Venezuela, UN Charter Day & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right.
Good afternoon.
Sorry about that.
Just to flag that on Monday, we will have Gian Luca Rampola del Tindaro, who's the resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in Venezuela.
He will join you via video link from Caracas to speak to you about the earthquakes that hit Venezuela.
Let me just give you an update on that before I move to other things.
The Secretary-General last night spoke to the acting president of Venezuela, DelC Rodriguez.
In the call, he expressed his solidarity with the people and government of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes.
The Secretary-General pledged the full cooperation of the UN system in support of the government's led relief efforts.
On the ground, we and our humanitarian partners are rapidly scaling up our response, conducting assessments and mobilizing assistance.
The emergency relief coordinator, Tom Fletcher, allocated yesterday $15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund.
All of this to support urgent lifesaving assistance, including healthcare, shelter, food, and water.
Our colleagues at the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that the government is leading the response efforts focused on search and rescue, while emergency medical care and damage assessment, while international assistance is scaling up rapidly with urban search and rescue teams deploying from multiple countries.
OCHA is supporting coordination efforts on the ground, facilitating information sharing and working with partners to help ensure the effective deployment of international search and rescue teams.
A total of 30 of these teams are deploying to Venezuela with more than 1,600 personnel, 100 dogs coming from a wide variety of countries.
The UN's disaster and Assessment teams have also been mobilized along with four member operational support team.
Several OCHA staff are also being deployed to Venezuela.
Our colleagues at the World Food Program tell us that the first 72 hours are obviously critical for search and rescue efforts, but they're also critical for positioning food and other relief supplies that people will need in the coming days.
WFP says it has enough to feed more than 10,000 families for two months in Venezuela.
Teams are also looking for the fastest way to mobilize further food assistance and are establishing response priorities across the affected areas.
WFP added that there are also over 1,400 metric tons in relief items from partners that are ready to be deployed at the WFP managed UN Humanitarian Response Depot, which is in Panama.
For its part, the UN Children's Fund said an estimated 3.3 0.9 million children live in areas affected by the earthquake, putting thousands of children and their families at even further risk.
UNICEF is on the ground coordinating closely with national authorities, the broader UN system, and local partners and international partners to assess needs and support a rapid and effective response.
To enable immediate action, UNICEF has allocated $1.5 million from its internal resources and $1 million from the global humanitarian thematic funding.
Of our colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency for their part of scaling up core relief item distribution in coordination with the government and partners.
Regional core relief item stocks such as tents and housing units, mosquito excuse me, mosquito nets, solo lamps in Panama will be quickly mobilized.
UNHCR teams on the ground continue coordinating the protection response and the scaling up of emergency shelter relief and support services.
We and our humanitarian partners remain fully mobilized, working closely with national authorities to ensure assistance reaches those most in need as quickly as possible.
And also wanted to flag that this morning the Secretary-General marked the 81st Charter Day, which commemorates the signing of the UN charter, which took place in 1945 in San Francisco.
And the ceremony today in the General Assembly, he said the charter was a promise to the world that humanity can choose cooperation.
Chaos, humanity law over lawlessness, dignity over domination, and hope over fear.
Mr.
Gutierrez said the UN has never been perfect, but it is irreplaceable.
Today, he warned that promise is being tested to the breaking point with wars of territorial expansion grinding on.
Famine used as a weapon and aid as a bargaining chip, civilians treated as targets, cease fires proclaimed one day and shattered the next.
You reminded member states that the charter is not an la carte menu.
Its principles are not optional, and they are not negotiable.
The Secretary-General said, we must strengthen diplomacy and solidarity across regions and accelerate action on sustainable development because peace, dignity, and opportunity go hand in hand, adding that we must build a UN that adapts to a changing world.
A couple of senior personnel appointments to share with you today.
The Secretary-General today is appointing Mohammed Yaya of Somalia as the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, that is, of course, in the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
He succeeds Joyce Msuya of Tanzania, to whom both the Secretary-General and Tom Fletcher, our emergency relief coordinator, grateful for her dedicated service to the humanitarian cause.
Mr.
Yaya brings to the position over two decades of experience in development, humanitarian action, and peace building, gained at headquarters, regional and field levels.
His current role is UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for Pakistan in Pakistan.
The second appointment Secretary-General is appointing today, Katerina Boehm of Germany as Assistant Secretary-General to serve as deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, the UN Population Fund.
She succeeds Dan Keta, who, as you know, has transitioned to become the Executive Director at UNFPA.
Doctor Boehm has served as acting Regional Director for WHO in Southeast Asia since June 2025.
She's previously served as Assistant Secretary-General for External and Governance and chef de Cabinet at WHO.
We welcome and congratulate both.
This morning, the Secretary-General excuse me the Under Secretary-General for Political and Peace Building Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, brief council members on the situation in Sudan, stressing that efforts to achieve a permanent cease fire must go hand in hand with advancing a sustainable political solution, noting that the parties and their allies are seeking a clear roadmap for Sudan's political future.
She also welcomed plans to announce by the Sudanese authorities to launch a national dialogue process.
Also briefing was Deputy Executive Director of Unicef Hanan Suleiman, who said that tragically since the conflict began, more than 5,000 children have been killed or maimed, but the real figure is likely to be much higher.
She urged council members to continue pressing all parties to facilitate a rapid, safe, and unimpeded humanitarian access across conflict lines, emphasizing that humanitarian assistance must reach children wherever they are.
And Pekviso, the Secretary-General personal envoy from whom you heard yesterday, will be briefing council members in close consultations.
Both Rosemary DiCarlo and Hanna Suleiman also focused on the situation in Obayed, and I can further tell you that the World Food Program continues to provide vital food and cash assistance to over 100,000 of the most vulnerable people in Obayed.
The agency is now moving quickly to bring in more lifesaving food assistance in the area.
The goal is to be ready to support more than 250,000 human beings who may be forced to escape the city if the situation deteriorates further.
Elbaid is a critical humanitarian hub for the wider Kordofan region and a lifeline for civilians already enduring siege like conditions and shrinking access to the most basic services.
WFP urgently requires $646 million to maintain lifesaving food assistance operations in Sudan for the next six months.
And moving to the situation in southern Lebanon, our peacekeeping colleagues tell us that today from midnight until 4:00 P.M.
Local time, Peacekeepers did not detect any trajectory of projectiles attributable to any side.
Yesterday, however, UNIFIL detected the highest number of trajectories of projectiles since Sunday originating from the IDF position south of the blue line and within our missions area of operations.
The observed 32 trajectories with 24 of them originating from the general area of Yarn and impacting your Rashi in sector West, while the remaining eight originated from south of the blue line and impacted the general area of Ayatun in sector West as well.
Peacekeepers did not detect any trajectories from Lebanese non state actors yesterday.
Also, yesterday, an airstrike was observed northwest of B aun in sector West, while drones respondtted flying southwest of Tira in sector West and Nar Adit Al usar in Sector East.
Additionally, UNIFIL personnel reported a total of 32 firing incidents yesterday, originating from IDF positions south of the blue line and within the area of operations.
UNIFIL observed multiple incidents near Albada in Sector West, including bursts of heavy machine gunfire and small arms fire, including 640 millimeter grenades.
UNIFIL also reported approximately 100 rounds of small arms fire from IDF positions across the blue line southeast of Kafir Chuba in Sector East.
Once again, we urge all to adhere fully to the cease fire and refrain from any escalation, particularly during this ongoing delicate period of ongoing negotiations.
Um, UNIFIL also observed IDF patrol boats crossing into Lebanese territorial waters yesterday, southwest of Al Nikora before returning to Israeli waters, and peacekeepers are also continuing to face impediments while moving around the missions area of operations, including roadblocks.
On the humanitarian front, UNIFIL through its liaison branch and in coordination with OCHA facilitated eight humanitarian missions by four organizations in Sector West and one in Sector East yesterday.
OCHA says that a total of 290 movements were facilitated by the humanitarian notification system.
Reaching people across southern Lebanon since March 2nd.
OCHA says a lot of people are returning now to their homes and their places of origin.
Number of people sought safety in collective shelters obviously continues to decline and sites are closing as families depart.
We reiterate that returns must be safe, they must be voluntary, and they must be dignified, and there is a need for sustained support to meet the ongoing humanitarian needs alongside safe and unimpeded humanitarian access.
Couple of updates from Gaza, where we and our partners are continuing to carry out pest control in all populated areas of Gaza strip, but skin diseases and other related health conditions remain widespread.
As most of the water network remains destroyed, the UN development program last week brought into Gaza five additional water trucks, and UNICEF brought in water treatment chemicals.
Together, this will boost our ability to provide water to communities by truck.
As you recall, water trucking remains a backup option, but it is expensive to sustain.
Repairing the heavily damaged infrastructure is essential.
Meanwhile, last week, partners provided psychosocial care, legal aid, and case management to nearly 50,000 people across Gaza.
At the same time, targeted assistance and cash support help nearly 20,000 people and hundreds of vulnerable households to meet their basic needs.
Today, also the Food Agriculture Organization and the UN Satellite Service released an assessment showing that farmers in Gaza have been able to rehabilitate about 24 hectors of greenhouse infrastructure since the Declaration of the ceasefire.
FAO says these developments coincide with signs of recovery of the livestock sector.
We and our partners are supporting agricultural recovery through cash, livestock, support, and technical guidance.
Since October, FAO has distributed nearly 600 tons of animal feed every month, and still our partners warn that 80% of greenhouse infrastructure remains damaged or out of production, and most of the land in the Gaza strip remains inaccessible to Palestinians, which obviously limits livelihoods and their ability to farm.
Um, one more note on Lebanon, sir, which I said earlier, you'd asked me about the post of Special Coordinator with Janean Hennis Plaschur leaving.
I can tell you that Jean Arne will be traveling to Lebanon in the coming days to serve as officer in charge of the Office of the Special Coordinator, that is as of July 1st.
And we once again express our thanks and gratitude to Janean Hennis Plauschur for her work in that post.
She's coming in New York.
To take care of all our security and safety, which is a big job.
Quick note from Haiti where OCHA colleagues tell us that humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, renewed displacement recorded across several departments, more than 2,600 people have been displaced in our Tibi department following clashes between armed groups last week.
That's what the International Organization for Migration is telling us.
More than three quarters of displaced sought refuge in the commune of Marchand de Saline Continuing violence in Ar Tbunid is raising serious protection concerns.
Meanwhile, in the West Department, renewed clashes in Cité Sola since June 13th have displaced more than 5,000 people.
This adds to thousands of persons who have been recently displaced multiple times while fleeing the fighting in Cité Sole.
Um, Our humanitarian colleagues note that ongoing violence has severely disrupted health services, particularly for women and girls.
It has forced the doctors without borders to suspend their activities at a maternity facility in Cité Sola on June 19th, which obviously deprives thousands of women to access to maternal and reproductive health in one of the most densely populated areas of the Haitian capital.
These displacement and violence dynamics are recurring in the context of increasing forced returns to Haiti.
According to IOM, more than 117,000 people were returned to Haiti between January and June of this year.
24% of all forcibly returned migrants in 2026 are women, 8% are children.
OCHA continues to work with our humanitarian partners to assist needs and provide assistance.
The $880 million humanitarian appeal for 2026 is currently only 27% funded.
Bear with me.
I have a few more notes to share with you.
Our Deputy Secretary-General Mia Mohammed will travel to Cairo this afternoon, for the first in a new series of high level dialogues on artificial intelligence and human development.
In Cairo, she will also meet with the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bad Abdullatti and his Eminence Ahmed El Tab, the Grand Imam of Al Azar Mosque.
Following her engagement in Cairo, she will travel to Germany and Hamburg to participate in the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, which brings together leaders from government, international organizations, business academia, civil society to advance implementation of the SDGs.
During her visit, she will participate in multiple high level events and hold a series of bilateral meetings with senior government officials, representatives of international organizations and various partners.
Monday, she will go to London where she'll convene a high level roundtable to discuss the SDGs in an area in an era of flux.
That will be on Tuesday the 30th.
The meeting will bring together a small and diverse group of senior leaders for an open and substantive exchange on sustainable development.
She will then go to Geneva on July 1st as part of the broader UN AD consultation process, meeting with Syrian UN officials across the system, member states, and other key stakeholders.
Her discussions will focus on reinforcing partnerships, gathering perspectives that will help shape the organization's shared priorities for the year ahead.
Also, traveling is Jean-Pierre Lacroix the head of Peace operations, who just finished his visit to Pristina in Belgrade, where he met with senior Kosovo and Kosovo serve representatives, members of the diplomatic community, international organizations and civil society, Um, he discussed key priorities in promoting excuse me, discussed key priorities, including the importance of continued engagement and cooperation in promoting lasting peace, stability, and security in the Western Balkans, as well as support for the EU facilitated Belgrade Pristina dialogue and ongoing efforts by UNMIK to promote trust building.
In Sarajevo, he met with key national and institutional stakeholders, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense, the Armed Forces of Bosnia Herzegovina, and also engage with the Agency for Gender Equality, the UN, and the country team and international partners.
Today, we start the Fourth Counterterrorism Week, which gets underway.
It runs through July 2nd and brings together member states, UN entities, and partners.
On Monday, the Secretary-General will convene a high level conference of heads of counterterrorism agencies of member states, one of the flagship events of the week.
The event will provide an opportunity to take stock and progress in implementing the UN's global counterterrorism strategy, strengthening international cooperation and examine emerging evolving terrorist threats while promoting inclusive coordinated response.
Throughout the week, nearly 40 side events are scheduled.
Some of them already started today, and they're organized by member states, our own departments and civil society.
And just four international days to share with you today, International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, Also, International Day of Support of Victims of Torture.
Tomorrow is micro small and medium sized Enterprise Day.
Emily, I know you're fascinated by that one.
And tomorrow we also mark the International Day of Deaf blindness, which commemorates the birth of renowned author and disability rights activist Helen Keller.
Um, and that's it.
It's a lot for Friday, so I will leave it with you.
Gabriel.
Thanks, Steph.
The call between the Venezuelan acting president and the Secretary-General, was that initiated by whom? By the Secretary-General.
Okay.
And did the interim president or acting president of Venezuela make any specific requests of the UN that you can share or No, I mean, I think it was for the I can't speak for her.
For the SR was a clear message, not only of solidarity, but which is an emotional message, but also of clear operational solidarity with the UN system going to work as one in support of the efforts that are led by the government as they always are in these kinds of situations.
And if I could get a follow up on the briefing we had with Mr.
Dominguez this morning from the International Maritime Organization.
I won't.
It was a very long briefing and there are a lot of questions, and I don't want to go over that again because we heard from him himself.
However, from the Secretary-General standpoint, what does he sort of make of where we are at right now given all the uncertainty and the uncertainty that we even gleaned from the Secretary-General of the IMO, where does the Secretary-General see this is going, number one, and does he think that the general outlines of some plan, whatever that is, to get the straight open again, is sustainable in its current state? You kind of answered your own question.
Where we are is at a time of great uncertainty, right? We're seeing different parties saying different things.
We welcomed the signing of the memorandum of understanding.
I think it's important that everybody live up to what they've committed to in every agreement that is signed.
We are keen to see a sustained reopening of the Strait of Hormuz based on the concept of freedom of navigation, which I think Secretary-General Dominguez explained pretty clearly.
We are at a very delicate time, right? And I think it is important that all parties involved keep their eyes on the greater good, right? The greater good of regional stability, the greater good of global stability, as Mr.
Dominguez said, the greater good of the seafarers, of the thousands and thousands of men and women who have been stuck on ships who we all rely on to get the goods that we consume every day.
And is it the SG's hope that the Strait of Hormuz will return to how it was before the conflict began, or does he feel that that is no longer a reasonable expectation? Well, listen, I think we have to remain determined.
The Strait of Hormuz prior to the opening of this conflict actually worked, right? So we know we can, and we should go back to that.
All right.
It's clearly Friday.
You guys had already a lot of briefings today, so I will release you.