Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
23 July 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
All right, good afternoon.
**Guest
In a short while, I will be joined by my guest, Margot van der Velden, who is the World Food Programme's Regional Director for West and Central Africa. She will be here to speak to you about the humanitarian situation in Nigeria.
**Security Council
Earlier today, our colleague Khaled Khiari, the Assistant Secretary-General [for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific], briefed the Security Council on the situation in Gaza, saying that it is long past time for the fighting to end, for adequate humanitarian aid to enter the Strip, and for the recovery and reconstruction to begin in the context of a return to a political path towards a two-State solution. He said that today, the situation inside the Strip, especially for women and children, is more dire than at any other time during this crisis.
Mr. Khiari also talked about the situation in the occupied West Bank, which he said remains deeply concerning, with high levels of violence driven by ongoing Israeli military operations, many involving civilian casualties and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, attacks by settlers against Palestinians, and attacks by Palestinians against Israelis.
He added that the upcoming ministerial meeting to support a two-State solution, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, is key to highlight international consensus around these goals, and reaffirm the principles of sustaining a two-State solution.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, and I can tell you that our humanitarian operations in Gaza are currently under severe strain: aid workers face serious security risks, crossings remain unreliable, and critical supplies are routinely delayed or blocked.
We stand ready to seize the opportunity of a ceasefire to significantly scale up humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip, as we did during the previous ceasefire. Our plans are ready, and they are finalized.
But to make a real difference, Israel must enable safe and unimpeded aid delivery, allow the entry of critical equipment and fuel, must open all crossings and restore movement along key supply routes. Humanitarian staff must be able to operate safely, people must be allowed to move freely, and supplies — including from the private sector — must reach all parts of Gaza.
If these conditions are met, we will urgently prioritize providing food, water, shelter, medical care and protection to the civilians of Gaza who have faced unimaginable hardship for far too long.
Today, our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, visited the Gaza Strip, where he met with UN agencies and humanitarian partners in Deir al Balah. During his visit, he expressed strong support for the tireless efforts of humanitarian workers who are continuing to deliver under extraordinarily difficult and dangerous conditions, including working in active combat zones and amid persistent fear.
Meanwhile, the Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs warns that the hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip has never been so dire. Today, 109 aid organizations warned that mass starvation is spreading across the Gaza Strip, with colleagues and those they serve wasting away.
We and our partners report that aid workers are fainting from hunger and exhaustion. Deadly malnutrition among children is reaching catastrophic levels. UNICEF [the United Nations Children's Fund] reminds us that a severely malnourished child is over 10 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child.
Despite catastrophic conditions, our aid workers continue to deliver life-saving assistance, wherever and whenever they can. However, OCHA stresses that to sustain these operations — including nutrition programmes — the Israeli authorities must facilitate the delivery of much more aid into and across all areas of the Gaza without any delay.
As of Sunday, our partners deliver 158,000 cooked meals through 64 community kitchens. This figure reflects a decrease of more than 70,000 daily meals compared to the previous day.
On the health front, hospitals are overwhelmed and cannot cope with the influx of patients — including those injured by hostilities — due to lack of supplies and fuel.
Earlier today, local health authorities tell us that, in the past few days, several of their health facilities have been shut down due to the lack of fuel. More hospitals, including Al Shifa, are at imminent risk of shutting down within the next few days.
Meanwhile, the UN Population Fund warns that severe food deprivation, a shattered healthcare system and immense psychological stress are leading to catastrophic birth outcomes for pregnant women and for newborns. From January to June of this year, births sharply declined, and 220 mothers died — more than 20 times the total number of maternal deaths recorded in 2022. At least 20 newborns died within 24 hours of birth, and a third of babies were born prematurely, underweight or required admission to neonatal intensive care, when those facilities were available.
Meanwhile, today, partners reported that people with disabilities have no food, no assistive devices and no healthcare.
Meanwhile, measures must be taken to protect civilians — including the tens of thousands of people in the Strip who are older or are living with disabilities — who need assistance that preserves their dignity and survival.
Currently, the Israeli authorities are the sole decision makers on who, how and how much aid enters the Gaza Strip, and the type of supplies that are allowed in. Logistical challenges are immense: To collect supplies that have reached any of the Israeli crossings around Gaza — all of which are fenced off and heavily guarded — drivers need multiple access approvals, as well as a pause in the bombing and for the iron gates to slide open.
All too often, civilians approaching our trucks are shot at. To collect supplies safely, we must get reliable assurances that troops would not engage or be present along the routes of our convoys.
The amount of aid that has been entering Gaza is only a trickle compared to the immense needs. Above all, we need a ceasefire to put an end to this devastating situation.
And one important note on punitive measures announced by Israel authorities against our colleagues from OCHA. We have full confidence in OCHA's professionalism and impartial work. Any punitive measures will only add to the obstacles preventing us from reaching people facing hunger, displacement and deprivation.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, and in particular to the situation in Sweida. I can tell you that a second convoy from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent reached Sweida today, carrying critical aid that included food, water, wheat flour, fuel, medicines and health supplies. Our colleagues at OCHA coordinated with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to prepare the convoy that also included supplies from UN agencies.
OCHA continues to engage with authorities and partners to facilitate an inter-agency UN mission to Sweida as soon as security conditions allow, and further assistance is being mobilized by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Meanwhile, humanitarian needs in Sweida remain high. Electricity, water, fuel supply, and telecommunications have been significantly disrupted.
Bakeries have ceased operations due to shortages of flour and fuel, and local markets face significant shortfalls of food items. Critical shortages of clean water, hygiene kits, sanitary pads and baby supplies have also been reported. Many displaced families lack basic items such as mattresses and blankets.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that more than 145,000 people have now been displaced due to the hostilities in Sweida Governorate. This includes people who have fled within Sweida and to neighbouring Dar'a and Rural Damascus governorates.
We are working with partners to deliver a range of assistance to people displaced to Dar'a and Rural Damascus, including health and protection services, in addition to food and water.
Mobile medical teams have provided more than 3,500 consultations, including trauma care, maternal health and psychosocial support. Nearly 38,000 people have received food aid. Over 1,000 kits containing non-food items were distributed in Dar'a and Rural Damascus, and that helped more than 5,000 Syrians.
UN inter-agency missions to assess needs and provide assistance to both Dar'a and Rural Damascus areas are planned for the coming days.
**Sudan
Moving to Sudan, and I call tell you that we continue to be gravely concerned about the worsening humanitarian catastrophe and tightening access constraints across the country, particularly in the Kordofan region, where hostilities continue to escalate.
In South Kordofan State, citing local sources, our humanitarian colleagues at OCHA say that clashes erupted yesterday in the besieged city of Kadugli, which is the state capital. Armed individuals reportedly attempted to seize food from the main market. As Sudan's hunger crisis deepens, the city remains cut off from humanitarian assistance, with the last supply route from neighbouring North Kordofan now blocked.
Meanwhile, in West Darfur State, heavy rains and flooding threaten to further disrupt in the delivery of aid.
Roads connecting the state capital Geneina, which is, as you well know, located next to the crucial Adre border crossing with Chad, the road from Geneina to Mornei and to Zalingei, in Central Darfur State, are now impassable. Both of these towns are hosting large numbers of displaced people. Our humanitarian partners warn that continued rains may further cut off access into Central and South Darfur states, making it even more difficult to reach people who need help so desperately.
In North Darfur State, displaced communities and host families in the town of Tawila have come together to establish community kitchens which are now feeding thousands of people who fled violence in El Fasher. These kitchens have become a vital lifeline for those without any other access to food. However, they face chronic and severe funding shortfalls.
Many of these are struggling to stay open, and some risk shutting down altogether due to lack of resources. As we mentioned yesterday, we and our partners are planning a major scale up of support for people in Tawila, which requires $120 million over the next three months.
Humanitarian access is further complicated by checkpoint taxes, by roadblocks, and bureaucratic hurdles imposed by local authorities, including requirements for multiple levels of approval to establish the most basic services for the population.
Once again, we appeal for unimpeded humanitarian access across Sudan, more international funding to scale up the response, the protection of civilians and aid workers and, of course, an immediate cessation of hostilities.
**Peacebuilding
I just want to flag that a new $7 million cross-border project investing in water management, climate security and peacebuilding in the border areas of Mali, Mauritania and Senegal was approved today for funding by the Secretary-General's Peacebuilding Fund. This project, jointly developed by the Governments of the three countries, is one of the Peacebuilding Fund's largest and will be implemented with the support of UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration over the next two years.
**Haiti
And again, a dire update from Haiti, where our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that escalating violence and displacement continue to drive severe humanitarian needs across the country. The UN Children's Fund and partners have screened more than 217,000 children for acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year, and more than 21,500 children have been admitted for treatment of severe acute malnutrition. This represents about 17 per cent of the nearly 129,000 children who are projected to need life-saving treatment this year.
Our humanitarian colleagues also warn that insecurity continues to constrain the humanitarian response, leading to access challenges, supply shortages and the closure of health facilities.
According to the latest analysis from the IPC, some 5.7 million people were estimated to face high levels of acute food insecurity between March and June this year. This represents more than half of Haiti's population.
Beyond the nutrition crisis, Haiti's children also face an education emergency. As of mid-July, more than 1,600 schools remained closed in Haiti, which is an increase of over two thirds compared to the start of the year. Our humanitarian colleagues warn that without access to education, children, of course, are more vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by gangs. UNICEF has provided learning opportunities to more than 16,000 children, including displaced children in temporary learning spaces. The agency has also reached over 100,000 children with mental health and psychosocial support.
However, this is just a fraction of what is needed in Haiti. Our humanitarian colleagues also reiterate that a lack of funding is significantly limiting our capacity to address the crisis. Haiti remains, as I have said here many times, the least funded of our underfunded country appeals globally. More than halfway through the year, we've received less than 9 per cent of the $908 million required for the response in this country.
**International Seabed Authority
Lastly, I just want to flag that this morning the Secretary-General sent a message to the High-level Segment and Commemorative Ceremony marking the thirtieth anniversary of the International Seabed Authority. That took place in Kingston, in Jamaica.
In his message, the Secretary-General noted that the international seabed area is not the domain of any nation, it is the common heritage of humankind. He said that the deep ocean remains one of our last frontiers, adding that it holds great promise but also requires great caution.
The Secretary-General pointed out that today, the International Seabed Authority is navigating complex challenges with care and clarity. He commends its commitment to finding balanced and effective solutions.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Gabriel.
Question: Thanks, Steph. Two questions. One is I took note of your, comments regarding OCHA and the punitive measures announced by Israel. My question is what will these measures... how will these measures, excuse me, affect the UN's ability to carry out a humanitarian response in Gaza right now?
Spokesman: It makes things more complicated. Right? I mean, that's the bottom line. It makes things more difficult. It makes things more challenging, and it's going in the wrong direction.
Question: And a follow-up. During his remarks, Mr. Khiari said that on regarding UNRWA, based on the current forecast, there is not enough money to sustain all operations in the field for UNRWA through the end of... until the August. Another UN agency under attack essentially in Gaza. How does the Secretary-General feel that this funding for UNRWA could affect UNRWA's work in Gaza?
Spokesman: I mean, again, less money, less work, less money, less people getting the aid that they need. UNRWA has been jumping from funding crisis to funding crisis for quite some time. We encourage Member States to up their donations to UNRWA, which remains a critical part of our operations in the region.
Edie, then Dezhi, then Benno.
Question: Thank you, Steph. One more follow-up on the Israeli Ambassador's comments about OCHA to the Security Council. He demanded that Tom Fletcher, the head of OCHA, immediately retract his claim that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. What is the UN comment reaction to that specific... [cross talk]
Spokesman: For him to have to retract it, he would have had to said it, which Mr. Fletcher did not. Right? If you look at his remarks he made to the council on 13 May, he called for decisive international action to prevent genocide and ensure respect for international humanitarian law. And as whether it's Mr. Fletcher, whether it's the Secretary-General, anyone who works for the Secretariat, our position is the same that the labelling of an event as a genocide is up for a competent court to decide.
Question: And a second question. Israel's army is saying that the United Nations refuses to accept Israeli escorts in Gaza to deliver aid? I know you have addressed this before, but could you address this latest...? [cross talk]
Spokesman: Well, I mean, we're getting into the theatre of absurd here. I think we have seen what happens when Israeli soldiers are near a UN convoy. Right? We saw it. We saw what happened on Sunday in North Gaza. We saw the victims, and we saw the death. The best protection for us is community buy-in. And to get that community buy-in, communities have to understand that trucks will come every day, that food will come every day. Right? And that's what we're asking for.
Dezhi.
Question: Today, before the... Ambassador [Danny] Danon's announcement on the restriction of visas of the OCHA staffers in Israel, has Israeli authority ever talked about this issue with any of the UN officials?
Spokesman: Which issue, the issue of visas?
Correspondent: The restrictions.
Spokesman: Yes. The challenges around the issuance of visas and the length of visas is an issue that has been discussed for quite some time.
Correspondent: But this announce of this one month not automatically extends. This is new.
Spokesman: I mean, listen. You it's up to you to decide what is news. We've had... we faced challenges with visas before. It is the sovereign right of Israel to issue like any other country to issue visas or choose to issue or not to issue visas to our staff, and we look forward to continuing our discussions with them on this.
Correspondent: So today, Ambassador Danon accused OCHA staff there saying that... suggesting that they are under investigation under vetting. And he even said that... even went further saying that some of those staffers might have link with the October 7th attack.
Spokesman: Those are very serious accusations. Those are very serious allegations that were made, and we expect the Israeli Government to then share whatever evidence they may have with us as quickly as possible.
Correspondent: Not yet.
Spokesman: So, we can... [cross talk] I mean, we know as much as you do right now, right? And we saw when the allegations and accusations were made against UNRWA, we announced them. Right? And we took action. So, we look forward to them sharing any evidence.
Question: Do you worry that more institutions might be linked, has been accused to link to the October 7th attack... [cross talk]
Spokesman: These are allegations that are thrown out. I mean, you know, we would like to be given information. If these allegations prove correct, then we would act on them decisively. Benno Schwinghammer.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I think you said it yourself. It seems like we are entering a phase of mass starvation in Gaza. I guess you agree with me that this needs an international response.
Spokesman: We've been calling for international response. We've been calling for greater assistance. We've been calling for those countries who have influence over to help us... [cross talk]
Question: I'm aware of this. But, like, I think you can also always sound the bigger alarm bell. Why is the Secretary-General not declaring a famine, for example?
Spokesman: Words matter within the UN, our world, right, our diplomatic... the issue... the word genocide, right, is declared for us by legal competent court. There is a whole UN mechanism, which also involves Member States called the IPC. Right? It's a scientific-based declaration. We will wait for their next report. I think that the Secretary-General has been extremely vocal. I mean, just this week, spoke twice about it and raising the alarm. But, you know, the unlocking of those metal gates that I referred to at the crossings is not a key that he has. Right? [cross talk]
Question: I understand. Thank you for mentioning the IPC. The report now is valid to end of September. So, I assume there is no one plan till then. Till then, it might be too late. So, isn't there a way to have a temporary report?
Spokesman: We all need to follow-up with the IPC, which is a conglomerate of UN agencies, governments, and NGOs. But we don't need to wait for a report to see the suffering, to see the children that are wasting, to see the newborns that are dying... we know that it's going... we've been reporting on it. Right? And whether you use the word "starvation", whether you use the term "famine", whether you use the term "hunger", people need help.
Question: I mean, like, we see every day the hunger, the hardship, the violence in Gaza, and it becomes the new normal. And I have the feeling people are not woken up anymore.
Spokesman: Well, I think the fact that people are numb to suffering is tragic. Right? And whether they are numb to the suffering of the people of Gaza, whether they're numb to the suffering people in Sudan and in Haiti that we talk about, that gets completely underreported, not to mention underfunded.
Question: Okay. Last one, and then I shut up. I mean, like, isn't this maybe a moment where all of these procedures you're talking about should be banned to change lives? Isn't there a way to step into front of the cameras and say, like, famine likely started or something like this?
Spokesman: Listen, we don't need to wait for these things to act, and that has been the Secretary-General's message.
Yes. And then we'll go to Alex.
Question: Thank you, Steph. A follow-up on OCHA and Israeli Government. This morning, Ambassador Danon of Israel, at the stakeout lashed on OCHA, and he reiterated the allegations he had against its staff and everything. But he said also that there is 950 food aid trucks waiting on the Gaza side. How accurate is this number? And second, how many of these trucks belongs or destined for UN agencies? [cross talk]
Spokesman: We've been saying the same thing. There are a lot of trucks. There are a lot of supplies waiting at Kerem Shalom, Karem Abu Salem, Crossing and others. I've just described to you the procedure for... [cross talk] Let me finish. I've just described for you the procedure on how we need... what it takes for us to get that aid. The Kerem Shalom is not a McDonald's drive through where we just pull up and pick up what we've ordered. Right? There are tremendous bureaucratic impediments. There are tremendous security impediments. And, frankly, I think there's a lack of willingness to allow us to do our work.
Correspondent: Thank you. Just to explain the rationale that this is what he said. [cross talk] I'm not questioning because there is no third party that I can verify.
Spokesman: I'm not... I'm just... You asked me to respond to what was said. I'm just... [cross talk]
Correspondent: But my understanding is that these trucks have already crossed.
Spokesman: We've explained this ad nauseam. Right? There are trucks that come in from Israel. They go through a first checkpoint. They're in a sense of a no man's land or demilitarized zone, whatever you want to call it, an inside the crossing. And then we have to come in with our own trucks. We have to be allowed to come in with our own trucks. The goods have to switch from one truck to another. It's a very lengthy procedure, which we've explained a lot.
Alex, and then we'll go to the screen.
Question: Thanks, Steph. I got a couple of questions. Firstly, on Iran. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister said that Tehran has agreed to receive... [cross talk] Technical delegation of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] in, like, two or three weeks. Could you please confirm that, or we should call... [cross talk]
Spokesman: Option number two.
Question: Of course. Another one. On the meeting between the Secretary-General and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó: can we have a readout?
Spokesman: Yeah. We'll try to get you a readout. I don't have a readout.
Correspondent: Thank you.
Spokesman: All right. Abdelhamid and then Jacob. And then we'll go back to Dezhi [...]
Correspondent: Thank you, Steph. I hope you hear me well.
Spokesman: Yes, sir.
Question: Okay. I have two questions, Steph. First on Khaled Khiari statement. He said, talking about the West Bank, I quote him, he said, what made things bad in the West Bank, attacks by settler against Palestinians and attacks by Palestinians against Israeli. Do you think this is a fair statement to equalize between the attacks by settler and the Palestinian without mentioning even the army? Although he gave examples of attacks by Israeli Security Forces, yet in this statement and as you just said, words matter. He didn't mention the army. He didn't mention ISF, the Israeli Security Forces, and he put them equal, the attacks by the settlers and... [cross talk]
Spokesman: Abdelhamid, it is your right. It is your duty as a journalist to pick apart everything that we say word by word. He delivered the remarks on behalf of the Secretariat, on behalf of the Secretary-General. I don't take it as an equalization. In case you do, then feel free to write about it.
What is your second question?
Question: My second question: Isn't it time for the Secretary-General and his senior staff to re-examine their relations with Israel? They attacked UNRWA. They killed so many staff. They attacked UN facilities, UN hospitals, UN clinics, UN cars, UN schools. And now they're attacking OCHA and senior staff. They also criticize UNICEF, WHO. Why not the Secretary-General sit together with his staff and redefine their relation with the State, which is really waging a war against the UN. The way they are waging a genocide war against the Palestinians. [cross talk]
Spokesman: The Secretary-General of the United Nations, especially in time of humanitarian crisis, doesn't have the luxury to say, I will not speak to such-and-such Member State. We continue to engage with the Israeli authorities because it is part of the solution to a huge problem. It does not stop us from speaking out like I've been doing for the last 20 minutes against policies that have been imposed by the State of Israel against the UN. But we will continue to engage with Israel as we do all 192 other Member States and two Permanent Observers.
Okay. Jacob.
Question: Hi. Thanks for having me on. With all of its flaws, and there are many, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has been issuing these daily pleas to the UN to offer some sort of cooperation between agencies and GHF. Is there any sort of response you want to give to them and their pleas?
Spokesman: It's the same response we've been giving over and over again. There is enough work for many humanitarian organizations for us to work with. We welcome working with any other partners. All we ask is that those partners work based on the most basic humanitarian principles, one of them being that don't set up an operation that will increase the risk of people to be shot at or trampled while trying to get food. Also, we have a system that works. All we're asked is to be allowed to do that system. I don't think we need to add another layer of for-profit organizations. We need humanitarian partners, and we welcome working with any and every humanitarian partners that works along those basis.
Okay, Dezhi. [...]
Question: I'm going to give you an uplifting question anyway. So yesterday, Secretary-General, had a very long speech on the energy transition. In May, there's a report suggesting that China may have already peaked its emission due to the clean power, which means there's a surge of usage of electricity, but still, the emission just reduced. And what's the response from the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: I think the response from Secretary-General is in his remarks, is that investing in clean energy, investing in renewable energy is the smart choice, and we encourage every country to do so.
Question: And if he visits China, will he consider to try one of the China's... Chinese electronic vehicles?
Spokesman: I don't know. He's visited China, and he's taken the high-speed trains. I can tell you that. [laughing]
All right. Anybody else wish to speak? Good.
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