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 Stephanie Tremblay, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Secretary-General’s Travel
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the noon briefing. For those who don’t know me, my name is Stephanie Tremblay, and I am one of the Associate Spokespersons here in the office.
Let me start today with an update on the Secretary-General’s travel. So, the Secretary-General is Denmark today, where, tomorrow, he will chair the meeting of the Chief Executives Board of the United Nations — which, as you know, brings together the heads of the UN system.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General met with Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Denmark’s steadfast cooperation with and support for the United Nations, including for its role as host of UN agencies as well as its constructive role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Denmark’s steadfast cooperation, as well as its constructive role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
Prior to meeting the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General toured UN City, the UN compound in Copenhagen that houses United Nations offices in the Danish capital. During a town-hall meeting, the Secretary-General congratulated the staff for the work they are doing. This evening, he and the heads of the United Nations system will be attending a welcome dinner hosted by the King and Queen of Denmark.
**Yemen
Now, moving on to the situation in Yemen, I can tell you that we welcome the announcement made by the Sultanate of Oman regarding an agreement between the United States and the Houthis in Yemen on 6 May, yesterday, and commend Oman for its efforts in this regard.
We have consistently called for restraint and de-escalation in and around Yemen and the wider region. We also have called for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. We reaffirm the need for all to respect the rights and obligations relating to maritime navigation in accordance with international law. We remain committed to supporting the Yemeni parties to reach a negotiated political settlement to end the conflict. We encourage all parties to engage constructively with our Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to this end.
**Sudan
Now moving on to Sudan, we expect to have a little bit more on Sudan later today, but I can tell you right now that the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, expressed deep concern over the ongoing drone strikes in Port Sudan, which as you know is a hub for our humanitarian operations and key entry point for aid. Mr. Fletcher stressed that international humanitarian law must be respected and that constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Flights of the UN Humanitarian Air Services — better known as UNHAS — to and from Port Sudan have been suspended since 4 May. The World Food Programme (WFP), which manages UNHAS, says it will resume air operations as soon as conditions allow. These disruptions are impacting the movement of humanitarian personnel into Sudan and onward to other parts of the country, which is further straining the delivery of urgently needed assistance. Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that drone attacks have also affected the States of Kassala and River Nile. Earlier this week in Kassala, strikes near the airport displaced about 2,900 people and led to the temporary suspension or relocation of some aid activities.
Meanwhile, River Nile State is still facing a power blackout following a drone strike on the transformer station in Atbara on 25 April. The outage is contributing to growing fuel and bread shortages and long queues at petrol stations and bakeries.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that the situation there is growing worse by the day. Yet, we and our partners are committed to staying and delivering to help alleviate the suffering of the people exhausted by many months of fighting. Attacks on schools sheltering displaced people continue to be reported, leading to casualties. Yesterday, in Deir al Balah, an UNRWA school in Al Bureij camp was hit twice in several hours, with dozens of people reportedly killed, including women and children. Another school in Gaza City sheltering displaced people was also struck yesterday, with reports that 20 people were killed.
Across Gaza, community kitchens serving hot meals continue to shut down, as they use up their last remaining supplies. As of yesterday, one in every three community kitchens supported by the UN and our partners in Gaza has closed. That’s more than 60 kitchens closed out of nearly 180 — in just a matter of days. Our colleagues on the ground report that adults are prioritizing their children over themselves when they do manage to find some sustenance.
On a related note, our colleagues working to prevent malnutrition are reporting that there are no more malnutrition prevention supplements left in stock in Gaza. While some malnutrition treatment stocks remain, these will also be depleted soon unless the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo. On education, our partners have been analysing satellite imagery to determine the extent of damage to school structures across Gaza. Their initial results indicate that over 95 per cent of school buildings have sustained at least some level of damage.
Meanwhile, the water, sanitation and hygiene situation is increasingly bleak. A new report by partners found that, last month, 90 per cent of families they assessed were facing water insecurity, forcing difficult choices between essential needs such as cooking and washing their hands. Over three quarters of families reported a worsening water situation, amid a decrease in both water quantity and water collection points, and as displacement orders drive a growing number of people to seek shelter at overcrowded sites.
The UN and our partners stand ready to distribute assistance at scale as soon as the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo. More than 240,000 metric tons of supplies are ready to be dispatched from warehouses outside Gaza — that’s in addition to the large quantities of supplies already waiting at the crossings themselves to enter the Strip. OCHA also stresses the need for Israeli authorities to facilitate humanitarian movements inside Gaza. Today, three quarters of the UN’s requests were denied — that’s six out of eight. Half of the denied requests were to retrieve critical supplies from militarized areas.
**Ukraine
Now moving to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that airstrikes yesterday and today resulted in further civilian casualties across the country. The latest attacks in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv killed 6 civilians and injured nearly 30 others, including 10 children, and damaged homes, according to local authorities. Nearly 40 additional casualties, as well as damage to civilian infrastructure, were reported in front-line regions. The hostilities there damaged multiple residential buildings, electricity networks and agricultural assets.
After the overnight attacks, aid organizations provided emergency support and set up response centres to complement the efforts of first responders and local authorities. They deployed emergency teams to the affected sites to assess people’s needs. Several local NGOs are registering impacted people for cash assistance. Aid organizations and local authorities also continued to support evacuees from border communities at the transit centre in Sumy City. Nearly 500 residents were evacuated from the border area in just the last day. The transit centre provides temporary shelter for new arrivals, as well as food, hygiene products and other basic necessities — in addition to administrative, social, medical and psychological support.
**Haiti
Now, from Haiti, switching continents, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are mobilizing assistance for people displaced by deadly violence in the Artibonite Department late last month. OCHA led a humanitarian mission there yesterday to assess needs and coordinate response efforts.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), for its part, reports that nearly 13,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to armed attacks in the commune of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite. Dozens of people were reportedly killed, and scores of homes were damaged. Most displaced people are sheltering with host families, while others are staying at displacement sites, including nearly a dozen that have opened in response to the crisis. However, ongoing insecurity forced four other sites — hosting nearly 500 people — to close. Gangs have also reportedly attacked police installations and damaged agricultural infrastructure.
Meanwhile, OCHA is leading efforts to coordinate the humanitarian response in Haiti’s Centre Department, where displaced people urgently need shelter, food, water, healthcare and education assistance — as we’ve mentioned in the past few days. Insecurity and severe funding shortfalls continue to hamper access and response efforts, particularly in southern areas. Security incidents have been reported along two national roads that are vital arteries for aid delivery. OCHA is engaging with all parties to ensure safe and sustained access for humanitarians to reach people in need in Haiti, wherever they are.
**Security Council
The Security Council will convene at 3 p.m. for a briefing on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, will brief.
**Science, Technology and Innovation Forum
And yesterday, we mentioned the Science, Technology and Innovation Forum Action Day. And today is the start of the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. For two days, the Forum brings together scientists, innovators, academia, civil society, private sector and young people to discuss the power of science, technology and innovation to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
From mental health platforms for refugees in Türkiye to biodegradable sanitary products tackling period poverty in Kenya, ten outstanding innovators from around the globe will also join this year’s Forum to demonstrate their solutions and how science, technology, and innovation are driving tangible impacts across the SDGs. The Forum will also focus on the SDGs under review at this year’s High-level Political Forum, namely the SDGs on good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, life below water and partnerships. And these are the notes that I have for you today, let’s open for questions and something tells me that there will be a few. Yes. Please go ahead.
**Questions and Answers
Question: My name is Nasir Khayoum, and I’m from 92 News Pakistan. And I wonder… I mean, like, when you [read] your opening remarks, you just forgot about the two nuclear rivals clash yesterday, Pakistan and India. And this is just, I mean, I don’t know. But, my question is after the unfortunate Pahalgam incident, Pakistan condemned and offered United Nations. And Secretary-General himself said that they are willing to make a commission to probe who was behind this attack? But, yesterday, India attacked Pakistan. Everybody knows 30 people dead and counting. Countless, you know, damage both sides. I’m not sure about the Indian side, what kind of human loss they had? And before that, unilaterally, India did the, you know… violated the Indus Water Treaty, and you know, stopped the water of Pakistan. Do you think so this is a high time for a Secretary-General to intervene and issue of Jammu and Kashmir, which is the core issue causing these incidents… dangerous incident between two rivals?
Associate Spokesperson: Yeah. Okay.
Correspondent: And they are nuclear rival, by the way.
Associate Spokesperson: I’m assuming that you saw the note in response to questions that we sent out last night. So, we received questions yesterday on the situation between India and Pakistan. And I can tell you once again today, and I’m sure you saw the Secretary-General himself here on Monday, I can tell you that the Secretary-General is very concerned about the situation there. He calls for maximum military restraint from both countries. And as he stated earlier and restated yesterday, the world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan. Yes. Go ahead. You can go ahead.
Question: I mean, my question remains the same. The core issue and according to the UN resolutions, the genuine Kashmir core issue, if it is not resolved, this is going to happen every three or four years. I mean, what is Secretary-General thinking about this issue?
Associate Spokesperson: So, the Secretary-General offered his good offices to both Governments in the service of peace, and he said that himself on Monday. The UN stands ready to support any initiative that promote that promotes de-escalation, that promotes diplomacy, and a renewed commitment to peace. This is what I can tell you today about this. Yes. Go ahead.
Question: Has UN Secretary-General contacted, like, yesterday or recently to the Indian or Pakistani leaders in light of a new round of escalation?
Associate Spokesperson: So, we mentioned contacts a few days ago. And when there’s more contacts to report to you, we will do it immediately. Yes. Oh, then at the back and then you.
Question: Yeah. Thank you so much. A quick follow-up on India, Pakistan. Are there any UN personnel in the areas that were affected by strikes overnight?
Associate Spokesperson: So, we checked this morning with our DPO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] colleagues, with our peacekeeping colleagues who are posted there. They said everybody was accounted for, and that everybody was safe. Yes. Let me go… and then let me go around the room. So, please, go ahead.
Question: Sorry. We’re going to divert this topic a little bit. Chinese president Xi Jinping is visiting Russia this week. And he will also attend the eightieth anniversary of the Soviet victory in the Second World War. And we know this morning, the UNGA is also marking the 80 years since the end of the war. So, how does the UN see its visit and the timing?
Associate Spokesperson: Any visit that encourage dialogue between nations is something that we that we highly welcome. And of course, the end of [the Second World War] is a moment that deserves to be to be marked with great appreciation. Yes, I can go back to you, then I’ll go to this side of the room. Yeah. You can go ahead.
Question: My question is about the UN. How can you say in certainty that no UN casualties or any other casualty? Because the UNMOGIP [United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan], on the Pakistan side, they are operating. But, on the Indian side, they’re banned by India.
Associate Spokesperson: No. But we asked them.
Question: What?
Associate Spokesperson: No, UN casualties to…
Question: To be on their side of the…?
Associate Spokesperson: Let me be very clear about what I said. I talked about UNMOGIP staff?
Correspondent: Yes.
Associate Spokesperson: UNMOGIP personnel. So, we checked with our colleagues in peacekeeping, and they said everybody was accounted for and everybody was safe and sound… so this is what I have. Yes. Yeah. Yes. Pamela, I think you had a question, and then I’ll go to…
Question: Yes. Just if, anyone from the Secretariat or the UN has met with, the US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff on the Gaza aid programme and on US-Iran, and especially, would there be any meetings since he apparently is in New York today?
Associate Spokesperson: So, in New York today, I know that the Secretary-General, who is not here, is not meeting with him, but the information that I have is that our colleagues on the ground have met with him in the past.
Question: In the past?
Associate Spokesperson: And today, I don’t have any additional information. Let me find out just in case. Yes?
Question: The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Trump plans to announce that Washington will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf during this trip to the Saudi Arabia. And what’s Secretary-General’s reaction to this?
Associate Spokesperson: I think, we will continue to refer to these areas the way that we normally do. Yes. Go ahead, Benno.
Correspondent: Thank you so much. So, the new German Interior Minister just announced that Germany will tighten border controls and make immigration stricter. And in the future, for example, will be allowed to also deny asylum seekers, to access the country. This just happened just a few minutes ago, so I don’t know if you have a comment right now. But, I would appreciate one during today. That would be great.
Associate Spokesperson: Yeah. Let me check. But, you know the general principle on asylum and on all of… on immigration that that we’ve been referring to. And but let me check on your specific question.
Correspondent: That’ll be great.
Associate Spokesperson: Because that’s a very recent development. That I had not seen.
Correspondent: Exactly. Thank you.
Associate Spokesperson: All right. But we’ll get back to you, Benno. Stefano?
Question: Thank you. Two questions. One is what do you know have a Witkoff of… the Special Envoy of President Trump, meeting the Security Council today, closed-door meeting, and if he had contact directly with you know, the Secretary-General office before this meeting?
Associate Spokesperson: No. I don’t have information about his whereabouts. I think the Security Council would be in a much better position to answer about their own meetings.
Question: Well, because he’s going to… according to, I mean, some media think that he’s going to explain to the Security Council the plan to make, you know, help some food go get into Gaza. But, it’s something that already the UN agency had refused because it says, it’s against the humanitarian, so I wonder if, the Trump Administration contacted the Secretary-General to explain also to him the plan?
Associate Spokesperson: At this point, I don’t have information about specific contacts. If there’s anything to report on that, we will let you know.
Question: Okay. Then, second question is about, Secretary-General’s trip to Copenhagen. He’s meeting, of course, the leadership of the country. And I wonder if, during those meeting, how he will talk about the situation with Greenland and if he has a plan that he wants to tell that Government in case the United States continues to try to… I don’t know how even how to say, if you evade those…?
Associate Spokesperson: Yeah. Here’s what I can tell you about that. As I mentioned in the note, the Secretary-General had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark today. That meeting actually ended just a short while ago. I can tell you that this issue of Greenland was raised by Danish authorities during that meeting. The Secretary-General reiterated his support for the Charter and of course, you know, what is in the Charter regarding the respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and also he reiterated the right of people to self-determination. Yes.
Question: Thank you very much. I’m Camille [inaudible] I would like to know, if Secretary-General…?
Associate Spokesperson: Can you speak just a little bit louder?
Question: Sure, is it better now?
Associate Spokesperson: I think, it’s a little bit better.
Question: Yeah. Okay. Thank you. I would like to know if the Secretary-General is in touch with the Steve Witkoff over the talks between the US and Iran in Oman and also about the Houthis deal with the Americans. Thank you.
Associate Spokesperson: So, that question in a slightly different variation was raised before. So, when there’s something to report about the Secretary-General’s contact, we will let you know. But, as I said, you know, our colleagues on the ground have been in touch with him.
Question: On both issues?
Associate Spokesperson: I’ll check, get back to you on the specific issue of Iran, but I know that on the other issues regarding, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the answer is a definite yes. Sorry?
Question: The Houthis deal with Americans over the ceasefire?
Associate Spokesperson: Yes. Did you hear the note? Oh, I had a full note about that that I read at the beginning of the briefing. Yes. Please go ahead.
Question: [Inaudible] Christian convent run by Carmelite nuns and also a school. Do you have a reaction to that, please?
Associate Spokesperson: Sorry. I missed, I could not hear the beginning.
Question: The Pakistanis shelled a Christian convent of Carmelite nuns in Poonch in Kashmir. Do you have any reaction to that, please? And also, they attacked the school.
Associate Spokesperson: I don’t have specific information about specific locations. But again, you know, we continue to call for maximum military restraint from both countries. And as the SG said on numerous occasions, and I can repeat it today, he said that the world really cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan.
Question: As an attack on a religious institution of a minority?
Associate Spokesperson: I do not have specific confirmation of this, so I’m going to stick to just what I said right now. Do we have other questions? Let’s see. Yes, Evelyn.
Question: Something totally different. OCHA had a very chilling report on the West Bank. Did you… did I miss that or in the briefing?
Associate Spokesperson: We did not have that today in the briefing, but let’s see what we can get to you, maybe tomorrow if it was missed today. You say it was published today? I know the report was published today? Let me check with my OCHA colleagues what it is exactly. Okay. So, let me check with colleagues at OCHA because they send us every day extensive notes on Gaza and on [the Occupied Palestinian Territory]. So, all right. Very good. Well, if there are no more questions, thank you so much, everybody, and have a good afternoon. And Benno, let me look into this.