Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
24 October 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Guests
Good afternoon and happy UN Day, everyone.
Today, we will have as our guests, IOM's (International Organization for Migration) Deputy Director General for Operations, Ugochi Daniels, joining us from Geneva; along with UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) Deputy High Commissioner Kelly Clements connecting from Nairobi; Ted Chaiban, UNICEF's (United Nations Children's Fund) Deputy Executive Director, Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, joining us from N'djamena in Chad; and WFP's (World Food Programme) Assistant Executive Director, Valerie Guarnieri, who will be joining us from Rome.
They will join us shortly to talk about their visit to Sudan and their joint press release on that topic.
**UN Day
First off, we are marking United Nations Day, and United Nations Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force of the UN Charter in 1945. Eighty years on, the UN faces new and complex challenges, while working to adapt and strengthen itself. Through the 2030 Agenda, the Pact for the Future, and the UN80 Initiative, the UN seeks to renew the foundations of international cooperation, and to ensure that it can deliver for people everywhere.
And just to note that a number of events are taking place today at Headquarters and around the world to mark that Day.
**Security Council
And one of those events took place at the Security Council. The Secretary-General joined the Security Council session this morning to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the UN. He joined the session via video link from Hanoi.
He reminded Council members that the Security Council exists for sincere, hopeful people, who, for the last eight decades, have placed their trust in this institution to save them from the scourge of war.
On many pivotal occasions, the Secretary-General added, the Council has delivered on that task, helping Cambodia to emerge from genocide and South Africa to emerge from apartheid.
The Council is a vital necessity, and a powerful force for good. But at the same time, its legitimacy is fragile, Mr. [António] Guterres said. He reiterated his call for reform of the Security Council, including the expansion of its membership.
It is our duty to forge a body that can meet the challenges of the next 80 years, one that delivers justice and safety for all, he concluded.
**Viet Nam
The Secretary-General arrived in Hanoi, Viet Nam earlier today, where he met with the President of Viet Nam, Luong Cuong, and also took part in an official dinner hosted by the President.
Tomorrow, he will participate in a high-level event marking the opening for signature of the UN Convention against Cybercrime.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General is expected to say that this new convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defences against cybercrime. It is also a promise that fundamental human rights such as privacy, dignity and safety must be protected both offline and online. And, he will add, the convention is a vow that no country, no matter their level of development, will be left defenceless against cybercrime.
About 115 Member State delegations are expected to attend the high-level event, and as we mentioned, the Convention will enter into force 90 days after the deposit of the fortieth instrument of ratification.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General is also scheduled to hold a joint press conference with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. You will be able to watch both these events live on UN Web TV.
And as a reminder, on Saturday evening, the Secretary-General will head to Kuala Lumpur, where he will attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-UN Summit, chaired by Malaysia. On the sidelines of the Summit, he will engage in a number ofbilateral discussions with counterparts at the ASEAN meetings, as well as with the Malaysian hosts. And on Monday, we expect the Secretary-General to hold a press conference.
The Secretary-General will be back in New York on 28 October.
**Yemen
Since 2021, the Houthi de facto authorities have taken a number of steps that have made it increasingly difficult for the UN to provide assistance to Yemenis.
Their actions include the forcible entry and occupation of UN premises, seizure of assets and the repeated arbitrary detention of United Nations personnel, 55 of whom remain in detention. Two of those personnel were detained yesterday.
These actions are forcing us to reassess the way in which we work in areas controlled by the Houthis. Mr. Muin Shreim has been appointed by the United Nations to lead and strengthen ongoing efforts to seek the release of our colleagues and prevent future detention.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza,the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that the UN and our partners continue to scale up the humanitarian response, in line with our 60-day response plan.
Our partners working on food security say that they are now distributing over 1 million hot meals daily across the Strip. In the north, partners have started distributing general food parcels, containing rice, canned food and cooking oil, and six UN-supported bakeries have resumed bread production.
Our partners providing nutrition services report that since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October, they have opened over 20 new nutrition sites in Gaza. There are now 150 such sites that are functional across the Strip.
Meanwhile, 20 mobile health and nutrition teams are being deployed across Gaza to deliver nutrition support in hard-to-reach areas, doubling the number of teams compared to pre-ceasefire levels.
This week, our partners working in nutrition dispatched enough therapeutic food to treat over 1,200 children suffering from acute malnutrition, as well as more than 32,000 jars of baby food to support dietary diversity for some 760 infants and young children for two weeks.
Efforts to provide water and sanitation services are also scaling up. Over the course of two days this week, partners have distributed about 600,000 diapers, 11,000 jerry cans, 5,800 hygiene kits, 3,000 buckets and 280 disability kits to displaced communities in various locations in the Strip.
More than 140 water tanks with a 2,000-litre capacity have been collected from the crossings into Gaza to expand community water points and reduce the need for water trucking.
The UN and our partners also continue to collect humanitarian supplies from the two crossings into Gaza that are currently operational, Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim. On Wednesday, at least 127 UN-coordinated trucks were collected for distribution inside the Strip, 104 from Kerem Shalom and 23 from Kissufim. The supplies picked up included wheat flour and other food items, baby diapers, stoves and pots for community kitchens, tents and tarps, health supplies, nutrition supplements, and over 340,000 litres of diesel fuel.
Also on Wednesday, the UN and partners offloaded 199 trucks at the two crossings, over half of them carrying food supplies.
Yesterday, five UN-led humanitarian missions were coordinated with Israeli authorities to collect medical supplies, hygiene kits, winter clothes and fuel from these two crossings. One of the missions, which was facilitated, involved the collection of nearly 116,000 litres of diesel, as well as the distribution of fuel for critical humanitarian operations. Two other missions involved the collection of essential medical equipment, hygiene kits, insulin and cholera kits.
Our partners monitoring population flows across Gaza report that people continue to move towards areas that were off-limits before the ceasefire. More than 435,000 movements have been reported from southern to northern parts of the Strip since 10 October.
Our partners present at monitoring points along the routes people are using to travel continue to provide basic support, such as bottled water, energy biscuits and referrals to address their needs.
Partners report that only 10 per cent of all internally displaced people reside in collective centres. The majority remain in overcrowded, makeshift sites, many of which were set up in open or unsafe areas.
OCHA reiterates that more is needed and more can be done, but for this to happen, we need more crossings to open, including those that provide direct access to the north, as well as the facilitation of access for non-governmental organizations. These organizations must be able to bring in the essential supplies they have waiting to enter Gaza, and their work is vital to address the huge level of needs we are seeing.
**Lebanon
In southern Lebanon, peacekeepers continue to discover unauthorized weapons and ammunition caches and report them to the Lebanese Armed Forces for disposal. On Wednesday, peacekeepers found mortar shells, fuses and a cannon in Sector West. Near the same location, small homemade explosive devices were found on Thursday.
UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) is also continuing to refurbish the Blue Line markers damaged during the hostilities. Since 15 October, four new markers have been installed in Sector East and two more are to be refurbished next week. UNIFIL's ongoing refurbishment work requires close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Following a Lebanese Armed Forces request, UNIFIL has facilitated olive harvests by Lebanese farmers near the Blue Line on more than 40 occasions this month. In addition to de-conflicting these activities with the parties, the peacekeepers conduct patrols together with the Lebanese Army in those areas to ensure the farmers' safety.
Meanwhile, UNIFIL continues to observe Israel Defense Forces military presence and activities in the area of operations.
**South Sudan
Turning to South Sudan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that nearly 1 million people are now affected by the devastating floods in the country.
As of yesterday, severe and widespread flooding has impacted more than 960,000 people in six states, mostly in Jonglei and Unity. Some 335,000 people have been displaced, with many seeking safety on higher ground.
Since last month, the floods have affected more than 140 health facilities, nearly a third of which were damaged or fully submerged, disrupting access to essential health services for thousands of people at a time when South Sudan grapples with disease outbreaks, including cholera and malaria.
In the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported over 104,000 malaria cases, including 16 deaths, across the country. This marks a 15 per cent increase in cases from the previous week, mainly due to the ongoing flooding.
South Sudan also faces ongoing conflict and acute food insecurity, and the flooding is compounding an already dire humanitarian situation in the country.
Despite significant access challenges in the states of Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile, we and our humanitarian partners continue to reach flood-affected people with vital aid and carry out needs assessments to inform the ongoing response. The World Food Programme is on the ground delivering food and nutrition assistance.
WHO and its partners have delivered over 50 metric tons of medical supplies to support the response in Jonglei, Unity and Upper Nile states, with more assistance in the pipeline, including tents, cholera kits and emergency health kits.
Health teams from the International Organization for Migration have been providing medicine and other support, and earlier this week, IOM signed an agreement with South Sudanese officials that will see $8.5 million invested to build flood-resilient infrastructure and rehabilitate drainage channels to protect Bor Town in Jonglei State.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that over the past day, attacks and hostilities continued to cause civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the authorities, the Kherson region in southern Ukraine was hardest hit, with reports of sustained air attacks on more than 30 towns and villages. Attacks also impacted the Donetsk region, the northern Sumy region, the Kharkiv City and the Kirovohrad region in central Ukraine.
The Ukrainian energy company reported scheduled power cuts in 12 regions and ongoing restrictions for industrial consumers nationwide. Our humanitarian colleagues note that as cold temperatures set in, repeated power cuts and damaged homes are making living conditions increasingly difficult for civilians, especially for older people and families with children.
We, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to support evacuations from front-line areas in the Kharkiv region. Since August, nearly 9,000 people have passed through the Lozova Transit Centre and more than 27,000 through the Kharkiv Centre. With support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, partners are providing transportation, psychosocial support and rehabilitation services.
**Tropical Storm Melissa
Turning to Tropical Storm Melissa in the Caribbean: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to coordinate preparations and response efforts as weather conditions worsen in the region. Our humanitarian colleagues note that the US National Hurricane Centre reports that the storm is currently located south of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and moving very slowly, bringing heavy rains and strong winds. While still a tropical storm, Melissa is expected to intensify to a major hurricane in the coming days, threatening Jamaica and then Cuba.
The OCHA Regional Office is working closely with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, our UN teams and national authorities in Cuba and Jamaica to coordinate preparations, including through the prepositioning of supplies, and stands ready to deploy support if necessary.
In Haiti, forecasts warn of life-threatening flash floods and landslides in southern parts of the country this weekend and early next week. Haitian authorities have issued an orange alert for the departments of West, Grand'Anse, Nippes, South and South-East, urging people to avoid high-risk areas and follow official guidance.
As we announced earlier this week, $4 million has been allocated from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) so that the World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund and the International Organization for Migration can support more than 100,000 vulnerable people before the storm hits. This includes pre-positioned relief supplies and emergency shelter materials for tens of thousands of households, cash assistance to help families purchase essentials and food stocks strategically placed across the country.
Initial impacts have already been reported in Haiti. Two people were killed and one injured yesterday in a landslide in Fontamara, a suburb of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Heavy rains caused flooding and damage across several departments: a bridge was destroyed in the North-East department; homes were damaged in the North-West department; and flooding was reported in the Artibonite and Centre departments.
Early-warning messages have been widely disseminated, including SMS alerts sent to 3.5 million people to help communities prepare. OCHA has bolstered its coordination capacities in the South department to support authorities and humanitarian partners with preparations ahead of the storm.
We, along with our partners, will continue to support Haitian authorities, who are leading on preparations and response efforts, to ensure a coordinated, efficient and rapid response before and after the storm.
**International Days
Today is World Development Information Day. It underscores the importance of mobilizing public awareness, international cooperation and technology to advance equitable, sustainable economic and social progress, especially in developing countries.
Disarmament Week begins today, promoting awareness of disarmament's vital role in global peace and security. The UN urges reducing weapons, fostering dialogue and strengthening collective security to ensure a safer, more sustainable future.
Today also marks the start of Global Media and Information Literacy Week. It highlights the need for critical thinking to navigate AI (artificial intelligence)-shaped media, empowering people to discern, evaluate and responsibly engage in digital spaces.
Do we have any questions before we go to our guests? Yes, Dezhi?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sorry. Yesterday, ICJ (International Court of Justice) issued the adversary opinion on the situation in Gaza; especially, it dismissed Israel's accusations against UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency). Today, US Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio, in Israel, when answering question about UN's role to play in Gaza, he said, and I want to quote, "The United Nation is here. They are on the ground. We're willing to work with them if they can make it work, but not UNRWA. UNRWA became a subsidiary of Hamas." Is UNRWA a subsidiary of Hamas?
Deputy Spokesman: You've already heard us talk about how UNRWA is not linked to Hamas. UNRWA is the backbone of our humanitarian operations in Gaza. There were a small number of staff members of UNRWA who were credibly linked to Hamas, and we have handled that situation and fired those personnel. Others were not found to have any links, or there was no evidence provided to back up any allegations. As for the UN's work on the ground, I would simply point out that UNRWA, as well as the rest of the UN system, is working on the ground right now to help the people of Gaza, and we will continue to do that. And beyond that, I would simply refer you to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which says that all of the various agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency, need to have the cooperation of Israel.
Question: Can you give me a little bit of idea — if US said they are not going to work with UNRWA and you said UNRWA is the backbone for UN in Gaza humanitarian work, how would that work out?
Deputy Spokesman: UNRWA is going about its work today, and we will continue to go about that. As for the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, I'd refer you back to the very lengthy and detailed statement we put out after the advisory opinion was issued in terms of what the Secretary-General's expectations are. Stefano?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Tomorrow in Hanoi, the Secretary-General will attend the signing of a new international treaty on cybercrime. However, there is a growing concern among press freedom organizations that so-called anti-cybercrime laws are increasingly being weaponized to silence journalists. How does the Secretary-General respond to the criticism that the UN endorsement of this treaty could legitimize the misuse of cybercrime legislation to criminalize journalists and dissent?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, one of the points that the Secretary-General wants to make clear is that the Convention against Cybercrime needs to protect fundamental human rights, including privacy, dignity and safety. And we will share with you his remarks. But it's very clear that in the fight against cybercrime, basic human rights standards must be fully upheld. Okay. Yes?
Question: Yes, today, there was at the Security Council, there have been many speeches about what the UN needs for the future. The US Ambassador, actually, Mike Waltz, wasn't there, but he gave an interview where to this topic, he answered like this. He says... sorry, here: "And I think if we, frankly, give the UN some tough love, which we are doing right now, and get them away from all of that other nonsense, whether it's a climate agenda or the gender ideology or what have you and focusing back on creating peace deals and helping the President and so on." So, what does the Secretary-General think about the US Ambassador saying that the climate agenda is nonsense?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, you have seen what the Secretary-General has had to say about climate change and the reality of the consequences we're facing having to do with climate change, and I'll refer you back to that. As for the views expressed by the Ambassador: obviously, those are the views coming from one of the Member States of the United Nations. But the United Nations is, of course, represented by 193 Member States, and we take all of their views into account and all their concerns into account. Yes, in the back.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. May I ask a question about China?
Deputy Spokesman: Sure.
Question: Figures show that during the past five years, China contributed about 30 per cent to global economic growth. And China's exports to wind and solar products have helped other countries to reduce carbon emissions. Maybe you have learned from the news media that over the past few days, China has held a very important meeting, which outlined its road map for development for the next five years. The key point is that China will accelerate its green transition. So, what's the UN perspective on China's green transition and its contribution to the global low-carbon development?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary-General has made clear that he appreciates the efforts by Governments, including China, to pursue green growth and develop further climate-friendly technologies. And he believes that that is the way of the future. Yes, please?
Question: Going back to the Secretary-General's statement from today about the Security Council reform, how feasible is reform of the Security Council, given that usually you need to have approval from permanent members? It doesn't seem like something they'd willingly give up any kind of power in that regard. So how feasible is that kind of reform?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you pointed out one of the big conundrums of this — that the key countries on the Security Council need themselves to be able to support the changes in the Security Council. Ultimately, what is needed is for those countries to hear the voices of all the other Member States about how, in order to be effective, the Security Council needs to be reformed. The Secretary-General encourages these reforms; although, he does, of course, respect that under the UN Charter, it's the Member States themselves who ultimately will have to decide on this. And with that, let me turn now to our guests.
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