Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
6 August 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Hiroshima
Izumi Nakamitsu, the High Representative for Disarmament, delivered a message on the Secretary-General's behalf at the commemoration of the eightieth year since the bombing of Hiroshima in Japan.
In his message, the Secretary-General said that on this eightieth anniversary, we remember those who perished. We stand with the families who carry their memory. And we honour the brave hibakusha — the survivors — whose voices have become a moral force for peace.
He warned that today, the risk of nuclear conflict is growing. Trust is eroding. Geopolitical divisions are widening. And the very weapons that brought such devastation to Hiroshima and Nagasaki are once again being treated as tools of coercion.
Yet, the Secretary-General added, there are some signs of hope. Last year, the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo — which represents the survivors of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings — was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for its tireless work in raising awareness about this critical issue. And in the Pact for the Future, adopted last year, countries re-committed to a world free of nuclear weapons.
The full message is online.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The UN humanitarian country team in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which brings together UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in that area, today called on Israeli authorities to rescind the requirement obliging international NGOs to share sensitive personal information about their Palestinian employees or face termination of their humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Unless urgent action is taken, humanitarian organizations warn that most international NGO partners could be de-registered by 9 September or sooner — forcing them to withdraw all international staff and preventing them from providing critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. This requirement is part of a set of new restrictive conditions for international NGOs, which include potential consequences for public criticism of policies and practices of the Government of Israel.
Already, NGOs that are not registered under the new system are prohibited from sending any supplies to Gaza. This policy has already prevented the delivery of such aid as medicine, food, and hygiene items. There are more details in a press release.
Turning to the Gaza Strip, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that more people are being killed and injured, either along convoy routes or where they are staying. The situation is beyond catastrophic.
Hospitals are overstretched. Patients are lying on the floor or in the streets, suffering as beds, medical supplies and equipment are severely lacking.
Yesterday, emergency medical teams were denied entry into Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) tells us that more than 100 health professionals, including surgeons and other specialized medical staff, have been barred from entry since March this year.
Yesterday, you heard that Israeli authorities allowed the entry of a limited number of trucks carrying commercial goods. While we are still following up to obtain more clarity on this, initial reports from our partners on the ground indicate that the items included rice, sugar and vegetable oil.
Sugar remains one of the most expensive items on the market. A 2-ounce bag costs some $170. Eggs, poultry and meat have disappeared from the market. People rely on pulses and bread to survive, when and if available, which is far from being enough for the most vulnerable people.
The worsening market situation underscores the urgent need for the entry of humanitarian aid and commercial goods at scale — and consistently.
Starvation continues to happen, and today, the Ministry of Health reported five new malnutrition-related deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to about almost 200 deaths, half of whom are children. Our colleagues tell us that "hunger and malnutrition have devastating impacts, including a heightened risk of illness and death.
Meanwhile, the limited availability of fuel continues to affect life-saving operations. In the past two days, the UN collected some 300,000 litres from the Kerem Shalom crossing. This is far less than what is needed to sustain operations. For example, our partners working in health warned today that the lives of more than 100 premature babies are in imminent danger due to the lack of fuel. Benzene has reached very low levels, with hardly any entering Gaza during the past ten days.
Today, the Israeli military renewed two displacement orders spanning some 1.5 square miles across five neighbourhoods in Gaza and Khan Younis governorates. Shelter materials have not been allowed to enter Gaza since 2 March. The few shelter materials that are available on the local market are extremely expensive and limited in quantity, putting them out of reach for most families.
**Security Council
Miroslav Jenča, the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, briefed the Security Council yesterday on the Middle East. He said that the latest reports regarding Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu's possible decision to expand Israel's military operations through the entire Gaza Strip, if true, are deeply alarming. This would risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza, he said. International law is clear in this regard, Mr. Jenča said: Gaza is and must remain an integral part of a future Palestinian State.
He discussed the situation of Israeli hostages in Gaza and recalled that hostage-taking is prohibited — it is a war crime. He reiterated the Secretary-General's call on Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. They must be freed — now.
Mr. Jenča echoed the Secretary-General's condemnation of the ongoing violence in Gaza, including the shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families. International law is clear. Civilians must be respected, protected and never targeted or deliberately deprived of food or access to other lifesaving aid - doing so is a war crime.
He added that Israel must immediately allow and facilitate rapid and unimpeded passage of sufficient amounts of humanitarian relief for civilians in need, to avert further suffering and loss of life.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned the escalation over the past month of deadly attacks by the M23 and other armed groups against civilians in the country's east.
According to first-hand accounts received by our Human Rights Office, at least 319 civilians were killed by the M23, backed by members of the Rwanda Defence Force, between 9 and 21 July in four villages in Rutshuru territory, in North Kivu Province.
Our colleagues say this is one of the largest documented death tolls in such attacks since the M23's resurgence in 2022. Most of the victims, including at least 48 women and 19 children, were local farmers camping in their fields during the planting season.
Mr. Türk also condemned attacks against civilians by other armed actors. The Human Rights Office documented multiple attacks in the North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri Provinces in July, including by the ADF and CODECO armed groups.
The High Commissioner renewed his call on all parties to the conflicts in eastern DRC to protect civilians from harm, and to uphold all their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
He also urged all parties to the recently signed declaration of principles to commit to the peace process in good faith and to act decisively to end the cycles of recurring violence.
**Somalia
From Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted by severe drought in the country's central and northern regions. According to analysis from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more than 880,000 people are living in severely affected areas in 16 districts.
A joint assessment by UN agencies and our partners is underway in Puntland and Somaliland to determine key needs and inform our response. Preliminary reports point to escalating food insecurity, dwindling access to water and pasture, and major disruptions to livelihoods.
Our humanitarian colleagues note that water wells have dried up and more than 160 boreholes are no longer functional. Livestock farmers are migrating with their herds to other areas in search of water and pasture. The UN-managed Somalia Humanitarian Fund is preparing to allocate funds to meet urgent life-saving needs.
Our partners are planning to step up assistance but are constrained by recent funding cuts by key donors. The $1.4 billion Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is only 17 per cent funded at nearly $242 million.
**Mozambique
We have an update for you on Mozambique, where our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are sounding the alarm over a new wave of violence in Cabo Delgado province. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 57,000 people have been displaced in recent days, most of them women and children from the district of Chiúre.
Our partners are ramping up efforts to assist people, though due to limited resources only half of those who need aid have received it. Schools are being used as temporary shelters, but efforts are underway to relocate displaced families to other sites, which require urgent upgrades in shelter, as well as health, water, sanitation and hygiene services.
OCHA is concerned about the safety of women, children and unaccompanied minors at risk of exploitation. Our humanitarian colleagues note that while Mozambique has faced many crises since 2017, this latest surge in displacement is unfolding as humanitarian access is decreasing and funding is dropping.
The $352 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Mozambique is just 19 per cent funded, with $68 million received so far. More than 1 million people risk losing access to food, water and shelter, and meeting the needs of the newly displaced will be increasingly difficult.
**Financial Contribution
And at the same time, we would actually like to thank our friends in Maputo for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Mozambique's payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 118.
**Questions and Answers
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, please. You have a question, Gabriel?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. I wanted to follow-up on your report that yesterday emergency medical teams were denied entry into Gaza. The WHO tells us that more than 100 health professionals were barred from entering Gaza since March. Are the teams that were barred yesterday, how many were there, and were they part of regular rotation or a specialized group?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that we are continually trying to get medical teams into Gaza. So as far as I'm aware, this was not a specialized group. But as the World Health Organization said, this is part of the constant practice of banning entry of medical professionals since March.
Question: So just to be clear, Israel has banned all World Health Organization doctors into Gaza since March?
Deputy Spokesman: No. Not all of them. But certainly, 100 of them have been banned since March, so it's a huge number.
Question: And lastly, have they given you any reason for that?
Deputy Spokesman: Ultimately we've had, as you know, different problems getting people in, problems with visas, problems with access. This is part and parcel of that. Edie?
Question: Follow-up to that. Some NGOs also have said that they may not be able to continue functioning because of the denial of either entry permits or visas. Is the UN doing anything to try and help these partners get into Gaza?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. We've been pushing for them to also have access, and you will have heard at the start of the briefing, I pointed out that the overall humanitarian country team, which includes the UN and roughly 200 NGOs, together have been calling on the Israeli authorities to rescind a requirement that was passed in March that would oblige NGOs to share personal information about their Palestinian staff or else risk losing their accreditation. Yes. Dezhi and then you.
Question: I was listening to the message from Secretary-General to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial on the eightieth anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. But why hasn't the Secretary-General mentioned why this tragedy happened in the first place? Who bombed Hiroshima and why Japan is the target?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as you know, although this occurred before the United Nations came into existence, this is about the US bombing of Hiroshima. The history of that is available. But from our standpoint, what is important is to ensure that after those two bombings occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that nuclear weapons are never used again. For 80 years so far, we have avoided the worst-case scenario, and we need to focus all our efforts to making sure that that will continue.
Correspondent: So those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Deputy Spokesman: We encourage all to look at the past and look at the histories of this, including the history of the Second World War as a whole.
Question: But Secretary-General didn't mention that at all — I mean, at all in his message?
Deputy Spokesman: Because the point of the message is about nuclear weapons. The point of the message is to make sure that nuclear weapons are never used again. Alright. Yes, Mourad?
Question: Thank you. On the UN agencies and NGOs statement, could you clarify more on the sensitive information required and why the agencies are unable to provide it?
Deputy Spokesman: The point is that this is something that that NGOs are worried would put their own staff members, their Palestinian staff members, at risk. And so that's caused an issue for them. Regarding the substance of the legislation, that was passed by the Israelis in March, and so we would just refer you to what they did then. Yes, please?
Question: Hi. You mentioned a crazy number for sugar, $170 per two ounces bag. I was wondering, why particularly sugar is hitting that price, if you have any information? And there was no protein included in the humanitarian food that you mentioned, right?
Deputy Spokesman: No. I was saying that the one of the problems is that eggs, poultry, and meat have all disappeared from the market and obviously, people need proteins to survive. But another problem is the economic dislocation that's created by the scarcity of goods. So, the scarcity of sugar accounts for why each bag is so expensive, but other things — including simple products like onions — have also become hideously expensive for the average family to try to afford. Yes. Edie?
Question: Farhan, a broader question. What is the potential impact of the denial of visas and entry permits for UN staff and NGO staff on the state of Palestinians in Gaza, particularly at this time when we know that international experts have cited two out of three indicators of famine, and as you just reported more deaths from starvation?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I mean, the simplest thing is it hinders our effort to have our people on the ground coordinating the efforts to bring food in. The fewer UN people, the fewer NGO people there are who can do this work, it slows our facilities down. There are other restrictions, of course, that we've been pointing to, including the fact that there's still only two crossing points, Kerem Shalom and Zikim, that we can use. But this is an added obstacle at a time when we need the removal of obstacles, because we need to get as much aid in as quickly as possible to prevent people from dying. Alright. Have a good afternoon, everyone.
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