Iran, Lebanon/Israel, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Good afternoon.
I'll start off with situation in the Gulf.
I can tell you the Secretary-General is alarmed by the reported exchange of fire overnight between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran and also by reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran has targeted Kuwait and Bahrain.
He is deeply troubled by the reports of civilian casualties.
The Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid any further escalation that risks to undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts.
The sovereignty and the territorial integrity of all countries must be fully respected.
The Secretary-General condemns all attacks on civilian infrastructure and recalls that international humanitarian law strictly prohibits the targeting of civilian objects.
He calls on all parties to uphold their obligation under international humanitarian law.
And under international law and to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians.
The Secretary-General reaffirms his full support for all ongoing mediation efforts, including those led by Pakistan and urges all parties to engage constructively and in good faith with diplomatic initiatives.
And turning to Lebanon, I can tell you that we are deeply concerned by the impact of the by the ongoing hostilities as people continue to be forced to leave their homes in search of safety.
In Beirut alone, an estimated 200,000 people were displaced from the southern suburbs following the evacuation order issued by the Israeli defense forces on June 1st, and according to local authorities, 30,000 families in South governored and 4,000 families in Nabati have escaped violence in recent days.
The latest wave of displacement is putting severe pressure on already overstretched systems.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that as of today, nearly 135,000 people have registered in collective shelters, which are increasingly overcrowded, with some thousands more staying on the street and seaside among other places.
We're also alarmed by the continued impact of hostilities on the healthcare system in Lebanon.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, night strikes on June 1st killed five people and injured 48 others, including a doctor and five hospital workers in Tiptin government hospital, which is in Nabatea governate.
This marks at least the fourth strike since March 2nd, affecting this hospital, which is the only operating trauma hospital in that area.
And we and our partners are continuing to deliver assistance wherever and whenever possible, including clean water, hygiene kits, and other forms of aid to people who need it most.
We continue to call for the protection of civilians, including health workers, and for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to wherever it is needed.
Meanwhile, UFL peacekeepers are continuing to monitor the situation along the blue line.
Yesterday, they observed intensive ground and air activities by the IDF across the area of operations.
These activities included armored movements, large scale engineering works, and demolition and sustained logistical traffics, as well as air strikes.
They detected 70 violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli forces and approximately 24 airstrikes conducted across both sectors by Israel jet fighters, as well as one rocket attack from an IDF helicopter.
They also detected 21 launches of projectiles from north to south, presumably launched by Hezbollah, including one that crossed the blue line.
In addition, UNIFIL are recorded approximately 826 trajectories of projectiles fired from IDF positions south of the blue line and within its area of operations, marking the third consecutive day a concerning record since April 17th.
The escalating intensity and growing number of IDF strikes in the South Lebanon alongside continuing launches by Hezbollah are all deeply alarming and, of course, heightened the risk of even further escalation.
Call on our parties to exercise maximum restraint, respect the cessation of hostilities arrangements, and fully comply with their obligations under resolution 1701.
Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, our humanitarian colleagues and our logistics partners tell us that convoys traveling to Karim Shalom, Karim Abusalm to collect humanitarian cargo via the newly established Israeli checkpoint in Southern Gaza are still facing significant delays.
Those delays yesterday prevented six fuel tankers from reaching the checkpoint.
Which significantly reduced, obviously, the volume of fuel that could be collected at the crossings.
A steady flow of fuel is critical to keep hospitals, desalination plants, and other lifesaving sustaining services running in the absence of functioning electricity grid.
However, partners did manage to collect over 1,000 pallets of essential supplies yesterday, including hygiene kits, tarpaulins, blankets, and medicines.
On the health front, over the past two weeks, nearly 100 patients, along with about 130 caregivers, were evacuated abroad from Gaza through Karim Shalom and Rafah crossings with support from the World Health Organization and other partners.
Meanwhile, thousands of patients still require specialized medical care that they cannot receive in Gaza currently.
Referral pathways to medical facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, remained blocked by the Israeli authorities.
Scaling up health services in Gaza is urgently needed, and this requires facilitating the entry of more critical equipment and medical supplies.
Our partners leading on water tell us that overall water production in Gaza dropped by 20% in May, compared with two months earlier, largely due to the shortages of needed chemicals and spare parts for the pumps.
Um, and flagging the pretty dire situation in Yemen.
Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program, as well as UNICEF jointly called on the international community to urgently scale up funding for humanitarian food assistance, nutrition services, health and agriculture and resilience programming.
This comes as the latest integrated food security face classification analysis shows that nearly 5 million human beings in Yemen, that's one in two people across 12 government controlled areas of the country are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between March and May of this year.
The outlook, sadly, is expected to get even worse.
An estimated 5.4 million people living in the government controlled areas, including Aden, Hadrawat, Marib and Taiz are projected to face high levels of food insecurity between June and September of this year.
That's IPC phase three or above, meaning people already struggling to meet the most basic food needs.
The agencies warned that without immediate sustained and scaled up action, millions of vulnerable people risk falling deeper into hunger, malnutrition, and irreversible livelihoods loss.
And just to flag that in March, we and our humanitarian partners published the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan seeking $2.16 billion to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to some 12 million people, including women, men and people across Yemen.
And in Mauritania, our central emergency fund has released $2.5 million to help communities prepare for and mitigate the impact of severe drought.
New funds will allow FAO, World Food Program, and UNICEF and others to immediately support about 120,000 people ahead of projected severe drought conditions.
This support includes sharing critical early warning messages, providing drought resistant seeds, cash assistance and livestock feed.
And preventing malnutrition among children.
The funding is being released ahead of the drought so and our partners can prepare and plan and act before it actually impacts.
And turning to the broader Sahel, OCHA tells us that 24 million people across the region need humanitarian aid.
This year's humanitarian needs and Response overview warns that the crisis is deepening across Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Northern Cameroon, and Northeast Nigeria.
Violence continues to spread with armed groups expanding their reach across the Central Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, communities, as you know, are being uprooted while schools and health centers are being forced to close.
Climate shocks are compounding the suffering of people.
The Sahel is warming faster than the global average.
In 2025 alone, devastating floods affected 590,000 people while droughts and desertification are destroying farmlands and impacting millions of people who depend on these areas for their livelihoods.
We and our humanitarian partners are exploring new ways to expand cash assistance and strengthening anticipatory action and providing greater support to local organizations.
But last year, the Sahel response received its lowest level of funding in a decade with only 29% of the needed resources received.
As needs rise, the humanitarian community urgently needs flexible and predictable funding to sustain lifesaving operations across the region.
A quick Ebola update for you.
Our friend doctor Tedros, the head of the WHO, is back from his visit to the DRC, and today he updated a He gave some updates in Geneva.
In Bunia, he said there are now three treatment centers with a capacity of 80 beds.
There are also treatment units in Magwalu Rampara, Big Goa, and Bukavu, with more being set up on the way.
Doctor Tedros also highlighted challenges to response, including the need to scale up lab and diagnostics capacity, surveillance, as well as health services in neighboring provinces and countries.
He also reiterated that insecurity, the high number of displaced people in the area where the outbreak is occurring and mobile populations are making contact tracing especially difficult.
In addition to this, doctor Tedros said community mistrust is a serious barrier to the response.
He also called on countries to have imposed blanket travel restrictions imposed to lift them, and as it is disrupting supply chains and hindering our response.
And closer to these shores in Haiti, Rising insecurity continues to force more people to flee, particularly in the Arti Bunique department.
Our friends at the International Organization for Migration report that on May 29th, more than 1,800 people, that's about 400 households, we estimate, were displaced from the commune St.
Mark.
The displaced families have taken refuge with host communities.
We and our partners have distributed food, cash, and other items, but there is a critical gap in the areas of health protection, education, and nutrition.
Meanwhile, in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, armed violence in Cité Soleil that began on May 10th, has now displaced some 17,500 people.
We and our humanitarian partners have distributed thousands of sleeping mats, mattresses, tarpaulins, and mosquito nets.
More than 9,500 people have also received food assistance as well as water, sanitation, hygiene support, and our partners have provided hundreds of medical consultations, including psychosocial support.
They've also established child friendly spaces.
OCHA continues to coordinate humanitarian efforts to support the response, but warns once again that needs are rising rapidly in the face of insecurity.
And, Today, our UN Development Coordination Office tells us that following host government approval, the Secretary-General appointed Maria Jose Torres Macho of Spain as the new resident coordinator in Colombia, and she took up her post today.
She has more than three decades of experience in development, humanitarian action, and peace building.
She, as you know, will serve as the Secretary-General representative on the ground on development issues and will lead the UN country team.
We congratulate her.
I made a mistake today.
I know.
Surprised.
I walk to work instead of biking to work because today is World Bicycle Day.
Exactly.
What has been helping people move forward on more than 200 years remains one of the simplest, most affordable, and sustainable ways to get around.
Today is World Bicycle Day.
Walking or cycling instead of driving is good for the planet.
Benefits our health.
Does that include eBikes, by the way? Yes, it's better to be on an eBike than to drive a diesel powered car, Benny.
Was that your we'll go to Ephraim now that you've asked your question, Benny.
You'll come back.
I know.
Hi, Steph.
Thank you so much.
Just a quick question.
Do you have any update for us on Mr.
Jean Arnaud's activities right now, given that you mentioned the importance of diplomacy? Um, I don't have any I know he was supposed to go.
He may be in Washington next couple of days, but let me get you an update.
Just a quick clarification on Yemen.
I mean, I can look up the numbers later, but you said 5 million people are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, and then an estimated 5.4 million are projected to face high levels of food insecurity.
Are these additional 5.4 million or Yes, it's as it's more than the 5 million.
I think the first set of numbers is what is happening, and the second set is what will happen, what we anticipate will happen.
Alex, Steph.
I'm sorry.
I was a little bit late.
Do you have any comments on the elections of the non permanent members of the Security Council by any chance? Well, we congratulate the newly elected members who have as elected members, and a very important role to play in the Security Council.
May I have one more? Please.
On completely different topic on BC I know that there was a letter by Lavrov middle May.
Do you have any updates? That's a very good question.
I've been meaning to check, but you're prompting me to actually check.
Thanks.
Mr.
Eveney.
So, speaking of Arnaud, he visited Tehran when was it? Two months ago, was it? He visited Tehran today or yesterday.
Marco Rubio said Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that all indications are that Mosha Hamei is alive.
Is that Mr.
Arnaud's impression as well? Mr.
Arnaud did not meet with Mr.
Hamei, so we have no information to share one way or another.
Any indication whether he's alive or dead? No, we have no indication one way or another from him.
And a second question on two issues that I don't think were mentioned in the upfront.
One, is there any comment on Hizbala's attack on K Echmone despite whatever understandings there were between the two sides.
We clearly have condemned all of these strikes and will continue to do so.
I mean, the Secretary-General call has been for cessation of hostilities for people in southern Lebanon and in Northern Israel to be able to return home and resume their lives.
And secondly, on speaking of the cease fire war, on the Iranian attack on Kuwait this morning that on the airport.
Mm hmm.
May have been playing Seducco on your phone when I read out the first statement, which covered that pretty extensively, Benny.
I don't do Seduco.
I know.
I'm sure I won't ask.
All right.
No questions online.
I will leave you back to your activities and whatever you're doing on your phone, Benny.