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.
**Sudan
Good afternoon, everyone. Starting with Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues said they’re deeply concerned by the intensifying drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Port Sudan, in the east of the country. Early this morning, drone attacks reportedly struck the airport area, a fuel storage facility and a power transformer. While no UN personnel or facilities were directly affected by the strikes, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the latest violence poses a growing risk to the safety of humanitarian staff and operations, with flights of the UN Humanitarian Air Service both to and from Port Sudan still on hold.
Elsewhere in the country, prolonged power outages due to drone attacks targeting power stations and facilities continue to disrupt civilian life. This is the case in Northern State, where a one-month power blackout prevented farmers from running electrical water pumps, leading to the destruction of more than 84 square kilometres of crops. And in River Nile State, the targeted destruction of power infrastructure has led to severe water supply shortages.
Despite hostilities, we continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable people. In East Darfur, humanitarian organizations are mobilizing aid for 35,000 people in the town of Ed Daein who fled there from Khartoum and Aj Jazirah States. And in Kassala State, we are scaling up water, sanitation and hygiene efforts and public health outreach to curb the spread of hepatitis E.
**Chad
And staying in the region, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is gravely concerned by the rapidly increasing number of Sudanese refugees crossing into eastern Chad. Nearly 20,000 people — mostly women and children — have arrived there in the past two weeks alone. This sudden influx reflects the escalating violence in Sudan’s North Darfur region, particularly in and around El Fasher, which is triggering mass displacement. Refugees arriving in Chad report that over 10,000 people are still en route, trying to reach the border to escape the violence.
A rapid protection assessment by UNHCR and its partners indicates that 76 per cent of the newly arrived refugees were subjected to serious protection incidents, including extortion, theft and sexual violence. Chad already hosts 1.3 million refugees, including 794,000 arrivals from Sudan since the conflict started more than two years ago. While the country continues to show remarkable solidarity in hosting refugees, it cannot bear this burden alone. UNHCR urges the international community to urgently step up support for the response. Only 20 per cent of the $409 million required to respond to the refugee crisis in Chad has been funded.
**South Sudan
Our peacekeeping colleagues in South Sudan tell us of continued air strikes in Fangak, a remote county in Jonglei State. According to reports received by the United Nations Mission on South Sudan (UNMISS) last night, further aerial bombardments have allegedly taken place in and around New Fangak town, residential areas near the Phow River, and other locations. The Mission is working with all partners to verify civilian displacement figures, facilitate assistance for communities who have been affected by these events and reduce tensions. Guang Cong, the Mission’s Deputy Special Representative, said that such attacks contravene the Revitalized Peace Agreement and severely undermine efforts to build lasting peace in the country. He called on involved parties to prioritize civilian protection by pursuing an immediate ceasefire.
**Yemen
Hans Grundberg, the UN SpecialEnvoy for Yemen, said that the aerial attack carried out by Ansar Allah on Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, followed by strikes in response by Israel on Sana’a Airport and Hudaydah port in Yemen, mark a grave escalation in an already fragile and volatile regional context. Mr. Grundberg once again urges all stakeholders to exercise the utmost restraint and refrain from escalatory actions that risk inflicting further suffering on civilians. It is imperative that all actors uphold their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. A return to dialogue is the only sustainable path towards ensuring lasting safety and security for Yemen and the broader region, the Special Envoy said.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to warn of a deepening catastrophe driven by relentless hostilities and a total blockade on humanitarian and commercial supplies, which is now in its third month. OCHA stresses that under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected, and their essential needs — including food, shelter, water and healthcare — must be met, wherever they are in Gaza and whether they move or stay.
Yesterday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that all emergency and primary healthcare centres in Rafah are now out of service due to ongoing hostilities. Across Gaza, 13 of 29 Red Crescent clinics have closed. The remaining clinics are barely functional and face severe shortages. As we said yesterday, access to fuel remains a critical concern. Without fuel, health, water, sanitation and communications services are at risk of complete collapse.
Today, a UN team retrieved a small amount of fuel from a station in Deir al Balah, after the Israeli authorities facilitated our colleagues’ efforts to reach it. This limited quantity will be distributed to desalination plants. However, OCHA says that the Israeli authorities continue to routinely deny our access to larger, urgently needed fuel reserves in areas such as Rafah.
With stocks dwindling over the past nine weeks, our humanitarian partners have gone above and beyond to try and sustain life-saving support, including the distribution of hot meals, water, shelter materials, hygiene kits and health and nutrition services and consultations. But, time is running out. Humanitarian operations are on the verge of shutting down unless Member States with influence press Israel to allow the immediate entry of essential humanitarian supplies, at a scale that meets the needs of all civilians. Moving to the West Bank, OCHA warns of worsening conditions due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers, as well as of other coercive practices targeting Palestinian communities.
[Yesterday], Israeli forces demolished more than 30 structures in Khallet Athaba, a hamlet in Hebron Governorate, displacing nearly a dozen families — about 50 people. This constitutes most of the structures in the community and marks the third and largest demolition there since February. The area is designated by Israel as a military training zone.
Yesterday, Israeli forces began demolishing six homes in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm, affecting 17 families. The homes are among more than 100 structures slated for demolition, following an Israeli notice issued at the start of the month. Today, more than 50 other families in the camp were given brief windows to collect belongings ahead of imminent demolitions of their homes. There has been a strong push for Palestinians living in this area to leave their homes, once again raising concerns about the risks of forcible transfer of the population.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in the east of the country, as armed violence continues to drive thousands of people from their homes, particularly in South and North Kivu.
In South Kivu, armed clashes continued yesterday in multiple areas of Walungu, Kalehe and Uvira Territories, compounding an already dire displacement crisis. While exact displacement figures remain to be verified, our humanitarian partners estimate that ongoing fighting has displaced more than 19,000 people in the Bunyakiri region in Kalehe Territory since 23 April.
Human rights violations continue to be perpetrated in Kalehe Territory. Local humanitarian sources report that four girls were abducted and raped in the Bunyakiri region between 29 April and 4 May, bringing the total number of documented cases of sexual violence to at least 13 since February in this area. In North Kivu, an escalation of fighting since 2 May across Lubero Territory has displaced more than 30,000 people to nearby areas, according to local partners.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners began a three-day operation yesterday to provide food and cash assistance to nearly 15,000 displaced people in collective centres in the towns of Goma and Sake in Masisi Territory. A humanitarian assessment conducted in April among displaced households in the collective centres in Goma and Sake revealed that 90 per cent of displaced families want to return home, but they have requested guarantees of security and support for transport.
As the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to worsen, UNHCR and 107 of its partners are appealing for $781 million to continue providing urgent and life-saving support to more than 1 million Congolese refugees and asylum-seekers in neighbouring countries, and over 1 million people in local communities across seven countries.
The updated Regional Refugee Response Plan for the Democratic Republic of the Congo situation highlights the deterioration of conditions in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the surge in armed violence has continued to displace communities at an unprecedented rate since January this year. Since then, nearly 150,000 people have fled the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the majority seeking refuge in Burundi and Uganda. Displacement inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo has also reached unprecedented levels. By the end of 2024, an estimated 7.8 million people were internally displaced — the highest figure on record.
**Libya
The UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, is alarmed at the video circulating on social media purporting to show House of Representatives member, Ibrahim al-Dersi, detained and chained with visible signs of torture. The Mission has requested UN digital forensic experts to assess the authenticity of the video. The Mission also calls again on Libyan authorities to immediately initiate a fully independent investigation into the enforced disappearance of Mr. al-Dersi, who has been missing since 16 May 2024. UNSMIL reiterates that it stands ready to support an independent investigation into the disappearance and allegations of torture.
UNSMIL reminds all relevant authorities that arbitrary detentions, abductions, torture, enforced disappearances and deaths in custody are serious human rights violations and may constitute international crimes that can be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. Libyan authorities must ensure these practices immediately cease and that perpetrators are brought to justice.
**Ukraine
From Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that intense airstrikes across the country continued yesterday and today, with at least eight civilians killed and more than 40 others injured due to shelling in the north-east, east and south of the country, according to local authorities. The attacks damaged homes, marketplaces and critical infrastructure in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Odesa and Kherson. Humanitarian teams responded swiftly following these new attacks, providing emergency shelter materials, psychosocial support and hygiene supplies to affected families.
Attacks have also heavily impacted access to water in the Donetsk region. Shelling disrupted water supplies from two of three key water pipelines, while in Donetsk City, water reportedly remains available only a few hours on specific days. Aid remains critical to support access to water, sanitation and hygiene. Despite funding shortfalls, in the first quarter of 2025, our humanitarian partners supported 1.8 million people across Ukraine with assistance related to these issues.
**Security Council
The Security Council began a debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina this morning. The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, briefed the Council.
**Human Development Report
Human development progress is experiencing an unprecedented slowdown, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The 2025 Human Development Report says that, instead of a sustained recovery following the period of exceptional crises of 2020-2021, progress has been unexpectedly weak. Excluding those crisis years, the meagre rise in global human development projected in this year’s report is the smallest increase since 1990. Projections for 2024 reveal stalled progress on the Human Development Index in all regions across the world.
The report, titled “A matter of choice: people and possibilities in the age of Artificial Intelligence”, shows how artificial intelligence (AI) could reignite development. In a new survey, half of respondents worldwide think that their jobs could be automated. An even larger share — 6 in 10 — expect AI to impact their employment positively, creating opportunities in jobs that may not even exist today.
**Science, Ttechnology and Innovation Forum
I want to flag that the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum starts today. It is convened annually by the President of the Economic and Social Council to foster global collaboration on science, technology and innovation in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. And this year’s forum is being co-chaired by the Permanent Missions of Morocco and Finland. The programme is online. So that’s it for me. Do you have any questions? Yes. Abdelhamid?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you. First, I want to put it on record that I put my name several times when I’m online, and my request for a question had been ignored, including yesterday. So, that is on this side. My questions now, first the airport at Sana’a was bombed by Israel, if you have any reaction from the Secretary-General on that?
Deputy Spokesman: I know that you were looking at your phone, but I read out a statement from Hans Grunberg about that very incident. So I would refer you to what Mr. Grunberg says, and of course, the Secretary-General shares the views of his Special Envoy.
Question: My second question, Israel is now planning, and it’s not a secret but openly, to completely, to occupy Gaza. So, how can the Secretary-General, you know, pass by this development and do not say something?
Deputy Spokesman: We did talk about this yesterday. And one of the things I said at yesterday’s briefing, and I’ll say it again today, is that the Secretary-General is alarmed by reports of Israeli plans to expand ground operations and prolong its military presence in Gaza. This will inevitably lead to countless more civilians killed and the further destruction of Gaza. What’s imperative now is an end to the violence, not more civilian deaths and destruction. Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian state. The Secretary-General continues to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire. The hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. Yes. Pam and then Gabriel.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. On the US-Iran bilateral talks for the nuclear programme, there’s been interaction with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]. Have other UN agencies or anyone from the Secretariat been involved in what role the UN would play in this?
Deputy Spokesman: Right now, the International Atomic Energy Agency is in the lead on this, given that this is about Iran’s nuclear programme, and we will be apprised of what their dealings are.
Question: Thank you. And on the trade issue and tariffs, at one point there was some thought that either Rebeca Grynspan or someone from the UN could talk about the impact of tariffs. Is anything possible?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we’ll see whether Ms. Grynspan would like to talk to you when she’s here in town. She has been dealing with this issue in her capacity in particular as the head of the UN organization dealing with trade and development. And so, she is keeping apprised of what these developments are. It’s been very clear, and the Secretary-General himself has told you that he believes that there can be no winners in a trade war. So, he has stuck to the idea that all efforts at a trade war need to be avoided. Okay. Gabriel and then Serife.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. In your briefing, you said humanitarian operations are on the verge of shutting down in Gaza unless humanitarian aid is allowed in immediately. When you say on the verge of shutting down, how close are we to that point?
Deputy Spokesman: To be honest, some things have already shut down. Bakeries have closed. Many hospitals are non-functional. So, for large portions of the population, the sort of things that we’ve been providing for the last year and a half are simply not available anymore, either because of lack of food, lack of fuel, or lack of facilities that are undamaged. There’s still places where, to the extent possible, we still have some small supplies of food. I mentioned some places where we were able to make use of fuel, but it’s not enough, and more of our operations are shutting down.
Question: And on a separate note, the Secretary-General spoke about UN80, and also, he’s in Copenhagen, talking to counterparts about the financial crisis that the UN faces and budget constraints that are coming. The United States on Friday released its preliminary budget for 2026. And as you might have seen, it was a drop of 84 per cent in international spending to the State Department and international programmes. My question to you is, it’s very clear that the United States is not going to be paying the same amount in 2026 that it’s been paying historically. They have not paid so far this year, but that’s normal. They normally don’t pay until the fall. My question is, are you getting more clarity from the Secretary-General’s standpoint of how bad the budget shortfall will become once the new US budget goes into effect?
Deputy Spokesman: We’re not going to speculate on the new US budget and what it’s going to be, because, as you know, the shape of that budget changes over the course of the year as a process of the dialogue between, in particular, the executive and legislative branches of the US system. And so, we’ll continue to follow as that happens. But, from our standpoint, we are taking steps to identify making… how to make the UN more efficient and more effective while working with the sort of constraints in terms of budget and in terms of liquidity that we’ve been facing. So, we’re certainly continuing to work on those sorts of measures. The Chief Executives Board that the Secretary-General is meeting with in Copenhagen will discuss the UN80 initiative, and we’re taking steps along those lines to deal with how we can make more efficiencies within current arrangements, how we can deal with the mandates that we receive from Member States — to implement the ones that can be done while removing a certain amount of duplication in the work that we do — and of course, how we’ll pursue down the line any structural changes and programme realignment that will be needed. Those will be designed to make us more efficient, but they will also help deal with the prospect of less money coming in, which is something that, to be honest, we’ve been getting more and more used to in the last years, regardless of what’s happening in the US right now. Yes, Serife?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. If I may follow-up on Israel’s announcement to reoccupy Gaza. There are also reports that the military has been ordered to flatten any remaining buildings in Gaza. So, I know that the United States and Israel is trying to depict this as a voluntary departure and make it look like, you know, they care about the suffering people and they want them to move on to, you know, “better places”. For you, for the UN, does this not fit into the definition of forced displacement of Gazans? Because basically, they will not have any place to live. And what would be the Secretary-General’s reaction to this? Would he define this as a war crime? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the question of defining war crimes is one that we will leave to the international courts. From our perspective, we stand opposed to this to the destruction of buildings, including critical infrastructure, but also the destruction of housing. We want to make sure that there are places for people in Gaza to live. And we’ve been speaking out against the constant destruction and the constant movement that the population in Gaza have been forced to undergo.
Question: I understand that you need a court decision to define this. But, for example, in other cases, for example, in Ukraine or Sudan or attack on peacekeepers, the Secretary-General has used this term. He has said, this could constitute a war crime. He has used it as a warning. Would he be willing to say this in this case? Like, if there are no buildings for the Gazans to live in, if they’re forced to leave, would this not be a war crime?
Deputy Spokesman: It’s very clear that any forced displacement of population could be a war crime and has been regarded as such under international law. How this is carried out would be something that we would leave again to the courts. Stefano?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. It’s about Libya. In light of the recent video showing Libyan [Member of Parliament] Ibrahim al-Dersi held in what appear to be inhumane conditions, has the Secretary-General personally responded or taken any action to press for accountability beyond what has been stated by UNSMIL?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary-General shares the views of UNSMIL. And I, before you came in, I did read out a press release from the UN [Support] Mission in Libya talking about their concerns about this and their intention to have their forensic experts try to assess the authenticity of the video. So, I said all that earlier. Yes, please. In the back.
Question: Hi, Farhan. Thank you for taking my question. On Monday, President [Donald J.] Trump promised he would get food into Gaza. Has US Mission or US authorities communicated with you guys on this plan on bringing in aid? And then I have a follow-up, when you’re done.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, on that, the US, I believe, are in touch with the Israeli authorities on this. But, from our perspective, our position on aid is what we’ve been articulating in recent days, where we’ve talked about what our minimum conditions are, in terms of what is needed for humanitarian delivery.
Question: So, the US President also stated that Hamas is making it impossible because they’re taking everything that’s being brought in. Do you guys agree with President Trump’s assessment?
Deputy Spokesman: I would leave his comments to themselves. We’ve made clear what our concerns are, and including in what I just read now, which is about the overall situation. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I do apologize in advance because my question is on the breaking story happening right now. Only 10, 15 minutes ago, President Trump announced at the White House that the Houthis no longer wish to attack international shipping. And so, the Americans say they will no longer bomb the Houthis in Yemen. So, what is the UN assessment of this development?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you’re absolutely right, that this is breaking news, so it’s hard for me to evaluate what the circumstances are. Obviously, any de-escalation of the situation in Yemen would be positive, and that is something we’re looking for, and we’ve been calling for de-escalation. So, we would welcome any steps towards that. Yes?
Question: Thank you. On the destruction of family structures in Khallet Athaba, which you mentioned, in Masafar Yatta, about 50 people were displaced, and the destruction is continuing. I have noticed that you read the news, but with no opinion on it, without condemnation. Why is that?
Deputy Spokesman: We have been repeatedly saying that we have concerns about these sorts of activities. And what I said again is that this destruction of homes once again raises concerns about the risk of forcible transfer of the population. That’s what I read just now.
Question: My second question, the Special Rapporteur there on the right of water, Pedro Arojo-Agodo, he said preventing water from 2.1 million people is a silent bomb, but it’s a killing bomb. Do you subscribe to that description?
Deputy Spokesman: Of course. The idea that millions of people can be deprived of food or of water or of any of the essential components for life is unimaginable. We do not want to live in a world community where so many people are being kept from the basic conditions for their lives. And that is why we are doing everything we can to make sure that we have access and can get aid going. And this is something we’ve appealed for repeatedly and increasingly over the last two months. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. This is happening too just now. It’s about a visit of premier Canadian Premier [Mark] Carney at the White House. Mr. Carney said to President Trump that some places are not for sale, referring to President Trump still wishing that Canada will become fifty-first state of the United States, and Mr. Trump answered: Never say never. So, any reaction by the Secretary-General on this kind of discussion of a country tried to acquire, buy or possibly even invade another country?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn’t comment on the random remarks that were made. From our standpoint, of course, we uphold the sovereignty of all of the Member States of the United Nations. And with that, have a good afternoon.