UNIFIL, Lebanon, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right.
Good afternoon, everyone.
In a short while, I'll be joined by my guest, Andrew Saberton, UNFPA is Deputy Executive Director for Management.
He'll be here to speak to you about his recent mission to Chad and the situation for women and girls in that country.
In Nairobi today, the Secretary-General participated in the opening session of the Africa Forward Summit, Africa France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth, co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that the title for this conference is apt, given that Africa is a driver of global change.
This is not a continent waiting for solutions.
This is a continent producing them, he said.
He underscored Africa's efforts in reforming an international system that was designed largely without African voices and continues to operate without adequate representation from the continent.
The Secretary-General said that Africa's obstacles include collapsing aid budgets, borrowing costs twice those of wealthy nations, 600 million people without electricity, and a climate crisis that Africa did not cause but suffers from disproportionately.
In closing, he pushed for increased partnership, one that is equal, mutually beneficial, and generational.
When Africa succeeds, the whole world wins, he said.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral discussions.
With President John Dmani Mohammaf Ghana, he exchanged views on the recent developments in the Sahel.
He also commended the president on his efforts to promote regional security and cooperation.
Later, the Secretary-General met the president of Egypt, Abdel Fatal Sisi.
They discussed the situations in Sudan, Libya, and the Middle East.
The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Egypt's constructive diplomatic engagement to resolve regional issues.
About an hour ago, the Secretary-General left Nairobi for Addis Ababa to attend the annual AU UN conference.
Peacekeepers from the UN interim force in Lebanon have reported a concerning increase in drone activity, particularly in Sector West.
Over the past 24 hours, peacekeepers observed multiple drones flying over or near UN positions in Shama, Al Mansuri, Al Bayada and between Rama and Betlif.
An armed quadcopter exploded after crossing Al Byada Hill.
At this stage, UNIFIL has not confirmed the origin of the drones observed.
Separately, yesterday, three presumed Hezbollah drones impacted an area near UNIFIL headquarters in Nacua, where Israel Defense Forces troops were present.
No UN property was damaged and no peacekeepers were injured.
An additional drone crashed inside the headquarters area on Sunday.
It was unarmed and an investigation into its origin is ongoing.
Preliminary findings indicate the drone was of Iranian manufacture, suggesting it was a Hezbollah asset.
UNIFIL continues to remind all actors to avoid operating in proximity to United Nations positions and personnel and urges all parties to refrain from actions that could endanger peacekeepers.
UNIFIL has protested the presence and activities of Israeli soldiers and vehicles near its headquarters, to the Israeli defense forces, and the activities of non state actors near UN positions to the Lebanese armed forces.
Peacekeepers continue to report extensive Israel defense forces military activity across the area of operations, including high density armored movements, large scale engineering and demolition works, and sustained logistical traffic.
Yesterday, peacekeepers recorded 340 launches of projectiles attributed to the Israel defense forces and 11 attributed to non state actors in Lebanon, including Hezbollah.
Staying in Lebanon, OCHA reports that this morning, two successive airstrikes hit the village of Somar in Bekah after displacement orders were issued overnight for an entire village, reportedly destroying several buildings.
Attacks affecting healthcare and essential civilian services continue to raise grave concern.
Yesterday, an airstrike on a volunteer run medical center affiliated with the Ministry of Public Health in Sfa in the South governorate killed one medic and injured five others.
Earlier the same day, another medic was killed in Tu in Nabat while assisting victims following a strike.
Attacks on health care must stop.
Under international humanitarian law, healthcare workers, ambulances, and medical facilities are protected, and targeting them puts both frontline responders and care seeking civilians at grave risk.
At the same time, living costs are rising and food security worsening.
Since the escalation began, the cost of a food basket, which includes minimum required protein, grains, fruit and vegetables, has increased by at least 9%, while fuel prices have surged by more than 65%.
This drives up transport and production costs and undermines families' ability to afford basic food.
Humanitarian partners continue to scale up assistance in close coordination with the government.
Since March 2nd, the World Food Program has reached 650,000 conflict affected people with food and cash assistance in shelters and across communities.
Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that restrictions and coercive practices are deepening humanitarian needs, including for psychosocial services.
Humanitarian partners operating a toll free hotline report a 14% increase in remote counseling sessions between March and April 2026, reaching more than 9,600 sessions last month.
In particular, cases involving suicide ideation rose by 90%.
There's also 46% increase in counseling related to physical, gender based violence, and a 34% increase in counseling for anxiety and fear.
In the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 43,000 people have potentially life changing injuries, including spinal cord injury, major traumatic brain injury, major burns, and limb amputation.
WHO adds that one in five amputees is a child and that around 53,000 injuries require extended rehabilitation.
While availability of rehabilitation services has improved since September 2025, WHO reports that capacity remains below pre October 2023 levels.
Currently, no rehabilitation facilities are fully functional and more than 400 patients are on waiting lists for specialized inpatient care.
In the West Bank, OCHA reports that last Friday, bulldozers operated by Israeli settlers demolished structures belonging to the displaced Palestinian community of Arab Al Kui and Kalkya governored.
This is one of 45 Palestinian communities displaced in full since 2023 due to recurrent settler attacks and related access restrictions.
And to clarify what I said yesterday about the Jordan Valley, this year, over 60% of the displacement that is linked to settler attacks and related access restrictions has occurred in the Jordan Valley area.
OSHA reiterates that Palestinians in the West Bank must be protected as required by law, and perpetrators of violations must be held accountable.
Turning to Sudan, our colleagues at OHR are increasingly alarmed by the growing impact of drone strikes on civilians across the country.
In East Darfur State, two drone strikes were reported in El Dayan town today, but casualty figures remain unclear.
In North Darfur state, local sources report that a drone strike yesterday hit civilian vehicles carrying food supplies near karoy locality.
The attack reportedly killed three people and injured several passengers and traders.
The violence continues to force people to flee.
The International Organization for Migration reports that nearly 50,000 people have been displaced across Blue Nile State since January, due to heightened insecurity.
This includes more than 21,000 people estimated to have been displaced since early April.
OCHA reiterates that all parties must adhere to international humanitarian law, ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected and facilitate safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.
Turning to Ukraine, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that following the end of the three day cease fire yesterday, attacks intensified again overnight and reached areas further from the front line.
According to authorities, at least four civilians were killed and 28 injured between yesterday and early this morning.
The Donetsk, Depro and Kerson regions were among the hardest hit.
Ukraine's energy Ministry reports that two energy workers were killed in an attack on an energy facility in the Donetsk region while a railway worker was injured while on duty in the Depro region.
Shelling and drone strikes also damage residential buildings in several regions, a preschool in the Kyiv region, energy infrastructure in the Mykolav region, and railway infrastructure in the Depro region.
According to the Ministry of Energy, parts of five regions remain without electricity as of today.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations continue to support people in frontline areas where insecurity and disrupted markets limit access to basic goods.
In April alone, nearly 160,000 people in seven frontline regions received food assistance from the World Food Program, and this includes displaced people staying in collective centers in the Kharkiv and Zapoisha regions.
The Security Council this morning began its six monthly periodic debate on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegvinna.
Christian Schmidt, the high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina briefed council members and the meeting is ongoing.
And today is the International Day of Plant Health.
This year's theme is plant biosecurity for food security and nutrition.
Plant biosecurity helps protect crops from pests and diseases that can threaten food supplies, farmers' livelihoods, trade, and biodiversity.
That's all I've got.
Are there any questions before we turn to our guest? Yes, you first and then Thank you, Farhan.
I would like to draw your attention to the case of doctor Mohammed Hadisa, a doctor who was working on behalf of the United Nations Support Mission in Somalia.
He was captured last year by Al Shabab while carrying out his UN mandate in accordance with the international law.
He has made continuous appeals to President Abdaethadesi, as well as numerous video appeals to Secretary-General Gutierrez, stating that the UN has failed him and his team by not being able to secure his release or raise the situation within a broader international context.
My question is, has the United Nations undertaken any ongoing diplomatic efforts or negotiations with Somali authorities to secure the release of doctor Hadisa and the rest of his team, and also, why was the issue not raised during the SG's discussion today with President Sisi in Nairobi in Kenya.
Thank you.
Well, first of all, not everything that's included in our readouts are necessarily all the topics involved in a conversation.
Some diplomacy requires a little bit more intact than that.
Beyond that, yes, we have raised and will raise the issues of these detained personnel, and we hope that progress can be made on their release.
Yes, Edi.
Thank you, Farhan.
Can you tell us whether there have been any specific contacts in recent days with the Iranian government about opening the strait of Hormuz to shipments of fertilizer and food? Uh, what I can tell you is that Jorge Marrero De Silva, the head of the UN Office for Project Services, has been speaking with officials throughout the region.
Most recently, he was in Oman and held some talks there, but he has also spoken with Iranian officials.
There's nothing to report in terms of progress on an agreement, but he continues with those efforts.
Could we get a better update on what the holdup is? I think the thing that's safe to say is that different governments continue to have differing opinions about where to go and how to go about this process.
But Mr.
Moria De Silva is continuing with his efforts and will continue working with all of the governments in the region.
Benny, and then Gabriel.
Does the Secretary-General I don't remember if he issued 2026 list of sexual abuse countries on that list, or is it upcoming and if it is, when is it? I I believe there is, as you know, an office that deals with questions of sexual violence, and they do periodic reports.
I don't believe that that one has come out yet.
It it normally comes out a little bit later in the year.
And do you think that the latest spate of allegations and counter allegations, I mean, today, there was a new report.
About October 7th sexual abuse, probably the most detailed report that was compiled on that.
And yesterday there was a New York Times column.
Do you think these are trying to influence the UN list? I don't I wouldn't speculate on why information comes out when it comes out.
When information is shared with us about any of these topics, we will incorporate them into the various reports that come out.
And how do we verify those? Different offices have their own verification mechanisms that involve working with different governments and parties on the ground to make sure that all the allegations are verified by people on the ground itself.
Gabriel.
Just a quick follow up to Idi's question.
Just to confirm, there is no UN led aid getting through the Strait of Hormuz, is that correct? At this stage, no.
The situation remains blocked, as we've been saying.
We continue to work, particularly on the agreement to see what can be done to get fertilizer out.
Thank you.
Abdul Hamid.
Thank you, Farhan.
Yesterday, Max Rodenbeck of the International Crisis Group spoke at the area form.
And he spoke about the creeping annexation of the land in the West Bank.
But he also focused on the economic situation.
Israel has been holding at least 5 billion short can from the Palestinian authority and had been denying any Palestinian to West.
So the economic situation in the West Bank is becoming very dire and with the violence of the settlers, it's becoming almost impossible for people to have normal life.
Do you share these ideas with Mr.
Arodin.
Yes, if you look at the Secretary-General periodic reports on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, he has raised concerns both about the withholding of funds from the Palestinian authority and about the violence and activities carried out by settlers.
In fact, as you just saw, I gave an update about settler activity in the West Bank earlier in this briefing, and we continue to raise these concerns with the authorities on the ground and hold them to their obligations under international law.
All right.
With that, let me turn to our guest.