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.
All right, good afternoon.
**Central Emergency Response Fund
I will start off with money and humanitarian needs. As we tell you almost every day from this podium, we tell you about the impact that the lack of funding is having on aid operations around the globe. Today, to keep our vital work going, we’ve released $160 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support life-saving assistance in 12 of the world’s most underfunded humanitarian crises across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
This allocation is part of a wider push to reach 87 million people facing the most severe humanitarian crises this year.
Tom Fletcher, our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said that today’s new funding will help us get aid to people who might otherwise be left behind. But he stressed that money alone won’t get us there. He called for leaders to exercise political will to open access, to remove obstacles and to help us [reach] people whose lives are on the line.
Of the new allocation, $150 million will support life-saving responses in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Mali, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territory, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Yemen.
Five of the crises, that includes Afghanistan, the OPT, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen, are among the 10 places where Mr. Fletcher has called for urgent diplomatic action to secure humanitarian access to unlock assistance for 11 million of the 87 million people prioritized for support this year.
The allocation also includes $10 million to address the urgent needs of people with disabilities in the 12 crises and make humanitarian assistance more accessible and to make it also more inclusive.
**Food Prices
Food prices have climbed again, but I think we all know that. Our colleagues at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) say the benchmark index for the world food commodity prices rose in September, driven by higher sugar, cereal and vegetable oil prices.
The FAO Price Index averaged 136 points last month, up from 1.5 per cent in August and 5.8 per cent from just a year ago. Sugar saw the sharpest rise, with 6.1 per cent to its highest level since April 2025, as global supplies are expected to tighten.
Cereal prices were up 5.1 per cent on the month, and wheat reached its highest level since August 2023, largely because of logistical constraints in the Black Sea region. Maize hit a three-year high, as supplies tightened and uncertainty continued over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
**Ethiopia
Turning to Ethiopia, as I have been telling you, our partners are continuing to work to secure safe and sustained access for humanitarians to scale-up life-saving assistance wherever conditions permit.
In the Afar Region, our partners are mobilizing food, nutrition, health, water, sanitation, hygiene and emergency shelter assistance. A Government-led assessment of nine prioritized districts, released yesterday, identified a number of humanitarian needs among people uprooted by conflict.
In Amhara Region, our humanitarian partners will today begin providing food assistance to over 80,000 internally displaced people in in the district of Raya Kobo and the town of Sekota, following improved humanitarian access there.
**Yemen
In Yemen, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground report that the escalating conflict continues to drive up humanitarian needs and force more people from their homes, including people fleeing across the country’s borders.
The escalation in Taiz is putting additional pressure on relief efforts, as you can well imagine, it is disrupting the movement of people, it is disrupting the movement of humanitarian supplies and it is limiting access to essential services. The Office of Hans Grundberg, our Special Envoy for Yemen, received deeply troubling reports of casualties, damage to infrastructure and road closures that are preventing people from leaving the area in their search for safety.
Against these concerning developments, Mr. Grundberg remains in close contact with the Government of Yemen, with Houthis, as he urges them to take steps to urgently contain the situation and ensure freedom of movement for civilians.
The fighting, as you know, has also forced people to flee across into Djibouti. Since the start of September, UNHCR (United Nations refugee agency) tells us that some 3,800 people have arrived in Djibouti from Yemen, while another 150 managed to make it to Somalia. In Djibouti, UNHCR is supporting the authorities with refugee registration, while the agency and its partners are also working on protection. UN agencies and partners are also providing hot meals, water, healthcare and nutrition support.
We continue to monitor the situation, and OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) colleagues are assessing the humanitarian impact. At the same time, we are working with authorities and partners to respond to life-saving needs, wherever they may be.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
And turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our humanitarian colleagues there tell us that escalating violence in the province of Ituri is also disrupting humanitarian operations, cutting off people from receiving aid and also hampering the fight against Ebola.
At least five humanitarian organizations have suspended or scaled-back operations, limiting access to food, healthcare, nutrition services, cash assistance, water and sanitation.
Some 10,000 people or more are at risk of losing access to urgently needed assistance. Another 50,000 internally displaced people at the Rhoe site are now facing risk if they cannot receive the aid they need.
The violence is also hindering the Ebola response, disrupting community engagement and surveillance, and delaying the transport of lab samples as well as patients.
As of 30 September, the national authorities had reported nearly 8,300 confirmed cases of Ebola and more than 4,000 deaths, with transmission remaining active in several provinces in the [Democratic Republic of the Congo].
Once again, we need safe, sustained and unhindered humanitarian access, as well as continued international support for Ebola response and life-saving humanitarian operations.
**UN Mission in South Sudan
And just to flag that in South Sudan, the Head of our Mission there (UNMISS), Anita Kiki Gbeho, met with President Salva Kiir. During their discussions, they reiterated the need for inclusive dialogue, consensus-building and improved security environment to ensure that elections are conducted peacefully, conducted inclusively and conducted credibly.
**Haiti
And in Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, as a result of this week’s deadly attack in the commune of Gros-Morne, in the Artibonite department, which we told you about, we condemn clearly, as a result of these attacks, several local and international humanitarian partners have temporarily suspended activities and staff movements in the area, disrupting the delivery of life-saving assistance.
Nearly 90,000 people in Gros-Morne were expected to receive humanitarian assistance this year, with some 30,000 reached by the end of June. Continued insecurity is now delaying planned assistance for tens of thousands of people.
Once again, and here as well, we need safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian colleagues so they can reach whoever needs it and wherever they may be.
And also on Haiti, in Geneva this morning, Volker Türk, our High Commissioner for Human Rights, called for stronger action to stop the illicit flow of weapons, tackle impunity and reinforce the rule of law in Haiti. He also stressed the need to address the corruption, poverty and inequality that allow gangs to prey on children and vulnerable communities. We need all eyes on Haiti and sustained international support, he said.
**Ukraine
And from Ukraine, our colleagues at OCHA tell us that another wave of attacks has caused civilian casualties and damage across the country. A dozen civilians were killed and nearly 80 injured, according to local authorities. Homes, energy infrastructure and a bridge in Kyiv were damaged, while power supplies were disrupted in six regions in Ukraine.
Our humanitarian partners have mobilized shelter, psychosocial assistance for families affected by the attacks.
Meanwhile, humanitarian access is becoming increasingly difficult in Ukraine. Between July and August, OCHA reports 86 access incidents, including drones and missile attacks, across nine regions as well as in the city of Kyiv. This represents an increase of 26 per cent compared with the period between May and June and is the highest number since monitoring began in March of 2022.
**Refugees and Education
And just want to flag the report by UNHCR that warned today that nearly 6 million refugee children were out of school worldwide in 2025, as deepening funding cuts threaten to shut millions more out of classrooms and reverse years of progress in refugee education. UNHCR’s latest annual education report estimates that 44 per cent of the world’s 13.1 million school-aged refugee children were out of school last year.
But there was progress in higher education. Refugee tertiary enrolment reached a record 11 per cent in 2025, up from 9 per cent in 2024, with more than 450,000 refugees enrolled for higher education for the first time; that is the highest number to date.
Much more is available online.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
Senior personnel appointment to share with you: Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Ramiz Alakbarov of Azerbaijan as his new Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security in the Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). Dr. Alakbarov will assume his functions in January of next year. He succeeds Unaisi Vuniwaqa of Fiji upon the completion of her term in office in December 2026. The Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude to Ms. Vuniwaqa for her committed service to the United Nations.
And we congratulate our friend Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov for his appointment. You know him well. He is currently the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and he brings with him 30 years of extensive experience in the field of leadership, strategic planning, policy-making, development and humanitarian response. He has also served in leadership positions in Ethiopia as well as Afghanistan.
**International Day of Non-violence
Today, may not seem like it, but it is the International Day of Non-Violence, which also marks the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
In his message, the Secretary-General says Gandhi showed that the best way to counter injustice is not to mirror the cruelty and violence of oppression, but to use dialogue and non-violence to create lasting change. He calls on us to show the courage, empathy, dignity and shared humanity that Gandhi exemplified throughout his life.
**World Space Week
On Sunday we mark the start of World Space Week, which runs through to 10 October.
Those two dates are the anniversaries of the launch of Sputnik back in 1957, which was you know the first human-made satellite, and of the Outer Space Treaty entering into force exactly a decade later.
**Financial Contribution
Finally, Chris, you may want to pay some attention. Quiz today.
The first country has a giant clock tower that features the largest clock face and it also has a very tall fountain, which shoots water as high as 1,000 feet into the air. [response: Saudi Arabia]. Chris, wow. Wow, wow, wow.
Sorry? I had you a clock tower. Do you know the name of the clock tower? It is Abraj Al Bait Towers in Mecca. I assume you’ve not been there. [audience: I have!] Oh, you have? Excellent.
And the fountain is King Fahd’s Fountain in Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia.
The second country has tree-climbing lions. The lions climb fig trees to rest and escape insects.
Now, the other thing: the country is also associated with the “rolex”, but not the watch, the street food, which is an egg omelette and vegetables rolled up inside a soft chapati flatbread. [response: Uganda.] No! [audience: Costa Rica.] No, your colleagues were closer because it is in Africa. It is Uganda.
We thank our friends in Riyadh and Kampala for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Saudi Arabia paid $38,939,004 and Uganda paid $317,897. We thank them both for their payment to the regular budget.
On that note, signore?
**Questions and Answers
Question: It’s a question about the execution of Christa Pike. Pope Leo asked to spare her life and the Bishop of Tennessee sent a letter to Governor Lee, asking him to commute the sentence from the death penalty to life in prison, considering that the General Assembly has voted on several occasions for the moratorium of the death penalty. Does the UN have a comment and does the UN support commuting?
Spokesman: Our comment is that the death penalty should not exist. States should not use the death penalty. We’ve been very open on that, whether it’s in any country where it still exists. We should not have the death penalty, and the Secretary-General stands firmly against it. Yes, madame?
Question: Thank you. First, on Afghanistan, you mentioned yesterday children killed by explosive ordnance, I think three children. Given that the UN has documented dozens of these incidents this year, is there a particular pattern you’re seeing in where and how children are encountering explosive ordnance that could help target prevention efforts?
Spokesman: Well, children are very vulnerable to unexploded ordnance, because very often they can have the shape of a toy. The children may not know what these are. This is why we’re so focused on educating communities. We’ve done it in Afghanistan, we’ve done it in Gaza, in a lot of places where there are unexploded ordnances. It is something that we, that our colleagues at the UN Mine Action Service are very good at, but it is also something for which we need more funding. Okay, any other questions? Thank you. Oh, you had a question? No, if you have a question, ask it, please.
Question: Thank you. Next week, the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced. So, given the current global situation, what kind of person or organization does the Secretary-General hope will receive the prize?
Spokesman: We hope it is someone or an organization that deserves it wholeheartedly.
Let me just read something into the record I was just given on Ethiopia — that we are concerned by the rising tensions among countries in the Horn of Africa at a time when unity, when dialogue and when cooperation are so urgently needed to support peace and stability in the region. The Secretary-General calls on states to exercise restraint, to refrain from any action that would further inflame tensions and commit to resolving their differences through dialogue. Thank you. No questions online.
Question: May I ask one?
Spokesman: You may ask as many as you wish until I collapse.
Question: Thank you so much. On education in Gaza, yesterday, you also mentioned that UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) workshops are producing hundreds of desks and chairs each week for students. If you have the information on what are the biggest gaps that remain?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, the biggest gaps are big, right? And they’re numerous. One of the many challenges, first of all, is the destruction of the existing education infrastructure. Schools were destroyed. A number of UNRWA schools are now being used as shelters, as family shelters, because people’s homes were destroyed. So UNRWA set up a number of learning centres, which may be in schools, in what used to be schools, or in other places. But the challenges that we talk about almost every day in Gaza about rubble, rubbish, transportation, all of that make it that much harder for children to learn, on top of the psychological toll that these children have to bear. Thank you. Enjoy the day. And see you — not tomorrow. Have a good weekend!