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, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Briefing
Just as a reminder, in 33 minutes, Ambassador James Kariuki, Chargé d’Affaires of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and President of the Security Council for the month of February, will be here to brief you on the programme of work for the month of February, as he will preside over the Council.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, I can tell you that we welcome the re-opening of the Rafah Crossing. As we have said before, civilians must be allowed to leave and return voluntarily and safely, as international law requires. Ultimately, essential humanitarian supplies must enter in sufficient quantities and with fewer restrictions through Rafah and all other crossings.
Also today, World Health Organization (WHO) supported medical-evacuation efforts from Gaza. The limited re-opening of the [Rafah] Crossing allowed some patients andcompanions to exit directly to Egypt, while others transited through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom/Kerem Abu Salem crossing. WHO tells us that the last medical evacuation through Rafah Crossing dates back to May 2024.
Over the weekend, the UN system, including our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Safety and Security, undertook an advance mission to assess road conditions, and WHO carried out a technical mission to examine the compound area and access roads, to ensure appropriate and dignified conditions. OCHA — together with several UN entities and NGO [non-governmental organization] partners —has set up a reception area at the Nassar hospital in Khan Younis.
We also saw the reports of violence over the weekend, and we are very concerned about the killing of civilians and Israeli air strikes. Again, we condemn all killings of civilians.
And just a note on the reception centre at the Nassar centre: It is staffed with psychologists and protection specialists and equipped with food, information materials and Internet access to provide returning people with support. Our colleagues from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are among those operating the reception.
**Syria
Moving to Syria and the humanitarian front: We and our humanitarian partners continue to reach thousands of people in the north-east with critical assistance. Today, a convoy consisting of two dozen trucks and one mobile clinic arrived in Ain al Arab/Kobani in Aleppo Governorate, delivering ready-to-eat food, health supplies and fuel. This is the second convoy to reach the area in a week, as the city continues to face shortages of water, communications, medical supplies and food, among other basic services, with communities relying on bakeries as the primary source of sustenance.
Since the fighting broke out in Aleppo in December 2025, more than 150,000 people have received humanitarian assistance. Yesterday, a 50-truck UN convoy carrying humanitarian aid from Damascus reached the city of Qamishli in Hasakeh Governorate. That is the third such convoy in a week.
As of 25 January, more than 170,000 people have been forced to flee their homes across 178 communities across the north-east of Syria, mostly in Al-Hasakeh Governorate. The vast majority of these people are women and children, who face heightened risks of violence and abuse.
Nearly three quarters of displaced families are living with host communities, putting additional strain on housing, water, basic services and livelihoods in already challenging situations for the hosts. While some have returned home, many remain displaced due to explosive ordnance, infrastructure that is damaged, winter conditions and limited access to the most basic of essential services.
You saw that late on Friday, we issued a statement welcoming the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Secretary-General appeals to all sides to work swiftly to ensure the implementation of the agreement, particularly with regard to the peaceful integration of northeast Syria, the rights of Syrian Kurds, the safe, dignified and voluntary return of the displaced, and coming together in efforts to rebuild the country. Furthermore, he urges all sides to fully uphold their commitments, to prioritize the stabilization of Syria, as well as the wider region, and to ensure that civilians are protected and able to live safely, in dignity and free from fear.
**Lebanon/Israel
Moving to Lebanon: Yesterday morning, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed our peacekeeping colleagues in southern Lebanon that they would be carrying out an aerial activity dropping what they, the IDF, described was a non-toxic chemical substance over areas near the Blue Line. The IDF said that peacekeepers should stay clear of the area, forcing the suspension of more than a dozen activities. Normal operations, including patrols along the Blue Line, resumed only after more than nine hours. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) supported the Lebanese Army in collecting samples of what was dropped and testing for toxicity.
We continue to remind the Israel Defense Forces that flights across the Blue Line into Lebanon are violations of resolution 1701 (2006). Any activity that may put peacekeepers and civilians at risk is of serious concern. We reiterate our call on all parties to fully comply with their obligations under said resolution, and that is [resolution] 1701 (2006).
**Somalia
From Somalia, our colleagues at OCHA tell us that severe drought conditions continue to displace people across Somalia. According to authorities and our partners, nearly half a million people have now abandoned their homes since September 2025. Families are on the move in search of water, in search of pasture for their livestock and in search of food. Our humanitarian colleagues note that this is putting additional pressure on already overcrowded displacement sites. Authorities estimate that more than 4.6 million men, women and children have been impacted by the drought. This is nearly one in four people in Somalia.
Education has also been impacted, with 150 schools in the northern regions closing or attendance declining as families migrate in search of water and livelihoods. This has forced more than 45,000 students — 45,000 young people — to drop out of school.
We, along with our humanitarian partners, are providing food, cash, water, health, shelter and nutrition assistance, but we are severely constrained by — you will have guessed it — funding issues. The situation is projected to get worse as rains are not expected until April; this is at the earliest. Widespread crop failure, which would compromise the summer harvest, is anticipated. This year, we and our humanitarian partners need $852 million to support 2.4 million people in Somalia.
**Ethiopia
And over the weekend, we issued a statement on Ethiopia, regarding developments in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where renewed tensions and clashes have contributed to a worsening security environment. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the potential impact on civilians and the risk of a return to a wider conflict in a region still working to rebuild and recover from past tensions. The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise restraint and to resolve differences through peaceful dialogue and measures aimed at rebuilding trust. He urges the full implementation of the Permanent Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and underscores the importance of safeguarding the gains made since 2022. The full statement is online.
**Madagascar
And a quick update from Madagascar, where our humanitarian colleagues tell us that Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which hit the country over the weekend, caused significant flooding and damage, particularly in north-western districts. According to preliminary reports from local authorities, at least seven people died. More than 20,000 people have been displaced. There has also been extensive damage to homes, with more than 14,000 flooded, damaged or destroyed. Some 250 classrooms have also been damaged or destroyed. Flooding also reported in the capital.
The Government is leading the response and has deployed food assistance to affected areas. For our part, our humanitarian partners are mobilizing available, though limited, pre-positioned stocks to reach accessible areas. On the food security front, [our partners report] that they currently have no food stocks available to support the response. Access to the most affected districts, notably Soalala and Mitsinjo, remains severely constrained. Both areas are currently only accessible by air. An aerial assessment is planned for tomorrow to determine priority needs. Continued rainfall and rough sea conditions are constraining assessments and the delivery of humanitarian goods.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, OCHA says that attacks over the weekend killed more civilians and triggered additional electricity and heating disruptions, as temperatures dropped to as low as -26°C, which is about -15°F. Between 30 January and this morning, some 30 civilians were killed and around 90 injured, mainly in the regions of Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk. That’s what local authorities are telling us.
Yesterday, in the Dnipro region, drone strikes hit a bus carrying coal miners, killing over a dozen of them and injuring many others. Also yesterday, WHO reported that attacks in the city of Zaporizhzhia damaged three health facilities, including a maternity hospital that is being supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and it also injured staff and one patient. The hospital suffered major damage. The patients had to be relocated.
The central, western and southern regions of Ukraine, including Kyiv, were hit by a massive blackout, which also impacted heating and water supply. According to the local Energy Ministry, this was due to technical failures of the strained energy system, severe weather as well as resumed attacks on energy facilities. Aid workers provided emergency shelter and protection assistance in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro and supported heating centres across the country where people can warm up, have hot meals and charge their devices.
Our colleague Edem Wosornu, who as you know is OCHA’s Director of Crisis Response, is currently in Ukraine. Yesterday, she was in Odesa and Mykolaiv to discuss humanitarian priorities, including winter assistance amid continued attacks on critical infrastructure, with humanitarian partners and regional authorities.
**New Resident Coordinators — Nepal and Iran
Two new Resident Coordinators to announce. Our colleagues at the UN Development Coordination Office tell us that, following their respective host Government approvals, Lila Pieters Yahia of Canada assumed her role as United Nations Resident Coordinator for Nepal; she started on 1 February, which was yesterday. Christine Weigand of Austria also assumed her role as Resident Coordinator in the Islamic Republic of Iran, starting today, although she is currently here in New York, but will be making her way to Tehran.
Ms. Pieters Yahia brings over 25 years of experience in public service and UN leadership. Ms. Weigand brings extensive expertise in development cooperation and senior leadership roles with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), including service in Armenia, Turkmenistan and Iran. Both Coordinators will support development priorities for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in line with the Secretary-General’s vision to bolster coherence, partnerships and impact at the country level.
**World Wetlands Day
Today is World Wetlands Day. Wetlands, ranging from rivers, lakes and marshes to mangroves, coral reefs and human-made sites, are vital ecosystems where water shapes life. They support biodiversity, protect the climate and sustain the livelihoods of over one billion human beings worldwide.
**Honour Roll
We have a little bit of a quiz for you today. We got some money in the bank and as you know these days, every penny counts. This first country has an extensive forest coverage of over 70 peer cent of its land mass and is one of only three carbon-negative countries in the world. This means they absorb more carbon dioxide than they produce. Bhutan.
This next country is the world’s fifth-largest producer of coffee, and it is Africa’s top producer of coffee. Ethiopia.
Finally, this country is home to the Veryovkina Cave, discovered in 1968. It is recognized as the world’s deepest known cave, plunging over 2,200 metres deep. We thank our friends in Tbilisi; the cave is in Georgia.
We thank our friends in Georgia, in Ethiopia and Bhutan. If you want to know, Bhutan paid $31,815, Ethiopia $317,897, Georgia $286,332. We thank them for every dollar given to this organization. Abdelhamid?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you so much, really. I have two questions. One about the killing of 31 Palestinians on Saturday, and I was watching to see any statement just showing concern, showing some sadness, some response, but I didn’t see. I know you mentioned something now in your briefing, but a separate statement for… isn’t worth a separate statement for killing 31 Palestinians?
Spokesman: Look, I think we have been very vocal, and I was just very vocal on condemning the killing of the Palestinians that we’ve seen in Gaza during the duration since a long time, frankly.
Question: So, killing two or 31 is just…?
Spokesman: I think I’ve answered; you may analyse and criticize the statement, but I think I’ve answered your question.
Question: Okay. My second question. Today, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) had been banned completely from Gaza and the West Bank. Do you have any reaction to that?
Spokesman: I had not seen that report. Obviously, I think the Secretary-General expressed his concern about 10 days ago at the push by the Israeli authorities to ban a number of international NGOs. Organizations like MSF and others are critical to the UN’s humanitarian operation. We work with them hand in hand, and it is difficult to imagine us being able to do all the work we need to do without organizations like them.
Question: Last. Today also, UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] lowered the working hours from 37.5 to 30 and cutting down the salaries 20 per cent. Any reaction to that also?
Spokesman: Well, it’s not so much a reaction. As you know, UNRWA is facing extremely difficult financial situation. They’re not getting the financial resources they need. Philippe Lazzarini cannot print money, right? He cannot create money out of nothing. So, what are the options? Laying people off completely, depriving them of livelihoods, depriving those people that they work to support, or trying to trim working hours and salaries. It is not a good solution, but it is a better solution than letting these employees go or not letting them do their work. I think Philippe, backed by the SG, has been extremely vocal in trying to get more resources for UNRWA, but he can only go to the bank with the money he has. He can’t create money out of nothing. Farnoush?
Question: Thank you. Wondering if you have seen the flyer that’s going around that Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher is going to be doing an event tomorrow, the Sudan Humanitarian Conference in Washington, D.C., with Trump officials. It’s an official White House event to raise money and gather pledges for Sudan. I was wondering if the SG supports this effort. Obviously, this comes after the US has said adapt or die to the UN. And so, anything you can say on how much the SG is behind this event and if we should expect more events like this going forward, given the US.
Spokesman: Tom Fletcher is not freelancing, right? He’s in Washington, D.C. One of the files he’s discussing is Sudan. We’ve been working very closely with the Americans, as we have with other countries, including countries in the region, to try to stop this conflict, to try to at least get humanitarian corridors, trying to get more resources. And I think the Secretary-General made it clear here last week that despite the issues well known with the United States Administration, we continue to cooperate on files of mutual interest. This is all being done in the interest of the Sudanese people.
Question: And is this just going to be the new way of the US being able to — I mean, the fundraising effort on behalf of OCHA in these types of events that are obviously very different from how it was previously?
Spokesman: Look. I think there will be different types of… there’ll be some events like that. There’ll be events in in different forms. We are trying to get the resources we need, so we can operate in the way we operate, meaning with the humanitarian principles in which we work. We’re unbending in our principles, but we will work with whoever can support us in our work, and we’re grateful for that support. Let’s go to the other Associated Press, who did not win the quiz.
Question: Completely different questions. First, has the Secretary-General received any reactions to his letter to the 193 member nations?
Spokesman: I mean, I know you know, Member States have been in touch with him, but I think the letter, which I think you all saw by now, was pretty clear and direct and frank, to say the least.
Question: But, has he received any indication that Member States are planning to take any action?
Spokesman: Look, I can’t speak for Member States. Obviously, I think we will see success when more checks are cashed, when Member States agree to change some of the financial regulations, which are outdated, outmoded, clearly trap us in a kind of a death loop on budgetary issues.
Question: And secondly, on the opening of the Rafah Crossing, does the UN have anybody at the crossing helping, monitoring?
Spokesman: We’re not doing monitoring. We’re obviously, as I mentioned, we have people on the inside, on the Gaza side, to help Palestinians who come back, right? But, we’re not involved in any of the screening or the administrative procedures, as far as I know.
Question: And do you have any indication of how many people crossed either way today?
Spokesman: No, I do not have those numbers. Gabriel?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I have some follow-ups on the Lebanon incident that you mentioned in your remarks. Is the location where Israel dropped these so-called nontoxic chemicals on Israeli territory or Lebanese territory?
Spokesman: My understanding is they were north of the Blue Line.
Question: So that would be Lebanese territory?
Spokesman: North of the Blue Line.
Question: Correct. Okay. And has this happened before?
Spokesman: I don’t recall, but I don’t recall everything, but this I don’t recall.
Question: And have you guys any initial results of the testing…?
Spokesman: No. I mean, at least none that’s been communicated to me.
Question: And my last question on this matter is: If Israel told the blue helmets to get out of the area, that probably means that they weren’t dropping rose petals. It probably means that it was potentially something that is not healthy either to the environment or to a person. Do you agree with that statement?
Spokesman: Well, we’re testing it for… you know, we were not going to take chances on the safety of our peacekeepers. We’re assisting the Lebanese Armed Forces in testing the material for toxicity. Yes, monsieur?
Question: What’s the stated purpose of the chemicals? Do we know?
Spokesman: No, we don’t know. As soon as we know what that is, or at least we have the analysis on the Lebanese Armed Forces, hopefully, we’ll be able to share that with you.
Question: Okay. And a quick follow-up on the financial situation of the UN. What is the Secretary-General making of President [Donald J.] Trump’s comments to Politico over the weekend, that if the UN reaches out to him, he would be helping getting all the Member States to pay up? And also, he praised the UN as having a tremendous potential. So, what are you making of these comments? How would…
Spokesman: We’ve seen them and appreciate the comments from President Trump, saying we have tremendous potential. I think as the Secretary-General said, we’re working with the US on a number of issues. As for the payments, I mean, it’s not a complicated solution. The solution is those who owe money should pay that money according to their treaty obligations. Linda, then Pam.
Question: Thank you, Steph. My question is you mentioned that there should be some change; you’re implying that there should be a change in some of the financial procedures that are hamstringing the UN. Who takes the lead on that? Is that the General Assembly?
Spokesman: Yeah, I mean, the Secretary-General has proposed it, has mentioned it for quite a few times. If you’ll remember, when he came into office, the UN hit the budget cycle — the UN was a two-year budget, right, which was difficult, not the right way to do business for a modern organization. The Member States went along with his recommendation to move it to one year. He’s made a number of recommendations which Member States have not moved on. And this one, I think, is outlined in the letter and is outlined in in his remarks to the GA, especially on budgetary issues, is really critical to get us out of this Kafkaesque situation, as you mentioned it.
Question: So, is it the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) that has to be…?
Spokesman: Well, it goes through the Fifth Committee, but it’s the Member States as a whole. Yeah. Yep. Pam?
Question: Steph, there are credible reports that, the US has asked Iran to restart talks, and there’s some help from Türkiye, Egypt and Qatar to do that. Do you foresee, and is your sense that this would be totally separate from JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]? And are you hearing anything about JCPOA?
Spokesman: I mean, it’s not a judgment for me to make. We, of course support any efforts to defuse tensions, especially tensions in that region through engaged dialogue.
Question: And so, the UN is not in any way involved?
Spokesman: We are always ready to support any efforts to diplomacy. Yes, sir. And then Yvonne.
Question: Thank you, Stephane. I have two questions, both about the DOJ [United States Department of Justice] release of the [Jeffrey] Epstein files. A number of prominent Norwegian officials who were tied to the UN were mentioned in the files, the Crown Princess of Norway, who has been a UN goodwill ambassador; Mona Juul, who was the Permanent Representative for Norway here and member of the Security Council; and Terje [Roed] Larsen, who was a special envoy for many years. Does the UN have any comment on that?
Spokesman: Look. I think for us, the most important thing is that justice be done for the women who were abused by Jeffrey Epstein and the people around him. Mr. Larsen no longer works for the United Nations and has not for some time. So, I have no specific comment on that. As for the ambassador, the former Permanent Representative of Norway, it’s not for us to comment. Yvonne, sorry. Go ahead.
Question: Yeah. And, also, there was another exchange between the Head of the World Economic Forum, Borge Brende, and Jeffrey Epstein, where they discussed the UN, and Epstein said Davos can really replace the UN, and Brende responded, “Exactly. We need a new global architecture.” Does the UN agree that Davos can really replace the UN?
Spokesman: No. Yvonne Murray, RTE.
Question: Thanks, Steph. You didn’t really answer Edie’s question about the reaction from the Member States, the response to the SG’s letter. Can you give us a few more details?
Spokesman: No. I mean, listen… Let me put it this way. The Secretary-General has been very clear on the budgetary crisis for some time with Member States. I think he went beyond in the letter. It was a letter meant to, if I put it diplomatically, to raise awareness. It was a letter meant to shake up. Let’s see if it has the desired impact. But, I’ve never seen a letter from a Secretary-General to Member States being so clear in the risks, the fundamental risks to this organization should its Member States, first of all, not live up to the obligations that they signed up to in signing a treaty, and also in not reviewing and adapting the financial rules and regulations to enable this organization to work.
Question: So, you think that it’s designed to shake things up or shake up, wake up perhaps the Member States. But, is it at risk of appearing like the boy who cried wolf? You know, is he exaggerating about financial collapse in order to shake things up?
Spokesman: I don’t think, I mean… listen, Yvonne, you’ve been here for a number of years. You’ve seen the Secretary-General. When he comes to you, he’s pretty plain speaking. He’s seeing the numbers, right? He’s not sitting on a stash of money trying to get more money. We’ve seen the job losses. We’ve seen the job cuts. Though it’s not the regular budget, but we’ve seen the immense cuts on humanitarian development and the reality that nobody was crying wolf, right? Food rations have been cut. You know, service to refugees have been cut. I mean, these are real life and death things, and I think the Secretary-General is saying it as it is.
Question: Okay. And so finally on that — financial collapse is a very real prospect?
Spokesman: I think there is a real prospect of this organization running out of money unless Member States really make the changes they need to make. Alex?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I have a question on the Secretary-General’s remarks on Thursday, last Thursday, when he said that the principle of self-determination does not apply to the situations of Crimea and Donbas. I mean, we all know where the UN stands on the Russia-Ukraine War. What’s wrong with the self-determination principle?
Spokesman: I think there’s nothing wrong with the self-determination principle. It’s a bedrock of the UN, but I think the Secretary-General was very clear, to me at least, in speaking out on the situation in Ukraine and the need to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine as outlined, notably in a number of General Assembly resolutions. Yes, Ahmed, behind you.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Also on the Rafah Crossing, reports are indicating that only about 50 to 150 Palestinians are being allowed to exit Gaza each day for urgent medical attention despite there being, again, over 20,000 Palestinians in need of urgent lifesaving medical care. That figure, of course, seems very low, so, what’s the Secretary-General’s immediate reaction to this?
Spokesman: I mean, the reaction is what we want to see is Palestinians being allowed to go into Gaza as they wish, Palestinians being able to leave Gaza as they wish, and for both humanitarian and commercial cargo to go in through Rafah.
Question: Just for clarification, does the Secretary-General think 50 to 150 out of 20,000 is a low number each day?
Spokesman: I mean, it’s a low number by any indication. This is the first day, right? So, let’s see how things work out. Namo?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have a couple of follow-ups on Syria. You mentioned multiple convoys of aid have reached Kobani and other north-east cities. Given the scale of displacement and shortages, how sufficient is that? And are there gaps that remain uncovered?
Spokesman: We would like to be able to get more aid in, and we keep trying. Our efforts are focusing on that.
Question: And lastly, you welcome the agreement between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces. Does the UN foresee a formal role, especially in monitoring and observing this agreement, to ensure that commitments are upheld, especially when it comes to civilian protection on the return of the displaced?
Spokesman: We do not have a formal role, but, obviously, we will continue to watch the situation very closely and speak out as needed. Yes, Gabriel. And then we’ll go Biesan… no. She withdrew her question. Gabriel, please.
Question: Just a follow-up, Steph, on Trump’s interview with Politico over the weekend. He said, and he was speaking in the third person, he said, if they, meaning the UN, come to Trump, meaning him, and told him, “I’d get everyone to pay up just like I got NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] to pay up. All I have to do is call these countries. They would send checks within minutes.” I just give that quote because he’s basically asking the SG, give me a call. I’m serious in this question. Why doesn’t the SG give them a call?
Spokesman: Look, for us, there’s no need to discuss what are obligations, right? We continue to speak to the US on a number of issues. The Secretary-General does speak regularly to Ambassador [Michael] Waltz, who’s his primary point of contact, notably on budgetary issues. But I said, this is not a complicated advanced calculus problem. It’s a pretty basic accounting issue. People owe money; they have obligations. They need to pay it. That’s how you solve the problem. On that note, I will solve my problem and leave and get you the ambassador.