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

All right.
Good afternoon, everyone.
Tomorrow, my guest will be Under Secretary-General Winnie Byanyima, who is the Executive Director of the Joint UN Program on HIV AIDS.
She will be here to brief ahead of the interactive multi stakeholder hearing for the 2026 high level meeting on HIV AIDS.
The Secretary-General is in Addis Ababa, where he's wrapping up his day.
Earlier, he participated in the tenth African Union United Nations high level dialogue, alongside the chairperson of the EU Commission Mahmoud Ali Yusuf.
In his opening remarks, the Secretary-General said that this was a moment of great emotion for him as it most likely would be his last summit with the African Union as Secretary-General.
He told the African Union delegation that they could count on the United Nations to support the AU fully in their initiatives and ensure that the international community understands that Africa's success is absolutely essential for global success.
Following a working lunch, the chairperson and the Secretary-General publicly signed a declaration reaffirming the principles of the joint frameworks.
The declaration reaffirms the strategic partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, emphasizing their shared commitment to multilateralism, African leadership, and the integrated pursuit of peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights.
In remarks to the press afterwards, the Secretary-General said that from the start of his mandate, he has taken steps to build a unique strategic partnership with the African Union.
The Secretary-General reiterated his call for fairer representation of Africa among the Security Council's permanent members.
This is not about privilege or symbolism, the Secretary-General said.
This is about ensuring that the council is fit for purpose and able to act with legitimacy and effectiveness.
Referring to a number of conflicts on the continent, the Secretary-General enumerated the various examples of the close cooperation between the UN and the EU and supported the African Union's silencing the guns initiatives.
In concluding his opening remarks, the Secretary-General said he had always believed that Africa should be seen for what it is, a continent of immense richness and promise.
In answer to a question from a journalist on foreign interference in African conflicts, the Secretary-General said that it was absolutely intolerable that countries external to Africa interfere in African conflicts, providing weapons and political support only to serve their own strategic or economic interests.
Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General, along with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, were joined by President Emmanuel Macron for a meeting.
During the meeting, they discussed the needed reforms of the multilateral and international financial architecture in an effort to make more fair to make it more fair to those on the African continent and beyond.
They also exchanged views on the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East and how to mitigate it for African countries.
Our peacekeepers from the UN interim force in Lebanon say they are increasingly concerned about the activities of Hezbollah members and Israeli soldiers near UN positions, including the increased use of drones, which has resulted in explosions in and around their bases, and that puts peacekeepers at risk.
On Monday, three presumed Hezbollah drones detonated in an area where Israel defense forces soldiers could have been present within meters of Unifils Nakua headquarters.
Another drone detonated in the same area on Tuesday.
A few minutes later, a presumed his blood drone detonated inside UNIFIL Nekura headquarters.
No one was injured, but some buildings were damaged.
UNIFIL continues to remind all actors to avoid operating in proximity of United Nations positions and personnel and further urges all actors to avoid any actions that could put peacekeepers in danger.
UNIFIL protested IDF presence, activities, and movement of personnel and vehicle near the headquarters.
Peacekeepers have also protested the activities of non state actors near our positions to the Lebanese armed forces.
Despite the challenges, peacekeepers continue to impartially report what is happening on the ground in South Lebanon to the Security Council.
Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory, Deputy Special Coordinator Ramiz Alekaov was also a resident and humanitarian coordinator, is visiting Gaza today.
Doctor Alekav visited a dumping site that continues to receive waste despite being beyond capacity.
This is the result of Israeli denials of access to Gaza's two sanitary landfills near the strip's perimeter, where Israeli troops remain deployed.
As we said before, waste piling up next to where families live pose serious health and environmental risks.
Earlier this morning in Couns doctor Alakporov saw teams spraying pesticides and removing rubble to reduce health risks linked to insects and rodents.
This was at an UR school being used as a shelter.
As these efforts rely on the limited materials and equipment available in Gaza, teams on the ground emphasized the urgent need for larger volumes and a wider range of items to be let in.
In De Albala, he met a farmer who has received support through the humanitarian fund to cultivate crops locally.
She can therefore help improve people's access to food and diversify their diets.
In Gaza City, he met women who lead local humanitarian and human rights organizations and applauded their leadership in reaching some of the more marginalized communities.
They discuss how to expand services and more meaningfully include women led organizations in recovery and reconstruction.
He also joined a meeting with the UNICEF supported Children's committee called The Gaza We Want, which brings together girls and boys from different backgrounds, including children with disabilities.
On Syria, critical funding shortfalls are forcing the World Foo Program to significantly scale back its operations in Syria.
WFP has reduced its emergency food assistance by 50% from 1.3 million people to 650,000 people in May and halted a nationwide bread subsidy program that has supported millions daily.
The bread subsidy program has been a vital lifeline.
Through this initiative, WFP supported more than 300 bakeries with fortified wheat flour, enabling subsidized bread to reach up to 4 million people each day in highly vulnerable areas.
While there have been signs of stabilization in parts of the country, 7.2 million people in Syria remain acutely food insecure, including 1.6 million facing severe conditions.
Many households are already unable to meet their daily food needs, resorting to reduced food portions, less nutritious meals, or skipping meals altogether.
Funding shortfalls are also affecting Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.
In Lebanon, many refugee households remain heavily reliant on assistance.
In Jordan, WP has been forced to halt cash based food assistance for 135,000 Syrian refugees living in host communities while continuing reduced support for around 85,000 refugees in camps.
In Egypt, 20,000 Syrians are facing reduced support.
WFP warns that without urgent and sustained funding, we risk reversing years of progress and pushing millions deeper into food insecurity, both inside Syria and in neighboring countries hosting refugees.
WFP requires $189 million dollars over the next six months to sustain and restore lifesaving assistance inside Syria.
In 2025, WFP reached 5.8 million people across all 14 governoates through a combination of emergency food assistance, bread subsidies, nutrition support, livelihoods programs, and social protection.
The Secretary-General personal envoy for Sudan, Pekavesto concluded a visit to the Gulf region from the fourth to the 11th of May, during which he held consultations in Doha, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh with government officials, Sudanese civilian stakeholders, and members of the diplomatic community.
In his meetings, he reiterated that there's no military solution to the conflict in Sudan and underscored the urgent need for immediate de escalation, including confidence building measures in support of ongoing peace efforts.
The personal envoy emphasized the imperative of protecting civilians and ensuring humanitarian access, calling on all relevant actors to use their influence to reduce violence, curb arms flows, and support a truce.
He also stressed the importance of sustained international coordination, including with regional partners, the Quad, and the Quintet, to advance a credible political pathway led by Sudanese civilians and preserve Sudan's unity.
On the humanitarian front in Sudan, we and our partners continue to respond to humanitarian needs across the country.
In the Kordofan region, aid organizations are providing critical support to displaced people, refugees and host communities, with water and sanitation assistance reaching some 85,000 people in Shikan and Arahad localities in North Kordofan.
This month, blankets, mosquito nets, and other household essentials were distributed to 2000 displaced families in Chikan and in April, cash assistance reached 200 families in displacement sites in the area there.
In South Kordofan state, nearly 88,000 people, including South Sudanese refugees, displaced people, and host communities, have received water and sanitation support.
However, OCHA remains alarmed that fighting continues to put civilians at grave risk.
In South Kordofan, heavy shelling and drone attacks have reportedly intensified in dealing with the Sudan Doctors Network reports that up to six people were killed yesterday and others injured.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the state, the International Organization for Migration estimates that more than 900 people were displaced from Alburaam locality between Monday and yesterday.
In the Darfur region, drone attacks are reported in the cities of El Gina and Nyala between Monday and today, causing casualties and damage.
We once again call on all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure and by facilitating rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access.
Turning to South Sudan, emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher has allocated $12 million from the UN Central emergency Response Fund to support people amid displacement and food insecurity triggered by conflict.
The new funds will enable the UN and our humanitarian partners to provide food, healthcare, drinking water, and shelter, among other lifesaving assistance to 200,000 people in Okobo Okobbo County and in other parts of Jonge state, as well as Upper Nile State and other priority locations.
The humanitarian situation in Akobo County has recently deteriorated following an escalation of fighting.
More than 200,000 people have fled their homes, while food insecurity continues to climb.
Some 12,000 people in Akobo are already facing the most extreme hunger and malnutrition.
Moving to Nigeria, we joined the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk in expressing alarm and shock over reports of civilians killed in northeast northern Nigeria.
According to reports, Nigerian army airstrikes on a market in the northeastern state of Zamfara killed at least 100 civilians on the 10th of May and injured many more.
Separately, dozens of fishermen were killed in recent Chadian military airstrikes in Northwestern Nigeria.
It is crucial that both Nigerian and Chadian authorities conduct prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into these disturbing incidents and ensure that those responsible for any violations are held to account.
We also call on both militaries to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.
Yesterday in Depro, Ukraine, a clearly marked World Food Program truck delivering food to frontline communities was struck by a drone injuring the driver.
WFP reports that more than 80 attacks have affected its vehicles, warehouses, and assets of local partners in Ukraine over the past two years.
The humanitarian coordinator ad interim there, Bernadette Castle Hollingsworth, called the attack unacceptable.
Also in D Nepro, authorities announced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from several high risk areas around the towns of Nikol and Marhnetz due to intense fighting.
According to authorities, more than 1,000 people are affected to evacuate within a month within the region or to other parts of Ukraine.
Civilian casualties were also reported in the regions of Sumi, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kirsn, and Zarysa.
Hostilities damaged a water tower, an educational facility, railway infrastructure, and a school, among other civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights monitoring Mission said today that more people were killed and injured in Ukraine in the first four months of 2026 than in the same period in any of the last three years.
According to the Mission's latest update on civilian harm in Ukraine, at least 238 civilians were killed and 1404 injured in April, bringing the number of verified civilian casualties so far in 2026 to 815 killed and 4,174 injured.
From Haiti, our OCHA colleagues reported an alarming escalation of armed violence since May 10th, that is happening in Cite Sole, a neighborhood in the Portu Prince metropolitan area.
According to initial reports by the International Organization for Migration, more than 5,300 people have fled their homes.
More than half of them have sought shelter in 12 sites, while many others are being hosted by already overstretched communities.
The scale of the violence has had immediate consequences for people's access to lifesaving healthcare.
On May 11th, Madison Sin Frontier was forced to evacuate and suspend its operations in Cituul hospital after treating more than 40 patients with gunshot wounds in under 12 hours and sheltering over 800 people.
The same area had already experienced armed violence in March and April, resulting in the displacement of close to 8,000 people and increased pressure on essential services.
Despite the insecurity, humanitarian organizations have not suspended all activities in Cité Sul.
Our partners are conducting assessments in the areas where displaced people have relocated within Cité Sul.
OCHA is bringing our partners together to prepare a collective humanitarian response in a rapidly evolving and volatile security environment.
Earlier today at a press conference during his visit to the Republic of Korea, UN High Comissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stressed that peace and security on the Korean Peninsula need to be anchored in human rights.
The High Commissioner heard from North Korean escapees and stated that the situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a human rights crisis, adding that it is high time the international community treated it as such.
Mr.
Turk also said that the people and institutions of South Korea showed the strength of the country's democracy by standing firm for human rights, the rule of law, and accountability during the December 2024 political crisis, and that the same resolve is needed to ensure equality and protection for all.
His full remarks are online.
We have a quiz for you today, which means money.
This country has the tallest statue in Africa at 52 meters high.
Any guesses? Oh, no one's going to try.
Okay.
It's the African Renaissance Monument in Dkar, Senegal, which was unveiled in 2010.
And we say thank you to our friends in Dakar for their full payment to the regular budget.
Senegal's payment brings the number of fully paid up member states to 108.
Okay.
Let's have some questions.
E.
Thank you, Farhan.
You mentioned quite a number of drone strikes believed to be by Hezbollah against UNIFIL targets.
There's also a report today of a deadly Israeli drone strike near Beirut.
What is the Secretary-General message to both sides in Lebanon about the use of drones? Well, needless to say, this is happening while both sides are technically supposed to be observing a cease fire.
And what we want them to do is do just that.
They need to observe and fully implement a cease fire.
That means that there should not be any violent attacks by either side against the other, whether using drones or any other technology.
From our side, of course, we will continue to use our various mechanisms, including UNIFIL and including the special coordinator Janean Hennis Plescher to talk to the various parties and try to get them to make sure that the cease fire is fully respected.
And a follow up on the special envoys travels regarding Sudan.
For months, there has been talk of trying to get international coordination to try and get a ceasefire in Sudan.
What specific results has the UN been able to get in trying to get the varying outside parties to agree to tackle this issue together? Well, the envoy, Pekhavesto has been reaching out to the various groups of parties.
As you know, the Quad brings together the United States, Sauth Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.
The Quintet brings together the African Union, IGAD, the League of Arab States, the European Union, and the UN.
And those are all formats of both bringing together regional organizations and bringing together different parties and he's working with them and has been stressing the need for all of them to coordinate their efforts so that there can be a credible pathway for Sudan.
That hasn't happened so far.
Obviously, when you're dealing with that many countries and that many organizations, there are still many different interests, but he is working with all of them to try to reconcile that so that we do work together.
Amelie.
Thanks, Farhan.
Follow up on Haiti.
Could you give us a little bit more detail about the incident that are still going on? Is that like gang attacks or police operation? Do you know what's going on exactly? You mentioned Geng but are there any people killed? We don't have what the death tolls are.
It's very clear when we're talking about more than 40 patients who had gunshot wounds in a 12 hour span that there's a lot of activity.
So it would be reasonable to believe that there have been some fatalities.
But we don't have those numbers.
And this was information shared with us by Medicine Sn Frontera.
Certainly a lot of the problem in recent days, as we've been talking about, has involved the activity of different gangs and also the activity of different security forces dealing with the gangs.
We're hoping that we, through our efforts can get the parties to step back from this violence.
But unfortunately, as you know, from the history of Haiti in recent years, it's extremely hard once these activities have begun.
And so and so we are worried about how the armed violence has escalated in various neighborhoods in the capital.
Yes, Namo.
Thank you, Farhan.
You talked about Syria and how WFP's work is impacted by reduced funding.
Can you be more specific about where in Syria the impact would be most severe? Well, it would be a countrywide effect.
I mean, the big problem is that out of 1.3 million people throughout the country, they will now only be able to serve 650,000.
So they're cutting essentially entirely in half the number of recipients of their aid, while also halting the nationwide bread subsidy program.
So it's a nationwide program and the impact is felt throughout the nation.
And I might add, it's also felt by Syrian communities in neighboring countries as well.
Separate topic, the White House posted a tweet a few hours ago saying that the United Nations is making efforts, is pushing for what it called replacement migration.
What is your response to that? Well, first of all, they would need to clarify what they mean by replacement migration in the first place.
That's certainly not a term that we use.
What I can tell you is obviously, we believe that every country has the right and responsibility to manage its own borders.
That said, it's always been clear that the global compact on migration is voluntary.
No one's imposing anything on anyone.
Migration is a fact of human life.
It's always been one and always will be.
But from our standpoint, for the UN, it's clear that no country can manage the flow of human beings alone.
It needs to be a joint effort involving countries of origin, countries of transit, and countries of destination.
If not, criminal gangs will continue to manage the process and that will only benefit them.
And so we need to ensure that migration is safe and orderly, which is why member states have agreed on the Global Compact.
Well, one just follow up.
In the progress Declaration, one phrase has been talked about, you know, more than the others, that immigrants are all immigrants are human rights holders.
Does the Secretary-General believe all immigrants, regardless of status, are human rights holders? Human rights holders? Like they have human rights.
That's the exact phrase in the progress Declaration, yes.
It's not just all immigrants have human rights are holders of human rights.
All humans have human rights.
That's the whole idea behind human rights.
By virtue of being a human, you have rights.
Yes.
Yes, please.
Thanks.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you, F on.
A quick one, if you don't mind.
We know that President Trump is in Beijing right now to meet with President Xi, likely to discuss the war in Iran.
Does the UN have any expectations for the meeting, specifically on stipulations it would like to see for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz? Well, the issue of the strait of Hormuz is a large one, and we don't necessarily expect that it can be resolved simply by those two countries.
Obviously, we appreciate all dialogue between two such important countries as the United States and China, and we want them to use moments like this so that they can resolve any of their differences through dialogue.
Yes, please.
You had a question? Thank you.
Thank you, Farhan.
This is Lei Zu with China central television.
You talked about UFL as we know that UFL has repeatedly reported restrictions on its freedom of movement and incidents affecting peacekeepers.
Is the UN concerned that Unils ability to implement its mandate is being compromised on the ground and has the Secretary-General raised this directly with the parties involved? Thank you.
Uh, the Secretary-General has been raising this with a number of parties, and his officials on the ground have also raised this in particular with the Lebanese government and with the government of Israel in terms of, as well as with the Israel defense forces and the Lebanese armed forces.
Obviously, anything that impedes the work of the UN interim force in Lebanon hinders us from going about our mandated tasks.
UNIFIL continues to do all of its mandated tasks as best as it can.
But obviously, in a moment like this, we need for them to be able to do their work with full effectiveness, and that's why we are raising attention at any time that the activities by either the Israeli defense forces or Hezbollah impedes the work we're doing.
Islam, you have a question online, then you have.
Yes.
Thank you, Farhan.
On Monday briefing this week, you said, from Friday to Monday in three days, UNIFIL recorded 1296 trajectories or projectiles attributed to the Israeli forces and 64 to Hezbollah.
If you do that, that's nearly one shot every 3 minutes from Israeli side.
Compared with roughly one every 75 minutes from Hezbollah, a difference of about 20 times.
You also said that the incidents involving the denial of freedom of movement to uniform peacekeepers by Israeli army tanks and bulldozers continue to occur daily.
However, today's UNIFIL statements seem to portray Hizbullah like a primarily responsible for the increased activities around Unifil basis, giving examples only related to Hizbullah.
Is that a fair reflection of the situation on the ground? First of all, I would like to praise you for your excellent mathematics work.
Second, yes, Unifil is describing the conditions accurately as it sees it.
And so all of these updates name exactly who is doing what at what time.
Okay, you had a question? Me? No, no, no, it's back to the room.
An, if I may continue The language seems like UN language.
The statement seems like downplaying one side and exaggerating the other side with this language if you look at the violation of the cease fire on the ground.
What's your comment on that? My comment is what I just said is that UNIFIL is calling out accurately what it sees as it sees it.
It is putting the blame as it frequently does on each side and specifying what each side has done.
Yes, please.
Yeah.
Thank you, Farhan.
I'm Nishd Mirza from Turkish Journal.
I have two questions.
Actually, the first one is about, you know, President Trump visiting China.
Is the Secretary-General, does he have a remark on it or, you know, about is he hopeful that the Iran war is going to end pretty soon? That was number one.
And number two question is that when you talk about Gaza and the crisis, you know, the health crisis there and, you know, reaching the aid.
So is there any urgent step the UN is taking right now, like in May 2026, you know, to ensure that people do reach the Humanitarian aid.
Thank you.
Well, regarding Gaza, the UN has been involved in coordinating assistance every day that's coming in through the crossing points, most frequently through the Karmbushalom crossing point, but sometimes through Zakim.
The World Health Organization has also been getting people out who need medical evacuation through the Rafah crossing point.
As I just pointed out, our most senior humanitarian official in the area, doctor Ramiz Akporov was in Gaza today assessing what the situation is there and dealing with how to improve things.
Of course, we have thousands of people from the UN Relief and Works Agency.
Involved every day in distributing aid, in making sure that education is provided to the people of Gaza and other such activities.
Regarding your first question, I already told your colleague our hope about the meetings between the US and Chinese leaders that they will resolve any differences between them constructively through dialogue.
Yes.
Thank you, Farhan, about the very unfortunate experience by USG Gilles Michaud today at the Israeli airport, Banguria.
You said earlier today that the Israeli authorities said it was a human error.
Did the Israelis provide more information on how this incident happened? Does the USG travel as a VIP? Uh, regarding that, obviously, he, like other UN officials, is accorded diplomatic protocols during their travel.
In this particular incident in Israel, Under Secretary-General Gilles Michaud received an apology from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for his reception at the airport, and they attributed the matter to human error.
How could it be a human error? Because he was traveling, as I assume, as a VIP and he had the status.
I think if you get any explanation for that, it would need to come from the Israeli authorities, not from us.
All right.
Have a good afternoon, everyone.