HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 10 MARCH 2025
COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN
The 69th annual Commission on the Status of Women, also known as CSW69, started here today and will continue until 21 March.
At the opening this morning, the Secretary-General said that three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, women’s rights are under siege. “The poison of the patriarchy is back, and it is back with a vengeance,” he said, and added that now is the time for those of us who care about equality for women and girls to stand up and speak out.
The Secretary-General stressed that equality for women and girls is a human right, a matter of justice, and the foundation of sustainable development and lasting peace. He urged all countries to deliver on the commitments they made last September when they adopted the Pact of the Future.
These commitments include investing in women and girls’ education and training, in their economic empowerment and eradicating all forms of violence and harassment –among others.
WOMEN JUDGES
Today is the International Day of Women Judges.
It is a reminder that by investing in women justice leaders, we can help ensure that women - and all members of our societies - are met with fairness and equality before the law and that justice is better served.
SYRIA
The Secretary-General is alarmed by the violent escalation in the coastal areas of Syria, that has seen widespread summary killings, including of entire families, and the loss of one of an UNRWA colleagues. He expresses his sincere condolences to Syrians mourning the loss of loved ones and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured.
The Secretary-General calls on all parties to protect civilians and stop inflammatory rhetoric and actions, as Syria contends with the legacy of 14 years of conflict and over five decades of authoritarian rule.
He reiterates his concern over escalating tensions among communities in Syria.
The bloodshed in Syria must stop immediately and perpetrators of violations must be held to account. The concerns of Syria’s communities must be addressed in a meaningful manner.
The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement by the caretaker authorities of an investigative committee as well as a committee for the preservation of civil peace. He underlines the importance and urgency of inclusive and transparent transitional justice and reconciliation processes for sustainable peace in Syria.
In a context of widespread disinformation and heightened tensions, the Secretary-General also highlights need to ensure and protect the space for independent media and human rights organizations to carry out their work of monitoring and verification to shed light in a transparent manner on the reports and allegations.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, briefed the Security Council in closed consultations this morning on these developments and stands ready to support efforts towards an inclusive Syrian-owned and -led political transition, in accordance with the key principles of resolution 2254 (2015).
SYRIA/HUMANITARIAN
The Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk, called, in a statement yesterday, for a prompt, transparent and impartial investigation into all the killings and other violations, and stressed that those responsible must be held to account, in line with international law norms and standards. Earlier this weekend, the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Ramanathan Balakrishnan, jointly urged all parties to protect people and infrastructure and to allow safe, unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid.
The escalation of violence in Syria is severely impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure. As of yesterday, hundreds of people —including women, children, and some medical personnel—had reportedly been killed. Thousands have reportedly been displaced in the area, and thousands have crossed into Lebanon.
Power outages in Latakia Governorate have disrupted water pumping. Schools in Latakia and Tartous were suspended yesterday and today.
The Homs-Latakia highway remains blocked, further limiting humanitarian access. Humanitarian operations in the area remain severely disrupted, with insecurity halting all movements to and within coastal areas.
Civilian infrastructure has been severely impacted, including six referral hospitals and several ambulances. Other medical facilities in the area urgently need medical supplies and support.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza. The Secretary-General is very concerned about Israel’s decision to limit the electricity supply going into Gaza. This latest decision will substantially reduce the availability of drinking water in the Gaza Strip. Starting today, the facility is set to run on backup generators, which will reduce water production capacity.
Restoring this connection is vital for tens of thousands of families and children.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs notes that all crossings into Gaza have been closed for the entry of cargo for nine consecutive days now. OCHA reports that the Kerem Shalom crossing also remains closed for the collection of cargo for a ninth straight day, which is severely affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip.
The UN and its partners warn that fuel shortages are affecting aid operations. The UN is currently examining how to prioritize the remaining stock.
Last week in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah, six bakeries shut down due to the lack of cooking gas. As of yesterday, 19 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme are still operating – and trying to maximize their capacity to bridge the gaps.
Despite limited resources, last month, the UN and its partners working on reproductive health expanded maternity services and scaled up the distribution of medical supplies to support 5,000 births over the next three months. Additionally, thousands of post-partum kits were distributed to mothers and newborns in shelters and hospitals across Gaza, as well as winter supplies and clothing to 12,000 women and girls.
Despite these successes, the health partners report that more than half a million women of reproductive age lack access to family planning and reproductive healthcare.
Over the past week, the UN partners working to support education in Gaza have opened additional schools.
Thousands of children can now access learning in North Gaza, Gaza city, Deir al Balah, Khan Younis, and Rafah. However, partners tell us that about one third of children in Gaza remain cut off from any type of formal, informal or distance learning activities.
Turning to the situation in the West Bank, OCHA tells us that the operations by Israeli forces in the north continue to be reported. In Nablus, over the weekend, Israeli settlers cut down hundreds of olive trees and vandalized a water well, affecting the livelihoods of seven Palestinian families.
Since January 2023, more than 2,000 Palestinians – half of them children – have been displaced across the West Bank due to heightened settler violence and access restrictions.
SOUTH SUDAN
The peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is intensifying efforts alongside international peace partners to de-escalate tensions following clashes between the South Sudan People's Defence Forces (SSPDF) and armed youth in Upper Nile as well as persistent conflict between organized forces in Western Equatoria.
The mission and its quartet partners - the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) are meeting with key political actors and signatory parties to address the fragile political and security situation, urging them to uphold the Revitalized Peace Agreement in letter and spirit.
In another effort to prevent violence and reduce tensions, an aviation crew member contracted to the peacekeeping mission, Mr. Sergii Prykhodko from Ukraine, was killed and two others injured on Friday when a UN helicopter came under fire while undertaking an evacuation mission in Nasir.
The Head of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom, has expressed his deepest condolences to Mr. Prykhodko's family and paid tribute to the crew members for their extraordinary courage under fire. A memorial service will be held in the coming days.
SUDAN
Turning to Sudan. The situation on the ground in Sudan continues to worsen and we remain concerned about the continued violence mainly in North Darfur State. Last week, rising insecurity there forced more than 23,000 people to leave their villages in Dar As Salam locality, which is more than 60 kilometres south of the state capital El Fasher.
While humanitarian needs grow, funding is shrinking. The Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, today expressed her deep concern over sweeping funding reductions and suspensions announced by top government donors recently.
These cuts come at the worst possible moment for Sudan, when Famine is spreading, and over half the population is going hungry. Also, disease outbreaks are deepening the humanitarian crisis in the country.
In White Nile State, a cholera outbreak in Kosti locality has infected hundreds of people, claiming 94 lives between February 20th and March 5th. The outbreak is linked to people drawing water from contaminated sources, particularly the White Nile River, after electricity outages disrupted the town’s water supply last month. UNICEF warns that more than 290,000 children in Kosti are at risk.
In Kassala State, in eastern Sudan, a hepatitis outbreak is spreading among displaced communities sheltering in overcrowded gathering sites.
The outbreak is attributed to poor sanitation, lack of hygiene and limited health awareness, putting already vulnerable people at further risk. Ms. Nkweta-Salami urged major government donors to reconsider their decisions to reduce funding for programmes that save lives and help people in distress, and urged others to step up to help fill the gaps left by these devastating cuts.
Humanitarian donors have been a lifeline for Sudan. Last year alone, they contributed $1.8 billion through the country’s humanitarian response plan, funding essential assistance for at least 15.6 million people. This year $4.2 billion is required to provide humanitarian aid in Sudan, yet just over 6 per cent of the funding needed to provide support to nearly 21 million people been received so far.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that continued clashes and violence in parts of the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu are having a devastating impact on civilians. According to the local humanitarian partners, shelling struck a hospital in South Kivu yesterday, killing five healthcare providers and four patients, including one child. The attack occurred in Walungu Territory, about 50 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital, Bukavu.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, we were informed over the weekend that dozens of civilians, including many children, were killed in Masisi after armed men attacked a village there between March 4th and 5th. That’s according to local civil society groups.
The humanitarian partners report that clashes continued over the weekend elsewhere in Masisi, killing at least one more civilian and forcing thousands to flee.
Still in North Kivu, violence is also severely hampering access to 100,000 displaced people in neighboring Walikale territory. These people had fled their homes since January this year.
The UN is deeply concerned about the continued impact of violence on civilians in the eastern DRC and remind all parties of their obligation to uphold international humanitarian law. This includes taking all feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
UKRAINE
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that hostilities across the country over the past four days have caused several casualties. Over the weekend, strikes targeted energy, gas and heating infrastructure, temporarily leaving 130,000 families in the Odesa Region without power.
In the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia Regions, heating and gas services were also disrupted. In the wake of these attacks, humanitarian teams swiftly mobilized emergency assistance, distributing emergency shelter kits, blankets, hygiene supplies and other essential items to affected families. Hot meals, emergency shelter materials, medicines, medical checkups, child protection services, and psychosocial and legal support were also provided. Daniela
SECURITY COUNCIL/AFGHANISTAN
This afternoon, at 3:00 p.m., the Security Council will reconvene for a briefing on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Mission in the country, Roza Otunbayeva, will brief Council members.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Kenya has paid up its dues to the regular budget, that brings the number of fully paid- up Member States to 73.
BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
Tomorrow, noon briefing guest will be William O’Neill, the High Commissioner’s Designated Expert on Human Rights in Haiti.
Then, at around 1 p.m., Kaja Kallas, the European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, will be at the Security Council Stakeout, following her briefing to the Council.
