Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
30 June 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefings
A programming note for you: Tomorrow, at 11 a.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by Guy Ryder; he will be here in person. He is, as you know, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, he will brief you on the record on the updates on UN80. And of course, you all got by email the presentation that he shared with Member States last week. That what he will address at 11 a.m.
I will do my best to brief on time at noon tomorrow, because at 12:45 p.m., Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan, will be here to brief you, because he is, as you know, the President of the Security Council for the month of July, and he will brief you on that.
**UN General Assembly
And important note for all of you, because I know this comes as a surprise to everybody, but there is the UN General Assembly meeting in September, which means there is an accreditation deadline for all of your colleagues who will be visiting. Our friends at MALU (Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit) are reminding everyone that the deadline to apply for media accreditation to cover UNGA80 is 29 August 2025. I know it's a long way for now, but it bears reminding often.
**Financing for Development
Turning to the Secretary-General, who as you know is in Sevilla, Spain, where he is attending the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development. This morning, at the opening of the Conference, he said that financing is the engine of development, and right now, this engine is sputtering.
As we meet, the Secretary-General pointed out, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is our global promise to transform our world for a better, fairer future, is in danger. He stressed that the conference is not about charity, it's about restoring justice and lives of dignity.
The Secretary-General also added that the conference is not about money, it's about investing in the future — a future that we want to build, together.
In the afternoon, at the launch of the Sevilla Platform for Action, the Secretary-General highlighted that the Platform offers an ambitious, action-oriented response to the global financing challenge.
Soon after, at the opening of the International Business Forum, the Secretary-General underscored that by uniting public and private sector leaders, regulators and development banks, we can ensure that the conference is not an end, but a beginning.
The Secretary-General also addressed your colleagues in Sevilla at a joint press encounter with the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez. At the Conference, he stressed that with the adoption of the Sevilla Commitment document, countries are proving their dedication to getting the engine of development revving again.
Today, the Secretary-General also held bilateral meetings with the President of the Government of Spain, and yesterday, he met His Majesty Don Felipe VI, King of Spain. He is also having a number of bilateral meetings with other delegation leaders who will be at the conference. We will share readouts of some of those meetings with you shortly.
**Deputy Secretary-General — Financing for Development
Also in Sevilla, our Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, joined the Secretary-General at the opening of the conference.
Later, she delivered remarks at side events focused on closing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) financing gap, including on the role of public-private cooperation, the centrality of gender equality in sustainable finance, and the leadership of African women in advancing the 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063.
She also held bilateral meetings with senior government officials and Heads of Government attending the conference.
**Gender Equality
Also on the sidelines of the Conference, the adoption of the Compromiso de Sevilla reaffirmed the global commitment to inclusive sustainable development. However, UN-Women is warning that chronic underfunding and unfair financial systems are hindering gender equality progress.
Developing countries are falling short by an estimated $420 billion a year in the funding needed to achieve gender equality under the Sustainable Development Goals.
UN-Women is urging world leaders to match political commitments with the sustained, transparent, and accountable financing needed to deliver on promises to half the world's population.
**Gaza
Turning to the situation in Gaza, I can tell you that the Secretary-General is alarmed by the new evacuation orders issued by Israeli authorities in northern Gaza, which have once again displaced tens of thousands of people. The Secretary-General condemns the continued loss of civilian life resulting from Israeli airstrikes and any other attacks.
All parties must comply fully with international law at all times. Civilians must be respected and protected. There must be full, safe and sustained humanitarian access in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, of impartiality, of neutrality, and independence.
All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally.
The Secretary-General welcomes the continued efforts by the mediators and reiterates his appeal to the parties to urgently reach a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
And just to give you a bit more granularity from our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and given the heavy constraints on bringing in supplies and carrying out humanitarian operations across Gaza, people are going hungry. The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that one in five people faces catastrophic levels of hunger, and more than 90,000 women and children urgently require treatment for malnutrition.
WFP tells us that about 130,000 metric tonnes of food are positioned in the region and ready to serve people in Gaza, if improved access is granted.
We reiterate that Israel must facilitate the access and entry of essential supplies into Gaza, through the available crossing points and corridors, to address people's desperate needs.
Meanwhile, we and our partners call on the Israeli authorities, with utmost urgency, to allow the entry of fuel into Gaza. This is critically needed for life-saving operations — including hospitals, desalination plants and sanitation equipment, telecommunications, and of course moving actual cargo from one point to the other, and for operating community kitchens which is so essential to feeding people in Gaza. If the ban on fuel continues, more of these critical services will shut down soon and — in some areas — very soon. OCHA warns that the implications are life-threatening.
Yesterday, the Israeli military issued another displacement order in areas of Jabalya and Gaza City, instructing people to go to Al Mawasi. This follows another displacement order in central Gaza over the weekend.
About 150,000 human beings were in the areas slated for displacement from yesterday's order alone, including families staying in dozens of displacement sites.
People are being pushed into overcrowded areas where thousands of others are already staying. These spaces lack shelter, they lack water and they lack sewage systems, not to mention medical facilities.
You might recall that, beyond fuel, the entry into Gaza of critical shelter materials — which for us means tents, plastic sheeting, timber and other household items — has also been denied for 17 weeks.
OCHA reminds us that most of Gaza remains under displacement orders. Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure the protection of civilians wherever they are and wherever they go.
Meanwhile, OCHA tells us that Israeli authorities continue to deny many humanitarian movements.
Yesterday, they rejected five out of 15 attempts by us to coordinate such movements, including efforts to remove solid waste and debris and to recover broken trucks. Two other missions could not be accomplished, either because of impediments or because organizers had to cancel them. The remaining eight missions — which included the movement of staff — were facilitated and accomplished.
Our partners report a rising risk of gender-based violence across all governorates in the past two months — with women especially affected by incidents where they are denied services and resources, as they seek to provide for their families.
In April and May, some 45 partners were providing psychosocial support, safe shelter and dignity kits to women. However, other critical services, such as legal assistance, remain very limited or just unavailable.
**Security Council
And this morning, also staying on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Khaled Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General in the Political and Peacebuilding Department, briefed Security Council members and said that the level of suffering and brutality in Gaza is unbearable, and the continued collective punishment of the Palestinian people is unjustifiable.
Mr. Khiari also said that we remain deeply alarmed by the relentless Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the escalating violence there that we have been talking about.
He noted that military operations by Israeli security forces in the northern West Bank have resulted in high levels of fatalities, including women and children, significant population displacement, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure, particularly in refugee camps.
**UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)
Moving north to southern Lebanon: Our peacekeepers there report that the military activities by Israel Defense Forces military continue, including air strikes and artillery shelling.
UNIFIL peacekeepers also continue to discover unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches in the area of operations. On 27 June, they found two transport containers of rockets, two rocket launchers and mortar shells in Sector West. On 29 June, an empty cave covered with tarpaulin and sealed boxes of mortar shells nearby were found in Sector East. These discoveries were reported to the Lebanese Armed Forces, as we do with every one of them.
Meanwhile, obstructions of UNIFIL's movement in the area of operations continue. These incidents impede effective mandate implementation and jeopardize the safety and security of our peacekeepers.
It remains crucial that the parties ensure unhindered freedom of movement for UNIFIL.
**Syria
And staying in the same region and turning to Syria: Later this afternoon, our Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, will brief the Security Council in a closed session. He will brief on the terrorist attack on 22 June that targeted the Mar Elias Orthodox Church, which you will recall we all strongly condemned.
Mr. Pedersen is currently in Damascus. So, he will brief via video conference.
Yesterday, he met with Syria's Interim President, Ahmad Al Sharaa, and the Interim Foreign Minister, Assad Al Shaibani. Discussions focused on the Church incident and the broader context of Syria's security challenges. Mr. Pedersen has also engaged with other concerned parties, including the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church.
The Special Envoy noted many security and terrorism challenges on the ground and the risks Syria faces also from unresolved conflicts, and widespread feelings of exclusion.
He acknowledged the efforts made by the interim authorities on security while underlining the importance of intensified efforts and greater international support in that area.
He underscored our commitment to supporting an inclusive political transition that ensures the safety of all Syrians and meets the aspirations of all Syrian people.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that weekend attacks struck multiple parts of the country, including areas that have previously been less affected by the hostilities.
Between 26 June and today, more than 20 civilians were killed and nearly 150 injured, that's what local authorities are telling us, with several children among those injured.
The strikes also disrupted electricity and water supplies in the regions of Kherson and Lviv, compounding the hardships of residents. Urban centres — including the town of Samar in Dnipro region, the town of Smila in Cherkasy Region and the city of Odesa — came under attack, killing and injuring civilians and damaging infrastructure, such as apartments and health facilities and schools.
Aid workers mobilized rapid responses in Cherkasy and Odesa regions, providing first aid, hot meals, shelter materials and child support services to complement the work of first responders and local actors.
In Dnipro, our partners working in health scaled up their response following intensified attacks in June that killed and injured numerous civilians and damaged hospitals.
Rapid medical response teams and medical health professionals have been deployed to respond to the rising health needs among affected civilians and those fleeing front-line areas.
**Sudan
Moving to Sudan: Our WFP colleagues today warned that millions of Sudanese people who took refuge in neighbouring countries face worsening hunger and malnutrition due to severe funding shortages. Children are especially at risk, with malnutrition rates breaching emergency levels.
Since the conflict erupted in April 2023, over 4 million people have left Sudan with little more than the clothes on their backs. Yet they are being met with more hunger, despair, and limited resources on the other side of the border.
WFP is doing the utmost by providing emergency food, cash, and nutrition support across seven countries hosting these refugees, but resources are running out. To zoom in closer into the dire situation — in Uganda for instance, refugees survive on less than 500 calories a day; that is less than a quarter of daily nutritional intake should be.
And in Chad, which hosts almost a quarter of the 4 million refugees who fled Sudan, food rations will be reduced in the coming months unless new money is received.
WFP urgently needs over $200 million for regional refugee support and $575 million for operations inside Sudan. Immediate international funding and no less importantly a political action to end the crisis are urgently needed for the sake of the people of Sudan who continue to suffer.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda
Just for the record, you saw we issued a statement over the weekend in which the Secretary-General welcomed the signing of a peace agreement by the governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda, which was facilitated by the United States.
He said the Agreement is a significant step towards de-escalation, peace and stability in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region. He urges the parties to honour in full the commitments they have undertaken in the Peace Agreement and pursuant to Security Council resolution 2773 (2025), including the cessation of hostilities and all other agreed measures. The full statement is online.
**Afghanistan Refugees
Often been asked about Afghan refugees, and I want to flag a report by UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) today, which says they are witnessing a sharp increase in the number of Afghans returning in adverse circumstances from Iran.
Over 640,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the implementation of a return deadline by the Iranian Government on 20 March this year, with over 360,000 deported.
Families often arrive with scant belongings, exhausted, hungry, scared about what awaits them in a country many of them have never even set foot in. Women and girls are particularly worried, as they fear the restrictions on freedom of movement and basic rights such as education and employment. In total, so far this year, over 1.2 million Afghans have returned to their country, or been forced to return from Iran and Pakistan.
UNHCR warns that as the numbers of Afghans returning rise, the situation is becoming increasingly unsustainable. We continue to stress that the returns of refugees must be safe and must be voluntary and it must be dignified.
**International Days
Today is International Day of Parliamentarism. It offers the opportunity to review the progress that parliaments have made in achieving some key goals and including more women and young Members of Parliaments around the world.
And I would ask you to look up to the ceiling, because it is International Asteroid Day. This Day aims to raise public awareness about the asteroid impact hazard and actions that should be taken at the global level in case of a credible near-Earth object threat.
**Financial Contribution
Until that happens, the United Nations still needs money. And today we got money, and got a quiz. Ready?
This country in Asia is the eighth-most populous country in the world with over 171 million people. It is home to the world's largest mangrove forest, which is a UNESCO-protected site.
[journalists guessing] You want more clues? This Mangrove is called the Sundarbans Mangrove. [response from the crowd: "Bangladesh."] Yes! Who said Bangladesh? Yes.
Thank you, and we also thank our friends in Dhaka who have broken a payment drought for us, and they are the 112th to pay up.
Dezhi and then Amelie.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yes. Today, the Israeli Ambassador, [Danny] Danon, obviously, accused a lot of things on UN. One of them is that UN is spreading misinformation with Hamas in Gaza to let people not to go to those Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) positions. Any response?
Spokesman: We're not in the business of spreading misinformation. Right? I think the Secretary-General yesterday in an answer to one of your colleagues... excuse me, on Friday, said, I think we all see the videos that are coming out of Gaza.
Correspondent: He said we don't need reports of that nature...
Spokesman: Excuse me, Dezhi. Sorry. More importantly, we are not in the business of telling people not to go get food from a food distribution centre. Right? Who are we to tell people who are in desperate need of food not to do something that may get them food? What we're saying is that the operation, the food distribution operation run by the GHF, doesn't meet the basic standards of impartiality, of independence, of safety for recipients. And we're saying, let the UN do its work and let others do their work. We're open to others doing it with us. We can't do it alone. All we ask is that others who want to set up humanitarian operations do it in a way that is safe and sustainable.
Amelie?
Question: Thanks, Steph. About Sudan and the proposal of the Secretary-General for a one-week truce in El Fasher, is there any progress on that? Did he get any answer from the RSF [Rapid Support Forces] side? Thank you.
Spokesman: Well, we've seen... I mean, we just saw at this point the press reports that were sort of negative messaging from the RSF on that point. But, you know, our message, our push for that for that eight-week, that humanitarian access continues. And, also, as a reminder that Security Council resolution 2736 (2024) clearly states that the RSF must immediately lift the siege around El Fasher and cease hostilities, and humanitarian agencies must have unhindered access. Meanwhile, Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra is continuing his work, his good offices. He's currently finalizing consultations with the African Union on the next consultative group meeting to be co-organized with the AU in Addis Ababa. He's just continuing on his contacts. Madame?
Question: Steph, last week, the GHF sent a letter to the Secretary-General asking the UN to collaborate with them. Did the UN respond?
Spokesman: We're in the process of responding, but our public message and our private message is the same. I mean, as I told your colleagues last week, a few weeks back, we were invited in Israel to hear from the GHF, and we went because we don't refuse these kinds of meetings. Our concerns continue. I think we've all seen what is happening. Again, we're not saying that GHF should not operate. What we're saying is that whether it's a GHF or others, they need to operate in ways that are safe. And I think everyone can see that currently it's not safe. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. We had our operations when unleashed worked, and we're asking for that again.
We'll go down the front row, please.
Question: Just a quick question on the aid. There have been reports that some of the flour bags, I know this is not UN aid, but the flour bags were laced with oxycodone. Do you have any comment on that?
Spokesman: We've seen these reports. Again, I think we're living in an environment where there's a lot of misinformation, disinformation. It's hard to get at what is really happening. I mean, I think the videos that we're seeing speak for themselves. But I think these kinds of stories are yet another reason why journalists should be able to be in Gaza and do their work. Edie?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Can you tell us, what Sigrid Kaag and other senior UN officials are doing to try and break some of these roadblocks to getting UN aid into Gaza? And is anything getting to the North specifically, since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation's sites are in the centre and the South?
Spokesman: Right now, it continues to be very challenging in getting anything to the North. Our WFP colleagues have managed at some point, but there's been a lot of looting. It remains extremely challenging. Sigrid Kaag has... today's her last day on her post. As of tomorrow, our colleague Sarah Poole will be the acting officer-in-charge of the Special Coordinator's office. Whether it's her or her colleagues, what Sigrid was doing before is to keep trying, keep saying the same things, keep engaging. But I think the lack of progress is clear for everyone to see.
Abdelhamid, and then we'll go here and then Benno.
Question: Thank you. Today, 85 Palestinians were killed. Al Aqsa Hospital was bombed. A school sheltering civilians was bombed. And on the port of Gaza, on the beach, there was an attack, and about 22 people were killed. And most of them, women and children. This is also did not show up neither in Khiari's briefing or in your briefing, about today. I again ask, why is that?
Spokesman: I don't know how clear I could have been when today I said that the Secretary-General has condemned all the killings of civilians at the hands of Israeli forces. We don't always get real-time information, but I think our position is clear.
Correspondent: My second question, there is an Arabic proverb that says, I keep cursing them, cursing the thieves while they're taking the camels away. The UN keeps doing that, calling on Israel, pleading with Israel, asking Israel, asking to investigate, calling on Israel to abide by law or to allow humanitarian aid, and yet Israel does not listen. I asked the ambassador today, give me one example. If a settler was put on trial, one, and you know he couldn't. He gave me the 2016 when the Dawabsheh family was burned to death.
Spokesman: What is the question, Abdelhamid?
Question: The question, why you cannot have something else other than appealing to Israel? Calling to Israel? Making...
Spokesman: I mean, the Secretary-General's powers within the UN are clear for all. And he has very limited powers. The power rests in the hands of Member States. And I think the Secretary-General in his remarks on Thursday was extremely clear about the repeated violations of the Charter that we're seeing these days, right, the flouting of international law and calling on Member States to uphold the ideals and the laws that they themselves have drawn up, that they themselves have signed on to. Yes, ma'am?
Question: Okay. Back on the contaminated aid, Gazan authorities, they came out Friday saying that they had documented four testimonies of civilians who had found the oxycodone in flour. Given, that this this is coming out of the flour that they had gotten from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is the UN Secretary-General concerned about these reports? Does he have a reaction to hearing, you know, about this?
Spokesman: Of course. Any type of these kinds of reports are concerning. We just have no way... At this point, I have no way to confirming them or denying them.
Question: Are you guys, looking into the possibility of...
Spokesman: We've asked our colleagues on the ground, but there's no... I mean, I have no information to share with you one way or another.
Question: Is there a possibility that you guys could look into doing an investigation?
Spokesman: I mean, we will try to get answers, but we're also operating in the middle of a war zone. But whatever answers we will get, we will try to share with you.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Thank you. Benno?
Question: Thank you. Thank you, Steph. You just said, so that's a clarification. You just said that it's fine by you if the GHF is working and delivering aid if they meet security and safety standards. Does that mean that if they meet all the standards, would you be fine with them taking over the aid deliveries?
Spokesman: It's not a matter... listen, there is enough need. There is enough work in Gaza for everyone to be on the front lines of delivering humanitarian aid. I mean, the GHF is currently running a food distribution system. We are asking for humanitarian operations that meet certain standards. We work with partners. We work with different NGOs [non-governmental organizations], local NGOs, international NGOs. The only thing that we ask is for people to meet those standards, and no humanitarian organization can do it alone.
Question: Okay. And then I have a very different question about health coverage. Can you remind me of the United Nations standpoint on this? Should every human being have the right to health coverage in terms of health insurance?
Spokesman: You're testing my limits of international law. We do believe in health coverage. Yes. Now that I've put my foot in it... [laughing]
Question: Now we go to the United States, the so called Big Beautiful Bill, according to estimates, will leave 12 million people in the United States without health care. Does that sound right and just to you, then?
Spokesman: Look. I'm not going to get dragged into political debate in this country. What I can tell you, and I think whether it's WHO or others have spoken about, the vast, the large numbers of human beings throughout the world who are without any sort of coverage. And Member States should all find ways to ensure that people are healthy.
Linda, then Yvonne, then Gabriel, then Alex.
Question: Thank you, Steph. I apologize if I missed this, but I was wondering, if the SG had any response to the WHO report on the origins of, you know, the COVID pandemic. And basically, I gather that the panel didn't receive the necessary cooperations from countries to, you know, make a decisive assessment.
Spokesman: We support the work of WHO as they are the technical... I mean, the agency with the technical know-how in this domain. And I think and on the issue of COVID and the origins of COVID, we strongly encourage every Member State to cooperate fully with the WHO. Yvonne?
Question: Thank you. Back to the GHF. So could you just give some more details on the conversation that you had on the ground with the GHF? And do you see it's developing into a situation where you may entertain the possibility of cooperation?
Spokesman: The conversation, I don't know if I was clear enough. The conversations at a senior level happened a few weeks ago in Israel. We were asked to come to a briefing by the GHF, I think by the Americans, and we did. And we heard them, and we expressed our concerns to them. And that was that. I mean, they went on their way, and they're operating the way they're operating.
Question: Okay. But then to my second question, can you foresee a moment at which you decide, actually, you will cooperate?
Spokesman: I think the point is, we will work with NGOs, large and small, who meet the standards that we require. And it's not the standards that we require so, you know, we in New York can feel better about it. It's the standards that are required so that Palestinians who are trying to get food don't have to fear that they're going to be shot while trying to get that food. They don't have to walk miles through militarized zones to get that food, where they don't have to worry about what they're actually getting. That's what we're saying. Gabriel?
Question: Two questions. One is, has the GHF ever come to the UN and said, we want to work with you. How can we help you rather than you going to the GHF?
Spokesman: I mean, they've, I think the... listen. I don't want to speak for them. We're always open to dialogue, but they're... again, it's not as if we're asking to do everything. There are just basic principles which should be logical and clear for everyone — that when you operate a humanitarian operation, you're not adding risk to people already facing hunger. Right? You're not adding stress to a situation that I cannot even fathom how stressful it is. There is room for a lot of actors in this space, but there are certain things that need to be done a certain way.
Question: And just on Sigrid Kaag, I should know the answer to this, but I don't at the top off my head. Is she still the senior humanitarian coordinator?
Spokesman: No. She's, finished her...
Correspondent: She finished. And so the second mandate is the one she was doing concurrently.
Spokesman: That means she's finished her UN mandates.
Correspondent: Got it. Both of them. Thanks.
Spokesman: Yes, sir. Alexei?
Question: Thanks, Steph. Happy International Asteroid Day. On Iran and IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency], has Iran formally notified the United Nations about its bill suspending cooperation with IAEA?
Spokesman: Not the Secretariat, as far as I know, but you should check with the IAEA if they've informed the IAEA.
Question: Can I have one more?
Spokesman: Of course.
Question: On a completely different topic, on Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanian authorities have reportedly detained Russian journalists, Putin journalists on allegation of working as intelligence agents. Do you have any comments?
Spokesman: I'll have to look in the case. I haven't seen that report.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Thank you all. Abdelhamid, you're holding the mic. I fear it's not just...
Question: I mean, does the SG have any slightest doubt in his mind that Israel is going after the Palestinian people as a whole to obliterate the Palestinian?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General's position on what is going on could not be clearer, and I think he said it in very clear ways on Friday. Thank you all.
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