Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guests

Good afternoon. In a short while, we will have a guest: Francisco Pichon, Resident Coordinator in Cuba. He will brief you on the situation in the country. Tomorrow, we will have as our guest Imran Riza, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon. He will be briefing you on Lebanon, from Beirut.

**Sudan

I will start with Sudan today. The Secretary-General's Personal Envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, is continuing his engagements in the region. He is currently in Nairobi, where he met today with the head of the Rapid Support Forces Commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Hemedti. This follows his recent meeting with General [Abdel Fattah] Al Burhan, the President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Republic of Sudan and also meeting with the authorities in Khartoum as part of his continuing inaugural discussions.

The meetings afforded a constructive opportunity to exchange views and explore practical avenues for de-escalation and the protection of civilians. All stakeholders engaged by Mr. Haavisto throughout these visits have expressed their readiness to cooperate with the United Nations and the Personal Envoy. This is encouraging and must swiftly translate into concrete progress towards ending the suffering of all Sudanese, once and for all.

And just to flag that, over the weekend, Mr. Haavisto was in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, where he met with Egyptian officials there, as well as representatives of the League of Arab States and members of the Sudanese diaspora in Cairo.

**Sudan/Humanitarian

On the humanitarian front, I can tell you that our teams on the ground are scaling up their presence in Khartoum, to expand humanitarian operations. Our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Denise Brown, is returning to Khartoum with a core team from our humanitarian unit.

Most of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) team is remaining in Port Sudan for now, but a number of other agencies have opened up offices in Khartoum over previous months. These offices were closed since the start of the war, as you well know. The arrival of Ms. Brown and her team signals a renewed commitment to expanding humanitarian operations in the capital and beyond, at a time when needs are skyrocketing. More than 1.6 million Sudanese people have also returned to Khartoum in recent months, even as explosive remnants of war and damaged infrastructure continue to pose serious risks.

As the three-year mark of hostilities in Sudan approaches, we reiterate our call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, including health facilities, an immediate cessation of hostilities, and rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access.

Once again, our humanitarian colleagues are sounding the alarm that drone attacks continue to endanger civilians and deepen humanitarian needs throughout Sudan. In White Nile State, an attack on Al Jabalayn Teaching Hospital last Thursday reportedly killed 10 health workers and injured 22 others, obviously severely disrupting all services at the teaching hospital. We reiterate that medical personnel and facilities must be protected, as international humanitarian law requires.

Since the conflict began nearly three years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 200 such attacks, with over 2,000 people killed. In the first quarter of this year alone, 13 attacks against health targets have been verified, killing 184 people and injuring nearly 300 others.

We need adequate funding to deliver humanitarian assistance in Sudan. The 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which requires $2.9 billion to reach more than 20 million people across the country, is only 16 per cent funded, with just $465 million in the bank.

**Lebanon/Humanitarian

Turning to Lebanon, our humanitarian colleagues there say that more than 1.1 million men, women and children in Lebanon are now registered as displaced. More than 137,000 people, one third of whom are children, are sheltering in nearly 700 collective sites, many of them are schools. Most displaced people are dispersed across host communities or informal settings, often with very limited access to the most basic services.

The human toll continues to rise at an alarming pace, impacting especially children. We and our partners continue to work closely with the Government of Lebanon to help people in the face of these soaring needs. With pumping stations and main supply lines damaged across multiple governorates, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has supplied more than 280,000 litres of fuel to some 45 pumping stations and wastewater stations nationwide, in the first month of the escalation. The agency is also helping to repair and maintain these sites.

Since the start of this escalation, we and our partners have also distributed more than 3 million meals and over 65,000 food parcels. Despite these efforts, many people are still being left behind, especially those who are displaced outside formal shelters, who often struggle to access even the most basic support. Ongoing insecurity is also making it harder for our teams to reach those in need and deliver assistance safely.

Our call to all remains urgent: de-escalate now; respect international humanitarian law. You must do this by protecting civilians, including humanitarian and health workers; ensuring safe, unimpeded access for humanitarian delivery; and funding the response. As of today, less than $100 million of the $308 million required under the March appeal for Lebanon has been received.

**Lebanon/Israel

On the peacekeeping end, I can tell you that we remain deeply concerned by the ongoing escalation between Hizbullah and Israel, including Israeli strikes in Beirut. United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers report in their area of operations continued exchanges of rocket and artillery fire, air strikes and clashes on the ground, alongside an increased presence of Israeli forces and assets inside Lebanese territory.

Over the weekend, kinetic activity was concentrated around Yatar and Bint Jbeil in Sector West and Al Qantarah in Sector East. On Friday, an explosion occurred inside a UN position near El Adeisse. Three peacekeepers were injured, including two seriously. And again, in this case, the peacekeepers were Indonesians. The two most seriously injured personnel were medevacked to a hospital in Marjayoun, where they are now reported to be in stable condition. The less seriously injured personnel received on-site medical treatment.

You will have seen on Friday, we reported that Israeli soldiers destroyed all of the force protection cameras facing Minghy Street, which is on the outside of UNIFIL's Naqoura Headquarters. These cameras were positioned solely to monitor the immediate vicinity of our headquarters and ensure the safety and security of both military and civilian peacekeepers. We have conveyed our serious concern to the Israel Defense Forces. Again, we urge all actors to uphold their obligations under international law and to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

A quick update for you from Gaza: Our colleagues at OCHA say that UNICEF and its partners have restored access to clean water in the south of the Gaza Strip after an air strike on 25 March. This attack had curbed output at the Southern Gaza Seawater Desalination Plant to less than 20 per cent of its normal capacity. OCHA says that half a million people in Deir al-Balah and the northern Mawasi area of Khan Younis couldn't fully access drinking water as a result, despite UN-backed efforts to bring in clean water on trucks.

**Ukraine

Moving to Europe and Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues there tell us that intensified attacks over the weekend killed 42 people, including a child, and injured some 200 other civilians, among them over a dozen children. Attacks also damaged health, education and energy facilities, disrupting [power] in several regions. This is according to what authorities are telling us.

Our humanitarian colleagues note that more than 25,000 people have been displaced from the Donetsk region so far this year. Our partners continue to support Government-led evacuations, assisting the most vulnerable people, including those with limited mobility. Following the latest attacks, our partners mobilized emergency assistance across multiple regions, providing medical and psychosocial support, as well as distributing food and other essential supplies and support to people who need cash assistance. Our Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, stressed that, under international humanitarian law, residents must be protected as they go about their daily lives.

**BBNJ

And you will have seen that, on Thursday, the third session of the Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the BBNJ, the [Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction] Agreement ended last Thursday with a renewed commitment among stakeholders to advance the timely and effective implementation of the Agreement.

We thank delegations for their tireless work and dedication, as well as the Co-Chairs, Adam McCarthy of Australia and Ambassador Janine Felson of Belize, for their leadership, reaffirming the significance of the BBNJ Agreement as a milestone for global ocean governance and for the multilateral system. The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties will be held next year, 2027, from 11 to 22 January, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Agreement.

**Sport for Development and Peace

Today is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. This year's theme, "Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers", reflects sport's unique role as a universal language that cuts across cultures and borders, advancing the United Nations' goals for development and peace.

**Financial Contribution

We have a quiz, because we got some money. This country has over 30 languages that are spoken; it has some of the highest dunes in the world: the tallest one stands at 325 metres and is called "Big Daddy". Listen to the cameraman from Al Jazeera because he always knows. [Namibia.] We thank our friends in Windhoek for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Namibia brings us up to 99 [fully paid-up Member States]. So, would say, "Good thinking, 99," for those of you who get that reference from 1970s television. Yes, Edie?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Steph. Does the Secretary-General have any reaction to the threat by President [Donald J.] Trump to blow up power plants, bridges and other infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not open by tomorrow evening?

Spokesman: Yes. We were alarmed by the rhetoric seen in that social media post that threatened American attacks on power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure, should Iran not agree to a deal. The Secretary-General has been very clear on issues regarding international law, and he urges yet again all parties to abide by their obligations regarding the conduct of these hostilities. And he recalls that civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, may not be attacked; even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective, international humanitarian law would still prohibit attacks against them if they may be expected to cause excessive incidental civilian harm. Once again, the Secretary-General reaffirms that it's high time for the parties to stop this conflict, as there is no viable alternative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes. Yvonne Murray, RTE?

Question: Thank you. So, such attacks could constitute war crimes in the Secretary-General's view?

Spokesman: They would constitute violations of international law, and I think whether something is a crime or not a crime would have to be decided by a court, but any attack on civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law and a very clear one. Gabriel?

Question: Thanks, Steph. Do you have any update on the Strait of Hormuz and Mr. [Jorge] Moreira da Silva's work for the last few days on how that mechanism is working?

Spokesman: Yeah. He was continuing his discussions as of the end of last week. His contacts are continuing. Also, I wanted to let you know that Jean Arnault will be heading to the region today and will be able to report more detail soon, likely tomorrow or the day after, on the list of countries that he will visit.

Question: And on UNIFIL, the investigation into the incidents that injured and killed the UNIFIL personnel are still under investigation?

Spokesman: The investigation results are being processed right now, so as soon as I have something to share with you, I will. Okay, Abdelhamid, I see you. I assume you have a question if I see you, so go ahead.

Question: Thank you. Today, Al-Aqsa Mosque was stormed by Security Minister [Itamar] Ben-Gvir, although the mosque was closed for Muslim prayers for almost over a month. But, yet, Ben-Gvir found the time and with his security to storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Any comment on that?

Spokesman: Look, we are continually concerned about the efforts to change the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem. And we continue to watch that very closely.

Question: My second question, nine Palestinians were killed in Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Gaza today. Are you aware of this development and the number of people killed?

Spokesman: I have not received those reports here at this point. Iftikhar?

Question: Thank you, Steph. I'm sure you have seen today's Reuters report about a proposal submitted by Pakistan, a ceasefire proposal submitted by Pakistan to the United States and Iran. Has the Secretary-General had any knowledge of it? Has he been informed?

Spokesman: We've seen those reports. I don't have anything to share with you on that at this point. All right. Thank you very much. We will ask our guest, Mr. Pinchon, the Resident Coordinator in Cuba, to come on the screen.