HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 30 JULY 2025
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that four days since the start of tactical pauses in Gaza declared by the Israeli authorities, we are still seeing casualties among those seeking aid and more deaths due to hunger and malnutrition.
Parents continue to struggle to save their starving children. In a social media post, UNICEF said that this is a condition that we can prevent and called for increased humanitarian access.
Aid workers in Gaza have not been spared. UN partners report high workloads, burnout and exhaustion – due mainly to the lack of food – among frontline workers as well as among caseworkers in mental health and psycho-social support facilities.
While the UN and its partners are taking advantage of any opportunity to support people in need during the unilateral tactical pauses, the conditions for the delivery of aid and supplies are far from sufficient. As an example of the delivery of aid challenges, you’ll recall that the Kerem Shalom crossing is a fenced-off area. For our drivers to access it, Israeli authorities must approve the mission, provide a safe route through which to travel, provide multiple ‘green lights’ on movement, as well as a pause in bombing, and, ultimately, open the iron gates to allow us to enter.
On the issue of fuel, last week, the UN brought in limited quantities of fuel through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, almost half of which were transferred to the north to support vital health, emergency, water and telecommunications needs.
OCHA reiterates that current fuel entries are insufficient to meet life-saving critical needs and represent a drop in the ocean of needs.
OCHA again stresses that a permanent ceasefire is needed more than ever. Unilateral tactical pauses alone do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet immense needs levels in Gaza.
Meanwhile, desperate, hungry people continue to offload the small amounts of aid from the trucks that are able to exit the crossings.
The UN and our partners continue to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza with the Israeli authorities. Yesterday, three facilitated missions allowed our staff to collect cargo containing food from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings and allowed for fuel to be transferred within Gaza. However, the others faced impediments, particularly delays in receiving the green light to move by the Israeli authorities, and one had to be cancelled.
OCHA reiterates that in order to scale-up the delivery of aid in a manner that begins to meet people’s tremendous needs, it is critical that all crossings must open, a broad range of supplies – both humanitarian and commercial – be allowed to enter, aid movements inside Gaza be safeguarded and facilitated in a timely manner, and that humanitarians be allowed to do their jobs.
SUDAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say it’s alarmed by the rising toll of hunger, disease and displacement in various parts of the country.
In East Darfur State, local sources report that the Lagawa displacement site, hosting over 7,000 people, is facing severe food shortages. Doctors there warn that the ongoing conflict continues to block aid delivery, leaving vulnerable families without access to food or healthcare.
In the besieged city of El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur, local sources report that people are dying from hunger and malnutrition. Community-run kitchens have shut down due to lack of food stocks, and some residents have reportedly resorted to consuming animal feed.
In the locality of Tawila in North Darfur, our humanitarian partners have scaled up their response to cholera. Our partners have expanded treatment centre capacities, but needs remain acute. Medical supplies are running low, and it is critical that clean water supplies, the construction of latrines and awareness campaigns be urgently ramped up.
Meanwhile, our partners report that in North Kordofan State, heavy rains displaced around 550 people and damaged or destroyed over 170 homes in the locality of Rahad on Monday.
In the eastern Sudan state of Kassala, torrential rains have devastated the Gharb Almatar site for displaced families, affecting more than 6,000 people. Many tents were flooded, leaving children exposed to cold, hunger and unsanitary conditions.
The displaced families urgently need cash assistance, shelter and protection, especially women and children who face heightened risks while collecting firewood.
In Port Sudan, extreme heat continues to impact people there. At least three people have reportedly died this week and over 50 others have suffered sunstroke due to extreme heat and a prolonged power outage. With temperatures reaching 47 degrees Celsius and hospitals overwhelmed, health workers are calling for urgent support, including cooling equipment, medical supplies and personnel.
These cascading crises demand increased international support. The 2025 response plan seeking $4.2 billion to assist 21 million of the most vulnerable people across Sudan is currently 23 per cent funded, with $952 million received to date. OCHA once again calls on donors to scale up funding for the response.
SOMALIA
Turning to Somalia, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that ongoing armed violence has displaced more than 100,000 people in the regions of Hiraan in Hirshabelle State and Gedo in Jubaland State in the past two months.
On 26 July, clashes intensified in the town of Mahas in Hiraan, forcing the entire population of over 28,000 people to flee their homes. Between 23 and 26 July, 38,000 people were displaced in the Gedo region, with some people crossing into Kenya.
Our humanitarian colleagues note that due to security concerns, seven health facilities in the Hiraan region have suspended operations, cutting off essential healthcare and emergency services for thousands of people. The violence has also restricted humanitarian access, particularly in already hard-to-reach areas.
Due to insecurity and funding constraints, only a limited number of our partners are able to operate in these locations. Communities impacted by the violence urgently need shelter, food, clean water, healthcare and protection. This new wave of displacement comes as aid agencies grapple with severe funding cuts. Since the beginning of the year, many operations have stalled, and assistance has dwindled.
Due to reduced funding, two million Somalis are projected to face increased vulnerability in the months ahead. Aid agencies in Somalia have reprioritized activities to align with the new funding reality, but resources remain critically low.
The $1.4 billion Somalia Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is about 16 per cent funded, with $229 million received so far. Our partners warn that without urgent and sustained funding, the humanitarian crisis will deepen, resulting in preventable suffering and loss of lives.
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNINGS
Yesterday evening, a massive earthquake off the eastern coast of Russia – one of the strongest in the region in decades – has triggered tsunami alerts and evacuation orders across the Pacific region, including parts of Asia, North America and South America.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs continues to monitor the situation in multiple countries, noting that initial reports indicate no major damage.
We stand ready to support any response efforts, should assistance be required.
HAITI
Turning to Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that cholera continues to impact the fragile state of the country’s public health system — particularly in displacement sites, where there is limited access to safe water and sanitation.
According to the World Health Organization, between 13 and 19 July, 34 new suspected cholera cases were reported across six of the country’s departments.
Most of the cases were linked to displacement sites. Five active transmission hotspots have been identified, including in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and in the northern regions.
Since December 2024, over 2,800 suspected cholera cases have been recorded nationwide, with 91 laboratory-confirmed cases and 36 fatalities. Cases are being managed by national health authorities, with the support of the World Health Organization.
Despite funding shortfalls, our humanitarian partners continue to carry out key cholera prevention and response activities.
In the department of Artibonite, families received water purification tablets and oral rehydration salt, while in central Haiti, our partners have installed handwashing stations and scaled up community outreach.
In the north, efforts are being made to contain the spread of cholera, with latrines and homes being disinfected and preventive treatments being distributed.
Despite these efforts, the response remains under severe strain due to limited resources, insecurity and the deteriorating conditions in displacement sites. Additional support is urgently needed to strengthen the public health response and prevent further outbreaks among the country’s most vulnerable.
The $908 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is currently just under 9 percent funded with $79 million received so far.
CHOLERA
UNICEF said today that an estimated 80,000 children are at high risk of cholera, as the rainy season begins across West and Central Africa.
Active outbreaks – which we have been updating you about - in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria raise the threat of cross-border transmission to neighbouring countries, UNICEF says.
Chad, the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo are also grappling with ongoing epidemics.
Niger, Liberia, Benin, the Central Africa Republic, and Cameroon, remain under close surveillance due to their vulnerability.
Since the start of the outbreaks, UNICEF has been delivering health and water, hygiene, and sanitation supplies for treatment facilities and communities, supporting cholera vaccination in the affected areas, and encouraging families to seek timely treatment and improve hygiene practices.
But, our colleagues say, urgent and scaled-up efforts are needed to prevent further spread and contain the disease across the region.
To scale up the emergency cholera response across the region over the next three months, UNICEF West and Central Africa urgently requires $20 million to provide support in health, Water and sanitation, risk communication and community engagement.
TAX COOPERATION
The Secretary-General has appointed 25 experts to the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters for the 2025–2029 term. The experts will help countries design tax policies that advance their social, environmental, and economic development objectives and successfully implement them.
The Committee supports countries in navigating complex policy trade-offs, and its work provides countries with practical options and tools based on real-world experiences from tax systems around the world.
The Secretary-General made his selection from the largest number of nominations the Committee has received since its inception, representing diverse geographical regions and tax systems. The majority of the appointees are women, reflecting the UN’s commitment to strengthening inclusivity in tax leadership. We have a press release with more details.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. In his message, the Secretary-General says that human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing forms of organized crime.
He added that we must strive to ensure justice for survivors, support the displaced, and tackle root causes – from poverty and inequality to conflict and climate disruption.
And just to note that today is also the International Day of Friendship.
