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 — Bangladesh
All right, good afternoon.
Our Secretary-General is back in Dhaka in Bangladesh after having spent the day in Cox’s Bazar, and you know this is part of his Ramadan solidarity visit with Rohingya refugees and their Bangladeshi host communities.
The Secretary-General had the chance to meet with refugees, many of them young men and women, who told him about their experiences and their concerns. He spoke to children who were grateful to be able to go to school in the camps, but also, they said how much they missed their homes in Myanmar. And he met young people who still have hope to return to their homeland but are also worried about the impending funding cuts which would dramatically reduce their monthly food rations (from $12.50 to $6 per month) — and I will have more on those announcements from the World Food Programme (WFP) shortly. The Secretary-General also visited a jute centre, where he had a chance to hear from women who are trying to build a livelihood inside the camps.
The Secretary-General assured every one of the people he met that he would do everything he can to stop the funding cuts, and he apologized to them because the United Nations and the international community have not been able to stop the conflict in Myanmar.
He later had a press encounter in which he said that he had heard two clear messages: first, from Rohingyas who want to go back to Myanmar; and second, that they want better conditions in the camps where they are living.
And at sunset, the Secretary-General shared an Iftar with some 60,000 refugees. He told them that sharing an Iftar with them is a symbol of his deep respect for their religion and their culture. He also said that we are facing a deep humanitarian crisis with the announced funding cuts, and he lamented that, as a result, many people will suffer, and some people might even die.
“My voice,” he said, “will not end until the international community understands that they have the obligation to invest now in the Rohingya refugees.”
Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was also present at the Iftar, and they met separately; they have had a bilateral earlier in the day, he was with the Secretary-General during part of the trip.
**Myanmar
And just to give you a bit more granularity on those cuts, the World Food Programme warned that more than 1 million people in Myanmar will be cut off from its food assistance starting in April — that’s of course due to critical funding shortages.
WFP says these cuts come just as increased conflict, displacement and access restrictions are already sharply driving up food needs.
Without an immediate new funding, WFP will only be able to assist 35,000 of the most vulnerable people, including children under the age of 5, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people living with disabilities.
The cuts will also impact almost 100,000 internally displaced people in Rakhine, who will have no access to food without WFP assistance, including Rohingya communities in camps.
WFP urgently needs $60 million to maintain its life-saving food assistance to the people of Myanmar this year.
**Trip Announcement
And just some more travel to announce. After concluding his visit to Bangladesh, as we had already told you, the Secretary-General will arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, where he is convening the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom for an informal meeting on Cyprus. Those meetings will be held at the UN Office in Geneva.
The meeting will take place from 17 to 18 March and is being held in the context of the Secretary-General’s own good offices efforts on the Cyprus issue and as agreed with the two leaders on 15 October of last year.
The informal meeting will provide an opportunity for a meaningful discussion on the way forward on the Cyprus issue. The UN, of course, remains committed to supporting the Cypriot leaders and all Cypriots.
From there, the Secretary-General will travel to Brussels, and that will take place on 18 March. He will go there to meet with European Union leaders — and you will recall that this is something he does almost every March in the past few years.
On Wednesday, he is scheduled to meet Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, and he will also meet with Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament.
The following day, on Thursday, at the invitation of the President of the European Council, Mr. Costa, the Secretary-General will take part in a working lunch with theHeads of State and Government of the European Union at the opening of their regular European Council meeting.
While in Brussels, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Belgium, Bart De Wever.
And on Friday morning, the universities KU Leuven and UC Louvain will jointly award an honorary doctorate to the United Nations. The Secretary-General will receive the doctorate on behalf of the Organization, and in his remarks, he is expected to pay tribute to the work, sacrifices, dedication and commitment of the thousands of women and men working for the UN around the world to serve and support the people in some of the most difficult and dangerous places on Earth.
The ceremony will be open, and you will be able to watch on the UN WebTV.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the dire situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, our humanitarian colleagues report that clashes and insecurity in the east continue to harm civilians.
In South Kivu, our humanitarian partners are warning that continued violence in the territories of Uvira and Fizi has forced nearly 370,000 people to flee their homes since early February.
Serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law have been reported, including nearly 400 cases of sexual violence reported in Uvira between 9 and 25 February; that’s what local partners who are monitoring the situation are telling us.
Humanitarian organizations have also been targeted in Uvira.
For its part, UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) said today that ongoing violence in South Kivu province has led to a sharp rise in grave violations against children. Verified cases of violations include sexual violence, killings, maiming, and the recruitment and use of children by armed groups.
Education has also been impacted, with the closure of more than 1,000 schools in the province, disrupting the education of over 300,000 students. In Bukavu alone, UNICEF says that 19 schools have turned into makeshift shelters for displaced families.
The impact of the continued insecurity and displacements of people has also contributed to a growing cholera outbreak, with health officials reporting more than 240 cases and 10 deaths as of 10 March in Uvira. Our partners working in health estimate new cholera cases are doubling every week in that area.
We and our partners are providing cholera treatment, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene services in the area, but more resources and improved humanitarian access are needed to contain the outbreak.
Still in South Kivu, since 3 March, clashes in Walungu Territory have reportedly forced more than 20,000 people to flee, and they urgently need food, water, shelter and other essential items.
Yesterday, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated $750,000 to help prevent the cholera outbreak in North Kivu from spreading even further. The funding is part of the so-called anticipatory action framework, which seeks to mitigate the impact of the deadly disease in the country. The resources will support UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and our partners providing water, sanitation, hygiene and healthcare services.
**Central African Republic
Staying nearby and turning to the Central African Republic, our peacekeeping colleagues [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)] are telling us that the second and third phases of voter registration have just begun in the country, covering nine out of 20 prefectures and overseas centres.
Our peacekeeping mission has actively contributed to the launch of the operations by providing logistical support, including the deployment of equipment by plane from Bangui to the regions, as well as several hundred electoral agents.
Peacekeepers are also helping secure the process by deploying to tense areas to enable all Central Africans to have access to registration centres. Blue helmets have also escorted road convoys carrying registration kits, as well as electoral staff.
Also to note, working in collaboration with UN-Women, the Mission is working to increase the number of women on the voter list by facilitating the issuance of identity documents.
The voter registration exercise precedes local, legislative, and presidential elections scheduled for later this year and in 2026. The local elections, to be held for the first time in nearly 40 years, are a key component of the Central African Peace Agreement and offer a unique opportunity for enhanced governance at the local level.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that the ongoing halt on aid into Gaza — which is now in its twelfth consecutive day — is hindering humanitarian operations.
This means, for example, that the World Food Programme, WFP, has not been able to transport any food supplies into Gaza due to the closure of all border crossing points for both humanitarian and commercial supplies.
The agency says it has enough stocks to support active bakeries and community kitchens for up to one month. WFP can also continue to provide ready-to-eat food parcels for more than half a million people for two weeks.
WFP has about 63,000 metric tons of food destined for Gaza, stored or in transit in the region. This is equivalent two to three months of distributions for 1.1 million people, that’s a bit more than half the population in Gaza, and that’s all pending authorization to enter the Strip, and obviously the need for the crossing to reopen.
As it did prior to the ceasefire, WFP is reducing the quantity of ready-to-eat food parcels provided to families to stretch its supplies and serve more people in need.
Meanwhile, our other partners working on health tell us that the shortage of fuel is affecting the movement of vehicles across Gaza and slowing down first responders.
OCHA notes that oxygen supplies and electricity generators are also critically needed to maintain life-saving operations at hospitals in Gaza. At least two dozen additional generators are needed for health centres, as the ones currently in use need maintenance and spare parts.
Meanwhile, OCHA also warns that settler violence is escalating in certain areas across the West Bank, causing casualties, property damage and placing communities at high risk of displacement.
Over the past two years, OCHA has documented the displacement of more than 2,000 Palestinians across the West Bank due to heightened settler violence and access restrictions.
Since Monday, operations in Jenin city have intensified, with more than 500 people displaced from three neighbourhoods in the eastern part of the city, according to the municipality.
We and our partners warn that food insecurity is rising, as operations by Israeli forces, displacement and movement restrictions limit access to food.
WFP says it is supporting more than 190,000 people with monthly cash vouchers and has provided one-off assistance to thousands of people in need.
Meanwhile, OCHA has noted a sharp increase in the demolition of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank over the past week and a half. The number of structures demolished during the first 10 days of Ramadan this year have already exceeded the total for all of Ramadan in 2024.
**Syria
And in Syria, we and our partners continue to support the response in coastal areas. Our partners working in health are supporting facilities in the governorates of Tartous and Lattakia are providing them with medical supplies.
For his part, the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, led a mission yesterday in Harasta near Damascus. More than 700 families recently returned to their homes from north-west Syria, with many of them now living in destroyed buildings. Eighty per cent of the town was devastated by the conflict and some neighbourhoods need to be fully rebuilt.
And as you may know, a conference to support Syria will take place on Monday in Brussels. Representatives from the UN will be Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. He’s scheduled to speak.
**Global Trade 2025
And just to flag a couple of reports, one on global trade from our friends in UNCTAD, now known as UN Trade and Development, warned today that global trade started 2025 on stable ground, but challenges are mounting. Its Global Trade Update, covering data through early March, points out that world trade saw record expansion to $33 trillion in 2024 — up 3.7 per cent from the previous year. This was driven by developing economies and the strong services trade.
But looking ahead, UN Trade and Development tell us that new risks loom, including trade imbalances, evolving policies and geopolitical tensions. The Global Trade Update notes that the gap between developing and advanced economies is widening. Asia and Latin America remain key trade drivers, but growth has slowed in many advanced economies. They also note that Governments are expanding tariffs, subsidies and industrial policies that are reshaping trade flows.
According to the update, this policy realignment is contributing to uncertainty. Rising protectionism, particularly in advanced economies, is triggering retaliatory measures and just adding trade barriers.
UN Trade and Development stressed that as trade uncertainty grows, global cooperation and balanced policies remain critical. The challenge in 2025, UNCTAD tells us, is to prevent global fragmentation — where nations form isolated trade blocs — while managing policy shifts without undermining long-term growth. The actions taken now by Governments and businesses will shape trade resilience for years to come. More online.
**Coffee Prices
Pay attention to this, Margaret. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations today said that world coffee prices reached a multi-year high in 2024 — increasing 38.8 per cent on the previous year’s average. This was mostly driven by inclement weather impacting key producing countries.
FAO said that coffee export prices may rise further this year if major growing regions experience further significant supply reductions. Higher shipping costs were also found to be one of the factors contributing to the increase in world coffee prices.
**Islamophobia
Tomorrow, we will mark the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. This morning at the General Assembly, the Chef de Cabinet, Mr. Courtenay Rattray, delivered a message on behalf of the Secretary-General.
In his message, the Secretary-General says that from racial profiling and discriminatory policies to outright violence against individuals and their places of worship, we are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Muslim bigotry. He called on all to speak out against xenophobia and discrimination.
The Chef de Cabinet also delivered his own remarks, stressing that Islamophobia is not just about fear. It manifests in discrimination, exclusion and violence — acts of hatred directed at individuals simply because of their faith. “This is a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights, and we cannot look away,” he said.
**Commission on Status of Women
Next Tuesday at 1:15 p.m., the UN Office for Partnerships and UN-Women are co-hosting an event titled “Women Rise for All: Turning Hope into Action”.
Convened by Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, the event will feature Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, as a special guest. Taking place in the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) Chamber during the sixty-ninth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the event will highlight the pivotal role of women’s leadership in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
There is no money today, but I have a quiz for you. What is today?
It’s Pi Day. Pi Day is very important for that of us who are mathematicians. […] It’s not about food, it’s about numbers. Dezhi.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Dezhi and then Gabriel and Ahmed.
Question: Yeah. My yesterday’s question, do you manage to get some response? The questionnaire?
Spokesman: Yes. I mean, I can tell you that, obviously, as you know, a number of UN entities have received questionnaires from the US Government. I mean, our understanding is that they’re being sent in relation to existing or potential voluntary funding from the US Government. Each UN system entity will decide how to respond in accordance with their respective rules.
Question: But this kind of questionnaire ask whether you still receive fundings from, let’s say, China, Cuba. Is this the right approach from one Member State to the UN?
Spokesman: I’ll tell you, each Member State will have its own approach. I can tell you it’s a bit challenging.
Question: But UN is for the humanity, not only for US, right?
Spokesman: That is correct. And I think the UN, as you know, is funded by all its Member States, all 193 of them. Gabriel?
Correspondent: Thanks, Steph. For a slow Friday, there was a lot in there today.
Spokesman: Sorry.
Question: Just to be clear, a follow-up to Dezhi’s question: The guidance from the Secretary-General is for all agencies to respond to this questionnaire?
Spokesman: Respond within our legal framework, within their own legal framework. The UN, contrary to what people may think, is a pretty transparent place, to where our funding comes from, where we work, how we work. There’s tons of information out there. We have nothing to hide.
Question: So, it sounds like he’s leaving it up to each individual agency to choose how and if they respond. Is that a fair assessment?
Spokesman: They will respond within their existing rules.
Question: Okay. And on the SG’s travels to Geneva and Brussels, particularly Brussels, do you know if he has any media availability scheduled yet for a press conference?
Spokesman: You can… not a press conference, but you can probably tell your colleagues they can expect him to say a few words on the very long circular carpet when you come into the European Union building.
Question: I will pass that along. A couple more, but I’ll just do one and then maybe if we have a second round is: On WFP, your comments on Myanmar and the WFP cuts to the funding — are those cuts specifically from US Government funding or not sure?
Spokesman: It’s all commingled. Obviously, as you know, the US Government is a huge funder of the World Food Programme. Ahmed?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Still again, on Myanmar and the cuts in funding. Is there any chance that there is a negotiation with the US Government to reinstate the funding for these urgent… I mean, the refugees there? [cross talk]
Spokesman: I would say, you know, all of our agency colleagues, our humanitarian colleagues and others are actively engaging with their counterparts to explain to them the damage, the immediate damage that’s being done.
Question: Is there any intention or plans to issue an urgent appeal to fill the gap in funding?
Spokesman: I mean, I think the Secretary-General’s own words to all of you were pretty clear on that front. Yes, Mercedes?
Question: Hi, regarding Syria, the statement of the Secretary-General yesterday, it seems like Syria is in a crossroad that it can spiral down into another civil war or sectarian violence, from what we have been seeing. Beside the effort to support Syria financially and what we’re going to see in Brussels, what channels has the Secretary-General opened with the new government to mediate?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, you know, he met with the transitional leader during the sidelines of the Cairo Arab League extraordinary meeting. Mr. Geir Pedersen and his team have had constant contact. Mr. Pedersen’s deputy, Najat Rochdi, I believe, remains in Damascus. Our message, the one of inclusivity, the one of rebuilding State institutions in which all Syrians can recognize themselves is being constantly transmitted. But it’s also critical that Member States that have a more direct influence on the authorities in Damascus all speak from the same song sheet — to push Syria, in a sense, in the direction of rebuilding, of rebuilding a State where there is, as I said, all Syrians, minority and ethnic minorities, feel protected, feel represented, and where there is accountability for the suffering of the Syrian people.
Question: Because the determination of making it a Muslim Government, it’s already a sectarian way to start. I wonder if there is any expectation that the Brazil meeting can bring some kind — I know it’s not a political, meeting, but some kind of…
Spokesman: I think it’s exactly — it is not a political meeting. It is also, we will continue to push our messages, but the process in the end needs to be Syrian-owned and Syrian-led, because otherwise, it can’t survive. So, there is a rebuilding of Syria that is institutional, and there’s a rebuilding of Syria that is physical. I talked about, I think, our colleague, Adam Abdelmoula, going to a neighbourhood where 80 per cent of the homes had already been destroyed. So, there’s a lot of rebuilding, literal and figurative, that needs to be done. Dezhi?
Question: Sorry. Any, progress of SG’s potential call with President [Donald] Trump?
Spokesman: As I said, you will be the second to know or third to know if and when that happens. [laughter] No. I mean, it’s not… a phone call is not a road. Either contact happens or it doesn’t happen. When it happens, I will let you know. Yes, sir? Go ahead.
Question: Mark Carney was just sworn in as PM of Canada. Do you have any statement on behalf of it?
Spokesman: We congratulate Mr. Carney on assuming the office of Prime Minister of Canada. The Secretary-General, as you know, knows Mr. Carney well. We look forward to working with him and the new Government of Canada. Are you just waving your phone about or… Oh, sorry. Ahmed and Gabriel. Sorry.
Question: Speaking of phone calls, now with things starting to move in a little bit in the Ukraine crisis, and the G7 met already in Canada, and the special envoy, Mr. [Steve] Witkoff, met with President [Vladimir] Putin. Secretary-General, where is he in all of these, about the Ukrainians and the Russians?
Spokesman: While I speak for the Secretary-General, I think he spoke very clearly and answered that question on Wednesday on the ceasefire. So that continues to be our position. Gabriel?
Question: Thanks, Steph. Just to follow up on Gaza. You said that the WFP has food supplies in Gaza for another month, if I heard you correctly. Was that correct?
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, it basically is doing whatever it can to stretch that. But by stretching it, you make it last longer, but fewer people get aid.
Question: And was that month from now or from when Israel started blocking?
Spokesman: The way I read it and understood it is a month from now.
Correspondent: Thank you.
Spokesman: Okay. Thank you. Oh, just to let you know, we do expect a statement welcoming the discussions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. I’d hope to have it for you. I don’t, but it will be issued as soon as we get it. Happiest of Fridays to all of you and a great weekend.
[He later issued the following statement: “The Secretary-General welcomes the announcements by Armenia and Azerbaijan on the conclusion of negotiations on the draft peace agreement. He is encouraged by the progress made by the parties towards normalization of relations and strongly supports their efforts to resolve all outstanding issues in the interest of long-term peace in the region.”]