ARAB SUMMIT
The Secretary-General is about to depart Cairo and make his way back to New York City. Earlier today as you know, he spoke at the Extraordinary Arab Summit held in Cairo, and that Summit is of course on Gaza. In his remarks he welcomed the Arab-led initiative to mobilize support for Gaza’s reconstruction, saying that we stand ready to fully cooperate in this endeavour.
He said we need a clear political framework that lays the foundation for Gaza’s recovery, for its reconstruction and for its lasting stability. The Secretary-General recognizes that reconstruction requires governance and security arrangements that can help guarantee a brighter, more stable future in the region.
Also for the record he issued a similar message to the launching of the Berlin initiative and that text was made available to you as well.
The Secretary-General, in his remarks in Cairo, warned against any resumption of hostilities. He reminded all parties of the meaningful improvement with the ceasefire and hostage deal we witnessed in the past weeks: Palestinian civilians in Gaza have experienced reprieve; hostages were released and humanitarian aid increased.
And as you saw in the readout we issued yesterday of the Secretary-General’s meeting with Mr. Ahmad al-Sharaa of Syria. They exchanged views about the historic opportunity to chart a new course for Syria, as well as the challenges facing the country.
While in Cairo, the Secretary-General also held a number of discussions with other leaders and officials. He met with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun during which, no surprise, they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon, and the importance of the full implementation of Security Council resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 1701.
He also held discussions with João Lourenço, the President of the Republic of Angola and the current President of the African Union. They discussed developments in Africa, notably in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
TOKYO CONFERENCE
Also I want to flag the Secretary-General’s video message to the Tokyo Conference, whose theme is “International cooperation and restoration of peace on the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.”
In his remarks he said that as we prepare to mark the 80th anniversary of the devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we will continue to be guided by the inspiring example and vision of the hibakusha for a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mr. Guterres also encouraged participants to advance the objectives of the Pact for the Future and drive multilateralism into the future.
SUDAN
The UN Children’s Fund today warned that millions of children in Sudan are at risk of rape and other forms of sexual violence, which is being used as a tactic of war.
According to UNICEF, armed men are raping and sexually assaulting children, including infants as young as one, amid the nationwide conflict which is rippling across Sudan. No area of Sudan is immune from these horrendous crimes.
UNICEF said that data compiled by gender-based violence service providers in Sudan shows that 221 rape cases against children were recorded since the beginning of 2024. UNICEF pointed out that these figures represent only a small fraction of total cases.
We of course join Catherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, in stressing that this is an abhorrent violation of international law and could constitute a war crime, and it must stop.
UNICEF is working in partnerships to establish safe spaces that provide gender-based violence services for survivors, as well as integrating these into health services at health centers and mobile clinics and providing relevant medical supplies to victims.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that the Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez crossings remain closed for cargo for the third consecutive day.
OCHA says the Israeli authorities have rejected our attempts to collect humanitarian supplies that crossed Kerem Shalom border crossing before its closure.
Given the huge needs in Gaza, keeping the crossings closed will have devastating consequences for a population that has just begun to recover from months of deprivation and hunger. It is critical that Member States and those with influence use all available means to ensure that the ceasefire holds.
Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA, said today that the decision of Israel to stop aid into Gaza threatens the lives of civilians exhausted by 16 months of brutal war. He said that humanitarian aid must continue to flow at scale, similar to what we’ve seen over the past six weeks when the ceasefire began.
Despite recent developments, we and our humanitarian partners on the ground are doing all we can to sustain aid operations across the Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, in Gaza City, the dialysis unit at the Al Rantisi Children’s Hospital resumed services, along with the operation of the 25-bed in-patient unit. Meanwhile, at the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza, pediatric services resumed yesterday.
For its part, our colleagues at the World Health Organization reports that today, 29 child patients were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan, via Israel, for specialized medical treatment, along with 43 companions. This was the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire began.
Inside the Gaza Strip, WHO says it has provided hygiene and sanitation supplies to meet the needs of thousands of women and girls. WHO warns that the lack of water and sanitation threatens the health and dignity and survival of women and girls, increasing anxiety and stress levels and deepening the mental health crisis to those who have been displaced.
A quick correction to our note on Gaza from yesterday: our humanitarian partners report that following the closure of the crossings into Gaza, flour and vegetable prices increased by more than 100 per cent, in some cases – not 100-fold, as I was told to say.
Turning to the West Bank, Israeli forces’ operations in Jenin refugee camp continued and expanded to the eastern part of Jenin city, resulting in more death, destruction and displacement. Israeli forces ordered residents of this part of Jenin city to evacuate their homes, displacing about 30 families, including at least three, who had been displaced previously.
During the operation, Israeli forces used bulldozers, damaging infrastructure and causing power outages. Intensified access and movement restrictions to and from the city were also recorded.
SYRIA
Turning to Syria, Geir Pedersen, our Special Envoy for Syria, strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing military escalations in the country, including the airstrikes we’ve seen. He remains deeply concerned by the continued violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement. Such actions, he said, are unacceptable and risk further destabilizing an already fragile situation.
The Special Envoy calls on Israel to cease violations, uphold its international obligations and refrain from unilateral measures that exacerbate conflict. He urges all parties to respect Syria's sovereignty, its unity, its independence and of course its territorial integrity. His full statement is online.
Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs welcomes the extension by the caretaker authorities for the UN to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee crossing for an additional six months, until 3 September of this year.
Bab Al-Salam and Al-Ra'ee provide direct routes to Aleppo, where some four million people need assistance.
The UN also continues to use these crossings to conduct cross-border humanitarian missions to monitor projects, carry out assessments and engage with partners and with local communities.
Since the start of 2025, more than 520 trucks carrying UN aid – including food, health and other critical supplies – have crossed from Türkiye through these two border points, as well as through the Bab al-Hawa crossing, marking a substantial increase compared to the same period last year.
This afternoon, nearly two dozen trucks carrying 300 metric tons of WFP food – enough for 174,000 people – as well as agricultural supplies from the Food and Agriculture Organization, crossed from Türkiye to Syria through Bab Al-Hawa.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping colleagues are telling us that the situation around Goma remains highly unstable. The M23 continues to consolidate its control in the city – with checkpoints and patrols they’re running– and this, our colleagues say, continues to restrict the peacekeepers’ freedom of movement and access to the airport in Goma.
In the province of Ituri, the peacekeepers continue to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians. A patrol was deployed to Pimbo in the Djugu territory, following an attack by members of the CODECO armed group in the area. Additionally, the Mission has sent a patrol to Matate - northeast of Bunia- in response to an attack by suspected members of the Zaire militia, which resulted in two civilians being killed and one injured.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO/ HUMANITARIAN
And on the humanitarian end, Bruno Lemarquis, our Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the DRC has expressed deep concern over the recent increase in targeted violence against civilians – including humanitarian workers – as well as civilian infrastructure in the eastern part of the country.
In a statement, Mr. Lemarquis stressed that these attacks – including the abduction of dozens of patients from two hospitals that we reported yesterday – are serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
They also pose a direct threat to humanitarian operations providing relief to millions of civilians in need, based on the principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.
We echo Mr. Lemarquis’ call on all parties to meet their obligations under international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians – including aid workers – as well as civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile, our OCHA colleagues tell us that a spike in cholera cases in the city of Uvira, some 130 kilometers South of Bukavu. Our partners working in health are concerned about risks of the disease spreading among communities. Some 25,000 people have fled to Uvira since mid-February, and the city is facing water shortages and has limited facilities to treat cholera.
In Ituri province, in the northern part of North Kivu, local authorities report that more than 16,000 people have fled clashes in the territory of Djugu since 27 February. In recent weeks, the area has seen an escalation in clashes and attacks by armed groups, resulting in civilian casualties and displacement.
For its part, the UN Refugee Agency issued a new position today on returns to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They say that Congolese nationals fleeing the conflict, as well as those outside the country who originate from the area affected by the conflict, may need refugee protection under international and regional legal frameworks.
Close to 80,000 men, women and children have fled to neighbouring countries, including around 61,000 who arrived in Burundi since January.
Around Goma, about 17,000 people remain in displacement sites, schools and churches, while 414,000 people have been on the move for the past four weeks, encouraged by the de facto authorities to return to their villages of origin.
At least 209,000 people from these sites have arrived spontaneously in Masisi, Nyiragongo, and Rutshuru territories, where basic services are not equipped for the sudden surge of influx of people.
Given the widespread insecurity in these provinces and surrounding areas, many more may need to cross borders to find protection and assistance.
UNHCR calls on States to register all asylum-seekers from the DRC and provide them with documentation.
UNISFA
Quick update from our peacekeeping force in Abyei, we are currently investigating an incident over the weekend, in which a peacekeeping logistics convoy from UNISFA, travelling from Abyei to the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism headquarters in Kadugli, Sudan, was halted by Rapid Support Forces (RSF) north of the Abyei boundary.
On Saturday, the RSF forcefully removed a number of UN personnel and civilian drivers from the convoy before returning them yesterday morning. Fuel trucks were also seized.
The safety and security of UN personnel and our contractors is a top priority, and we strongly condemn this incident. The Secretary-General recalls that attacks targeting UN peacekeepers may constitute war crimes under international law. UNISFA remains committed to delivering on its mandate and ensuring stability in the area.
UGANDA
In Uganda, our country team there launched a joint emergency appeal to raise $11.2 million in support of the country’s Ebola response efforts and that should cover us for the next three months.
As of 3 March, there have been 10 confirmed cases, and 2 deaths. A total of 299 contacts have so far been listed since the first case was identified in January.
UN Agencies and NGOs have already mobilized $4.6 million by repurposing available resources.
BRIEFINGS
At 2:00 p.m., there will be a briefing here sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations entitled Norwegian People’s Aid and the Federation of American Scientists: Presenting the status of the world’s nuclear arsenals at the beginning of 2025 and the most recent findings of the Nuclear Weapons Ban Monitor.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Three countries paid up their contributions to the regular budget: Peru, Mauritius and Uzbekistan.
