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.
**Guest today
Nicholas Haysom, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), briefed reporters virtually on the situation in the country.
[Briefing by Mr. Haysom followed.]
**General Assembly Event
Good afternoon, just a couple of programming notes.
Tomorrow is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic slave trade.
The General Assembly will hold a commemorative meeting tomorrow to mark the Day. The Secretary-General will deliver remarks, as well as the President of the General Assembly and of course representatives of Member States.
The keynote speaker will be the Nigerian author Wole Soyinka, who — as you know — won the Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature in 1986. The youth speaker will be the Nigerian-American youth poet Salome Agbaroji, the seventh US Youth Poet Laureate. The event, of course, will be streamed on UN WebTV.
**Briefings
Also tomorrow, Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, will be briefing the Security Council on Syria, and he has told us he will be at the stakeout to take your questions afterwards.
But, before that, at 11 a.m., there will be a briefing here by the G20 Sherpa, Zane Dangor, who will be briefing you on South Africa’s G20 presidency priorities. That’s at 11 am.
**Security Council
This morning, you heard the Secretary-General speak to the Security Council this morning during a special session on UN peace operations.
He reminded Council members that UN peace operations safeguard people and communities in some of the most desperate places on earth, adding that they represent a critical tool at the Council’s disposal to maintain international peace and security.
At their best, he said, they show how, when the UN comes together to address challenges, the burden is diminished on individual countries. But Mr. [António] Guterres added that peace operations face serious barriers that demand new approaches.
The Secretary-General said that work is now under way to review all forms of peace operations, as requested by Member States in the recently adopted Pact for the Future.
He said the review will build on the analysis presented in the New Agenda for Peace and it will be informed by the first comprehensive study of the history of special political missions in the 80 years of this organization, and that report which will be released soon.
The review will also help inform efforts — through the UN@80 initiative — to find efficiencies and improvements across our work, in light of the continued funding challenges we face as an organization.
His remarks were, of course, shared with you.
**Gaza
I have an update to share with you on Gaza.
As you know, in the past week, Israel carried out devastating strikes on Gaza, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians, including United Nations personnel, with no humanitarian aid being allowed to enter the Gaza Strip since early March.
As a result, the Secretary-General has taken the difficult decision to reduce the United Nations’ footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar and our concern over the protection of civilians intensifies.
We are not leaving Gaza — I repeat, the United Nations is not leaving Gaza. We remain committed to continuing to provide aid that civilians depend on for their survival and protection.
More than three weeks ago, the Israeli Government cut off the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza — which is the longest such suspension since 7 October 2023.
Israeli officials have indicated that they intend to continue their military activities in Gaza.
Based on the information that is currently available, the strikes hitting a UN compound in Deir Al Balah on 19 March were caused by an Israeli tank shell. The strikes claimed the life of a UN colleague from Bulgaria and left six others — from France, Moldova, North Macedonia, Palestine and the United Kingdom — with severe injuries, some of them life-altering.
The location of this UN compound was well known to all the parties to the conflict. I reiterate that all parties to the conflict are bound by international law to protect the inviolability of United Nations premises. Without this, our colleagues face intolerable risks as they work to save the lives of civilians.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns these strikes and demands a full, thorough and independent investigation into this incident.
All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and they must be protected. The denial of lifesaving aid must end. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.
All States must use their leverage to stop the conflict and ensure respect for international law — by applying diplomatic and economic pressure and combating impunity.
The Secretary-General renews his urgent call for the restoration of the ceasefire to bring an end to the anguish.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
And just to give you a bit more granularity on the situation on the ground in Gaza, Tom Fletcher, our Emergency Relief Coordinator, said today that he continues to receive horrific reports from Gaza of more health workers, ambulances and hospitals attacked as they try to save survivors. Mr. Fletcher said we all must demand that hospitals and medics must not be targeted.
Yesterday in southern Gaza, several casualties were reported after the surgical department of Nasser Medical Complex was hit and caught fire. In Rafah, ambulances were reportedly hit yesterday in Tal Al Sultan, resulting in several casualties. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said four of its ambulances were targeted, as well as 10 team members carrying out humanitarian work. They say communication with the team has been completely lost for 30 hours, and at this point, their fate remains unknown.
As hostilities continue across Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that we and our humanitarian partners continue to face constraints in our efforts to provide health services. Yesterday, our partners called for the entry of additional emergency medical teams into Gaza to help health workers already on the ground who are exhausted and, of course, overwhelmed.
OCHA reports that the crossings have remained closed for cargo since 2 March, with reports that prices of goods and commodities continue to rise. Yesterday, UNRWA’s (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, warned that “every day without food inches Gaza closer to an acute hunger crisis”.
Yesterday, Israeli authorities also issued a new evacuation order in Rafah, covering about 2 per cent of the Strip and affecting five neighbourhoods.
With this latest directive, the overall area designated for evacuation over the past week covers an estimated 14 per cent of the Gaza Strip — along with vast “no go” zones along the borders and the Netzarim corridor.
UNRWA estimates that 124,000 people have been newly displaced in just days. Many have moved on foot toward the Mawasi area along one evacuation route, with large numbers of people reportedly seeking shelter in hospitals.
Our partners supporting water, sanitation and hygiene services in Gaza tell us that 90 per cent of people surveyed in recent weeks did not have sufficient access to water, with respondents going several days without being able to just wash their hands.
Since the resumption of hostilities and despite these challenges, our humanitarian partners have continued to screen children for malnutrition, distributing ready-to-eat complementary food to more than 7,000 infants and young children.
However, the closure of several malnutrition sites located in the evacuation area in Rafah has impacted more than 100 children.
**Lebanon
Moving north to Lebanon, and the situation along the Blue Line: Our peacekeeping colleagues have urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from activities that may endanger civilians and jeopardize the progress made in advancing a relative calm in recent months.
Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert and the Head of the UN peacekeeping mission — UNIFIL — in Lebanon, Lt. General Aroldo Lázaro, are in contact with all sides and actors to defuse tensions and prevent any further incidents.
We urge Lebanon and Israel to uphold their commitments to the cessation of hostilities. It remains crucial that the parties urgently undertake tangible steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.
UNIFIL, in the meantime, continues to support the redeployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the armed forces deployed to approximately one hundred locations in southern Lebanon. In support of the Lebanese Armed Forces in addressing the unauthorized weapons in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL peacekeepers over the past week discovered a significant number of unauthorized weapons and ammunition, mostly in the western area of operations. There have been 195 such incidents since the cessation of hostilities commenced, on 27 November of last year. All of them were duly reported to the Lebanese Armed Forces.
UNIFIL has also facilitated 18 humanitarian missions to its area of operation this month — which are crucial for rebuilding lives.
We reiterate once again our calls for civilians and civilian infrastructure to be protected, on both sides of the Blue Line.
OCHA colleagues in Lebanon remain concerned by the precarious humanitarian and protection situation there as civilians continue to be impacted by military operations across the country.
Over the weekend, the escalation with multiple airstrikes across Lebanon resulted in eight deaths, including one child, and 44 injuries, including five children. That is what the Lebanese Ministry of Health is telling us.
Military operations continue to exacerbate protection concerns, impede safe returns of displaced people, hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance and further drive up humanitarian needs.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 96,000 people remain displaced within Lebanon. And over 960,000 are back to their communities of origin.
We and our partners are continuing to support the humanitarian response across the country despite the critical funding shortfall. We also continue to support displaced families who are trying to return to their host as well as supporting host communities and those who are still displaced.
Despite the urgent needs, the $371 million Flash Appeal that goes until the end of March remains only 12 per cent funded.
**Ukraine
Moving to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues there tell us that attacks over the weekend and today have once again resulted in widespread civilian casualties, including children.
Between Saturday and today, missile and drone attacks in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv killed two dozen civilians and injured scores of others — that is what local authorities are informing us about. Entire families — including parents and their children — were among the fatalities in Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv. Other affected areas include towns in Donetsk, Kherson, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Dnipro regions.
Humanitarian organizations responded swiftly, providing medical and psychological aid, hot meals, shelter materials, blankets, and legal support. They also registered people for repair assistance.
Today, Ukraine Railways said that a large-scale cyberattack is targeting its systems. As the air space in Ukraine has been closed since February 2022, rail travel is the primary mode of transportation for civilians and humanitarian actors. The attack severely disrupted booking and ticketing services. This has led to delays and operational challenges at several stations. Apparently, authorities are working to repair the damage and restore services.
Aid organizations continue to support evacuations from border communities in the Sumy region, where attacks have intensified. Humanitarians are working alongside national police and rescuers to evacuate hundreds of civilians, including children and people with disabilities. Partners are also providing all types of humanitarian support.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Moving to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that clashes in parts of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri provinces continue to harm civilians and to drive people from their homes.
In Ituri, clashes have forced at least six humanitarian organizations to suspend operations in the town of Fataki since 18 March, cutting off assistance to more than 300,000 men, women and children. A health centre in the town of Djugu was also looted and the regional hospital in Fataki forced to close on 14 March, severely restricting people’s access to medical care. Dozens of homes in the area have also been burned during the clashes.
Still in Ituri, a vital supply route linking the town of Mahagi to the provincial capital Bunia remains blocked due to the ongoing insecurity. This is causing fuel shortages, higher prices and limited availability of goods in Bunia and nearby areas.
OCHA also reports that last week’s clashes in North Kivu’s Walikale Territory damaged water supply infrastructure. Local civil society groups stress the need for urgent repairs to mitigate public health risks.
The intense fighting in North Kivu’s Walikale Territory between 14 and 20 March has also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee into neighbouring Maniema province.
Finally, in South Kivu, local sources report that fighting continued over the weekend in Walungu and Kalehe territories, triggering large-scale displacements, but no estimates are available yet, as of numbers.
Despite the volatile situation in South Kivu, we and our humanitarian partners started distributing food on 22 March in two parts of the Kalehe Territory, targeting more than half a million vulnerable people.
**Sudan
In Sudan, I can tell you that we are deeply alarmed by the reports of mass displacement and the large numbers of civilians having been killed in Al Malha locality, which is in the northern part of North Darfur. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the situation remains volatile and unpredictable, raising serious concerns over the protection of civilians.
For its part, the International Organization for Migration tells us that recent clashes in the area have forced about 75,000 people to flee. The number of people internally displaced across Sudan remains staggeringly high at 11.3 million people, although IOM notes a slight decrease from 11.6 million people in January, with returns being reported in some areas.
For those who do return, the challenges persist. In Al-Jazirah state — which is in the south-east of Sudan — our partners on the ground report that thousands of people returning to the state lack food.
Health centres are closed, and medicines are in short supply. There are also reports of widespread looting of markets and homes, as well as the risk of arbitrary detentions by armed groups.
Meanwhile, WHO (World Health Organization) warns that two thirds of states in Sudan are experiencing multiple disease outbreaks. This includes malaria, dengue, cholera, measles and diphtheria. A hepatitis outbreak was also recently reported at a displacement camp in Kassala state. Diseases are spreading at a time when Sudan’s health system is in crisis, as we have been telling you on a regular basis.
According to WHO, 70 to 80 per cent of health facilities in areas hardest hit by these hostilities are non-functional. Partners urgently need funding, supplies and unimpeded humanitarian access to contain these outbreaks and prevent further spread.
**Afghanistan
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) tells us that, in Afghanistan, the new school year started today, but an additional 400,000 girls are being deprived of their right to education, bringing the total number of girls without access to this essential right to 2.2 million. That is 2.2 million girls being deprived of education.
Today also marks three years since the start of the ban on girls’ secondary education. UNICEF said that if this ban persists until 2030, and we hope it won’t, over 4 million girls will have been deprived of their right to education beyond primary school.
UNICEF said Afghanistan cannot leave half of its population behind. Despite the ban, UNICEF has provided access to education to some 445,000 children through community-based learning, 64 per cent of whom are girls. It is also empowering female teachers to ensure that girls have positive role models.
**Libya
The UN Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is alarmed by the wave of arbitrary arrest and detentions across the country by law enforcement and security actors. In a press release issued over the weekend, the UN Mission said these actors are using their powers of arrest and detain to target individuals for their alleged political affiliations, to silence perceived dissent and to undermine judicial independence. These unlawful practices create a climate of fear, they shrink civic space and they erode the rule of law.
UNSMIL is further concerned by the pattern of video confessions where individuals are detained and coerced into “confessing” to alleged crimes with videos published online. These video and these so-called “confessions” are used to intimidate and humiliate targeted individuals.
**Rohingya Refugees
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration today launched their Joint Response Plan for 1.5 million Rohingya refugees and their host communities in Bangladesh. The plan calls for $934.5 million from the international community to fund protection, shelter and basic needs for refugees in the camps, and to support opportunities to enable them to be self-reliant.
More than half of the population in the camps are women and girls who face a higher risk of gender-based violence and exploitation; while one in three Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh is aged between 10 and 24. Without access to formal education, adequate skills building and self-reliance opportunities, their futures remain on hold.
UNHCR and IOM said that funding shortfalls in critical areas, including reductions to food assistance, cooking fuel or basic shelter, will have dire consequences for this highly vulnerable population and may force many to resort to desperate measures, such as embarking on dangerous boat journeys to seek safety further afield. We ask that everyone give generously.
**International Days
Today is the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. This Day honours the memory of the victims and pays tribute to those who have devoted their lives to — and lost their lives in — the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all.
Today is also World Tuberculosis Day. This year’s theme is “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver”.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Since I have no voice, I’ll leave. No. Benno, please go.
Question: Thank you. I have a voice.
Spokesman: Yeah.
Question: Regarding reducing the Gaza footprint, can you give us numbers? How many personnel will be pulled? How many do you have there? And then I have some follow-ups, I guess.
Spokesman: Okay. What I can tell you, what we're doing is reducing the number of international staff members by about one third this week, maybe a bit more likely to come. It's a temporary measure. We hope to have people return to Gaza as soon as practicable. There are about 100 international staff in Gaza currently. All of this is being done for security reasons and for operational reasons.
Question: So just double checking, you're pulling something about, like, 30, 35, something like this?
Spokesman: Around 30. Yeah. About 30.
Question: Okay. How will humanitarian aid and your work in the region be impacted?
Spokesman: Well obviously, you know, the impact of our work right now is the fact that military operations have resumed in parts of Gaza, that people have been told to move again, and that humanitarian aid is not going in. Those are the impacts on our work. The vast majority of the distribution is being done by local staff, local Palestinian UN staff who continue to do their work in extremely challenging circumstances.
Question: And you said the Israeli tank hit the UN compound, and it was known that this was a UN compound. Do you feel deliberately targeted?
Spokesman: Listen. I can’t speak… I think that's one of the reasons we need to have a pretty clear and transparent investigation. The point is that the Israelis knew exactly where this UN facility was, and it was hit by a shell from one of their tanks.
Question: Last one. Again, this is not the first time that it happens. Do you think it's possible that these attacks are a coincidence?
Spokesman: Look. You're correct in saying it's not the first time it's happened. It's happened before. We need to see accountability for those who took the decision, whether it was deliberate targeting, whether it was miscommunication, but there needs to be accountability.
Betul?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to the arrest of opposition political figures, including the Mayor of Istanbul? He was removed from his office along with three other elected mayors in Istanbul. The crackdown on journalists just this morning, six other journalists, including one from Agence France-Presse, they were detained and hundreds of thousands of Turkish people are on the streets protesting against the arrests, which many lawyers and civil rights groups are calling unlawful and politically motivated.
Spokesman: We're obviously following the situation in Türkiye very closely, especially as you mentioned as it relates to the arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul, also the detention of journalists, the mass detention of journalists that we've seen. It is imperative that journalists be allowed to do their work freely without fear of harassment and detention, whether in Türkiye or any place else in the world. It's also important that people be allowed to demonstrate peacefully and freely, without any risk of their rights being violated, and we hope to see due process being followed.
Question: And just a follow-up. Did the Secretary-General contact any Turkish officials?
Spokesman: I'm not aware of any contact between the Secretary-General and Turkish officials, but I will check.
Question: Does he plan to? Or did you have any calls from any figures from Türkiye?
Spokesman: I will update you as soon as I have information.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Dezhi, Linda, then Pam, then Gabriel.
Question: I have several questions, but first a follow-up. According to the statement, based on the information, UN decided that the deadly attack in Deir Al-Balah is from an Israeli tank. Has the UN shared this information with Israeli authority, and what is their response? Have they responded?
Spokesman: I don't have a response from them, but they very well know; we shared with them what we know.
Question: Okay. My question here, we know that the 42nd [Street] entrance has been closed. How much money can UN save from the closure of that entrance? Do you have a…?
Spokesman: I don't have a hard figure. It's part of just, generally, a lessening of overtime spending.
Question: But speaking of money, has the Secretariat had any update on the UNOPS ASG [United Nations Office for Project Services Assistant Secretary-General Vitaly] Vanshelboim’s 63 million failed investment? Will there be any update on that one?
Spokesman: No, we continue to cooperate with the various law enforcement agencies that are involved in this case.
Question: Okay. One last question. It's been reported that UN is sending staffers an email suggesting all staff members and their families to carry a form of identification at all times to show maybe people, if stopped by authorities in New York. Has this ever happened before?
Spokesman: Not in my memory.
Question: So then why sending this email to all staff members?
Spokesman: It's something to reassure. It's a good reminder for staff members to carry identification with them, including photos of their visas.
Pam then… Oh, sorry. Linda, then Pam, then Gabriel and then Edie. Sorry.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Apropos of Gaza, you mentioned 30 staff members, international staff members — about — will be leaving. In total, how many Palestinian staff members are currently on the job?
Spokesman: I mean, the bulk of them are of UNRWA, I think, around 13,000 or so.
Question: Okay. And then, going to… stepping to Afghanistan, what is the status of Afghan women working, you know, for the UN and humanitarian efforts? I remember that they were banned. Has that changed? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: Yeah, it's a good question. I believe, let me get you a more, let me not make something up off the top of my head, and I'll get you an update on that.
Pam?
Question: Thank you, Steph. On the Riyadh talks on Ukraine Peace, the US Adviser, Mike Walz, National Security Adviser, said yesterday that one of the first priorities is going to be to re-establish the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Will the UN put back in place what it had in 2022 until 2023, with all the operational structures? Thank you.
Spokesman: I don't think we want to get ahead of ourselves. We obviously welcome the ongoing talks. The issue of freedom of navigation on the Black Sea is something that we've continued to work on, notably through the work of Rebeca Grynspan at UNCTAD (United Nations Trade and Development). She obviously, she and her office stand ready to assist in any way they can.
Gabriel?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Welcome back.
Spokesman: Thank you.
Question: Of the roughly 30 international staff that are being taken out of Gaza, do you have a breakdown on which agencies they work for, by any chance?
Spokesman: I don't have an exact breakdown, but I can tell you that, in terms of the agencies, the agencies impacted — it includes, OCHA, the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF, UNOPS, UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund), WHO, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), at this point.
Question: Thank you. And as you as you previously mentioned, the vast majority of UN staff members in Gaza are Palestinians. What is the Secretary-General's message to the Palestinian staff members that don't have the luxury of perhaps being able to leave the country? Can he guarantee their safety?
Spokesman: The bottom line is, and as we've seen it, the Secretary-General doesn't have the power to guarantee the safety of UN staff, whether they are internationals, whether they are nationals, whether it's in Gaza, whether it's in the Congo, in the Central African Republic, Ukraine, or anywhere else. The people who have the power to guarantee the safety of UN staff, all those Member States who need to uphold international law, who need to uphold international humanitarian law, who need to ensure the safety of the very personnel for an organization of which they are a member, and for many of these missions that they have sent out onto the field.
Question: And lastly, does the Secretary-General have any comment about two more journalists that have been assassinated in Gaza, Mohammed Mansour from Palestine today, killed in his home, and Hossam Shabbat from Al Jazeera, killed while he was in his vehicle?
Spokesman: I think it's yet another reminder of the risks that journalists take to report in Gaza. It is imperative that journalists be protected and never be targeted.
Edie Lederer, Associated Press.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Do you have any indication of how much humanitarian aid is left in Gaza since there have been no deliveries now — what, for going on three weeks?
Spokesman: I don't have exact numbers for you. I can tell you that what we have we are trying to stretch out, to make it last as long as possible, but I'll see if I can get you a bit of hard numbers.
Okay. Abdelhamid, I think you have a question. […]
Question: Can you hear me? Okay. I have few questions, Steph. And the people of the refugee camp of Tel As Sultan, which is next to Rafah, had been appealing. They are being besieged, and they said genocide is underway now in Tel As Sultan. Are you aware of this development?
Spokesman: I haven't seen the particulars of that particular appeal, but we are, as you can imagine, we're extremely aware of what is actually going on in Gaza, as we've been talking about it daily. Your other question?
Question: My other question, a young Palestinian of 17 years old has just died in Israeli jail. His name is Walid Khaled Abdullah Ahmed in the prison of Megiddo. Have you come across this development as well?
Spokesman: Okay. Thank you all. We shall see you through…
Question: You didn't hear my question? […] Hello?
Spokesman: Do you have a third question? […]
Question: Yes, there is 600 UNRWA staff in Egypt. UNRWA cut off their salaries for a couple of months now and they've been appealing to the international community to address their grievances in Egypt. Are you aware of this also, and what can you say about it?
Spokesman: I am not aware of this particular case. I would encourage you to contact our colleagues at UNRWA.
Thank you, good day, and hopefully, I’ll have more of a voice tomorrow.