Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
3 September 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefings
All right, good afternoon.
Tomorrow, we will have a guest, and that is Tess Ingram, the Communication Manager for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) Middle East area. She will be briefing you on the situation of children in Gaza City amid famine and increasing military operations, and she will be briefing us from Southern Gaza tomorrow.
On Friday, we expect to have the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Resident Representative in Kabul brief you on operations related to the aftermath of the earthquake.
And I know you just heard from Sharon [Birch], but I do want to thank her for all her work this year; this was her last briefing. It's always a pleasure to work with such a great professional, and I know she will have a lot of success in her next assignment.
**Secretary-General — Papua New Guinea
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is in Papua New Guinea. This morning, he delivered an address at the Parliament during a special session to mark the country's fiftieth anniversary of independence.
He told the members of Parliament that for the past half-century, the people of New Guinea have worked to have a single nation out of many traditions, many islands, many tongues.
The country has undertaken the daunting task of forging a single nation from profound diversity. It is a path that demands courage and vision, the Secretary-General said, adding that the United Nations is proud to accompany the country on every step.
Turning to climate, the Secretary-General said that time and again we have seen climate leadership flow not from countries with the most wealth and power —— but from those who know the stakes first-hand.
Papua New Guinea is home to 7 per cent of the world's biodiversity and some of the largest coral reefs and rainforests on the planet.
Mr. [António] Guterres said we must be ever vigilant in safeguarding these crucial ecosystems, adding that the country has made the case that national protection deserves global support.
His full remarks were shared with you.
Today, he also met with the leaders of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. And he met with Papua New Guinea's women leaders.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will visit projects outside of Port Moresby, and he will start making his way back to New York, where we expect him very early on Saturday morning.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
A senior appointment that I am very pleased to share.
Today, the Secretary-General is appointing Khassim Diagne of Senegal as Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Mr. Diagne will succeed Colin Stewart of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his strong leadership and dedicated service throughout his tenure.
Mr. Diagne brings more than 25 years of experience in international affairs and senior leadership within the United Nations system. He is currently serving as Ad Interim United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali, since October 2024. And he was also the political director for the Secretary-General in the beginning of his first term. We congratulate our friend and wish him the best of luck.
**Yemen
Moving to Yemen, and the latest developments there — and unfortunately no good news to report on that end. This morning, our colleagues told us that the Houthi de facto authorities broke into the UNDP complex in Sana'a.
So far, the UNICEF and WFP (World Food Programme) offices remain under the Houthi control. Since yesterday, the number of detained national staff in this round remains at 18, and they remain under the detention in control of the Houthi de facto authorities.
Of course, the Secretary-General strongly condemns the forced entry by the Houthi authorities into our offices in Sana'a.
We reiterate that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.
And again, we call immediate and unconditional release of all those who have been detained yesterday and before that; as you know, there are many others who remain under detention and those include our own staff, but also staff from international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society and diplomatic missions.
**Afghanistan
Turning to Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Office says that following the earthquake over the weekend, assessments and response efforts continue amid challenging conditions. Aftershocks last night in Chakway and Nurgal districts, two of the most affected districts of Kunar province, are causing further hardship in the earthquake area, with many families staying outdoors.
They also impact rescue efforts and assessments in the region. Despite these difficulties, food and shelter distributions have started, as well as the provision of health assistance, including through mobile health and nutrition teams.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that urgent priorities remain shelter, medical supplies, drinking water, food and sanitation. Also, given that this is a country that was in conflict for many years, our colleagues at the Mine Action Service has warned that 25 square kilometres of land is contaminated by explosive ordnance in areas impacted by the earthquake.
The needs remain immense, and the UN calls on all who are able to provide support to the earthquake response to do so.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the Gaza Strip, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that further intensification of the continued offensive on Gaza City, amid ongoing famine, will push civilians into an even deeper catastrophe.
Today, our colleagues supporting displacement sites warned that the escalating hostilities in Gaza City are having horrific humanitarian consequences for people living at these sites, many of whom were previously displaced from North Gaza. They say that many households are unable to move due to high costs and a lack of safe space to move to — with older people and those with disabilities especially affected.
Our partners report that between 14 and 31 August, more than 82,000 new displacements have been recorded, including nearly 30,000 of these people moving from north to south.
Our partners describe conditions at displacement sites you can imagine as deplorable and overcrowded, with debris and waste accumulating near or within living areas. High temperatures have intensified these unsanitary conditions, leading to widespread rodent and insect infestations. As a result, there are mounting health risks, with children developing skin rashes. Water supplies are inadequate, leading to large crowds around distribution points that make it difficult for the most vulnerable to actually get the water. Delivery trucks are often unable to get to displacement sites, forcing families to travel long distances for water.
OCHA tells us that inside Gaza, the UN and our partners' movements also continue to face impediments. Out of 16 missions coordinated with Israeli authorities yesterday, five faced extremely long delays before receiving the green light from the Israeli authorities to move, including efforts to collect supplies from the crossings.
Despite the challenges, teams were able to pick up aid, including medical supplies and fuel from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. Two of the impeded missions were only able to be partially accomplished. Eight other humanitarian movements were facilitated yesterday, while three had to be cancelled by the organizers.
Between 17 and 30 August, we and our partners collected over 6,900 metric tons of wheat flour, food parcels and bulk food supplies through daily convoys reaching the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Zikim crossings. They delivered 60 metric tons of concentrated fodder to 600 livestock holders. And they helped operate 99 community kitchens providing about 468,000 daily meals.
To address malnutrition, they dispatched therapeutic formula in quantities sufficient to treat over 3,000 children for about six weeks; enough complementary food to support over 1,400 infants and young children for up to two weeks; and high-energy biscuits sufficient for 4,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women for two weeks. They also collected supplements and other nutrition supplies from the crossings.
To support Gaza's crippled health system, we and our partners provided 10 haemodialysis machines and hospital beds in the south, distributed reproductive health kits and 16,000 packs of diapers, led a blood donation campaign, collected a range of medical items from the crossings, trained medical staff, and supported the evacuation of 82 of the thousands of patients who could not be treated with the available medical facilities in Gaza.
To mitigate water, hygiene and sanitation concerns, our partners trucked 15,300 cubic metres of drinking water every day to over 1,600 collection points within Gaza.
They also helped install a new desalination plant and rehabilitate two wells, and distributed hygiene kits to over 6,000 families across more than three dozen displacement sites.
These are just some examples of the important work being done on the ground. But OCHA reminds us that overall, what aid workers are able to do is far from enough. A ceasefire is needed urgently, and so is the opening of all land routes for larger volumes of essential supplies — including commercial ones — and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
**Lebanon
Moving north to the situation in south Lebanon: I can tell you that we express our serious concern today about an incident that took place on 2 September in which Israel Defense Forces (IDF) drones dropped grenades in the vicinity of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers who were carrying out mandated tasks in support of implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.
Our peacekeepers in Lebanon said that this is one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets since the cessation of hostilities agreement of last November. One grenade impacted within 20 metres and three within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles. The drones were then observed returning south of the Blue Line.
Thankfully, none of our colleagues were injured.
We again stress that any acts that endanger the lives of the peacekeepers are, of course, completely unacceptable.
He demands that the parties uphold their responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers and inviolability of UN premises.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, I can tell you that we very much welcome the announcement that the Adre border crossing from Chad will remain open for the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel through the end of this year.
Adre is an essential lifeline for millions of people mainly in the Darfur region, as well as parts of Kordofan.
Our humanitarian colleagues report that since August of last year, more than 86,000 metric tons of vital aid have passed through this crossing point, which was enough to provide assistance to over 3.1 million people in that region.
We remain committed to providing the much-needed support to people as access allows. Darfur, as you well know, has been hit hard by the devastating landslide in Jebel Marra. Our colleagues at the World Food Programme also tell us that they are doing everything possible to send aid, but the area is largely cut off by floods.
Across Sudan in general, the heavy rains and flooding are making it even harder to deliver vital supplies. Fighting is also, of course, fuelling the spread of cholera and other infectious diseases.
Once again, we reiterate that the only way forward is an immediate end to hostilities and coordinated diplomatic engagement for the sake of the people of Sudan.
**Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations
A trip announcement to share with you from our friend, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of the department of Peace Operations here at the United Nations. He will be visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo from today — I think he arrived today — to 7 September.
The mission follows his most recent visit in February-March this year and will serve to reaffirm our continued support for ongoing peace processes and the protection of civilians, in pursuit of peace and stability in the DRC and the greater Great Lakes region.
Mr. Lacroix will begin his visit in Kinshasa tomorrow. There, he will meet with national authorities, including the President and the Prime Minister, as well as representatives of opposition parties and religious groups to exchange on recent political and security developments and the UN Mission's activities.
Mr. Lacroix will then travel to Bunia, Ituri Province, where he will meet with provincial authorities, security actors, civil society, local communities, and, of course, his own UN Mission personnel. His programme will also include a stop at UN Mission's operating based in Fataki.
Throughout his visit, Mr. Lacroix will emphasize the importance of sustained cooperation with Congolese partners, regional and international stakeholders, and underscore the UN Mission's continued support to peace and security efforts, in line with Security Council resolution 2746 (2024).
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Meanwhile, on what is going on in the eastern part of the DRC, and our humanitarian colleagues say that continued violence in the eastern province of South Kivu continues to claim civilian lives and drive new displacement.
In the northern part of the province, in Kalehe territory, our partners on the ground report that clashes between armed groups persisted as recently as yesterday.
According to local sources, at least 22 women were raped during armed clashes in several villages in the territory between 22 and 31 August.
Our local partners report that the victims did not receive medical care within the critical 72-hour period following the incidents amid shortages of resources — including medical supplies — and security constraints. Sadly, due to recent funding cuts, more than half of the gender-based violence services have been suspended across the country.
The violence also forced nearly 23,000 human beings to flee their homes — which is in addition to the more than 128,000 people who already had been displaced in Kalehe between May and August of this year.
In this territory, we and our humanitarian partners are providing nutrition support, health care and assistance in agricultural recovery.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring territory of Walungu, armed clashes between 24 and 27 August left at least 12 civilians dead and several others injured; that's what our local partners are telling us. The clashes also displaced more than 4,000 people. An estimated 100,000 displaced people in Walungu currently remain without assistance, as the deteriorating security situation has forced our humanitarian partners to suspend their operations in parts of the territory since early August.
Access restrictions and severe funding shortfalls also are having a negative impact on the response.
The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks $2.5 billion to assist 11 million people, is currently funded at less than 15 per cent, with only $376 million received to date. This shortage in funding severely limits our ability to reach all the people who are in desperate need.
**Education
Lastly, I want to flag a pretty dramatic study from our friends at UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund. They warn that as global education funding faces steep cuts, an estimated 6 million additional children could be out of school by the end of 2026, around one third of them in humanitarian settings. The analysis notes that such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million. This is the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.
According to UNICEF, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion, with just three donor Governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts. That's a 24 per cent drop from 2023.
The analysis warns that essential services such as school feeding programmes, sometimes a child's only nutritious meal of the day, could see funding slashed by more than half, while support for girls' education is also set to decline significantly.
Much more online from UNICEF.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Edie, then Dezhi.
Question: Thank you, Steph. A couple of follow-ups. Yesterday talking about Yemen and the Houthis, you said that there was 19 detainees, and one an international staffer. Was that staffer released? Because today, you only mentioned 18.
Spokesman: Yeah. I mentioned 18 nationals. Our international colleague remains unfree of movement, so we hope that will be resolved very quickly.
Question: And you're not saying what country?
Spokesman: No.
Question: Okay. Secondly in Gaza, in all of these humanitarian movements, is the UN now able to get tents into Gaza?
Spokesman: I have not seen any updates that we are able to bring in shelter settings, but I will double check for you.
Question: And thirdly, on UNIFIL in South Lebanon, have senior UN officials been in contact with senior Israeli officials to condemn this attack?
Spokesman: Yeah, I mean there is a nearly constant contact between UNIFIL, the IDF, as well as the LAF (Lebanese Armed Forces). There is a whole mechanism for that. Dezhi?
Question: Yeah. My question on Venezuela. Yesterday, US President [Donald] Trump released a video of US striking a boat, what he calls drug smuggling boat from Venezuela. Any position from the Secretary-General on this incident?
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, we've obviously seen the announcement by the US President. We've seen the video. I can tell you that in general, we remain very concerned about the heightened tensions between the United States and Venezuela. It is important that there be de-escalation, and that a peaceful resolution of differences in accordance with international law and the Charter of the UN be found. Madame? [...]
Question: Just a follow-up to that. Are there concerns about the legality of that attack? Any questions that have been raised?
Spokesman: Look, I mean, I think we're not in a position to take a position on the legality. We're seeing issues relating to drug trade, to organized crime, and we all know that the transnational drug trade, transnational drug business poses a great threat to the region and beyond. What's important for us is that all those involved strengthen cooperation and constructive dialogue to ensure that efforts to deal with those threats of transnational crime are consistent with the rule of law, the protection of fundamental rights, cooperation and so on. Señor, and then we'll go back to...
Correspondent: More on that.
Spokesman: More on that. Yes.
Question: It seem to assume that they were drug traffickers. You take it for granted that; how do we know, since they're all dead?
Spokesman: We've seen the reports since the position we've taken. Pam?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I know it's a little in advance and it's UNGA (United Nations General Assembly), but do you expect the Secretary-General to have a role in the climate summit that's announced for the days? I think it's just around UNGA...
Spokesman: Yes.
Question: As he always does.
Spokesman: Yes. Climate being a big focus of his work. Okay. Abdelhamid, I think you had a question.
Question: Yeah. Thank you, Stéphane. First, I have noticed that the reporting on Gaza had come in toward the end of your briefing, which does not reflect the danger that Gaza is facing, especially after invading Gaza. And I want to ask you today, there's 50... [cross talk]
Spokesman: I'm sorry. Say again, Abdelhamid. I didn't understand your first comments.
Question: I'm asking you that are you lowering the ranking of reporting on Gaza in your briefing, toward the end almost? Does that reflect anything? Is that... [cross talk]
Spokesman: Are you telling me in the terms of the order of the stories that I read out? I mean, first of all, you know, everyone, whether in any country that is facing danger, deserves to be heard, and we spend our briefings here bringing the stories of those whose stories are not covered and whose voices are not heard to the forefront. And I think I would advise you to listen to exactly what I said before making such an assumption. Your question?
Question: Second thing is that I haven't heard the total number of people killed in Gaza and wounded for some time. Do you have the numbers?
Spokesman: Those numbers are issued by the Gaza Ministry of Health, so I think those are publicly available. I was focusing the briefing on what we were able to do to try to help the people of Gaza, and I think the list of the detailed list, the granular list that I gave, I think should give you enough, all of you information to write something, hopefully. Madam Ibtisam, and then go ahead, please.
Question: Just on the issue of the revoking of visas for PA (Palestinian Authority) officials, do you have any updates on any contact between the UN and the US, on that? You had said that... [cross talk]
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, we've raised this issue directly with United States authorities based obviously, as we've said, under their obligations under the Headquarters Agreement; we're trying to get some clarification. And obviously, you know, I think the possible consequences of this decision are very concerning indeed.
Question: So, I just wanted to follow up. So, you did convey that this was...
Spokesman: Yes. Yeah. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Steph. With regard to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Conference that was in Tianjin in China: Secretary-General delivered a statement and so others, the leaders of the other participating nations. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to the whole event after it's settled? And especially for the part that President of China spoke about, which is the AI governance.
Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think the Secretary-General's reaction, so to speak, to the summit is very much included in every word that he uttered at the forum, at the meeting of the SCO. And the issue of AI governance is one that he has spoken about quite often with concern. But, obviously, we also welcome, you'll recall, the decision by the General Assembly to back the Secretary-General's own projects on AI governance. Alex?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I have a follow-up on the visa question. Could you please tell us a little bit more about the participants of that meeting, especially from the US side?
Spokesman: I can only speak from our side. It's from the Legal Counsel's office.
Question: When and where it took place?
Spokesman: Recently. I mean, I don't know if it was done by phone or in person with the US mission. Yep.
Correspondent: Thank you.
Spokesman: Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Just to follow-up again on the attack near UNIFIL, the Israeli military responded, actually stating that it did not intentionally target the peacekeepers. Does the Secretary-General accept this explanation, which has been again a recurring narrative? Or more importantly, does he see it for what it is, as again, illegal? [cross talk]
Spokesman: What I can tell you, whether or not they meant to do it or didn't mean to do it, what I can tell you is that the Israeli Defense Forces were fully informed in advance of the work that we were doing on road clearance, in that area near Marwahin. So that's our position. They knew exactly where we were, when we were going to be there, and obviously, we're relieved that no one was hurt, but this could have been very tragic indeed. Okay.
Question: I have a question...
Spokesman: Oh, sorry, Stefano and Iftikhar. I apologize. I'm just trying to get out.
Question: Yeah. It's a follow-up on the UNIFIL incident or not incident. The Defence Minister of Italy, [Guido] Crosetto, he said that it's not an incident in a sense that Israel knew exactly what it was doing. So, my question at this point is, did this Crosetto, the Minister of Defence, had a conversation today with the Secretary-General or anybody from the UN that confirmed to him what you just said?
Spokesman: He did not have a conversation with the Secretary-General. You should check with our colleagues in Peacekeeping whether or not anybody in UNIFIL and Peacekeeping had a conversation with Italian authorities. Iftikhar?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Any update on the relief work, you know, of the earthquake in Afghanistan and the floods in Pakistan?
Spokesman: Well, I can tell you the earthquake in Pakistan, I think we...
Question: In Afghanistan.
Spokesman: In the earthquake in Afghanistan, I read out what I had to read out. I can tell you that the Secretary-General is, is indeed very saddened by the massive loss of life that we've seen due to the floods in Pakistan and that the UN family as a whole is very much focused on supporting the Government of Pakistan, its relief efforts, and the people of Pakistan. And I expect a fuller statement to be released shortly on that. Okay. Now I'm out. Goodbye.
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