HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 30 MAY 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL/AFRICA DIALOGUE
The Secretary-General will speak at the Africa Dialogue at 3 pm today and will focus on reparations, which is also the African Union’s theme for 2025.
He will say that for too long, the colossal injustices inflicted by enslavement, the transatlantic slave trade, and colonialism have been left unacknowledged and unaddressed.
And he will argue that reparatory justice frameworks are critical – to redress historic wrongs, address today’s challenges, and ensure the rights and dignity of all.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
Today, in Tajikistan, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed participated in the High-Level International Conference on Glacier Preservation, taking place in Dushanbe. She underscored the urgent need to preserve glaciers and keep the 1.5°C climate target within reach — not only to protect ecosystems and water sources, but to ensure the livelihoods of people and prospering communities.
The Deputy Secretary-General called for bold, coordinated action ahead of COP30 rooted in cooperation, solidarity, and science. She later held a series of bilateral meetings with senior government officials, delegations, and youth constituents. She also met with the UN Country Team to acknowledge the UN’s continued support in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Tajikistan.
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Marrakech, Morocco, to attend the 2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell says that the catastrophic situation in Gaza is the worst it has been since the war began.
Strikes have continued across Gaza, particularly in North Gaza, where the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate last night after repeated strikes on and around the facility in recent days. Attacks also continued farther south in Deir al Balah, in areas of Al Bureij and An Nuseirat camps.
IHH, an international aid organization that runs community kitchens and nutrition points, reported on Wednesday that five of its workers had been killed and two injured in the previous two days.
OCHA underscores once again that civilians, including aid workers, must always be protected.
Displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last two weeks alone. Yesterday, Israeli authorities issued a renewed displacement order covering about 30 per cent of Gaza’s total territory in North Gaza, eastern parts of Gaza City and Deir al Balah.
To date, displacement orders have covered the entirety of the northernmost and southernmost governorates, as well as the eastern parts of each of the three governorates in between. Partners note that the limited movement of people observed in recent days appears to be driven by the search for food and necessities, rather than displacement orders.
The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to provide support to people in need, despite the immense challenges on the ground and the crippling restrictions on the amount and type of assistance being allowed into Gaza. Yesterday, the UN and the humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom. The other 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area.
Meanwhile in Gaza City, our partners working to address shelter needs managed to distribute 45 emergency shelter kits to families as part of a pilot initiative aimed at pooling resources to respond to some of the most critical needs.
Humanitarian needs have exploded in Gaza following nearly 80 days of a total blockade of all supplies.
The limited amounts of aid now entering the Strip are nowhere near sufficient to support 2.1 million people in desperate need of assistance.
As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety break down, looting incidents continue to be reported. Today, a group of armed individuals stormed the warehouses of a field hospital in Deir al Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines and nutritional supplements intended for malnourished children.
The humanitarian community reiterates the need for a full lifting of the blockade on Gaza and action to ensure that the root causes of widespread deprivation across the Strip are addressed.
Turning to the situation in the West Bank, OCHA reports that Israeli settler violence is on the rise.
So far this year, settlers have injured more than 220 Palestinians – an average of 44 per month, and the highest rate in at least 20 years.
Meanwhile, Israeli-imposed movement restrictions across Salfit governorate – in the northern West Bank – continue to disrupt the access of nearly 90,000 people to healthcare, education and livelihoods.
SUDAN
The World Food Programme is shocked and alarmed that its premises in El Fasher were hit and damaged by repeated shelling by the Rapid Support Forces.
WFP issued a statement saying that their staff are safe and accounted for.
Humanitarian staff, their assets, their operations and supplies should never be a target. This must stop now, especially in places like Sudan where over three million children are suffering from malnutrition.
WFP is trying to scale up food and nutrition assistance to reach 7 million people on a monthly basis, prioritizing communities facing famine or at risk of famine.
Famine is confirmed in 10 locations: eight in North Darfur, including Zamzam Camp, and two in the Western Nuba Mountains. Another 17 areas - including parts of Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Khartoum, and Gezira - are at risk of famine. The only way forward is an immediate end to hostilities.
SOUTH SUDAN
The Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is deeply alarmed by a surge in intercommunal conflict in Tonj East, in Warrap which is part of a persistent cycle of cattle raids and revenge attacks plaguing the State.
On 29 May, armed youth attacked a community there, reportedly killing at least 26 civilians, injuring 30 others, and torching around 35 homes. Thousands of people have been displaced as a result.
The Mission held urgent discussions with local officials and community leaders in Tonj East to try and de-escalate tensions and prevent further mobilization. Peacekeeping patrols have also been intensified in the impacted area. UNMISS calls on the communities involved to end the violence, and urges the Government to proactively deploy security forces to prevent revenge attacks.
CYPRUS
Turning to Cyprus. The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General for Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, is concluding her visit to the island today. She met separately with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders twice during the week to encourage progress related to the initiatives to build trust agreed in Geneva in March.
Ms. Holguin also met with their representatives, including a joint meeting with both today. She engaged with the newly launched Technical Committee on Youth among other interlocutors.
From Cyprus, Ms. Holguin will travel to Ankara where she will meet the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on 2 June. On 5 June, she will be in Athens for a meeting with the Greek Foreign Minister Georgios Gerapetritis. She also intends to visit London in the coming period. Daniela
SECURITY COUNCIL
Yesterday afternoon, the Security Council held a briefing on Ukraine. Briefing Council members, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, said that when she last briefed the Council on developments in Ukraine a one month ago, there was cautious hope of progress on the diplomatic front to stop the fighting. Regrettably, Ms. DiCarlo said, instead of steps towards peace, we witnessed a brutal surge in large-scale Russian attacks across the country, adding that Russian regions bordering Ukraine also reported civilian casualties. She warned that further escalation would not only aggravate the devastating toll on civilians but also endanger the already challenging peace efforts.
Also briefing Council members, Lisa Doughten, the Director of the Financing and Partnership Division at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that despite escalating challenges, humanitarian partners – many of them local NGOs – continue to deliver vital assistance. However, she warned that funding shortfalls have already forced reductions in cash assistance, mental health support, shelter assistance, and services for survivors of gender-based violence. Without urgent support, she added, core programmes risk being suspended, just as needs are rising.
HAITI – HURRICANE SEASONURRICANE SEASON AND HAITI
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is sounding the alarm about the forthcoming hurricane season, which runs from June to November across the Latin America and Caribbean region.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 2025 hurricane season is expected to be well above average in terms of intensity of storms across the region, with serious implications for vulnerable countries like Haiti. OCHA is working with governments and partners across the region to coordinate preparedness and response mechanisms, amid a general decline in funding and capacities to respond.
Last week, OCHA hosted the 2025 Hurricane Season Preparedness event, bringing together UN agencies and our partners, together with regional, national and local disaster management authorities and civil society organizations.
In Haiti itself, OCHA is concerned about the country’s exposure to natural hazards and the limited capacity to respond to them.
More than 1 million people are currently displaced due to conflict and insecurity. Among them, over 200,000 are living in displacement sites, with that number having nearly doubled between March and April mainly due to armed violence in the Centre Department.
Most of these sites are located in flood-prone areas and lack adequate shelter, drainage and sanitation, leaving families acutely vulnerable to storms.
Access constraints remain and preparedness is further undermined by the lack of pre-positioned supplies across the country, a direct consequence of underfunding.
OCHA is working closely with national authorities and humanitarian partners to bolster preparedness. Current efforts include contingency planning, mapping of high-risk displacement sites, reinforcing early warning systems, and pre-positioning available stocks. Sectoral coordination is also ongoing to address critical gaps in shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, health, and camp management.
However, funding remains a major obstacle. The $908 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is 8 per cent funded with $72 million received.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Day of Potato, a crop that is regularly consumed by billions of people. For many around the world, the potato is an important crop in combating hunger and poverty and addressing environmental threats to agrifood systems.
Tomorrow is World No Tobacco Day. The name of the Day speaks for itself. The World Health Organization calls on governments to ban all flavoured tobacco to protect youth from addiction and disease.
And finally, on Sunday, June 1st, we will celebrate the Global Day of Parents. This year’s theme, “Raising Parents”, draws attention to an essential reality: that parents and caregivers require time, resources, and support in order to raise children in a nurturing and positive environment.
PROGRAMMING NOTE – MONDAY
On Monday, at approximately 11:45 a.m., there will be a media stakeout, following the election of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, outside the General Assembly Hall.
Also, on Monday, at 12:30 p.m., there will be an in-person only press briefing by Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the Permanent Representative of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of June. She will be discussing the Programme of Work for June, so if you want to be a part of that briefing, you will need to be present in this room.
