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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Chief Executives Board
Good afternoon, everyone.
The Secretary-General is in Denmark, where today he is chairing the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination, also known as the CEB, which brings together the heads of the UN system organizations.
During their biannual session, the Chief Executives Board Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system. They will also engage in deliberations on “Adapting to New Realities: Leveraging the UN80 Initiative” and “Upholding Respect for International Law”.
**Sudan
A statement we issued last night expressed the Secretary-General’s grave concern that recent drone attacks in Port Sudan, the main entry point for humanitarian aid into Sudan, threaten to increase humanitarian needs and further complicate aid operations in the country. The Secretary-General warns that this major escalation could lead to large-scale civilian casualties and further destruction of critical infrastructure.
The Secretary-General is alarmed at the expansion of the conflict into an area that has served as a place of refuge for large numbers of people displaced from the capital, Khartoum, and other areas.
The Secretary-General reiterates that all parties to the conflict must comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law. They must not direct attacks against civilians and civilian objects; must take all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, incidental civilian casualties; and must allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need.
The Secretary-General calls on the parties to engage constructively with the mediation support mechanisms already in place to assist the parties to reach a political solution, underscoring the United Nations continued support to help find a way out of this crisis. He renews his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and stresses that dialogue is the only way to achieve the peace that the people of Sudan demand. The full statement is online.
And further on Sudan, our colleagues at the World Food Programme (WFP) are saying that in Tawila, families who fled horrific violence in El Fasher have received vital food and nutrition supplies.
WFP says that the Agency supported more people than originally planned as needs are overwhelming with hundreds of thousands displaced, and more aid is on its way in the coming week.
**South Sudan
Moving to South Sudan, where our mission, UNMISS, and partners — the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD, and the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission — have jointly called on South Sudan’s leaders to cease ongoing hostilities immediately and urgently progress inclusive peace implementation.
They urged swift, thorough and impartial investigations into security escalations so that responsible parties can be held to account and public trust restored. The full statement is online.
**United Nations Relief and Works Agency
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said that heavily armed Israeli Forces entered three UNRWA schools in Shu’fat Camp in occupied East Jerusalem this morning and forced more than 550 children who were in classrooms out of their schools. One UNRWA staff member has been detained.
As a result, he said, UNRWA was forced to evacuate all the children across the six schools it runs in East Jerusalem. Now, nearly 800 girls and boys — some as young as six years old — are left in shock and trauma.
Mr. Lazzarini said that storming schools and forcing them to shut is in blatant disregard of international law. These schools are inviolable premises of the United Nations, he said,
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to warn of a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation, driven by the Israeli-imposed complete blockade on the entry of humanitarian and commercial goods, as well as ongoing hostilities.
Our partners working on food report that today, about 454,000 daily meals have been prepared and delivered through more than 90 community kitchens. Yesterday, the total was about 838,000 meals through nearly 130 community kitchens. This is a 46 per cent reduction of almost 400,000 daily meals overnight.
Since late April, more than 80 kitchens have been forced to shut down due to the lack of supplies, and this number is rising by the day. This is fuelling widespread hunger in Gaza, as the cooked meals provided by these kitchens constitute one of the last remaining lifelines for the population.
Partners also report that there are no tents left for distribution — and other shelter supplies such as tarpaulins are also nearly exhausted. The few remaining items are set to be delivered soon. Recently, partners distributed shelter items to 200 households in Khan Younis and 500 shelter repair kits in Gaza City for returnees to damaged homes.
In Jabalya, in North Gaza governorate, efforts are under way to reduce public health risks associated with recent flooding. The UN is supporting the municipal water utility in making emergency repairs to the Al Saftawi stormwater system and the sewage lagoon drainage infrastructure.
On the health front, the UN supported the relocation of medical equipment from Durrah Hospital to Rantissi Hospital in Gaza City, helping ensure the continuity of critical services amid ongoing disruptions.
However, health partners stress that the response requires 1.33 million litres of fuel per month. Due to severe shortages, fuel is being prioritized for hospitals, field facilities and ambulances, while the supply for primary health centres and medical points has been reduced by over 50 per cent.
Today, a UN team led by OCHA retrieved more than 400,000 litres of fuel from a fuel station in Rafah, after the Israeli authorities facilitated our colleagues’ efforts to reach it. This is the first time we've been allowed to retrieve fuel from Rafah in nearly three weeks — since 18 April. However, this is a small fraction of what is urgently needed.
OCHA tells us that UN teams and our partners on the ground continue to engage daily with the Israeli authorities and anyone with influence over the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Their focus is on how to fully lift the blockade and facilitate principled humanitarian operations that leave no person in need behind.
**Lebanon
In southern Lebanon, UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers continue to discover unexploded ordnances, weapons and ammunition caches in their area of operations. Yesterday, they found an unexploded ordnance in the village of Houla and referred this to the Lebanese Army. Since the cessation of hostilities understanding of last November, UNIFIL peacekeepers have detected about 240 weapons and ammunition caches and referred all of them to the Lebanese army.
In a separate incident, peacekeepers observed today two bursts of machine gun fire from across the Blue Line in the Kfar Kila area. Since the cessation of hostilities, UNIFIL has recorded nearly 800 trajectories crossing the Blue Line. UNIFIL is concerned about continued Israeli air strikes in south Lebanon in violation of resolution 1701, including one in the village of Markaba in Sector East today.
We urge the parties to adhere to their commitment to resolution 1701 and refrain from acts that can jeopardize the fragile stability that currently holds. Over the past week, UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting routine operational activities have also been subjected to several aggressive behaviour incidents and obstructions of movement.
We remind everyone that peacekeepers are working, in close coordination with the Lebanese army, in supporting the implementation of resolution 1701. Any attempt to interfere with peacekeepers fulfilling their duties is inconsistent with both Lebanon’s and Israel’s commitment to that resolution.
**Haiti
From Haiti, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that the recent wave of armed violence in the Centre Department is putting thousands of children at risk. Since mid-April, more than 50,000 people have been displaced, including an estimated 15,000 children.
Most displaced families have taken shelter in rural areas or in temporary sites with little access to essential services. In response, the UN and our humanitarian partners are providing psychosocial support and child protection services in the most affected areas. So far, more than 1,400 children have benefited from individual counselling and recreational activities in safe environments.
Field teams are also identifying and referring children who have been separated from their families, subjected to gender-based violence, or exposed to other protection risks — including forced recruitment by armed groups. At least 150 such cases have been referred to specialized services for care and support.
OCHA continues to lead coordination efforts and support partners to deliver life-saving protection services for the most vulnerable children. However, additional funding is urgently needed to meet rising needs, especially with the hurricane season approaching and displacement continuing to increase.
Even before the recent escalation of violence in Haiti, the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan had identified more than $44 million in funding that is needed for child protection efforts alone. Yet the overall appeal for Haiti this year is severely underfunded, with less than $68 million received of the more than $908 million required — that’s just over 7 per cent to date.
**Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
And you will have seen that yesterday, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, briefed Security Council members on non-proliferation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
He said that throughout last year and this one, the DPRK has continued to conduct launches of ballistic missiles and continued its open displays of undeclared uranium enrichment facilities located in Yongbyon and Kangson.
The DPRK’s persistent pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions, continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) that underpins it, he said. Mr. Khiari added that at this critical juncture, it remains as important as ever to continue to highlight the urgent need to reduce nuclear risk, prevent any use of a nuclear weapon and bring about their total elimination. His remarks are online.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
I would like to read into the record that yesterday, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé of Spain as the United Nations Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia.
Mr. Moratinos will continue to assume his present role as the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). Taking on this dual role aims to optimize existing capacity and resources and integrate the functions arising from the new mandate into an existing position.
Since 2019, Mr. Moratinos has been leading the Alliance of Civilizations, re-enforcing its role as a bridge-builder and a prominent global platform for dialogue.
**International Day
Today is the international day of “Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War”. On this Day, we pay tribute to the millions of people who lost their lives in the Second World War and remember their sacrifices.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesperson: Any questions? Yes. Benno.
Question: Hi, Farhan. I might bring you news today because we have a new Pope. It's not clear who it is yet, but maybe you have a comment on this event.
Spokesperson: First, we're going to try to see what happens now that, as they say in Latin, habemus papam. We, of course, look forward to working with the new Pope and certainly, we hope that this is a day of celebration for the people of the Catholic Church. And of course, we once more pay our respects in the memory of the recently departed Pope Francis. Abdelhamid?
Question: First, I have noticed, Farhan, that when you give your briefing, you downgraded the Gaza issue to the third or fourth item. Is there any humanitarian catastrophe in this world that is more severe than the case of Gaza? In the case of Sudan, their army fighting army; in Ukraine is the same. But in case, civilians, defenceless civilians are being slaughtered — why you push it, like, to the third? And it's not today or yesterday or the day before. It has been noticed for the last few weeks, if not few months.
Spokesperson: I hope you actually noticed the content of my words, because I delivered extremely strong words regarding the situation in Gaza and the situation in East Jerusalem today. I have nothing to say about people who quibble about the order in which notes are read. Yes, Gabriel?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I wanted to go back to occupied East Jerusalem and the Israeli Security Forces raiding three schools. But to the best of your knowledge, did they give UNRWA or anyone in the UN any sort of warning that this was potentially going to happen?
Spokesperson: Well, we were aware of the Knesset legislation, and we've been aware of that for some time. At the same time, of course, we have stressed the inviolability of UN premises.
Question: And are you expecting to get back into those schools? Are you assuming that they're going to be shut down for the foreseeable future?
Spokesperson: We will do what we can to make sure that the children of East Jerusalem can receive education, as is their right. We'll have to see what the next days bring. Yes, Stefano?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. About a month ago, I asked, it wasn't you, was Stéphane [Dujarric], what was exactly the policy of the United Nation about anti-Semitism. I mean, when we are in presence of anti-Semitism, when is, you know, just being against the particular Israeli Government. There's been protests around the city. Just yesterday over 70 students from Columbia University have been arrested. Maybe they've been arrested, not with the accusation of anti-Semitism, but disrupting the study of other students. But can you clarify again for the UN, if somebody goes out on the street and protests against the Israeli Government, I mean, does the UN think that he's antisemite? This is a form of anti-Semitism or pro-Hamas, or it's just a protest?
Spokesperson: We believe that anti-Semitism involves expressions of hatred or bias against the Jewish people. Israel is a Member State like other Member States, and all Member States can be subjected fairly to criticism. And we stand for people's right to peaceful protest against the policies of any Government.
Question: So just a quick follow-up. Does the Secretary-General has any opinion on what's happening in this city and around the United States about the arrest of pro-Palestinian students, with the accusation of the anti-Semitism or pro-Hamas?
Spokesperson: Well, regarding that, obviously every case is different. But as a general principle, we want to make sure that everyone's right, including the right of students to peaceful protest, is fully respected. Nabil?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I see in the Israeli media that the US has shared plans with Security Council members about delivering aid in Gaza. Have you received any official contacts from the US on this regard?
Spokesperson: I believe that this was something that individual members of the Security Council received a briefing on at the US Mission yesterday. So this was not an event at the United Nations. We were not directly informed. And regarding our policies, of course, I would just refer you to the position on humanitarian aid and our basic principles that we've been repeating in recent days.
Question: Can you please remind me briefly, what's your position on third-parties efforts to deliver aid in Gaza, in case it's not coordinated with the UN or UN agencies?
Spokesperson: Well, I mean, obviously, if things are outside of the UN, they're outside of the UN. So that’s one set of issues. Regarding what we've said about the information we've received from Israel about the scheme for the provision of supplies of Gaza, what they presented to us thus far appears designed to further control and restrict supplies down to the last calorie and the last grain of flour. The Secretary-General has made it clear that the UN will not engage in any arrangement that fails to uphold the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. Yes, Naureen?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. A couple of questions; just to start with the appointment of the news of the Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, who already holds a position as the High Representative to the UN Alliance of Civilizations. I wonder if you could just give a brief explanation about how these appointments work. Does the Secretary-General consult with Member States before he makes these… announces these appointments?
Spokesperson: Depending on the appointments, obviously he does engage in consultations with a wide group of concerned parties, and he's done so in this case.
Question: I see. And just to pivot slightly to the UN80 initiative, we've been hearing several reports about, you know, change in, you know, restructuring and possibly absorbing integrations within UN agencies; you know, UN agencies being absorbed into one another or possibly they’re sharing mandates across each other. And I wonder, I want to know, well, has the Secretary-General or has his task force consulted with the Member States on these matters?
Spokesperson: There is a process of consultation with Member States, and I believe my colleague, Sharon Birch, the spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, told you just recently that next week, there will be discussions about the UN80 initiative in the General Assembly. And so those discussions will be something you can see at that point.
Question: All right. Thank you.
Spokesperson: Okay. Thanks. Benno?
Question: I am not 100 per cent sure if you already said something about Pakistan and India. But if not, obviously, the tensions are spiralling a bit more out of control today, and I want to ask you if you have a comment or a warning?
Spokesperson: Our comment is the same as what we've been saying and what the Secretary-General made clear to you at the start of this week — that the world cannot afford another conflict between India and Pakistan. And he has offered his good offices, but certainly, we encourage all efforts to deescalate the situation and encourage both India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Farhan, again. The Palestinian Authority labelled Gaza as a famine-stricken region. Do you agree with that analysis?
Spokesperson: We have been warning of the prospect of famine for some time. We, as you know, have an Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system, which has warned that if supplies cannot get in on time, there is a risk of famine coming to different parts of Gaza. Obviously, at the start of this year, we were able to improve the situation materially, get more food in, get clean water in, get more fuel in so the bakeries could be running. That has now stopped and it needs to start again. Otherwise, the threat of famine could loom once more.
Question: On Lebanon, Farhan, Israeli struck in South Lebanon, killed a person and a few days ago, they also struck near Sidon. And there is a ceasefire agreement. Who is in violation of the ceasefire agreement?
Spokesperson: Well, like I said just now in the note I read earlier about the work of our UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, we want both parties to adhere to their commitment to resolution 1701 and refrain from acts that can jeopardize the fragile stability that currently holds. And as I pointed out, UNIFIL is concerned about continued Israeli air strikes in South Lebanon in violation of resolution 1701. Yes, please?
Question: Hi, Farhan. This is Minu from China Daily. So as we know that China and the US is going to have a trade talks in Switzerland, and, actually, the US representative is traveling today to Switzerland to have this talk. So I'm just wondering what is UN's expectations out of this trade talk and what's UN's position?
Spokesperson: We just hope that these talks will help the United States and China to move towards a more normalized relationship regarding their trade relations. As the Secretary-General made clear, there can be no winners in a trade war. He's particularly worried about the situation in terms of how a global trade war could affect developing countries. So any effort to avert that would be welcome. Have a good afternoon, everyone.