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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guest Today

In a short while, I will be joined here by my guest, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Representative, Bhanu Neupane. He will speak to you about the launch of the UN World Water Development Report for 2026, ahead of World Water Day, which is observed on 22 March.

**Briefings

Just a programming note for all of you. As you know tomorrow, the UN will be closed for the holiday Eid al-Fitr, so the office will be closed. We will not have a briefing. We will be back on Monday, and our guest will be Ted Chaiban, who - as you know - is the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Deputy Executive Director. He will be here to discuss his recent trip to Lebanon.

**Secretary-General's Travel

The Secretary-General this morning met and had a working lunch with the members of the European Council in Brussels. He also spoke to the press in Brussels and told them that he had the following message for the United States and to Israel: it's high time to end this war that is risking getting completely out of control.

And the Secretary-General said to Iran: Stop attacking your neighbours; they were never parties to the conflict. He added that the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz causes enormous pain in so many people around the world that have nothing to do with this conflict. Mr. [António] Guterres said that it's time for the force of the law to prevail over the law of force and for diplomacy to prevail over war.

Yesterday in Brussels, the Secretary-General met with Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus and Leader of the Greek Cypriot community. They discussed the way forward on the Cyprus issue. They also discussed the situation in the Middle East.

**Deputy Secretary-General's Travel

The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, is in Oxford, United Kingdom, today to deliver a public lecture at the University of Oxford on the topic, "Foundations and Futures: Reimagining the Architecture of Global Cooperation". While in the UK, the Deputy Secretary-General will have interactions with faculty members and students and meet with dignitaries. She will return to New York over the weekend.

**Nicholas Haysom

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Nicholas Haysom, who died on Tuesday in New York. The Secretary-General described him as a principled lawyer, tireless peacemaker and steadfast champion of the values of the United Nations. In every task, he combined deep legal insight with sound political judgment and an unwavering dedication to improving the lives of people. The Secretary-General offers his deepest condolences to his family and loved ones and to all our colleagues who had the privilege to be inspired by him in the pursuit of peace.

**Sudan

On Sudan, we are alarmed by reports that a drone strike yesterday killed at least 17 civilians and injured many more on the Chadian side of the town of Tine, which borders Sudan and Chad. This attack highlights the devastating human cost of the Sudanese conflict and how rapidly the frontlines are shifting, with border communities increasingly exposed to violence.

Attacks of this nature also emphasize the risk of broader regional destabilization, with neighbouring countries at growing risk of being drawn into the fighting. The intensifying use of increasingly powerful drones by both warring parties is expanding the battlefield and accelerating civilian harm across the country. We call on the warring parties to immediately de-escalate the fighting, comply with international humanitarian law and return to the negotiating table to pursue a sustainable resolution to this conflict.

Despite the many challenges, the UN and our partners continue to respond to needs across Sudan. Last week, Save the Children delivered 30 metric tons of medicine and nutrition supplies to Tawila in North Darfur. These supplies are expected to support more than 80,000 children and 57,000 adults and will enable 20 health facilities and mobile clinics to continue serving displaced communities for six months.

Our International Organization for Migration (IOM) colleagues reported this week that the overall number of displaced people in Sudan has fallen, with close to 9 million people now estimated to remain displaced within Sudan's borders and returns to Khartoum and the eastern states continuing. People who return face huge challenges as they begin to rebuild their lives and livelihoods, often in areas that have suffered severe damage during earlier phases of the war and where huge gaps in basic services remain. Large numbers of Sudanese refugees remain in neighbouring countries in need of support.

Our partners are calling for more funding, as well as rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained access, to scale up assistance. The 2026 Humanitarian Response Plan, which requires $2.9 billion to reach more than 20 million people across Sudan, is only about 16 per cent funded, with $454 million received so far. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners also require a further $1.6 billion this year, to support refugees and host communities in neighbouring countries.

**UN Interim Force in Lebanon

We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing escalation between Lebanon and Israel. Our UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeepers report continued heavy exchanges of fire, air and ground activity, alongside the increased presence of Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory, notably in Sector East. Yesterday, peacekeepers reported intense air activity across its area of operations, including 28 air strikes. In Sector East, the concentration of strikes was highest around Taibe and Bani Hayyan. Sector West saw strikes distributed across several areas including northwest of Bint Jbeil. UNIFIL radars also detected 11 additional air strikes.

Peacekeepers also reported 165 firing incidents originating from various launch points within its area of operations. These included 82 rockets fired from within the area of operations, 20 from outside these areas and at least 63 projectiles observed flying or intercepted within UNIFIL's area of operations.

Peacekeepers also observed extensive Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) military activity and heavy asset concentration across the area of operations, especially along the Blue Line. The build-up was most significant in Sector East where over 400 IDF vehicles were observed, including armoured personnel carriers, tanks and high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles.

Yesterday, an observation tower in the vicinity of Blida in Sector East came under machine-gun fire. The resulting debris caused a minor injury to the peacekeeper on duty in the tower. We remind all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers and respect the inviolability of UN premises and property. We continue to urge all sides to cease hostilities, avail themselves of diplomatic channels and recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

**Lebanon

Staying in Lebanon, we and our partners, together with the Government, continue to scale up our delivery of humanitarian assistance. The World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have provided more than 1.1 million hot meals since 2 March. Over 165,000 emergency nutrition rations and micronutrient supplements have also been distributed. UNHCR and its partners continue to distribute mattresses, sleeping mats and blankets, while UNICEF and its partners are providing hygiene kits. Clean water and the fuel needed to sustain water supplies continue to be supplied, as well.

Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that now more than 1 million people are displaced. Repeated displacement orders are pushing more families out of their homes and shelters. Critical infrastructure, including two bridges that link southern Lebanon to the rest of the country, is being impacted. Attacks on healthcare are adding further strain to Lebanon's health system and increasing risks for medical personnel providing life-saving care. Since 2 March, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 33 attacks that killed 31 people and injured 48 others.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says the Rafah Crossing into Gaza reopened today for the limited movement of people in both directions, following a 20-day suspension. This morning, WHO and its partners supported the medical evacuation of nine adult patients requiring treatment that is unavailable in the Gaza Strip. Our health colleagues say that most of these patients have trauma injuries and that they were accompanied by 16 companions into Egypt.

As a reminder, 18,000 patients in Gaza remain without the treatment that they urgently need. More patients will be able to access care once the Israeli authorities allow the resumption of referrals to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Meanwhile, scaling-up health services within Gaza remains a top priority, which requires facilitating the entry of critical equipment. As of earlier today, the UN and our partners are preparing to provide humanitarian services and support to people returning through Egypt.

OCHA reminds us that Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem remains the only operational crossing for incoming humanitarian and commercial supplies, presenting a major bottleneck. Just yesterday, three planned UN convoys to collect supplies from the crossing had to be cancelled after the Israeli authorities informed us that only fuel would be let in that day. This forced UN agencies to leave food, fodder and other items at the crossing for later pick-up.

Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues warn that strikes reportedly hit residential areas and caused casualties both in Gaza and in the West Bank, a reminder that civilians and civilian facilities must always be protected. Just yesterday, three Palestinian women were reportedly killed in the southern West Bank during a missile attack carried out in the context of the regional escalation, and today a fourth Palestinian woman reportedly died of her wounds. These are the first fatalities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the context of the regional escalation. So far, damage to homes and vehicles has been reported in multiple locations across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, due to debris falling, following the interception of Iranian missiles by Israeli forces.

**Ukraine

From Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tell us that, despite recent strikes, humanitarian workers continue to deliver aid to front-line areas. Yesterday, a humanitarian convoy from the UNHCR, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners, led by OCHA's Head of Office, Andrea De Domenico, delivered aid to the town of Mezhova, 10 kilometres from the front line, in the Dnipro Region. In both communities, drone strikes have disrupted local services, with most shops and pharmacies closed. This has left many of the residents, including older people and people with disabilities, who remain there reliant on humanitarian assistance.

On Tuesday, another inter-agency convoy, comprising IOM, UNFPA, the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and a national non-governmental organization (NGO) delivered hygiene supplies, solar lamps, bedding and other essential items to the community of Borova in the Kharkiv Region.

Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that civilians across the country continue to be impacted by the hostilities. The Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported that in February this year, at least 188 civilians were killed and 757 were injured, which is more than a 30 per cent increase compared to February of last year. Between 17 March and the early hours of today, hostilities across Ukraine have killed over a dozen civilians and injured nearly 100 people, according to local authorities. In particular, today's drone strikes injured several residents and damaged a dozen residential buildings in the very centre of Odesa City.

**Colombia

Turning to Colombia: The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today issued a report showing that human rights defenders in Colombia have been subjected to unrelenting violence over the past decade, with on average of just under 100 killed every year. The report acknowledges that the Colombian authorities have taken steps to address the situation, and they have also cooperated closely with OHCHR in Colombia. Nevertheless, the report also noted that state institutions in general have not been able to reverse the trends and patterns of violence against human rights defenders, nor to overcome the structural challenges that hinder the effort to provide sustained and comprehensive protection to human rights defenders.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stressed that, alongside ensuring accountability for the killings that have occurred, addressing the structural causes of this human tragedy with a comprehensive and integrated approach must be the priority, for all relevant authorities in Colombia, to protect human rights defenders and to enable them to carry out their critical work safely.

**International Days

I have a number of International Days to flag for the coming days, given the long weekend. Tomorrow, 20 March, marks the International Day of La Francophonie and French Language Day. Here at the United Nations, French is part of everyday life, shaping our debates and our work on the ground. Tomorrow is also the International Day of Happiness.

On 21 March, the Week of Solidarity with the Peoples Struggling against Racism and Racial Discrimination begins. The same day also marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The Secretary-General will address a commemorative meeting of the General Assembly on Monday, and we will share his remarks under embargo over the weekend.

Also on 21 March is the International Day of Nowruz, celebrated by more than 300 million people worldwide. In his message, the Secretary-General says this Day represents a new opportunity to build bridges of understanding and mutual respect among all cultures and peoples, and that, in these difficult and divided times, the message of Nowruz is more important than ever. Saturday also marks World Day for Glaciers and World Poetry Day. It is also World Down Syndrome Day, whose theme this year, "Together against Loneliness", highlights how loneliness disproportionately affects people with Down syndrome and their families.

On Sunday, we mark World Water Day. In his message, the Secretary-General stresses that safe water and sanitation are essential to protecting the rights and health of women and girls. And of course, our guest will talk more about the World Water Day and the World Water Development Report for 2026. Any questions for me before we turn to our guest? Yes, Namo.

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Farhan. Just one question on Syria. A new decree has been issued by Damascus authorities that bans the sale of alcohol in the city, except for the predominantly Christian neighbourhoods. Some people in Damascus, in Syria, are worried that this is the first step in a broader attempt to curtail their personal freedoms. Where does the Secretary-General stand on this ban, this restriction?

Deputy Spokesman: We don't have a position on this bit of domestic legislation, but, at the same time, we want to make sure that all laws in Syria are passed without discrimination against any of the many communities that make up Syrian society. And with that, let me turn to our guest.

Question: Farhan? It's Evelyn here.

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Hi, Evelyn.

Question: On Ukraine, has there been contacts with Russia on what's on… the terrible things happening there?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes, our offices are in touch with the authorities in Ukraine and Russia to express our concerns about the situation and the fighting. All right. Thanks very much. I'll get our guest now.