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.
**Programming Note — Monday
All right, just a quick programming note for all of you. At 11:45 a.m. on Monday, there will be a media stakeout following the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly for eightieth session. The victor is expected to speak to you outside of the General Assembly Hall at 11:45 a.m.
Then at 12:30 p.m., there will be an in-person briefing here by Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the Permanent Representative of Guyana to these United Nations, and she will be here to present to you the Programme of Work for the month of June. And just to note to all of you online: The briefing will only be in person. Obviously, we will figure out if and when we have our daily noon briefing at some point. Maybe after the PGA [President of the General Assembly], but we will figure it out and will let you know.
**Secretary-General — Africa Dialogue
This afternoon, at 3 p.m., the Secretary-General will speak at the Africa Dialogue that will focus on reparations, which is also the African Union’s theme for 2025. He will say that, for too long, the colossal injustices inflicted by enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism have been left unacknowledged and unaddressed. He will argue that reparatory justice frameworks are critical — to redress historic wrongs, address today’s challenges and ensure the rights and dignity for all.
**Deputy Secretary-General Travels
Today, in Tajikistan, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, participated in the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation, taking place in Dushanbe. She underscored the urgent need to preserve glaciers and keep the 1.5°C climate target within reach — not only to protect ecosystems and water sources, but to ensure the livelihoods of people are prospering in those communities.
The Deputy Secretary-General called for bold, coordinated action ahead of COP30 [thirtieth Conference of Parties] rooted in cooperation, solidarity and science. She later held a series of bilateral meetings with senior Government officials, with delegations and youth constituents. She also met with the UN country team to acknowledge our continued support in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Tajikistan. Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General will cross over to Marrakech in Morocco, to attend the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that that the catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst since the war began. Strikes have continued across Gaza, particularly in North Gaza, where the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate last night after repeated strikes on and around the facilities in recent days. Attacks also continued farther south in Deir al Balah, in areas of Al Bureij and An Nuseirat camps.
Our colleagues at IHH, which is an international aid organization that runs community kitchens and nutrition points, reported that, on Wednesday, five of its workers had been killed and two injured in the previous days. We once again underscore that all civilians, including humanitarian workers, must always be protected at all times.
Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last two weeks alone. Yesterday, Israeli authorities issued a renewed displacement order covering about 30 per cent of the Strip’s total territory in North Gaza, eastern parts of Gaza City and Deir al Balah. To date, displacement orders have covered the entirety of the northernmost and southernmost governorates, as well as the eastern parts of each of the three governorates in between. Partners note that the limited movement of people observed in recent days appears to be driven by the search for food, the search for necessities, more than by displacement orders.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to provide support to people in need, despite the immense challenges on the ground and the crippling restrictions on the amount and type of assistance that is being allowed into the Gaza Strip. Yesterday, we and our humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing. The other 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area.
Meanwhile in Gaza City, our partners working to address shelters managed to distribute 45 emergency shelter kits to families as part of a pilot initiative aimed at pooling resources to respond to some of the most critical needs. Humanitarian needs have exploded in Gaza following the 80 days of the nearly total blockade of aid going into the Gaza Strip. And the limited amounts of aid now entering the Strip are nowhere near sufficient to support the 2.1 million people in desperate need of assistance.
As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety break down, looting incidents continue to be reported. Today, a group of armed individuals stormed the warehouses of a field hospital in Deir al Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines and nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children. The humanitarian community reiterates the need for a full lifting of the blockade on Gaza and action to ensure that the root causes of widespread deprivation across the Strip are addressed.
Turning to the situation in the West Bank, our OCHA monitoring reports that Israeli settler violence continues to be on the rise. So far this year, settlers have injured more than 220 Palestinians — that’s about 44 per month, and the highest rate in at least 20 years. Meanwhile, Israeli-imposed movement restrictions across Salfit Governorate — in the northern West Bank — continue to disrupt the access of nearly 90,000 people who need healthcare, who need education and who need to access their own livelihoods.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, which is also seeing attacks on humanitarian supplies, I can tell you that we are shocked and alarmed that the World Food Programme (WFP) premises in El Fasher were hit and damaged by repeated shelling from the Rapid Support Forces. You will have seen that our colleagues at WFP issued a statement saying that their staff, thank God, is safe and accounted for. We reiterate that humanitarian staff, their assets, their operations and supplies should never be targeted. This must stop now, especially in places like Sudan, where over three million children are suffering from malnutrition.
Our WFP colleagues are trying as much as the situation allows to scale up food and nutrition assistance to reach seven million people on a monthly basis, with prioritizing communities facing famine or just at risk of famine. As you know, famine is confirmed in Sudan in 10 locations: 8 in North Darfur, including Zamzam Camp, and 2 in the Western Nuba Mountains. Another 17 areas, including parts of Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Khartoum and Gezira, are at risk of famine. We cannot stress enough that the only path forward is an immediate end to hostilities.
**South Sudan
Moving south to South Sudan: Our peacekeeping mission there says they’re deeply alarmed by a surge in intercommunal conflict in Tonj East, in Warrap, which is part of a persistent cycle of cattle raids and revenge attacks plaguing the State. On 29 May, yesterday, armed youth attacked a community there, reportedly killing at least 26 civilians, injuring some 30 others, and torching around 35 homes. Thousands of people have been displaced as a result.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) held urgent discussions with local officials and community leaders in Tonj East to try and de-escalate these tensions and to prevent further mobilization. Peacekeeping patrols have also been intensified in the impacted area. We call on the communities involved to end the violence, and we urge the Government to proactively deploy security forces to prevent revenge attacks.
**Cyprus
Turning to Cyprus: A quick update on the work of María Angela Holguín, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Cyprus. She’s concluding her visit to the island today, meeting separately with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders twice during the week to encourage progress related to the initiatives to build trust agreed to in Geneva in March. Ms. Holguín also met with their representatives, including a joint meeting with both today. She engaged with the newly launched Technical Committee on Youth among other interlocutors. From Cyprus, she will travel to Ankara where she will meet the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on 2 June. On 5 June, she will be in Athens for a meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis. She also intends to visit London in the coming period.
**Ukraine
Just for the record, yesterday afternoon, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed Security Council on Ukraine. She said that, since her last briefing a month ago, there was cautious hope of progress on the diplomatic front to stop the fighting. Regrettably, she said, instead of steps towards peace, we witnessed a brutal surge in large-scale Russian attacks across the country, adding that Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties. She warned that further escalation would not only aggravate the devastating toll on civilians, but also endanger the already challenging peace efforts.
Also briefing Council members, Lisa Doughten, the Director of the Financing and Partnership Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that, despite escalating challenges, humanitarian partners — many of them local NGOs [non-governmental organizations] — continue to deliver vital assistance. However, she warned that funding shortfalls have already forced reductions in cash assistance, mental health support, shelter assistance and services for survivors of gender-based violence. Without urgent support, she told Council members, core programmes risk being suspended, just as needs are rising. We shared those remarks with you.
**Haiti
As we enter the hurricane season soon, our colleagues at OCHA are sounding the alarm about the forthcoming hurricane season, which runs from June to November across the Latin America and Caribbean region. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 2025 hurricane season is expected to be well above average in terms of intensity of storms across the region, with serious implications for vulnerable countries like Haiti. OCHA is working with Governments and partners across the region to coordinate preparedness and response mechanisms, amid a general decline in funding and capacities to respond. Last week, OCHA hosted the 2025 Hurricane Season Preparedness event, bringing together UN agencies and our partners, together with regional, national and local disaster management authorities and civil society organizations.
Turning to the situation in Haiti itself, OCHA says they are concerned about the country’s exposure to natural hazards and the limited capacity to respond to them. More than 1 million people are currently displaced due to conflict and insecurity. Among them, over 200,000 are living in displacement sites, with that number having nearly doubled between March and April, mainly due to armed violence in the Centre Department. Most of these sites are located in flood-prone areas and lack adequate shelter, drainage and sanitation, leaving families acutely vulnerable to storms. Access constraints remain and preparedness is further undermined by the lack of pre-positioned supplies across the country, a direct consequence of underfunding.
OCHA is working closely with national authorities and humanitarian partners to bolster preparedness. Current efforts include contingency planning, mapping of high-risk areas especially displacement sites, reinforcing early warning systems, and pre-positioning available stocks. Sectoral coordination is also ongoing to address critical gaps in shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and camp management. However, as we’ve been saying, funding remains a major obstacle. Of the $908 million requested for the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Haiti, only 8 per cent funded, which is $72 million in the bank.
**International Days
No money today, but I’ve got an international day quiz. Today is the international day of something you can fry, you can… I was going to say you can fry it, you can boil it, you can mash it, you can sauté it, you can roast it. It is the potato, Edie. Today is the International Day of Potato, a crop that is regularly consumed by billions of people. For many around the world, the potato is an important crop in combating hunger and poverty and addressing environmental threats to agrifood systems.
Tomorrow, very important, is World No Tobacco Day. The name of the Day speaks for itself. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls on Governments to ban all flavoured tobacco to protect youth from addiction and disease.
And Sunday is the important Day in my house, because it is the Global Day of Parents. This year’s theme, “Raising Parents”, draws attention to an essential reality: that parents and caregivers require time, they require resources and support in order to raise children in a nurturing and positive environment. Edie, you had the potato. Oh, Pam. I’m so sorry. Pam. Pam. Pam. Pam had the potato. Okay. So go ahead.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Potatoes. Thank you. Is there a role of the Secretary-General — do you anticipate a role in the 2 June State solution conference?
Spokesman: Well, he will obviously be here, and he will address the conference. That was not potato worthy. Edie, then Amelie.
Question: Steph, you said that five trucks got into Gaza yesterday, and that another 60 had to return. Could you tell us where the five trucks actually got to and whether any of the aid from those trucks was delivered — and why the 60 trucks had to return?
Spokesman: Well, the 60 trucks returned because it was no longer safe to use that road. There were hostilities, unclear exactly what type. I mean, the road obviously had been okayed for us to use by the Israeli military. But, the area around Kerem Shalom, as you know, is one where there are a lot of armed gangs have been operating, notably in the No Man’s Land, which is a few kilometres from the crossing. The five trucks carried medical supplies, which were meant for the field hospital in Deir al-Balah, and most of the supplies were looted today, very sadly and tragically. Amelie?
Question: Just on the looting incident that you mentioned and the one in the hospital in Deir al-Balah, you said armed men. So, it’s not the same what you use in the last few days to describe the looting that had happened with, you know, just hungry Palestinian looking for food. So, is it a different kind of…?
Spokesman: I mean, this appeared to be much more organized, and much different from the looting we’d seen in the past day, notably the WFP warehouse where, from what our colleagues said, these were desperate people in search of food. This was a more organized, this was an organized operation with armed men. The facility was stormed by armed individuals and emptied of almost anything that they could carry, and with the tragic impact that it has on the people who desperately needed those facilities. Yes, sir?
Question: Thanks, Steph. This is [inaudible] from Xinhua News Agency. You know, the Secretary-General has briefed the General Assembly for two weeks about the UN80 reforms. What’s the progress now? Has the task force identified any agencies or positions that could be abolished or relocated outside New York or Geneva?
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, those the issue of relocation, which includes more structural changes, obviously, that is ongoing. We are our colleagues at the UN80 team are collecting information. They’re moving at a fast clip and as soon as the Secretary-General has more to update the General Assembly and the membership, he will. Yes, please. Your colleague from CNN is going to go first.
Question: Thanks, Steph. Israeli officials told CNN that they accepted a new ceasefire proposal from US Envoy Steve Witkoff involving a 60-day truce and a release of some hostages. Can you confirm the UN’s involvement in this truce?
Spokesman: No. I mean, we are not involved in the negotiations. The Secretary-General has been kept up to date. Notably, he’s in very frequent contact with Qatari officials. And he’s very grateful for the work of the mediators, the United States, Qatar and Egypt. I think we’ve seen all the press reports. We very much hope that the work of the mediators will be successful, so we can put an end to this cycle of suffering, cycle of violence we’re all witnessing, and, hopefully, put Israelis and Palestinians back on a positive track on a peace process.
Question: Do you have a comment on being excluded from the negotiations?
Spokesman: No, I mean, it’s not… listen. I think different negotiations, different mediations take different shapes. Since the beginning, this has really been the trio that has been most at work. We’re not taking it as a snub in any way, shape or form. We have been now more than 600 days involved at different times by providing information that was requested and supporting the process. Yes, please, Jordan.
Question: All right. Thank you. Smaller question before the big question. Is potato a vegetable?
Spokesman: I don’t know. I think it’s a legume. No? I think it is a vegetable or root. I don’t know. But, I know I love them. I don’t ask, you know, things that I like to eat. I don’t really ask them.
Question: Okay. Big question. How often do you eat potato?
Spokesman: Quite a bit. Okay.
Question: What is the status of Trusteeship Council of the United Nations, and who can reactivate it if it’s dead?
Spokesman: Member States. I think that you would have to look at the Charter. I don’t have the answer. There is still a President of the Trusteeship Council, if I’m not mistaken.
Question: And what is the relationship? When some country’s in trouble, such as Palestinian, they ask for protection. And is Trusteeship, if it is alive today, can be a solution for them, do you think?
Spokesman: I think we’re getting ahead of ourselves. That will be a decision that Member States would have to take. Yes, Dezhi?
Question: Yes, as we know that UN had more than 12 encounters with Israeli authorities on the potential cooperation between UN and the Gaza Humanitarian [Foundation]. During those 12 engagements, are you aware of the funding, the donation of the establishment of that fund?
Spokesman: No, I mean, I think we have no more visibility as to the funding of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
Question: Is that one of the concerns — that you didn’t really corroborate?
Spokesman: Our concern is about getting food to those Palestinians who need it, which is just about all of the 2.1 million people living in Gaza. That’s our concern. We’re not here to block the work of other organizations, to make it more difficult. We just want to get it to work, and we want the obstacles that are in our way for us to work to be removed.
Question: But, it’s reported today that maybe the biggest donor, one of the biggest donors for that fund is the Israeli Government itself. Any comments from the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: You know, who funds them, it’s not our concern at this point. Our concern is to get the humanitarian operation working, ours and others, in a way that meets the needs of the people in Gaza and that that meets humanitarian principles. I will leave it to journalists such as yourselves to investigate or to look at and to answer questions on the GHF. It’s not my job here.
Question: Right, another topic. Today in Hong Kong, 32 countries signed the convention on the establishment of an international organization for mediation. I don’t know whether the Secretary-General is aware of this.
Spokesman: Let me check. I’d meant to ask our legal office. Let me check what our role in that is. Yep. Thank you. Yes, please?
Question: Thanks so much, Steph. Happy potato day to you. Have a quick follow-up on UN80 initiative. Reuters has reported that the UN Secretariat wants to cut 20 per cent of budget and reduce its staff by 6,900 jobs. Could you please confirm these reports?
Spokesman: Som what I can tell you, obviously, there was a memo sent out by the Comptroller, as part of the UN80 initiative. The memo was sent to all heads of offices and parts of the Secretariat. As we’ve been saying, the UN80 initiative has three tracks, which is: first, identifying efficiencies and improvements in the way we work, which is under the direct authority of the Secretary-General, and the memo would fall under that. Reviewing the implementation of the mandates given to us by Member States. And third, the strategic review of a deeper, more structural changes in the programme realignment. It covers… the memo covers about 14,000 posts that are under the work of the regular budget. Yes, please, ma’am. Go ahead and then Jordan. Hold on.
Question: Back on getting food into Gaza, Hamas said that the latest framework, coming from Israel, I’m quoting here, “does not respond to any of our people’s demands, foremost amongst which is stopping the war and the famine”. So, do you have a comment on this?
Spokesman: No, listen. I think we are at a very delicate time in a very delicate period. There are negotiations going on. There’s mediation going on. Our message is get the job done, right? That the parties find the political courage to reach an agreement, to support the work of the mediators. It would not be helpful for to that goal if we started to comment on comments from one or two of the parties.
Question: Yeah, but on the framework not addressing famine…?
Spokesman: Listen, I think our goal is to get as much humanitarian aid in. We want the ceasefire to return. We want to see the hostages released, and we want to see the suffering of the people alleviated. Yes. Jordan, then back to Pam.
Question: I agree with you that journalists have to investigate more and more about funding of the Gaza Foundation. I have a question, if you have ever heard of SRS, which stands for Safe Reach Solutions. And if you know, have the United Nations ever contracted this organization to distribute the whole bunch?
Spokesman: Not to my knowledge.
Question: For sure. Are you sure?
Spokesman: Not to my knowledge. It’s just sure as I can be.
Question: Can you tell us, like, next week?
Spokesman: I mean, this is not an organization that I’m aware we work with. I will ask around.
Question: But, according, sorry, Steph. According to their website that they only work in very challenging places, and as they did not put Congo or South Sudan. But, if you are sure that they never been to South Sudan as a country?
Spokesman: I will double check. We have not worked with them. Pam, then Dezhi.
Correspondent: Thank you, Steph.
Spokesman: We’ll go online because somebody had questions.
Question: Back to clarifications about the deliveries of aid. Israel’s COGAT alleged that international aid organizations that had previously been delivering aid, once they cooperated with the GHF, were taken off the aid, the UN’s aid database. True? Is there anything?
Spokesman: The database today is the same one as it was two weeks ago. Right? So, the list has not changed. If you look at it today and you look at it before the GHF started running, it’s still the same. Dezhi?
Question: A very quick follow-up on the UN80 initiative, since we mentioned about the memo. The memo said that the proposal from the different entities had to submit it to the Controller’s office by 30 June. Does that mean that all those proposals, I mean, the plans will be clarified after 30 June?
Spokesman: I mean, they will come in to the Controller. He will look at them. The Secretary-General will look at them, and then we will update Member States.
Question: Will we also have some update?
Spokesman: We would love to give you some updates, so I don’t have to answer those questions. We have people who actually know answer those questions. All right. We’ll go to Michelle, and then I’ll come back to the room.
Question: Thanks, Steph. I just wanted to come back to your remark at the start, where you said the situation in Gaza is at the most catastrophic it’s ever been since the war started. I just wanted to get your sort of assessment of what impact has the aid that the UN has managed to get to the people of Gaza in the past two weeks and the 2.1 million meals that the GHF said it’s delivered. What impact has all that aid had on the situation?
Spokesman: You know, I think you could look at it individually or globally. Obviously, any aid that gets into the hands of people who need it is good. Right? From our part, the aid that we’ve been able to bring in since we’ve been told we could bring in some aid, and which is about two weeks or so or less. I want to make sure I get my dates correct. Is it a drop in the bucket? You know, some of it even evaporates figuratively before it gets to where it’s supposed to be, because desperate people see an open truck. Right? And we are required by the Israeli authorities to use open flatbed trucks, except when it comes to vaccines, where we can use cold closed trucks to make sure the vaccines remain cold. So globally, it has a very, very little impact. Obviously, for those families who were fortunate enough to receive something, it’s had a bigger impact.
Question: Thank you, Steph. So just to clarify, the idea is to cut 6,900 jobs out of 14,000. Right?
Spokesman: The number the regular budget is dealing with is about 14,000.
Question: And is it mainly in New York, or is there any…?
Spokesman: The Secretariat is present in other locations, as well. Okay. Yes, ma’am?
Question: Yesterday, when you told us that Israel had denied six coordination attempts, you said you would get me the language on why they denied you guys?
Spokesman: Yeah. I don’t have any further, I wasn’t able to get any actionable language for you, except that the answer was no. All right. Thank you all. Happy Friday.