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.
**Statement on Killing of Israeli Embassy Officials
All right, good afternoon. I will start off with a statement.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the appalling killing on Wednesday night of two Israeli Embassy officials in Washington, D.C. Nothing can justify such a horrific act.
The Secretary-General reiterates his consistent condemnation of attacks against diplomatic officials.
The Secretary-General calls for the perpetrator to be brought to justice and extends his sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims and to the Government of Israel.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirms to us that yesterday, about 90 loaded trucks left the Kerem Shalom crossing to multiple destinations inside Gaza. They carried nutrition supplies, flour, medicines and other critical stocks that were allowed in.
Our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, commended humanitarians for their courage, noting they continue to face huge challenges in getting goods out of the crossing to where they are needed in Gaza.
This shipment is limited in quantity and nowhere near sufficient to meet the scale and scope of the needs of Gaza’s 2.1 million people. OCHA tells us that other supplies as basic as fresh food, hygiene items, water purification agents, and fuel to power hospitals have not been let in for over 80 days.
What the UN is currently allowed to bring in includes nutrition products, some food ingredients, and medical supplies.
Of yesterday’s supplies, over 500 pallets with nutrition supplies were safely offloaded in UNICEF’s (United Nations Children’s Fund) warehouse in Deir al Balah. This is nearly 20 truckloads. They include ready-to-use therapeutic food and lipid-based nutritional supplements. These life-saving supplies are now being unpacked and repackaged so that smaller loads can reach people in need via dozens of distribution points in Gaza.
A handful of bakeries in south and central Gaza, supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), have resumed bread production. These bakeries are now operational distributing bread via hot meal kitchens. However, after nearly 80 days of a total blockade of humanitarian assistance, families still face a high risk of famine, and far more aid is urgently needed into the Gaza Strip.
The shipments of flour we received recently — over 50 truckloads — have helped bakeries in Deir al Balah resume operations.
As a reminder, the latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) concluded that people across Gaza are at risk of famine, with nearly half a million people teetering on the edge of starvation. OCHA underscores that it is critical for the Israeli authorities to facilitate the movement of humanitarian convoys, including from southern Gaza into the north, so that all supplies can reach people in need wherever they are across the Gaza Strip.
Also, just a note on access to and from Kerem Shalom: Reaching the crossing on the Palestinian side requires humanitarians to travel through an Israeli-militarized area.
This means that our teams need to wait for many hours, for military activities to pause — for their safety — and for a green light to be given by the Israeli authorities to proceed. We also need to ensure the use of secure routes from Kerem Shalom onward into Gaza, as we did last night and hope to do that again today. We will keep you posted as developments happen during the afternoon here.
Meanwhile, military operations continue across the Gaza Strip, with reports of strikes, shelling and fresh ground incursions. In recent days, our colleagues on the ground report that attacks have struck tents; they’ve struck buildings where people are sheltering, which have caused scores of casualties.
Today, Al Awda hospital of North Gaza caught fire, reportedly after being attacked. Through coordination with Israeli authorities, OCHA facilitated the access of the Palestinian Civil Defence to the area, where they spent hours working to extinguish the fire. According to initial reports, the medicine warehouse was heavily damaged.
Meanwhile, water wells in some areas of Gaza are shutting down as no new fuel is able to get to them, as we just mentioned it’s been 80 days since fuel has been allowed into the Gaza Strip. OCHA reports that Israeli authorities continue to deny our attempts to deliver fuel from areas where coordination is required.
**Lebanon/Israel
Moving north: Our peacekeepers in southern Lebanon tell us that they continue to observe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military activities in their area of operations, including four projectiles and two airstrikes yesterday.
Last week, our Blue Helmets discovered a large amount of caches at two locations in Sector East, including rocket launchers, three underground tunnels, as well as rockets, anti-tank mines and explosive devices. Since the cessation of hostilities came into effect, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) has found 251 weapons and ammunition caches, and those were all reported to the Lebanese Armed Forces as we are mandated to do so. And some, as you recall early this week, were destroyed in C2.
In the context of the continued IDF presence and military activities in the area of operation, UNIFIL peacekeepers have assisted dozens of farmers — including about 20 today in the village of Marwahin in Sector West — we helped them to access their land and agricultural assets near the Blue Line. This humanitarian effort was made possible by UNIFIL’s coordination with the Lebanese Army and the Israeli army.
As part of UNIFIL’s support to local communities, peacekeepers yesterday donated medical supplies, including personal protective equipment and essential medicines, to Marjayoun Public Hospital. UNIFIL has also facilitated over 90 humanitarian missions to its area of operations since November. And just a reminder that, of course, these missions are critical for rebuilding lives.
**Chagos Islands
I’ve been asked about the agreement signed between the United Kingdom and Mauritius regarding the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, and I can tell you that the Secretary-General welcomes the signing of Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia.
This agreement marks a significant step towards resolving a long-standing dispute in the Indian Ocean region and demonstrates the value of diplomacy in addressing historical grievances.
The Secretary-General urges both parties to continue engaging in constructive discussions to ensure that the rights and aspirations of the Chagossian people are fully respected and that they are fully upheld.
The United Nations remains committed to supporting both countries in this process.
**Sudan
I want to flag an update on the horrific humanitarian situation that continues to unfold in Sudan, which remains of grave concern to us. Our humanitarian colleagues are warning of the worsening humanitarian situation there.
The surge in fighting in various areas across Sudan is pushing civilians out of their homes and into shelters.
In West Kordofan State, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that the heightened insecurity forced nearly 47,000 men, women and children out of the towns of Khiwai and Nuhud this month. Many of these people were already internally displaced and now are forced to be on the move for a second time.
In North Darfur State, IOM says that some 1,000 people have been displaced from Abu Shouk camp and El Fasher town just in the past week alone, due to insecurity. Most of these people sought safety in other parts of El Fasher locality, while others fled to Tawila.
You will recall, in Tawila, we and our partners have scaled-up assistance in recent weeks. This brings the total number of people displaced from Abu Shouk and El Fasher this month to 6,000. In total, North Darfur State is estimated to be hosting more than 1.7 million displaced human beings.
Soaring food prices are deepening the crisis, and we are alarmed by a surge in cholera cases in some localities in Khartoum state.
The situation in Khartoum itself is compounded by a near-total electricity blackout during the past week, reportedly caused by drone attacks on critical power infrastructure. This has severely disrupted access to water and to healthcare, including in hospitals where it is very much needed. Residents are resorting to unsafe water sources, which is, of course, increasing the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks.
In White Nile State, needs are increasing as more people arrive from neighbouring South Sudan, fleeing insecurity and worsening conditions there. Over the past six weeks, more than 25,000 South Sudanese refugees, mostly women and children, have crossed into White Nile searching for safety. That’s what UNHCR (United Nations refugee agency) is telling us, based on information received from the Government there.
Even though humanitarians are doing everything possible to assist people in need, we reiterate the urgent need for more access and flexible funding. To date, just $552 million in funding has been received for the humanitarian response plan this year. That’s just over 13 per cent of the $4. billion that are needed.
**Central Emergency Response Fund
And I want to flag new allocations from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund, CERF.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, $750,000 from CERF’s Anticipatory Action programme was made available yesterday to support the response to the surge of cholera in some provinces in parts of the country.
The funds will enable the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and their partners to provide critical health and water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, as well as for the timely detection and response to cholera alerts and to carry out medical treatment, risk communication and community engagement.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, said that with cholera already spreading and affecting thousands of people in the DRC, this swift allocation will help reinforce infection control and support impacted people.
Also yesterday, $9.5 million were released by CERF to support climate action initiatives in eight countries; those countries are Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Somalia, Venezuela and Zambia.
These resources will boost initiatives for immediate critical responses. Many of these initiatives are community-driven, involving women-led and youth organizations, among other local partners.
And $10 million has been released to rush life-saving aid to more than 270,000 people in South Sudan.
The allocation will target vulnerable communities in Jonglei and Upper Nile State that have been impacted by overlapping crises, especially conflict and displacement, as well as food insecurity and now a cholera outbreak. The funds will also help people ahead of the rainy season, and our humanitarian partners will provide food, seeds, tools, fishing kits, shelter, and water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.
**Security Council
This morning, Tom Fletcher, our Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed the Security Council in an open meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Tom Fletcher said we recorded more than 36,000 civilian deaths in 14 armed conflicts last year, with the real number likely far higher.
He told Council members that despite the lessons of history and clear legal commitments, we are witnessing an unravelling of the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian law.
There is another path, though, Mr. Fletcher said, provided this Council and Member States take action to salvage what they have built.
First, he called for compliance with international humanitarian law. Second, he reminded them of the necessity of fighting impunity. And finally, he said, we must acknowledge that not all civilian harm stems from violations of the law.
This is why the [Secretary-General] has called for a more comprehensive and people-centred approach to the protection of civilians.
Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN-Women, also briefed, highlighting the impact of protection of civilians in conflict on women.
Their remarks were shared with you.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
A senior personnel announcement: Today, the Secretary-General appointed Yasmine Fouad of Egypt as the next Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. This appointment was made following consultation with the Bureau of the Conference of the Parties to the (UNCCD).
Yasmine Fouad will succeed Ibrahim Thiaw of Mauritania, to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his dedicated service and outstanding commitment to the Organization.
She served as Minister of Environment of Egypt since 2018, and she is an expert in environmental diplomacy with over 25 years of experience in environmental governance, global environmental themes and international climate diplomacy.
**Biological Diversity
Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity. In his message, the Secretary-General says that this year’s theme reminds us that living in “harmony with nature and sustainable development” is humanity’s path to a better world for us all.
**Financial Contribution
Money in the bank today. There you go, that got your attention.
This country is the second largest coffee producer in the world after Brazil. It is also the third largest producer of cashew nuts after Côte d’Ivoire and India.
No answers will be taken into account till I finish the question. […] No. [response from the crowd: “Viet Nam.”]
Yes! Very good. AFP gets a bowl cashews and a cup of coffee.
We very much thank our friends in Hanoi for their full payment to the Regular Budget. We are now up to 107. We need more.
Amelie, go ahead, please.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Steph. About the aid into Gaza, so you mentioned the aid that was able to leave Kerem Shalom, but was there any aid getting in Kerem… I mean, into Gaza, from Israel today? Any new trucks?
Spokesman: Yeah. There are more of the kind of the same supplies, nutrition, health, and flour. We have sent empty trucks from Gaza into the Kerem Shalom loading area. As soon as I have an update on today’s transfer activities, I will let you know. Dezhi, then Gabriel.
Question: Thank you. First of follow-up on that. A couple of days ago, I asked you about the de-escalation mechanism. Now, is there a de-escalation mechanism for trucks inside Gaza?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, let me just say as I mentioned, as we’ve been mentioning regularly, we need to get clearances, and we coordinate with the Israeli security forces our movements of trucks to ensure their safety.
Question: So the decision from the Israeli authorities still on daily basis. There’s no continuous decision, like, every day how many trucks? It’s basically… [cross-talk]
Spokesman: Yeah. It remains a drip, drip.
Question: Okay. Drip, drip. Okay. So my question actually, it’s been reported that the Iranian Foreign Minister sent Secretary-General a letter about a possible or potential attack from Israel against Iranian nuclear facility. Can you confirm that the Secretary-General has received that letter, and what is the response from the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: I haven’t, I will check whether the letter… Yes. In fact, the letter was received this morning. It will be… As requested, it will be shared with the General Assembly and with the Security Council, as we were requested to do. Obviously, the heightened rhetoric regarding potential increased military activities should be of concern to all. Gabriel?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Has Israel indicated they’d open up any sort of second crossing, as Tom Fletcher’s asked for?
Spokesman: No.
Question: And just to be clear, they are not allowing any fresh food into Gaza. Is that correct?
Spokesman: No fresh food is coming in through the UN mechanism. I think what is clearly important, and we’ve talked about that before, is the need for the commercial sector to resume as well, to just put more goods into markets. You know, one of the… and I think this is laid out in the IPC and other humanitarian updates — the issue is not just the lack of food, it is also the lack of diversity of food.
Question: And can I just pivot real quick to Haiti for a second? You’ve spoken a lot about Haiti over the last week or two. It’s clearly a humanitarian crisis that’s getting worse and a security crisis. My question is, can you just give us an update on where the humanitarian appeal is at this point?
Spokesman: Sure. What I can tell you, our humanitarian response plan for this year costs about $908 million to support about 3.9 million [people]. So far, it’s only received 7.7 per cent of the funding needed, which is about $76 million. Yeah.
Question: And just, do you have any granularity on where it stands with the US at all? Or any big picture on how this funding is?
Spokesman: The US in 2024 was a huge donor to the humanitarian appeal. We’re very grateful to them. They… about 65 per cent of the funds received last year was from the US. Evelyn, then Abdelhamid, and then we’ll go online.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. South Sudan. The United States has deposited eight people there, Vietnamese and Burmese, despite judges telling them not to. Do you have a reaction to this? And do you expect our people to meet up with them or them to come down?
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, I think I was asked this question yesterday or the day before, but I can tell you that, for us, first of all, we’re not at all… No UN agency is involved or has been consulted, as far as I know. At least, no UN in this process. Any transfer arrangement should ensure access to asylum, due process, respect for the principle of non-refoulement, meaning that people in need of international protection must not be returned to a place where they face risk of harm. And that, you know, whether they’re migrants or refugees, people have rights that need to be respected. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Following up on the aid to Gaza, can you confirm any food item entered Gaza that address the needs of the children?
Spokesman: I mean, there was flour that came in, which enabled the WFP bakeries to start up again, and there are nutrition supplements for those who are malnourished or facing acute hunger.
Question: My second question, there was a statement by the SG condemning the attack in Washington, rightfully so, and another statement by [Miguel Angel] Moratinos. Also, he’s in charge of this Alliance of Civilization and hate speech and Islamophobia and antisemitism. But why Virginia Gamba, as the Special Adviser on genocide, who did not say one word since the last three months after Israel resumed the attack, did not say one word about what happened in Gaza, why she issued a statement? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: People are speaking out in accordance with their mandate.
Question: Does that include, her mandate includes that?
Spokesman: That’s my answer to you. Sinan, and then we’ll go back to round two. Just because you won, doesn’t mean you get to ask as many questions you want. Yeah.
Question: Thank you, Steph. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned on Tuesday that Syria may only be weeks away from another civil war. The question is, does Secretary-General agree this? I mean, does he think like, the situation in Syria, like, that fragile? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: Look. I think, you know, you just need to focus on what Mr. [Geir] Pedersen said yesterday… or two days ago?
Question: Yesterday.
Spokesman: Yesterday in the Security Council, and that will lay out the Secretary-General’s view on Syria and we’ll let you do the compare and contrast with the Secretary of State. Michelle Nichols?
Question: Steph, just to follow-up. [technical difficulties] Can I speak? Are we good? Hey, Steph. Can I ask a question?
Question: Yes. Go ahead.
Question: Oh, okay. Cool. Steph, just on the aid into Gaza, was there any problems with security yesterday, delivering within Gaza? Was there any looting?
Spokesman: We understand that a small number of trucks carrying flour were intercepted by residents and their contents removed. As far as I know, this was not a criminal act with armed men. It was what I’d been referring to sometimes as self-distribution, which I think only reflects the very high level of anxiety that people in Gaza are feeling, not knowing when the next humanitarian delivery will take place.
Question: And yesterday, you were talking about the need, like, discussing with Israel about a new route. Was there a new route agreed, or did you use the one that you had always been planning to use?
Spokesman: As to which routes we’re using, I can tell you that there are two factors for us, and those two factors have to align for us to use a route. One is obviously Israeli clearance that they will not run any kinetic activity along the route; and for us to have the contacts with the community, to ensure that we are safe as possible on those routes. You can ask a question, Denis, if you want to try to go ahead.
Question: Hi, Steph. I have a question about drones. So, Ukrainian forces launched hundreds of drones on Russian Federation, including dozens of drones on Moscow. Do you have any reaction on that?
Spokesman: We say the same, whenever there are targets that are potentially civilian. We continue to want to see an end to the war, to this conflict, in line with international principles, Security Council… All relevant UN resolutions and international law.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Farnoush again.
Question: Hi. Thanks, Steph. You might have already touched on this, but I just want to confirm that you don’t have numbers for any additional trucks beyond the around 100 that have been cleared for this week, right?
Spokesman: Let me put it this way. We will announce trucks or volume of aid going, arriving in Gaza once things have arrived safely at their destination. As of a few minutes ago, when I checked, nothing had left Kerem Shalom. This was about an hour ago. Sorry. Amelie, sorry.
Question: I’m still there. Sorry. I forgot one.
Spokesman: Yeah.
Question: In a press statement, WFP said that they are still not allowed to distribute food parcels directly to families. So I understand that flour went to bakeries. But for, like, for example, baby formula that were in the trucks, how is it distributed to people?
Spokesman: As I mentioned, UNICEF is unpacking and repackaging to smaller parcels for all that material to go out through their delivery networks with local partners. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you again. In the meeting in the White House President [Donald] Trump, with his host hosting, [Cyril] Ramaphosa, he accused the black majority Government of committing genocide against the white minority. Does the UN ever trace any kind of genocide committed against the whites throughout the years of independence since 1994 until now?
Spokesman: No. We have not.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Okay. On that note, goodbye. Farhan [Haq] will be here tomorrow. So be here at 12:00.