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.
**Guest
In a very short while, we will be joined by our friend Francisco Pichon, who is the Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Cuba. He will be joining us from Havana, and as soon as I am done with you, and you are done with me, [… he will brief on the situation in Cuba].
**Ukraine
I will start off with Ukraine today, and I can tell you that we continue to condemn the attacks by the armed forces of the Russian Federation against civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Such attacks, wherever they occur, violate international humanitarian law and are unacceptable, unjustifiable and must stop immediately.
From the ground, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that overnight, a large-scale drone and missile attack, combined with front-line hostilities, resulted in civilian casualties and damaged homes and critical infrastructure across the country. Between yesterday and the early hours of today, an overnight large-scale drone and missile attack across Ukraine and front-line hostilities resulted in dozens of residential buildings damaged in Kyiv, as well as in Kirovohradska, Kyivska and Vinnytska Oblasts.
In the Odesa region, some 40,000 families were left without electricity, and in the Poltava region, damage to gas facilities disrupted power supply for around 20,000 families and businesses. The Ministry of Energy reported additional outages in several eastern and southern regions, continuing a pattern of winter attacks on energy systems. Our humanitarian partners on the ground provided materials for basic repairs, as well as first aid. Last month, authorities and our partners said nearly 7,000 people were evacuated from front-line areas in eastern Ukraine.
**South Sudan
Turning to South Sudan, where we have seen the violence spiralling across the country, and in particular an incident I want to flag over the weekend, which involved the brutal killing of civilians in Ayod County, which is in Jonglei State. I can tell you that we understand that an investigation is under way on this particularly horrific incident. We reiterate, once again, that violence against civilians is unacceptable. Civilians must be protected at all times. We call again on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.
As Tom Fletcher, [the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs], witnessed in South Sudan earlier this week, the humanitarian situation in the country is rapidly deteriorating, driven by renewed clashes, soaring civilian displacement due to insecurity and constraints on humanitarian access.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza. Ramiz Alakbarov, our Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory wrapped up his two-day visit to the Gaza Strip. Before leaving Gaza, he joined a medical evacuation mission at the Rafah Crossing, where we and our partners help patients and their caregivers go to Egypt for urgent medical treatment. He also visited a reception centre in Rafah supporting people who are returning to Gaza. Mr. Alakbarov spent the last two days in Gaza meeting with our partners, visiting humanitarian facilities supported by ourselves as well as others, and assessing gaps and challenges in the response.
Meanwhile, our partners leading on water, sanitation and hygiene services tell us that, in the last few months, they have delivered 17,000 hygiene kits to children and their families. Hundreds of water tanks have been installed near tents since the ceasefire took hold. This makes it easier for people to find access to clean water. While needs remain immense, our humanitarian partners continue to do everything possible to scale up assistance under what remains very challenging circumstances.
On food security, our partners report that, this month, families in Gaza have on average had two meals a day, compared to one meal a day in July of 2025. While this marks a modest improvement, many families tell our colleagues that they are struggling to afford food and other essential goods. To help put food on the table, in January, humanitarians provided cash assistance to three quarters of a million people in Gaza.
And on shelter, our partners tell us that they have provided tents, tarpaulins and other supplies to more than 27,000 families [this month]. Additionally, today, in the city of Bani Suhaila in Khan Younis, more than 400 vulnerable families living in this area received food and other essential assistance.
Aid workers are also distributing emergency shelter material, consisting mainly of salvaged timber and metal pallets, in Khan Younis and Gaza city. The material is being used to build housing units that can endure harsh weather conditions, which are continuing. Most families across Gaza live in unsafe structures, as hundreds of thousands of housing units have now been damaged since October 2023. We once again appeal for the lifting of restrictions on the entry of construction materials into the Gaza Strip, so families can move toward safe and sustainable housing solutions.
**Migrants
I want to flag a report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that today shows that at least 7,667 people died or went missing on migration routes in 2025. According to IOM, sea crossings remained among the deadliest routes. In 2025, at least 2,185 people died or went missing in the Mediterranean, while 1,214 were recorded on the Western Africa/Atlantic route toward the Canary Islands. Despite year-on-year declines, IOM said that the real toll is likely much higher, as at least 1,500 additional people were reported missing at sea but could not be verified due to limited access to search-and-rescue information.
IOM also tell us that the numbers from 2025 are lower than the nearly 9,200 deaths recorded in 2024, and said that the decline reflects fewer people attempting dangerous irregular migration routes, particularly in the Americas. However, the agency says that the decline is also due to restricted access to information and funding constraints for humanitarian actors documenting migrant deaths on key routes. IOM is calling for urgent funding to strengthen data collection to better guide the humanitarian system in delivering life-saving responses.
**International Narcotics Control Board
Also, another report. The International Narcotics Control Board published its annual report today, which highlights how the health and well-being of people worldwide have been protected by international cooperation, through the framework of the drug-control conventions. The report describes how the collective action of States has played a vital role to reduce the social and economic harms of illicit drugs. For example, last year, the Board’s work prevented the diversion of 3 metric tons of a fentanyl precursor which could have been used to illicitly manufacture up to 3.3 metric tons of fentanyl.
Our colleagues’ work has also strengthened the knowledge and capacity of national authorities to implement the drug-control conventions. The International Narcotics Control Board, as you know, is an independent, quasi-judicial body mandated to monitor Governments’ implementation of the three international drug-control conventions, which is the backbone of the global drug-control system. Unfortunately, no money. So, I have no questions for you. But, you may have some for me before we go to Francisco. Please, Edie. Sorry. I didn’t even think I needed to call on you after all these years. Go ahead.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. The First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump, will be chairing a Security Council meeting on Monday afternoon. Can you check whether she will be the first wife of a world leader to chair a Security Council meeting? And will the Secretary-General meet with her?
Spokesman: We actually did check, and I can confirm that, according to our records, this will be the first time a First Lady or First Gentleman, for that matter, has ever presided over a Security Council meeting, though there have been instances of First adies having participated in a meeting on behalf of non-members of the Council. I will get back to you on a potential meeting. I know Rosemary DiCarlo will be briefing on behalf of the Secretary during that meeting.
Question: And as a follow-up to the President Trump’s recent speech. He indicated that he wanted to speak with the Secretary-General and was quite positive in his remarks. Has any conversation been set up?
Spokesman: No. No phone call for me to confirm as of yet. But, if it happens, trust me, I will share that with you.
Question: And will the Secretary-General take the initiative or will the UN wait?
Spokesman: As soon as something is confirmed, I will let you know. Gabriel?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I normally wouldn’t ask you a question about the country’s consular services that they’re providing because that won’t be under your remit, of course. However, this is a potentially unique situation. The United States has announced that they will be providing consular services in two settlements in the occupied West Bank. What is the Secretary-General’s reaction to that?
Spokesman: Look, we’ve seen those reports. For the Secretary-General, his position, the position of the UN is unchanged, that settlements remain illegal under international law as well as the architecture around them. And for us, the occupied West Bank remains occupied territory.
Question: Does the Secretary-General have any comment about Cindy McCain stepping down as the head of WFP?
Spokesman: Yes. First of all, I think the Secretary-General has greatly, greatly appreciated the work that Cindy McCain has done as the Head of the World Food Programme. Also, just so everybody’s clear, she’s stepping down in three months, but I do want to make that clear. And I think the work that she’s done in leading the agency and reforming the agency at a time of extreme humanitarian needs, at a time where there is less and less resources to go around is something that the Secretary-General has hugely appreciated. Benno?
Question: Thank you. I want to go back to the visit of the first lady. So how do you see it? Given that the President of the United States is criticizing the United Nations very often and very strongly, do you see it as a sign of, a good sign of hope for the relationship or something?
Spokesman: Far be it for me to comment on the question itself, but I don’t really… I mean, I think as Edie mentioned, in his last remarks, the President of the United States was rather complementary towards the UN. He’s always said very nice things about the Secretary-General. Obviously, it’s a sign of the importance that the United States feels towards the Security Council and the subject at hand. Namo, and then we’ll go to Pam.
Question: On the INCB report about drugs, it says that illicit manufacturing and trafficking of synthetic drugs are expanding in West Asia, including fragile countries like Iraq and Syria. My question is does the United… do you believe that the United Nations and the world see West Asia, the Middle East, as a priority in the drug response?
Spokesman: Look, every region demands a priority, right? We know about the trade illicit drugs in the Western Hemisphere. We know the issue of, notably, of Captagon has been a big issue in the Middle East. And I think, we’ve seen the efforts made by governments in the region and especially the new Government in Syria to try to crack down on the Captagon trade. Pam, then Benny, and then Amelie.
Question: Thank you, Steph. The Washington Post listed the demands that the United States has brought to Geneva for talks for talks with Iran, which include destroying all three nuclear sites and handing over all enriched uranium to the United States. Does the SG have any comments on that?
Spokesman: No. We’re not going to comment on the talks as they’re going on. We very much hope that they will help lower the temperature and solve the issues at hand. But we’re not going to discuss these things while the talks are going on. Mr. Avni?
Correspondent: As far as you know, by the UN Charter, I forgot the words.
Spokesman: It’s only the Charter, yes.
Question: Can somebody who is not a full member of the United Nations become… a diplomat who is not a full member of the United Nations, become the President of the General Assembly?
Spokesman: I will leave that answer to your questions to Member States, and you should ask the President of the General Assembly. All right. Oh, Amelie and then sorry, and then, we’ll go to our guest who’s been very patient.
Question: Yes, thank you. Just a follow-up on the visit of the First Lady, again, sorry. I mean, you said it’s a sign of the importance of the UN. But, just to be sure, the US still didn’t pay anything from the last year… 2025 budget… for the 2025 budget?
Spokesman: They paid $160 million as part of their arrears for the 2025 budget. This was about two weeks ago.
Question: And so how much is the arrears now?
Spokesman: I will have to do the math for you. I don’t do impromptu math.
Correspondent: Okay, thank you.
Spokesman: I do impromptu answers, but not impromptu math. All right, on that note… sorry, any questions online? No, okay.