Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guest

Good afternoon, everyone.

In a short while, I will be joined by our guest, Shaun Hughes, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan Crisis.

He will join us from Nairobi to brief you on the situation in Sudan.

**Syria

Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari told the Security Council this morning that there have been hundreds of reported Israeli airstrikes across Syria since 8 December of last year.  He added that at dawn on 3 April, there were reports that Israel carried out multiple airstrikes across Syria, including in Damascus, the Hama Military Airport, and the T4 military airport in Homs.

Mr. Khiari recalled the Security Council’s 14 March presidential statement on Syria and said that Syria’s opportunity to stabilize after 14 years of conflict must be supported and protected, for Syrians and for Israelis.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix also briefed the Security Council, telling them that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) currently occupies 12 positions that they established on the Bravo side — 10 in the area of separation and two in the area of limitation in the vicinity of the Bravo line.  They also continue to construct counter-mobility obstacles along the ceasefire line, and have flown, on several occasions, aircraft across the ceasefire line and helicopters into the area of separation, he said.

Mr. Lacroix emphasized that it remains critical that all parties uphold their obligations under the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, including by ending all unauthorized presence in the areas of separation and limitation, as well as refraining from any action that would undermine the ceasefire and stability on the Syrian Golan.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that hostilities across the Strip are taking a horrifying toll on civilians — depriving people of safety and the means for their survival.  There have been daily reports of Israeli strikes killing and injuring many Palestinian civilians.

Just yesterday in Gaza City, there were reports of dozens of people killed — including at least eight children — after an Israeli strike hit a residential building.  Many are still missing under the rubble.  OCHA stresses that civilians must be protected under international law and should never be a target.

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been able to support some medical evacuations from Gaza.  Yesterday, 18 patients and nearly 30 companions were allowed to exit to seek specialized treatment abroad.  However, with some 12,500 patients in Gaza still in need of medical evacuation outside the Strip, WHO calls for them to be able to do so through all available border crossings and corridors.

As supplies inside the Strip near exhaustion and the situation becomes increasingly dire, we have seen an increase in looting over the past few days.  Earlier this week, several such incidents were reported in Rafah, and Deir al Balah, and Al Zawaida.

Once again, OCHA reiterates the urgency of reopening the crossings to allow critical supplies to enter.

More than 60,000 children are reportedly suffering from malnutrition, at a time when community kitchens are rapidly running out of fuel and supplies.

Across Gaza, partners are also warning of acute water shortages in shelters hosting displaced people.  The loss of water — together with the lack of cleaning supplies and cohabitation with livestock — are having a dire public health impact.  In March, more than one third of households in Gaza experienced lice infestations.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners in Gaza have identified more than a dozen unaccompanied and separated children this week.  They are doing everything possible to reunite these children with their families.

**Lebanon

Concerning Lebanon, today the UN Interim Force in Lebanon said that it has observed and detected firings from south of the Blue Line towards Lebanon.  The UN Interim Force, UNIFIL, remains very concerned that such actions can jeopardize the cessation of hostilities.  The mission reiterates its call to all parties to avoid unilateral actions that put the recent hard-won stability at risk.

The UN also remains committed to supporting Lebanon and Israel in maintaining the cessation of hostilities and taking steps towards full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006).  UNIFIL peacekeepers remain in position and continue to monitor and report on the situation on the ground.

The UN Mission Maritime Task Force (MTF) also recently resumed training activities with the Lebanese Armed Forces in the past month. Training exercises with the Lebanese Armed Navy and Air Force had been suspended since 26 September 2024 due to the hostilities at the time.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that continuing violence in South Kivu and Ituri Provinces continues to drive mass displacement, with civilians bearing the brunt of the insecurity.

In South Kivu, heavy fighting between armed groups persists in parts of Kalehe Territory.  Yesterday, clashes erupted in the town of Lumbishi, injuring at least three civilians. Local civil society groups estimate that up to 30,000 people have fled the area.

Since 6 April, violence across the Kalehe territory has displaced thousands of people, although — as we mentioned yesterday — exact figures remain unverified.  People urgently need healthcare, food security support, water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Our humanitarian partners continue to deliver critical assistance in Kalehe Territory where security permits.  Yesterday, a health partner began a four-day mobile clinic visit to the Minova area, providing essential medical care for people in this area.

In Ituri Province, local sources report that on 8 April, armed groups attacked the Luchay and Bendele localities in Djugu Territory, setting homes on fire, looting property and destroying infrastructure.  Large numbers of people fled the area following the attacks, although exact figures remain unconfirmed.

**Sudan/Chad

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, is at the moment in Chad, a country that has received a large number of Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing war in the country.  According to the UN refugee agency, more than 770,000 refugees have arrived in the country in the past two years, the vast majority women and children.

Because of aid cuts, UNHCR teams are now making impossible choices and have been forced to reduce food, shelter, water and medical support.  Mr. Grandi is appealing to donors to not reduce support to the victims of the Sudan war.

The UN refugee agency points out that the Sudan emergency has become one of the largest displacement crises globally, yet it remains among the least reported and funded.  Nearly 13 million people have been forcibly displaced, and humanitarian needs are more urgent than ever.

And today, UN-Women warned that Sudanese women and girls are bearing the brunt of a crisis that is entering its third year on 15 April. UN-Women noted that cases of conflict-related sexual violence remain hugely under-reported, but evidence points to its systematic use as a weapon of war.  The agency added that amid the escalating conflict, women and girls are facing acute levels of food insecurity and a worsening hunger crisis in most impacted areas, given their limited access to food, essential goods, and services.

Over the past two years, UN-Women has partnered with more than 60 women-led organizations to reach more than 15,000 women in some of Sudan’s most affected areas — providing household essentials, critical services and skills training.

And again, we will hear shortly from Shaun Hughes about the food situation in Sudan.

**Myanmar

The UN Special Envoy on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, is in Myanmar today, where she is meeting stakeholders in Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon as part of a four-day visit (8-11 April).  She has also visited areas devastated by the earthquake and met with impacted communities.

In her engagements, the Special Envoy reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire to enable humanitarian response and recovery. She underscored the need to keep Myanmar on the global agenda and provide sustained support towards a Myanmar-led sustainable, inclusive and peaceful solution to the protracted crisis.

**Afghanistan

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today released a report on the impact, implementation and enforcement of the “law on the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice” by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.  The report covers a six-month period since the law’s promulgation on 21 August 2024 and is mainly based on impartial daily monitoring and observations of the UN Mission across the country.

The UN Mission observed a determination by Afghanistan’s de facto authorities to ensure their vision of a pure Islamic system is implemented nationwide.  UNAMA observed far-reaching socioeconomic impacts on Afghan men and women, including increased restrictions on Afghans’ personal and private spaces and on women and girls’ access to public spaces and healthcare, dress code, and travel.  The report also documents impacts on the business, health and education sectors, and the media.  The full report is available online.

**Amara Essy

And last, we issued a statement last night expressing the Secretary-General’s sadness at the passing of Amara Essy, former Interim Chairperson of the African Union Commission, former President of the forty-ninth Session of the General Assembly and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire. He expressed his condolences on Mr. Essy’s passing.

Among his other accomplishments, as President of the forty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly, Mr. Essy was known for his effective leadership and for being a consensus builder.  In the same vein, as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo, Mr. Essy contributed to the facilitation of the resolution of the political crisis in the region.  We have a statement online with more.

**Questions and Answers

Deputy Spokesman: Any questions for me before we turn to our guest?  Yes, Edie?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  A question on Myanmar.  There have been reports that all of the aid going into Myanmar for earthquake victims must go through the Government.  Is that the case for UN aid going into the country?

Deputy Spokesman:  I’ll check with our OCHA colleagues.  But in general, whenever we have the aid deliveries into any part, into any area, we need to operate in coordination with the local authorities on the ground.  And in this case, that would include dealing with the de facto authorities in Myanmar.

Question:  Because, I’m sure as you know, is that the quake also affected areas that are not under Government control.

Deputy Spokesman: Yes, and for areas that are not under Government control, again, we would deal with whoever the forces on the ground are, to ensure that we have access to the people in need.

Question:  Can you check on what’s happened with UN aid?

Deputy Spokesman: Yeah.  I’ll check with OCHA.  Again, our standard procedure is to deal with whoever the de facto authorities are, in all of those areas, but we’ll see how that plays out in Myanmar.  Yes, Dezhi?

Question:  Yes, Farhan.  It’s been reported that Israel and Türkiye had communication over the issue on Syria. What’s the position for Secretary-General on such negotiations between Türkiye and Israel?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, obviously, we encourage negotiations amongst the various parties so that any of the problems on the ground between their respective entities can be sorted out.  However, from our standpoint, the basic point we’re making, and it’s been made by the Secretary-General and by Geir Pedersen, is that all of the parties on the ground need to respect the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Syria.  Yeah, Benno?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  So the BBC reports that it analysed the video regarding the killing of the 15 emergency workers in Gaza.  According to this analysis, over 100 shots were fired during the attack, with some shots as close at as 12 metres away.  If this information proves to be accurate, combined with the video, we all have seen or the videos, do you consider this a possible war crime?

Deputy Spokesman: It’s very clear that attacks on humanitarian workers are significant violations of international humanitarian law, and we made clear the need for there to be accountability in this case.

Question:  Okay.  But you’re still not using the word “war crime”.  Let me be more general.  If fighters in a war kill unarmed emergency workers deliberately, is that a war crime?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes, that is.  But I don’t want to say anything prejudicial to the process right now, while the investigation is ongoing.

Question:  Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: All right.  And with that, we will turn to our guest, and we’re very pleased to have with us today Sean Hughes, the World Food Programme’s Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Sudan crisis.