Senior Appointment, Security Council/Syria, Yemen & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right.
Good afternoon and happy Friday.
Today, my guests will be Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division, and Altaf Musani Director of Emergency Health Interventions at the World Health Organization.
They will join us shortly from Panama to brief on their recent mission to Cuba.
I have an appointment to announce.
The Secretary-General announced today the appointment of Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands as his new Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security.
She will succeed Gilles Michaud of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude for his leadership and tireless service to the organization amidst the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of crises.
Ms.
Hennis-Plasschaert brings to the position more than 30 years of experience in diplomacy, mediation, and international security.
She has served since 2024 as the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, working with national, regional and international actors to advance stability in the face of compounding domestic and regional crises.
She also served as special representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq 2018-2024.
She was also the Minister of Defense of the Netherlands.
We will share her bio.
This morning, the Security Council members held an open session on Syria.
Briefing via VTC, Deputy special envoy for Syria Claudio Cordone said that he hopes to soon reach an understanding with the government on broad areas for cooperation, building on proposals made in March and the valuable discussions held since then, as well as on the relocation of the Geneva based staff to Damascus.
Mr.
Cordone said that he will return to Damascus next week to advance discussions on the transition and his office's role in supporting it.
For his part, Under Secretary-General for humanitarian affairs Tom Fletcher warned that humanitarian needs in Syria remain significant.
About two thirds of the population, thus about 15.6 million people, most of them women and children require help this year.
He added that current funding levels mean we will reach only about half of them.
Almost halfway through the year, the humanitarian appeal is still barely more than 16% funded with some $480 million received towards the $2.9 billion needed.
He underscored that predictable and flexible humanitarian financing is essential to reach more people and make full use of improved access that we now have to many areas in Syria.
In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General welcomed the deal reached between the parties to the conflict in Yemen to release more than 1,600 conflict related detainees, the largest such release agreed upon since the start of the conflict in Yemen.
This achievement is the result of weeks of direct negotiations in Iman Jordan under the auspices of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General calls on the parties to move swiftly towards implementing the deal in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross so that families can be reunited as soon as possible.
He also calls on them to work towards further releases in line with their obligations under the 2018 Stockholm Agreement to release all conflict related detainees for all.
He calls on the government of Yemen and the Houthis to build on the positive momentum generated by Thursday's deal and engage constructively with a special envoy in Yemen towards an inclusive political process for a just and lasting peace in Yemen.
The Secretary-General further urges the Houthis to immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained personnel from the United Nations, NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions.
He reaffirms that the United Nations system is determined to work through all possible channels to secure their safe release.
The full statement is online.
Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari spoke this morning at the commemoration of the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, in which more than 750,000 Palestinians were uprooted from their homes.
Mr.
Khiari said that the situation in Gaza today is a catastrophe of grave proportions.
Since the horrific terror attacks by Hamas on the 7th of October 2023, devastation from the subsequent war is staggering, he said, adding that more than 85% of Gaza's population has been displaced, many repeatedly so.
He said that in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the UN continues to document systematic displacement of Palestinians, home demolitions, settlement expansion, and the proliferation of outposts, adding that more than 40,000 Palestine refugees have been forcibly displaced from camps in the northern West Bank since early 2025.
The Secretary-General has been clear, Mr.
Khiari said, All Israeli settlements in the occupied Wes Bank, including East Jerusalem, have no legal validity, are in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions.
In Gaza, OCHA reports that on Wednesday, hundreds of families were forcibly displaced from areas in Eastern Deir al-Balah to other parts of Gaza.
Palestinian militia forces reportedly went to people's shelters and ordered them out.
Newly displaced families say they also received phone calls from people who identified themselves as Israeli forces, instructing them to leave within a short span of time.
Humanitarian partners supported families in identifying spaces to stay in and obtaining basic services.
OCHA reminds us that most of Gaza's 2.1 million people are already displaced.
Many are staying in overcrowded and under serviced sites exposed to serious health and environmental risks.
On the public health front yesterday, the UN brought pesticides into Gaza to help address the growing risks related to insects and other hazards.
So far, teams in Gaza have relied largely on small quantities of locally procured agents.
A pest control campaign is now set to start next week, prioritizing areas where waste has accumulated within or near residential areas, as well as around food storage facilities and public markets.
Humanitarian partners say that to provide a more complete response to risk linked to rodents and pests, Israeli authorities must let in critical rubble removal and explosive ordinance clearance equipment and facilitate access to Gaza's two sanitary landfills near the strips perimeter.
To give you a sense of how restrictive access still is, during the first 11 days of May, only half of the aid trucks from Egypt could offload at Israeli controlled crossings along Gaza's perimeter.
This doesn't include bilateral donations or commercial imports.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, yesterday, Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old boy in Nablus, reportedly for throwing stones.
I have the following statement attributable to the spokesperson for the Secretary-General on Ukraine.
The Secretary-General is alarmed the United Nations vehicle was struck twice in Karson City in Ukraine on the 14th of May.
The clearly marked vehicle was part of an interagency humanitarian mission led by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that had been notified to the parties well in advance.
The United Nations is working to establish the full facts surrounding this incident.
The Secretary-General reiterates that international law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected at all times.
Civilians and civilian objects, including humanitarian relief personnel and objects used for humanitarian relief operations, must be respected and protected at all times.
Peacekeepers of the UN interim force in Lebanon continued to observe significant air and ground activity across the area of operations, including multiple Israeli airstrikes in both sectors east and west.
Air strikes were also reported north of the Litaniiver and in Western Bekah.
Peacekeepers reported 377 firing incidents attributed to the Israel defense forces and 15 trajectories of projectiles attributed to Lebanese non state actors, including Hezbollah.
Activity across UNIL's area of operations was characterized by sustained Israel defense forces operations, including high density armored movements, large scale engineering and demolition works, logistical traffic, and resistant artillery, mortar, and rocket fire.
Yesterday, three mortar shells fired by the Israeli defense forces impacted approximately 70 meters southwest of a UNIFIL position near Ramesh in Sector West.
Earlier this morning, UNIFIL peacekeepers reported one impact inside and another near a UN position in Al Bayada in Sector West, resulting in material damage to buildings within the position.
We reiterate our call on all to uphold the inviolability of the United Nations premises and ensure the safety and security of UN personnel at all times.
Yesterday, the movement of UniFIL peacekeepers was obstructed twice by the Israel defense forces in Sector West.
Southwest of Al Bayda a tank halted peacekeepers escorting the Lebanese Red Cross, pointing its main gun towards the convoy and instructing them and instructing them to leave the area.
The convoy was later able to proceed.
Additionally, near Nakuah, a tank briefly blocked a UniIL patrol.
Such restrictions are inconsistent with the obligation to respect Unil's freedom of movement in accordance with this mandate and relevant Security Council resolutions.
We call on all actors to fully respect this obligation.
Despite the volatile security environment, Unifil continues to support humanitarian decfliction efforts in coordination with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Yesterday, three humanitarian organizations conducted missions in the entire area.
Today, the UN Humanitarian coordinator and resident coordinator for Lebanon, Imran Ra, made a statement on the rising civilian toll from Israeli airstrikes despite the ceasefire announced on April 17th.
He said that the violence has also taken an unacceptable toll on those working to save lives, underscoring the continued risks faced by first responders and medical teams operating in extremely dangerous conditions.
Attacks affecting ambulances and frontline responders continue to raise serious concerns for the safety of civilians and humanitarian personnel.
Since the announcement of the cease fire, 15 attacks on health care have been recorded, resulting in the deaths of 12 healthcare workers and the injuries of 21 others.
He underscored that international humanitarian law is clear.
Civilians, including humanitarian workers, medical teams, and first responders, must be protected at all times, and the vital infrastructure civilians rely on must be spared.
All parties must facilitate rapid and unimpeded humanitarian passage to civilians in need.
Displacement orders were also issued yesterday for five villages located in Hjuish areas in the Baca governorate, as well as for three villages in the South governoate, some of them for the first time since the escalation began.
Additional displacement orders were issued today in district, reportedly forcing at least 2,800 Lebanese and 2,560 Palestinian refugees to flee.
Despite insecurity and access constraints, humanitarian partners in close coordination with the government of Lebanon continue to scale up assistance.
Since March 2nd, partners have distributed more than 9.5 million hot and cold meals to conflict affected people, alongside more than 166,000 blankets and 127,000 mattresses to support displaced families across the country.
I've told you in the past weeks about the deteriorating food security situation in Somalia.
Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF and the World Food Program are warning that a rapidly intensifying Conger emergency is pushing 6 million people, almost a third of the population into critical levels of food insecurity between April and June.
This information is based on the latest Integrated Food Security phase classification report.
Somalia now includes one of the worst malnutrition crises in the world, impacting 1.9 million children, including 493,000 boys and girls who face severe malnutrition.
This is also the first time since 2022 that Somalia is at risk of famine in Burkaba District in Southwest state.
You will recall that in 2022, famine was averted through massively scaled up and sustained humanitarian interventions in the aftermath of the longest drought on record.
The current and worsening crisis is driven by multiple shocks, including severe drought, insecurity, extremely limited humanitarian assistance, and the ripple effect of conflict in the Middle East.
Humanitarian assistance in the most at risk areas is being scaled up, but this is happening within severely constrained resources.
Coverage remains limited nationwide with nearly 90% of people receiving little or no support.
FAO, OCHA, UNICEF, and WFP are calling for an urgent scale up of lifesaving assistance.
The Humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, George Conway also said earlier today that there's a narrow but critical window of opportunity in the coming weeks to prevent famine through rapid and expanded humanitarian action, improved access to food, and sustained monitoring and response capacity in hotspot areas.
Turning to Sudan, the Food and Agriculture Organization the World Food Program and UNICEF warned today that nearly 19.5 million people, that's two out of every five people in Sudan are currently facing crisis levels of acute food insecurity, IPC phase three or above across Sudan, according to the latest integrated food security phase classification.
Analysis.
14 areas at risk of famine across Greater Darfur 14 areas are at risk of famine across Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan.
Conditions are expected to deteriorate further during the lean season between June and September.
Meanwhile, humanitarian assistance remains critically inadequate compared to the scale of needs.
Between February and May, humanitarian partners aim to reach 4.8 million people per month.
However, only an estimated 3.13 million people received assistance in February.
FAO, WFP, and UNICEF call for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The agencies also urged the international community to urgently scale up funding for food, emergency food production, nutrition, health, and water and sanitation services, as well as support for actions to rebuild livelihoods.
Turning to South Sudan, where peacekeeper serving with the UN mission in South Sudan, U Miss, are providing a protective presence for humanitarian partners and displaced communities returning to Akobo in nglei state.
The return follows an outbreak of conflict in early March that caused widespread devastation and displacement.
Through intensive engagement by un Missed partners, a fragile calm has taken hold, enabling the mission to facilitate the urgent delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance.
With the rainy season fast approaching and with many roads soon expected to become impassable, UNMISS is also supporting the prepositioning of critical supplies so aid can continue reaching vulnerable communities in the months ahead.
Today is the International Day of Families.
This year's theme Families inequalities and child well being underscores the need for stronger investment in integrated family oriented policies to reduce disparities and support healthy child development.
Tomorrow is the International Day of living together in peace, a reminder that fostering dialogue, solidarity, and mutual understanding is both an urgent necessity and a shared responsibility.
Tomorrow is also the International Day of Light, celebrated on the anniversary of the first successful laser operation in 1960 by physicist and engineer Theodore Mimann.
And Sundays World Telecommunications and Information Safety Society Day.
In a message, the Secretary-General calls for greater investment in connectivity from seabed cables to satellites, from local access to open standards and digital skills.
Sunday is also the International Day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.
The Secretary-General says that on this day, we affirm a simple truth.
Being who you are should never be a crime.
That's it for me.
Any questions before we turn to our guests? Yes, Edi then Abdu Ami.
A couple of follow ups, Farhan.
First, on Yemen, you imply, but I'm not sure that what the status is of the staff from the UN civil society and diplomatic missions who are held in Yemen, were any of them part of this release? No.
In fact, this does not involve any of them.
We appreciate this release, which is a very large and substantial one.
But again, what we remind people of is, of course, the need to release all of those who have been held, all UN personnel, all international personnel, all non governmental personnel.
Again, remind people that the immunities applying to the UN apply to all of our people, including, of course, our national staff as well.
Second follow up on Somalia.
Can you tell us what the UN appeal is and what percentage is funded? Let me just.
Hold on 1 second.
Yeah.
The information I have on the on the analysis report is that it involves heightened levels of food insecurity for nearly 1.9 million people.
It does not I don't have on me the latest figures on how much of the Somalia appeal is funded.
We'll we'll try to get back to you on that.
Okay.
And third, um, You announced the new Under Secretary-General for Safety and Security.
I'm sure many of us would be interested in having Under Secretary-General Micheaux do a briefing here before he leaves his post.
Okay.
He's someone who has not been very present in this room.
Certainly, we have received a great cooperation from him and his office.
So we hear from him a bit, but we'll also try to make him available to you before he goes.
Abd Ham.
Thank you, Farhan.
Can you update us on the prisoners exchange in Yemen where this deal stands as we speak, has been implemented or The agreement was made basically after a considerable amount of negotiating in Iman.
The deal was approved yesterday.
Hans Greenberg came out with his announcement of that.
It is the International Committee of the Red Cross that will be the largest body actually implementing this transfer of the various prisoners, and we encourage support for them.
That has not yet begun.
A very brief question on the eighth Congress of Fatah held in Ramallah.
Was the Used there? Anyone attended the conference? I don't believe that we were personally present, but we have been in contact with the Palestine authority and have been kept apprised of all the various developments.
Another question.
In your statement, you always say settlements are illegal, it must be stopped.
The word must keep repeated in your statement all the time.
That must should go to Israel.
Can the SGC the Israel for what it is a defiant, rogue, law breaking state that does not follow what every other state in the world followed when it comes to international law? As far as that goes, we're no stranger to the fact that many member states, not just Israel, do not always heed our calls.
Over time, you'll have seen that even those states that choose to ignore our calls are made to respect international law.
There's a reason why international law exists, and we will continue to remind countries of their obligations.
Over time, it is clear that as with most member states, all of those states who are being called upon will have to respect their legal commitments.
You had a question? Yes.
Just a quick clarification.
Hold on 1 second.
I lost it somewhere, but on displacement in Gaza, is this due to Palestinian militia or IDF, or do we not know? What what the information we have is as I mentioned just now, That, on the one hand, we were told that Palestinian militia forces went to people's shelters and ordered them out and that some of the families who had been displaced told us that they had received phone calls from people who had identified themselves as Israeli forces.
Yes, Islam.
Thank you, Farhan.
Just to clarify, you gave an example about how restrictive access was from the Egyptian border to Gaza and you said half of the eight trucks from Egypt could offload.
Any number of trucks, like how many trucks you are talking about? I don't have the overall numbers, but our logistics cluster has regular has regular data on its website.
So you can look to the website to see daily what's happening there.
But in the first 11 days of this month, basically one in every 28 trucks were able to offload from Egypt.
And what we the information we have on that is that that's due to both the limited number of crossings, the operation times, Israeli requirement to offload and reload all truckloads, And so that all of those factors have limited the volume of supplies going in.
Yes.
Fine.
Thank you, Farhan.
The third round peace talks between Israel and Lebanon kicked off in Washington, DC yesterday.
I wonder if there were any UN officials present at the meeting.
No, these are not our talks, but we are keeping in touch with what the results of those talks are.