UN80, Ukraine, Lebanon & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right.
Let's get down to business because we have a bit of business to do.
Chris, I'll tell you right now we do not have a quiz, so you can stand down.
Yeah.
Speaking of tomorrow, we will be joined tomorrow by Pramila Patten, who as you know, is a special Representative of the Secretary-General Sexual Violence in Conflict.
She will be here to brief you on her latest report, which we expect to go to the Security Council at some point this afternoon.
Tomorrow is also the International Day of UN peacekeepers and the theme for the day this year is Invest in Peace.
In his message to mark the day, the Secretary-General said that we honor peacekeepers past and present and reaffirm our shared responsibility to respect and strengthen their work.
As usual, there will be ceremonies to mark the day here, but they are scheduled to take place next week on June 5th.
In the meantime, I can already tell you about the recipient of prizes awarded each year on Peacekeeping Day.
The Captain and Bian Medal for Exceptional courage will be awarded to the late Sergei Prtoko of Ukraine, as well as Corporal Matias Reyes of Uruguay.
Major Ablasha Barak of India will receive the Military Gender Advocate Award, and Inspector Stephanie Kernings of Germany will receive the Women Police Officer of the Year Award.
These awards will be officially presented to them or their families on next Friday and they'll be here at the briefing.
More details about the heroic acts of all of these recipients can be found in the press releases that have been shared with you from our peacekeeping colleagues.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General briefed the General Assembly on his UN AD initiative and said the UN Secretariat has realized a 21% reduction in posts for 2026, while also minimizing the impact on staff facilitated by actions we began talking about in early of 2024.
Among other steps, he said the secretary launch a digital hub in Valencia to support secretary wide digital service delivery, consolidated ten payroll centers into a single global team, and relocated some 220 secretary posts from high cost locations to lower cost locations, plus approximately 1,900 more across the UN system.
The Secretary-General added that the UN has begun piloting a new humanitarian compact, a push for innovation, push for impact, and a push for integration as we grapple with soaring needs and plummeting resources as we tell you about almost every day.
This includes simplifying humanitarian planning and unifying humanitarian supply chains, which account for 70% overall humanitarian spending.
The Secretary-General reminded the member states who were in the room when he spoke that decisions about structural reform rest in their hands.
He reminded them that change is a given, but the question is whether it will be reform that is planned and that is strategic or change that is a hazard, costly, and driven by events beyond anyone's control.
Those remarks were shared with you.
You'll hear from the Secretary-General again this afternoon at 3:00 P.M.
But this time on Ukraine.
He will be in security council at their open meeting.
The Secretary-General will deliver introductory remarks in which he will discuss the recent escalations of the conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, and he will call for de escalation for full and unconditional cease fire.
Also, briefing will be Assistant Secretary-General Halakiare and we will share all those remarks with you ahead of time.
Meanwhile, on the ground, our colleagues at the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Ukraine tell us that we and our humanitarian partners continue to provide lifesaving assistance across the country while increasingly coming under attack with several incidents of violence against aid workers and their assets reported over the past few days.
On Tuesday, two aid workers with their national NGO mission Pulska sustained minor injuries in a drone strike while on a humanitarian mission in Sumi City.
Also on Monday, a missile struck a World Food Program warehouse in Dinero City, which contained a supplies worth more than $1.4 million to support 130,000 people living near the front line.
No aid personnel were injured, thankfully.
Last Sunday, a large scale attack on Kyiv damaged the office premises of several aid organizations, including WHO, UNICEF, and the international NGO people in need.
Between January and April, at least three aid workers were killed and another 16 were injured in the country.
That's what our partners are telling us.
Meanwhile, authorities also report that over the past three days, hostilities and attacks across Ukraine have caused more than 240 civilian casualties, including many among children and those attacks have also damaged schools, energy infrastructure, and agricultural assets.
Despite rising security risks, UN agencies and national and international NGOs continue to support the response by distributing hot meals, shelter repair materials, psychological first aid, and humanitarian cash assistance.
Turning to Lebanon, I can tell you that we are, of course, deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities in that country.
We're also very concerned by the Israeli strikes today in Southern Beirut.
We note with concern the intensified Israeli air strikes on alleged Hezbollah targets across the UNIFIL area of operations, as well as north of the Liani River, including the Beka Valley and reports of IDF ground incursions north of the Latani River.
We again urge all to respect the cessation of hostilities and stop any further attacks.
We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted.
We condemn the loss of civilian life.
Meanwhile, for her part, the special coordinator for Lebanon Janean Hens Plaser and the head of the peacekeeping force in Southern Lebanon, Major General dato Abanhara continued to engage with the parties to urge immediate de escalation and uphold their obligations under Security Council resolution 1701.
Yesterday, UNIFIL reported approximately 670 trajectories of projectiles.
That's the highest number since the cessation of hostilities came into effect on April 17th.
UNIFIL also continued to observe intensive ground and air activities by the IDF, including armored vehicle movements, large scale engineering work, sustained logistical traffic, and airstrikes across the mission's area of operations.
Renewed evacuation orders by Israeli authorities over the past 48 hours have affected hundreds of thousands of people south of the Zaharai River, including in the city of Tyre and Nabath.
Collective shelters in Tyran Saida are reportedly full and cannot take any more people.
OCHA is concerned that families are once again being forced to flee their homes under conditions that are intolerable for any human being.
Turning to the situation regarding the outbreak of Ebola, In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our humanitarian colleagues warned that ebola outbreak continues to spread across the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu.
According to national Congolese authorities, as of May 26th, the outbreak had expanded to 13 health zones with more than 1,000 suspected cases, including 121 confirmed and 17 reported deaths.
Among them, six health workers.
The World Health Organization ranks this the third largest Ebola outbreak on record.
More positive note, the first patient recovery was recorded yesterday at a treatment center in Eturi.
Meanwhile, we and our partners are continuing to support national health authorities and case management, the operation of Ebola treatment centers, community engagement and risk communication, as well as strengthening surveillance to help prevent further spread of the disease.
Our colleagues from UNICEF said that more than 100 metric tons of humanitarian supplies has started to be airlifted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the overall emergency response.
The supplies include personnel protective gear for frontline health workers, medicines, hygiene materials, and various medical supplies.
They are expected to support nearly 100,000 people, including children and families living in communities already facing a fragile humanitarian situation.
Despite these efforts, our humanitarian partners caution that response efforts are being hampered by movement restrictions which are affecting the deployment of staff and delivery of critical supplies.
As you know, the outbreak in the eastern part of the Congo is taking place in areas where there are major security concerns with various armed groups active.
These restrictions include, There are other restrictions imposed by national authorities, which include border closures, risk of driving people towards informal and unmonitored crossings, potentially increasing rather than reducing the risk of regional transmission.
More broadly, they are slowing the movement of personnel, medical supplies, food assistance, and other lifesaving support.
Beyond the Ebola outbreak, the broader humanitarian situation in Ituri where the response was already under strain, remains deeply concerning to us.
In the territory of Mombasa, civilians were reportedly killed in a series of armed attacks between the 20th and the 25th, forcing many from their home.
Since early May, at least 150 civilians have been reportedly killed in that area.
Rising insecurity has also forced at least four humanitarian organizations to suspend their work in those places.
We reiterate our call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law, to protect civilians, and to ensure safe, sustained, unhindered humanitarian access.
On a related note, but in Uganda, the UN team there, together with humanitarian partners launched yesterday an emergency appeal for $15.8 million to support the government led response to the Ebola outbreak.
The appeal outlines a coordinated three months response plan from May to August for the UN team, its partners in support of the government and WHO as the technical lead on the UN side for this response.
As of today, Uganda's health authorities confirmed eight Ebola cases.
Three of the confirmed cases involve health workers.
Since May 14th, Two deaths linked to the outbreak have been reported, one confirmed and one probable.
The response continues to be guided by Uganda's national preparedness and Response Plan and the African Center for Disease Control, Regional Framework with priorities focused on surveillance, contact tracing, case management, infection prevention and control and risk communications as well as community engagement.
Yesterday, as you may have seen, Uganda closed its border with the DRC for an initial period of four weeks.
Limited exceptions remain in place for humanitarian operations, security movements, and essential cargo, all subject to strict health screening protocols.
The government has also introduced a mandatory 21 day self isolation measures for individuals returning from the DRC monitored by health authorities and others.
Closer to these shores in Haiti, our OCHA colleagues tell us that internal displacement Sadly continues to rise in Haiti, nearly 1.5 million people uprooted across Haiti as of this month.
That's what the International Organization for Migration is telling us between December 2025 and May of this year, nearly 95,000 people have been newly displaced across the country.
In the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, violence has driven a number of displaced people to more than 300,000 and that's for the first time and that's primarily due to continued armed clashes in the neighborhoods of Cite Sul in March and also in May.
Fighting is also driving continued displacement in our Tibory department.
Overall, 80% of displaced people are now outside of the capital.
At the same time, IOM tells us that a significant increase in returns with more than 165,000 people going back to their areas of origin compared to more than 87,500 documented in December.
Many families report that conditions are not yet in place for them to sustainably reintegrate back into their neighborhoods and communities of origin.
Across Haiti, the vast majority of displaced people are hosted by families or living in precarious conditions, straining already vulnerable communities.
Food, livelihoods, shelter, water sanitation, as well as access to health care remains to be the most urgent priorities for both displaced people and returnees.
Our humanitarian partners continue to respond despite the access constraints and the security situation.
And the lack of funds.
A related to that, a scale up of the response is critical given the growing needs, but the $880 million humanitarian response plan is only 23% funded or just under 23% with 198 million 0.7 in the bank.
I just want to flag a new report by the World Meteorological Organization.
Global average temperatures they tell us are likely to continue at or near record levels for the next five years with Arctic temperature anomalies expected to continue higher than the global mean.
That's according to the new report they released in conjunction that was produced also by the UK Met Office.
That update looks at the observed climate over the past five years and give regional predictions for temperatures and precipitation over the next five years.
More information online.
I just want to read into the record that on Tuesday evening, the Secretary-General appointed Mohammed E Amin Swift of the Comoros as a special representative for Central Africa and head of the UN Regional Center for Central Africa.
He succeeds Abdu Abai of Niger, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his important contributions to Unicha.
Mr.
Sweift brings 35 years of experience in the areas of diplomacy, foreign affairs and peacekeeping.
Since March 2025, he had served as the chief of staff of the African Union Commission.
And he's also been the AU representatives in Somalia at different times.
Voila.
Ptaa.
Thank you.
Do you have any comments on the tweet of the Israeli ambassador that they are breaking all contacts with the United Nations because they are listed on the report about the sexual assaults? Sure.
I can't comment on the content of the reports because that has not gone to the Security Council.
We saw the announcement by Ambassador Dinan that they were cutting off all contacts with the executive office of the Secretary-General.
I can tell you from the Secretary-General point of view, his door remains open to Israeli representatives as to the other 192 member states and the true observer states.
I mean, which message do you think such announcements by a member state send regarding your work and they're not being compliant with Look, uh, We think that member states should engage and continue to engage, not only with us, but all the various mechanisms, whether they're part of the SG's executive office, legislative bodies to work together.
I think engaging is always a better solution than disengagement.
ED anonymity.
Thank you, Sh.
On UNIFIL on these 670 projectiles, were they fired by the Israelis, by Hezbollah, by both? It is not only a very good question.
It's a question I was asking myself as I was reading it.
I do read the notes before I come to the briefing, but I only really they get into my head when I'm actually reading them.
And I was asking myself the same question.
So I'm sure an answer will be provided to us before the end of the briefing.
I mean Thanks.
It's also on Lebanon, just to have an idea because you mentioned several times in the last few weeks that the exchange of fire was a record.
Today's a new record was 670.
Do you have an idea what was the main figure before the cease fire so we can compare to before and after the ceasefire? Yeah.
I mean, we'll see if we can get the historical compare and contrast data for you.
Alex, Thanks.
I will follow up on Israel as well.
Did Israel notify you officially, what was the letter or something? I think we were notified via social media.
Cool.
What is your understanding? Is it just your office or Listen, our understanding is whatever we saw in the press and the announcement, what it means, how it will be operationalized, I think you have to ask the Israeli permanent mission.
Well, what's your response for Israeli ambassador? Sorry.
What's your response for Israeli ambassador? Our response is what I just told Iptaam is that We've seen the announcement from the Secretary-General door is figuratively and literally open to representatives of the Israeli mission as we are to all other representatives and continue to do so.
Yes, sir.
My name is Jerry Kao of the China Central Television.
The US media reports that the six day agreement on US Iran memorandum of understanding have been reached.
Does the SG have any comment on this? I mean, we've seen we've seen that one announcement.
I think we're all trying to get I think like everybody, we're trying to get a better understanding of what is official and what is not official.
I mean, what we We've seen that, but we also are very worried and concerned about the exchange of fire we've seen between the US and Iran over the last day or so and we encourage both parties to respect the ceasefire that they had announced.
I have one more question.
The US Treasury Secretary Bison said the US government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the strand of Hormuz.
What's the SG's position on this? The SG's position, I think has been consistent from day one.
He wants the restoration of full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The quick question on also what Ambassador Danon said, was there any communication actually between the Secretariat and the Israeli mission? Because as far as our impression was the SG was PNG a while back in Israel.
I mean, there have been contacts there have been contacts since that announcement.
And do you have any concerns now if the communication is severed between what kind of concerns you want to we want to be able to dialogue and speak to all representatives that are in his building that are accredited to to this organization Please go ahead, Noreen.
Thank you, Stephan.
This is on a different topic.
It's on the UN 80 report and what was on the Secretary-General remark specifically on the establishment of a human rights group to better facilitate integrate human rights operation within the UN system.
Will the Secretary be working closely with the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights? Will there be any overlap between their work or does the Secretary-General perhaps foresee any further comments or has he yet received any further comments from member states about this human rights? I don't know if further comments have been received, but I can tell you this is about strengthening the work on human rights within the UN system and it is in no way, shape, or form takes anything away from the High Commissioner for Human Rights or his office.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights remains in the lead as the primary voice, the beacon voice on human rights in the UN system.
It's about making sure that we're all coordinated on defending the human rights.
Before I go to back to you Adam, Abdel Hamid, I don't see you waving, but since I see you, I assume you have a question.
Thank you so much.
Yes, I do.
Stefan, I haven't heard today any briefing on the occupied West Bank and Gaza, am I wrong or there was something that is so quiet and it doesn't mean it's so it's Abdel Hamid, just because we don't have an update today doesn't mean it's quiet, doesn't mean things are not going on.
We just have not received an update today.
My second question.
There is a threat by the US president on the strait of Sultanate of Oman.
Do you have any comment on that? I think we're always troubled and concerned when we hear that rhetoric.
Every member state, the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of all member states needs to be respected in action and in voice.
To some, let's go back to you.
Thank you.
Follow up on the question before.
Are you worried that the Israelis, because of the listing, maybe retaliate against your agencies on the ground? We very much hope that that will not be the case.
The dialogue between Mr.
Abkhorov's office and the various UN entities who have offices in Jerusalem continue and we very much hope it will continue as it is critical for our mandated work there, including on the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, which as you know, was reaffirmed recently by the Security Council and the plan put forward by the US President Trump.
Okay.
Last question I asked you last week regarding the Israelis deciding to build military facilities and other buildings on land.
And the question was whether beside condemnation, what legal steps is the UN planning to take? There are other legal avenues which the UN is considering, but I will leave it at that for now.
Okay.
Enjoy the rest of your Monday.