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, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

**Guest

All right, good afternoon, thank you for your patience. We are going to start with our guest, if you could put him on the screen.

Excellent. I am delighted to welcome Dennis Zulu, who is the UN Resident Coordinator in Jamaica, covering the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands. We obviously asked him to come in and brief you regarding the situation with Hurricane Melissa.

So, Dennis, first of all thank you for making the time. We will let you make some opening comments then take some questions. Go ahead, Dennis.

[this part of the briefing has not been transcribed.]

**Guests today

Thank you, Dennis, so much. We hope you and all of our UN colleagues are safe and sound, thank you for everything you are doing, and we hope you come back soon to give us an update, but we really appreciate your time. Take care, Dennis.

Alright, if you didn't have enough today, you are going to have more. Just a reminder, after I am done, at 1:30 p.m. today, there will be a briefing here by Annalena Baerbock, who, as you know, is our President of the General Assembly. She will be joined by Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar. They will brief you on the Second World Summit for Social Development, which kicks off in Doha next week.

And, at 2:15 p.m. today, there will be a briefing here by Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He will be here in person.                

Lastly, at 3:30 p.m., there will be a briefing by Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; as you know, this is the Special Rapporteur week. He's just briefed the General Assembly's Third Committee.   

Tomorrow, at 1 p.m., there will be a briefing by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan. They will be presenting their findings to the Third Committee tomorrow morning. That briefing will be here at 1 p.m.

And, at 2:00 p.m., there will be a briefing by a Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua after they brief the Third Committee.

**Hurricane Melissa

Earlier today, you saw that the Secretary-General issued a statement in which he said he is gravely concerned as Hurricane Melissa unleashes widespread devastation across the Caribbean. The Secretary-General stands in solidarity with the Governments and people impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

The Secretary-General conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.

**Chief Executives Board

Also just to note that tomorrow and Friday morning, the Secretary-General will be chairing the biannual session of the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), bringing together the heads of the UN system organizations. The fall session always takes place in New York and will take place in New York again.

CEB Members will reflect on current world affairs as they affect and are related to the UN system, and they will engage in deliberations on the "Impact of the present disruptions in the global economy on the Sustainable Development Goals" as well as the "State of Play of the UN80 Initiative".

**Sudan

Turning to the horrific ongoing situation in Sudan, I can tell you that we condemn the continuing violations of international humanitarian law and the violations and abuses of human rights taking place in El Fasher; that includes the indiscriminate attacks and targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Today, we were horrified by the reports of the tragic killing of more than 460 people, both patients and their companions, at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in El Fasher. This follows recent attacks and the abduction of health workers.

Prior to this latest attack, our colleagues at WHO (World Health Organization) verified 185 attacks on healthcare in Sudan, with 1,204 deaths and 416 injuries of health workers and patients since the start of the conflict in April 2023. Forty-nine of these attacks occurred this year alone, and they killed 966 people.

Our humanitarian colleagues say that people continue to flee El Fasher, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) tells us that more than 36,000 people fled between Sunday and yesterday. Most have sought refuge within the outskirts of El Fasher, as well as the localities of Kebkabiya, Melit and Tawila, where families are - as you can imagine - living in the open with no shelter, sanitation or protection. Women and girls, as they always do in these circumstances, face heightened risks of violence and abuse.

In El Fasher, local sources report that thousands of people, including the elderly and those with disabilities as well as the wounded, remain stranded and unable to flee the area due to insecurity and the lack of transport options.

We and our partners on the ground coordinating vital assistance in Tawila, where displaced families are being hosted at overcrowded sites. Urgent needs include shelter, food, water, healthcare and protection. And today our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, approved a $20 million allocation for Sudan from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This will support the scaling up of emergency support in Tawila and other locations in Darfur and the Kordofan region. This adds to $27 million already allocated from the CERF for Sudan this year alone.

The situation in North Kordofan is no better. Fighting continues to devastate communities. IOM reports that between 24,000 and 27,000 people were displaced from the locality of Um Dam Haj Ahmed; that was yesterday.

Still in North Kordofan, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies yesterday said it was "horrified" after five Sudanese Red Crescent volunteers were killed and three went missing while distributing food in the locality of Bara.

Twenty-one Red Crescent staff and volunteers have been killed since the conflict began.

We can't stress enough that civilians, humanitarian workers and medical personnel must be always protected, and once again we call on all parties to immediately halt hostilities, guarantee safe passage for civilians and aid workers, and ensure sustained humanitarian access wherever it is needed.

And you saw the reports from Sudan that two of our WFP (World Food Programme) colleagues have been designated as persona non grata by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and were asked to leave the country within 72 hours, without any official explanation.

This decision to expel WFP's Country Director and Emergency Coordinator comes at a pivotal time, to state the obvious. Humanitarian needs in Sudan have never been greater, with more than 24 million people facing acute food insecurity and communities impacted by famine.

WFP and senior UN officials are engaging with authorities to protest this action and we are seeking clarification for this decision. All parties in Sudan must prioritize the lives and well-being of millions who depend on emergency food and nutrition assistance for their survival.

WFP, and the whole UN family, remain unwavering in our commitment to ensure that the people of Sudan can access vital assistance during this period of unprecedented hunger, unprecedented insecurity and unprecedented humanitarian needs.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation in Gaza, and I've been asked this morning, so I will tell you that the Secretary-General strongly condemns the killings due to Israeli airstrikes of civilians in Gaza yesterday, including many children. He condemns all actions that undermine the ceasefire and endanger civilian lives.

He notes the importance of the parties' renewed assurances to implement the ceasefire and stresses that these commitments must be upheld in full. Any act that harms civilians or obstructs humanitarian operations must be avoided.

The Secretary-General commends the ongoing diplomatic efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and the United States, whose engagement has been critical in sustaining the agreement, preventing further escalation, and enabling increased humanitarian access.

The United Nations and our partners are rapidly scaling up their presence across Gaza, working intensively to deliver life-saving assistance to communities in need.

Our partners, as I mentioned, and ourselves are continuing to seize any opportunity presented by the ceasefire to scale up humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

Just looking back to Monday, our partners working in child protection reached 1,500 children and 700 caregivers with mental health, psychosocial and other support.

Our partners working on food security tell us that they're supporting the production of about 130,000 two-kilogram bread bundles every single day. That's as of Monday.

Community sites, kitchens and shelters that we support continue to distribute bread for free. But our partners say that people struggle to access meat, vegetables, and fruits, with most families relying on cereals, pulses and small amounts of dairy.

Yesterday, the UN Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) distributed more than 200,000 litres of fuel to our partners in southern and northern Gaza to keep critical operations. Those operations included water, sanitation, hygiene, health, food security, logistics, rubble removal, telecommunications and education.

OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) says that while the humanitarian scale-up is under way, impediments remain. To fully deliver on the 60-day humanitarian plan, we need the ceasefire to hold. But we also need more functional crossings, the lifting of bureaucratic hurdles, safe and viable routes inside Gaza, unimpeded access - including for NGOs (non-governmental organizations) - and of course continued funding.

And a comment on the West Bank: Our human rights colleagues said yesterday that ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers continue to instil fear, destroy homes and livelihoods, and force Palestinians off their land.

**Ukraine

Turning to Ukraine, where our humanitarian colleagues tell us that attacks and hostilities across the country are continuing to kill and injure civilians, including children, and damage civilian infrastructure.

In Kherson City, a strike today severely damaged a children's hospital, injuring a child and medical workers. The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, said that a strike on a children's hospital is a matter of grave concern, adding that attacks against civilians and health facilities are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.

Also today, a UN humanitarian convoy, facilitated by OCHA, delivered assistance to the community of Kutsurubska in the Mykolaiv region. This marks the third convoy to the region in 2025, reaching 4,000 people in hard-hit communities.

From January to September of this year, our humanitarian partners reached more than 4 million people across Ukraine with at least one type of assistance, covering 42 per cent of people in need. More than 500 organizations provided support, with the highest number of people reached in the Dnipro, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.

Three quarters of the way through the year, the $2.6 billion Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan for Ukraine is currently 44 per cent funded, with [$1.15] billion received.

**Brazil

A number of you asked me this morning about our reaction concerning police raids that took place in Rio de Janeiro, and I can tell you that the Secretary-General is gravely concerned by the large number of casualties during a police operation conducted yesterday in the favelas in Rio de Janeiro. He stresses that the use of force in police operations must adhere to international human rights law and standards and urges the authorities to undertake a prompt investigation.

**Adaptation Gap Report

Two climate-related today to flag to you. Today, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released its Adaptation Gap Report. UNEP notes that while adaptation planning and implementation are improving, adaptation finance needs in developing countries by 2035 are over $310 billion per year, which is 12 times as much as current international public adaptation finance flows.

In a message for the release of the report, the Secretary-General said that the Adaptation Gap Report is a red alert. Climate impacts are accelerating, he said, and yet adaptation finance is not keeping pace, leaving the world's most vulnerable exposed to rising seas, deadly storms, and searing heat.

The Secretary-General said that this is not just a funding gap; it is a failure of global solidarity.

He stressed that COP 30 (30^th Conference of Parties) in Brazil must deliver a global action plan to ensure developing countries have the resources and capacity to protect their people, strengthen food and water security, and build resilience across every sector of development.

**Climate Change/Health

Also released today was the 2025 report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, produced in collaboration with our friends at the World Health Organization (WHO), [which] warned that continued overreliance on fossil fuels and the failure to adapt to a heating world are already having a devastating toll on human health. The report shows that the rate of heat-related mortality has increased 23 per cent since the 1990s, pushing total heat-related deaths to an average of 546,000 deaths per year.

According to the report, droughts and heatwaves were associated with an additional 124 million human beings facing moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023.

The report also pointed out that Governments spent $956 billion on net fossil fuel subsidies in 2023, more than triple the amount pledged annually to support climate-vulnerable countries.

**Peacekeeping

The Department of Peace Operations, together with Canada, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Korea, and UN-Women, has just concluded a high-level event titled "Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) at a Crossroads: Rethinking, Reimagining, and Recommitting to WPS in United Nations Peacekeeping".

At the event, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the head of Peace Operations, emphasized the critical role of UN Peacekeeping in advancing gender equality and implementing the women, peace and security agenda.

UN Peacekeeping's report on 25 years of women, peace and security is available online.

**Care and Support Day

Today is an International Day that we could use every day. It is the International Day of Care and Support. Paid and unpaid care work, from domestic labour to caring for loved ones, is essential for sustainable societies. Yet it remains undervalued and underpaid. We call for fair wages, stronger protection for care workers, and recognition of care work's vital role in our economies and societies.

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman: Benny? You've got to pay attention, Gab.

Question: All right. I made it. So you know there's like a race… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: The what, sorry?

Question: A race for the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Spokesman: I'm aware.

Question: So I wonder if the Secretary-General has any opinion on the major issues rather than personalities as to, for instance, should it be a woman? Should it be somebody from a certain regional area?

Spokesman: I think I would refer you back to what the Secretary-General has said in the past. I think given that the race is, let's say, much more real today than it was a year ago, we will refer… the Secretary-General, I think, is keen on ensuring that he does not interfere in any way, shape or form in this contest, in which he is not running.

Question: So on those issues, that's why I didn't ask about the personalities. But on those issues - women, Latin America?

Spokesman: Again, I think the Secretary-General has spoken about this before. He stands by what he said, but I think as we will not, at this point in the calendar, speak to the race. Sir?

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Maybe the new Secretary should be Kurdish, given the fact that we don't have a country. So one question on the Iraqi elections. Does the United Nations play any role in monitoring the elections in Iraq, which are scheduled for 11 November?

Spokesman: It's a very good question. I will check with our colleagues at the political mission in Baghdad.

Question: Just one more question, if you can check. We don't have an answer. Armed groups in Iraq are participating as coalitions in the elections. How does the UN assess the risk to the integrity of the elections? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I really have nothing to answer you off the top of my head, but we will get some answers for you. Gabriel?

Question: Thanks, Steph. One on Sudan and then one on Gaza. Have we heard… What's the latest with Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra, given the situation, on his movements, who he's been talking to? Any updates from him?

Spokesman: My understanding is Mr. Lamamra has been speaking to the different parties. I think he's doing this from his base. I know Mr. Fletcher has also been speaking to the various sides and others in this conflict. I think we are all working towards the same goal, which is to see an immediate halt to the fire, humanitarian aid being allowed to go in, and the restoration of a long-term political process.

Question: And the UN's posture in Tawilah is still the same, given the fall of El Fasher?

Spokesman: Yes.

Question: And one on Gaza. More than 100 people were killed with Israel's latest attacks - according to local officials, 46 children, at least 20 women. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican in the US Congress, posted on social media, these are her words, "46 children. Are those not war crimes?" Would you answer that question?

Spokesman: I think it's not for me to answer Representative Taylor Greene, with all respect to her. I think I was very clear in what I just said in expressing the Secretary-General's condemnation of what happened. Islam, then Abdelhamid, then Alex.

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. My question is about international force on Gaza. According to the Israeli media, Israeli officials are vehemently against any United Nations involvement in that force. Arab countries, they sort of discussed that United Nations should be involved, especially considering the UN Charter Chapter 7, but Israeli officials oppose it. What is the international force situation? What can you tell us from the UN point?

Spokesman: My understanding is that the discussions on the makeup of such a force are ongoing. We, as the Secretariat, are not involved in those discussions. There have also been discussions very openly reported in the press about a potential resolution to back such a force. Obviously, that will be a decision taken by Member States. It is clear that any force, whether it is a peacekeeping force or an international force, has, I guess, more credibility, so to speak, backed by a UN resolution. What that resolution will look like, what's in it, what it invokes will be up to Member States.

Question: Do you see any relation, or do you relate Israel's latest attacks because of the delay of international force that hasn't been established?

Spokesman: No, I will let that kind of analysis to analysts and journalists such as yourself. Abdelhamid?

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Yesterday, Francesca Albanese was insulted by the Permanent Representative of a Member State. And it was raised yesterday in the news conference, one of the press conferences, that we don't know how much the SG defended one… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Which comments are you referring to?

Question: When the Israeli representative called her a witch. What is the position of the Secretary-General, hearing this kind of language? [cross-talk]

Spokesman: I think that kind of language to be used in an official UN meeting to attack a UN official is shocking, to say the least. As we've said repeatedly, whether it's Ms. Albanese or any of the other special rapporteurs, they are independent. They do not work for the Secretary-General. They do not report to him. However, we have always felt that special rapporteurs are an important part of the international human rights mechanism. They are UN officials when they do their work, and they need to be respected when they do their work, whether it's legally or verbally. Alex, and then Efraim. Oh, sorry.

Question: The attacks on the olive trees, this is the olive… the harvest of olive trees, as you know, it's not just an incident here. It's a war. Why these - I mean, the 3,000 trees had been cut recently?

Spokesman: I mean, we talk, we don't sweep it under the rug. We talk about it. We criticize it. We condemn it. I mean, I think we've been very clear on the situation. Alex?

Question: Thanks, Steph. Firstly, a quick follow-up on Brazil. Has the Secretary-General been in touch with local authorities or anyone from the United States?

Spokesman: No. Mean not at this point. The Secretary-General just returned from Malaysia late last night, and he's just back in the office.

Question: What about the UN personnel on the ground?

Spokesman: From what I know, all UN personnel is safe and accounted for.

Question: Secondly, if I may. Any updates on the security staff issue?

Spokesman: No, I think it's getting progressively better. All right. Yes, sorry, Efraim.

Question: Thank you, Steph. Thank you. On the same press conference by Special Rapporteur Albanese, when she was asked about the Secretary-General's role in addressing this sanctions issue with her, she said no comment. Does the Secretary-General feel he has done enough to make sure that Ms. Albanese would be able to come to New York?

Spokesman: I think the issue of her visa issue and others has been raised with the host country. We've seen a number of officials who are covered by the privileges and immunities of the UN being sanctioned or denied visas, and all those issues have been raised.

Question: And one more. She issued a pretty strong indictment of the UN. She said that the UN allowed the dismantling of its humanitarian system in Gaza, and she said the Organization is becoming more and more irrelevant. How do you respond to that?

Spokesman: I'm not going to get into a tit-for-tat with Ms. Albanese. I think I will say this, however; if you look at how the UN humanitarian system has been operating in Gaza, it has continued to do so in the most difficult circumstances. And just as important, it has continued its work unwaveringly based on our principles. We have never strayed from our principles on how we do our work despite a tremendous amount of pressure to do so at different times. Let me get the questions as I saw them. Islam?

Question: Yes. My question has been asked partially by Efraim, but I would like to follow up.

Spokesman: It been answered fully, though?

Question: Not really. So I would like to follow up. Ms. Albanese also said some interesting things, like masses on the street becoming more relevant regarding what's going on in Gaza, what's going on… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Sorry, what on the street?

Question: Masses, people or on the just regular people. Perhaps she meant like protesting people becoming more relevant regarding the UN values like justice and peace, considering especially what's going on in Gaza, and UN becoming more irrelevant. That's her word. Does UN really concern about this, since past two years sort of side-lined what's going on with Gaza? Do we have any… [cross-talk]

Spokesman: Again, I mean, I'm not the analysis of other people's press briefings. I'm challenged enough to do my own press briefing. I think, as I said to Efraim, the way we have… The UN and when I talk about the UN, I talk about the Secretary-General and the UN staff. Whether she or others are referring to the UN membership, that's another issue. But the UN has conducted itself and will continue to conduct itself based on the unwavering principles that are in the Charter. Evelyn, then Pam.

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. You keep track of world news in such detail on a daily basis. And I'm wondering why the Russians keep killing civilians in Ukraine.

Spokesman: Evelyn, that's not a question to address to me. Pam?

Question: Thanks, Stéphane. Please forgive. I was… I missed the beginning.

Spokesman: You missed everything, let's be honest.

Question: Right, I missed everything.

Spokesman: Not just the beginning. I mean, even coming in at 12:55, you missed quite a bit, but that's okay. Go ahead.

Question: I have a reason, but it's not for public.

Spokesman: I'm sure.

Question: My question is about COP30 next month in Brazil. You may have mentioned… you did mention it in the last few days. But SG has now said 1.5°C will not be met. What… He'll be there, I assume?

Spokesman: Most definitely.

Question: And is there any proposal he has, you know, increasing the NDCs (nationally determined contributions)? What's he going to say at COP30? Thanks.

Spokesman: I mean […] I'm not going to tell you everything he's going to say. But let's be clear. What he said is that an overshoot of 1.5 [degrees] is inevitable, but there is time, if there is the right effort and the right resources, to bring it back down. So he did not say the one, and I think we need to be very clear on that.

Okay. I see Gabe wants to leave. Class dismissed.