four patients, including one child. The attacks occurred in Walungu Territory, about 50 kilometres south-west of the provincial capital, Bukavu.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, we were informed over the weekend that dozens of civilians, including many children, were killed in Masisi after armed men attacked a village between 4 and 5 March. That’s what local civil society groups are telling us.
Our humanitarian partners report that clashes continued over the weekend elsewhere in Masisi, killing at least one more civilian and forcing thousands to flee.
Still in North Kivu, violence is also severely hampering access to 100,000 displaced people in neighbouring Walikale territory. These people had fled their homes since January this year.
We are deeply concerned about the continued impact of violence on civilians in the eastern DRC and remind all parties of their obligation to uphold international humanitarian law. This includes taking all feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground are telling us that hostilities across the country over the past four days have caused several casualties. Over the weekend, strikes targeted energy, gas and heating infrastructure, temporarily leaving 130,000 families in the Odesa Region without power.
In the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia Regions, heating and gas services were also disrupted. In the wake of these attacks, humanitarian teams swiftly mobilized emergency assistance, distributing emergency shelter kits, blankets, hygiene and other essential items. Hot meals, emergency shelter materials, medicines, medical checkups, child protection services, and psychosocial and legal support were also provided.
**Security Council/Afghanistan
And this afternoon, as a programming note, at 3 p.m., the Security Council will reconvene to hear a briefing on the situation in Afghanistan. The Council will be briefed by Roza Otunbayeva, who is the head of our mission there.
**Financial Contribution
Money came in, which means I have a question for you.
This country hosts a UN regional headquarters. It has also produced some of the world’s best long-distance runners. [crowd saying “Kenya”]
All right, you all win. Whoever mentioned Ethiopia did not win.
So, we thank our friends in Nairobi for its full payment to the regular budget. This brings us up to 73. In case you are asking, Kenya paid $1,259,204, to be exact.
Edie?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced today that after a six-week analysis, 83 per cent of USAID’s programmes have ended. Can you tell us what impact this is going to have on the United Nations? And can we get a list of UN programmes that are going to be affected?
Spokesman: Well, I will try to get you a breakdown. I can tell you that the impact of these cuts and those from other countries will have a devastating impact on the people that the United Nations serve and obviously on the people that were served directly by these programmes. Benno?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Mark Carney is the new head of the Liberal Party of Canada and will also be new Prime Minister of Canada, and recently, he worked for the United Nations, so I thought you might have a comment or some warm words.
Spokesman: I mean, this was the result of an internal process by the Liberal Party. I mean, we’ll obviously await his official designation as prime minister, but we look forward to working with the next Prime Minister of Canada. Dezhi, then Michelle.
Question: Yes. On the electricity limitation in Gaza, has that situation affected UN operations inside Gaza?
Spokesman: No. The electricity in Gaza has been cut off for quite some time. So, the only direct electrical link, as I understand it, from Israel to Gaza was to this water desalination plant. Almost the rest of the electricity that’s being provided in Gaza is being produced internally through generators or power stations.
Question: So far, Israel cut the electricity, and there’s no convoy getting in for nine days. Can you tell us, what does Israel Government allow to get into Gaza so far?
Spokesman: Nothing. I mean, there’s been no goods coming in. No trucks coming in. I’ve not heard that… people — that’s humanitarian workers — were not allowed to go in, but no goods have been coming in. And I mean, we again call on all the parties to live up to the obligations that they had agreed to. We want to see the humanitarian aid return and flow back and flood back into Gaza. We want to see the hostages, the Israeli hostages and other citizens, that continue to be detained, released.
Okay. Michelle, then Benny.
Question: Just a quick follow-up on Edie’s question on USAID cuts. They were kind of finalized about 12 days ago. Some were reversed, but now it’s definitely finalized. Do you have any kind of ballpark? Like, I know the agencies are all doing their own thing.
Spokesman: I think everybody’s trying to… and I understand your frustration in not getting exact numbers, but there’d been a lot of confusion in terms of what was cut, what wasn’t cut. And obviously, some moneys are commingled with others. So, I think everyone is trying to take out their abacus or abaci and go through the numbers. But, obviously, you know, the impact is on people.
Question: And what communication is the UN having with the US about this?
Spokesman: The agencies have been in touch with their counterparts. Benny, and then Margaret, and then Gabriel.
Question: I think the word is abaci. […] Anyway, the Secretary-General, if I remember correctly, met with [Ahmed Hussein] al-Sharaa, the president [sic] of Syria. Has he talked to him since all these reports over the weekend came up?
Spokesman: No. He has not. But our colleague in the political, Mr. Geir Pedersen’s office — his deputy, if I’m not mistaken — is in Damascus and has been in touch with officials there.
Question: Is the crisis acute enough for the Secretary-General to get in?
Spokesman: We have a lot of communications channels with the transitional authorities, and we’re using all of them.
Margaret?
Question: Just further on the USAID cuts, have you received any more termination letters since the last update you gave us?
Spokesman: We will check.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Gabriel, sorry.
Question: Thanks, Steph. On Gaza, would the Secretary-General agree that cutting off the limited electricity supplies going into Gaza now are a collective punishment and violations of international law?
Spokesman: There is an obligation for Israel under international law to provide these basic services, and they should do it.
Question: And the border crossings have been closed now for, you said, nine days.
Spokesman: Yeah.
Question: And you said that you’re having to prioritize the remaining stocks. That seems to indicate that stocks potentially are going to be running low. Can you give us some more?
Spokesman: Not potentially. I mean its basic math, right? I mean, we had stocks when the crossings were open; the crossings are now closed. So, we’re not sitting on the stocks. We’re trying to — or my colleagues on the ground are trying to make extremely difficult decisions about how to best use the stocks, these stocks, to make sure they last the longest amount of time, because we don’t know how long this closure will last. Yes, please, Denis.
Question: Yeah. Thanks so much. A quick follow-up on Syria. I’m wondering if you have any presence on the ground, I mean, UN staff in the coastal areas of Syria?
Spokesman: There were some staff that have been relocated, but not a large number at all. Edie, and then back to Margaret.
Question: Steph, have there been any discussions between UN officials and Israeli officials about the cut-off of food and electricity?
Spokesman: Yes. I mean, our colleagues on the ground are in constant touch with COGAT, who are their counterparts.
Margaret, then we’ll go to the screen.
Question: You mentioned that an UNRWA staffer died in Latakia. Was it in Latakia?
Spokesman: It was in that area. It was on Friday.
Question: And was it in while the… [cross talk]
Spokesman: We’re trying to get some more details.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Uh, Mike?
Question: Steph, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Daniel Meron, said he reached out to UN agencies and other NGOs in an attempt to get them to send […] All right. Is it sounding okay now?
Spokesman: Perfect.
Correspondent: Thank you, Benno. Appreciate it.
Spokesman: Thank you, Benno.
Question: The Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Daniel Meron, held a presser earlier today, saying he’s reached out to UN agencies and other NGOs to encourage them to essentially pick up UNRWA’s responsibilities. Have you heard from any UN agencies that Ambassador Meron reached out to, or anything more you can comment on about?
Spokesman: No. I haven’t. I could tell you that UNRWA’s mandate is given by the General Assembly. And, as we’ve said here a number of times, its work, especially in the educational and the health spheres, is really irreplaceable.
Question: So, the answer would be from those agencies?
Spokesman: I can’t speak for them. This is the first I’ve heard of this particular announcement, but I can… I’ve just kind of stated to you our principled position. But if I get more information, I will.
Question: Second question.
Spokesman: Mike, yes. Go ahead.
Question: I appreciate it. So, the accusations of starvation and weaponization of food are coming in again here as Israel has cut off aid going into Gaza. I want to revert back to prior to the ceasefire, because these allegations kind of died off with the ceasefire. What evidence — because the UN parroted these allegations for a year and a half. There were reports that were retracted. There were projections that were retroactively changed by the IPC (Integrated Phase Classification system). What evidence does the UN have that there was a famine in Gaza at any point during the war?
Spokesman: I think what we said but, Mike, if I recall, and maybe your memory is better than mine, but at least from this podium, we talked about the very severe risk of famine. Those studies were done by the IPC, which is a group of UN agencies and also a group of non-UN agencies, American, German, Europeans, and others, who’ve established a scientific method to talk about hunger, to classify hunger, and we stand by their findings.
Question: There was UN reports, numerous ones. I can’t speak to what you said at a podium when I… [cross talk]
Spokesman: I know. But Mike, as you know better than I, we have, the one thing we don’t have — we may have at the UN have the world’s most recognizable logo, but there’s no brand management. There are a lot of people who can speak on, quote-unquote, behalf of the UN. I’m speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General, what we’ve said here, and what others have said.
Question: I mean the UN News Centre. I’m not talking about the special experts or anything. I’m talking about the UN central News Centre reported extreme hunger and famine.
Spokesman: We could go on for a long time. There is a qualitative scientific difference between hunger and famine. Famine is a very specific word. We have talked often about hunger in Gaza, and I don’t think anyone can dispute that there was hunger in Gaza. And I think we’ve seen it, and we our colleagues, numerous UN colleagues have come out and spoken to what they’ve seen with their own eyes; and as for the IPC, I think I’ve answered that question. Stefano and then Michelle.
Correspondent: Thank you, Stéphane. I was listening, so I hope nobody asked.
Spokesman: That’s the headline!
Question: No, I wasn’t in the room. […] But I was listening, and I think nobody asked before. This weekend, a former graduate student from Columbia University has been arrested. He’s a green card holder, married with an American. And apparently, he was arrested with for antisemitism. Other sources says that he was just protesting organized protest. Question is, does the Secretary-General doing, you know, his interest to this? Does the Secretary-General think that freedom of expression is in danger in this country?
Spokesman: We’re aware of the reports. We’ve read the press reports. We don’t have any more detail. I don’t think we’d have the exact details of what happened. But I can tell you for us, it is crucial to underscore the importance of respecting the right of freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly everywhere.
Question: And then, this is inspired by your green tie. In Italy, you know that green is the hope, right? Esperanza. You have been a witness of history of United Nations for a long time now. Do you think we as an international community are living through the most complicated, I would say, dangerous time of all, what you witnessed so far?
Spokesman: I hate to be chronocentric, but I think this is indeed a very unstable and difficult time and challenging times we’re living through.
Question: What is chronocentric?
Spokesman: Just like where, whenever, whatever time you’re in, you think is the most important time you’re in. I don’t know if that’s my definition, anyway.
Dezhi and then Michelle.
Question: Okay. Very quick question. President of Ukraine [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy arrived in Saudi Arabia and going to have a talk with US officials. What’s the UN expectation from this talk?
Spokesman: Listen. Let’s not put any carts before any horses. I think you know well, because you pay very close attention to what I say, what our position is on the end of the war in Ukraine. Michelle?
Question: Thank you, Steph. On the SG’s remarks on Friday and today on women’s rights, the first question that a lot of people ask is, you know, he says women’s rights are under attack. We need to take action. A lot of people say, what can we do? So, on a practical level, what would he recommend people to do?
Spokesman: I think stand up and speak. I mean, we all have agency, right? Stand up and speak. Be active in your own circle, whether as journalists, whether as civil society leaders, whether as political leaders, and as just plain citizens.
Go ahead, Sinan, please.
Question: A couple of quick follow-up. Yeah. I wonder if Secretary-General has received any proper reports about Syria.
Spokesman: Proper in what sense?
Question: Reports what happened, like, in Syria, over the weekend.
Spokesman: Last few days? No. I mean, we’ve received reports from our team, from Geir Pedersen and our team on the ground, but I think, given that we do not have the exact picture of what happened, it is clear that there were atrocities committed, that people died, and it is also clear that we will need accountability for this, and that we need to have a clear picture. And, as I said earlier today, it is critical for the authorities in Syria to allow for free media to do their job and for human rights organizations to do their job so they can report for all of us on exactly what happened. Thank you all. So, yes.
Question: Since the minorities are under attack, so I wonder if UN is doing anything particular to protect those minorities.
Spokesman: This has been our constant message to the caretaker authorities and will continue to be. Thank you.