HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
TUESDAY, 25 MARCH 2025
VICTIMS OF SLAVERY AND TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
Today is the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The Secretary-General spoke at the General Assembly event to mark the Day and said that the transatlantic slave trade is an indelible stain on the conscience of humanity.
Today, he said, we remember the women, children, and men forced to work in agonizing conditions, savagely punished, and deprived of their dignity and human rights, and we take strength in their resistance and demands for justice.
The Secretary-General said the obscene profits derived from chattel slavery and the racist ideologies that underpinned the trade are still with us, and he urged everyone to play their part in building inclusive societies free from the evils of racism.
DETAINED AND MISSING STAFF
Today is the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members. One hundred and one personnel were arrested or detained last year alone. In total, at least 52 of UN personnel are still in detention globally.
In his message, the Secretary-General says we stand with all those detained, and with their families and loved ones, as we call for their immediate release and safe return.
He urges governments to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel, and to continue pursuing accountability and justice for these crimes, while enhancing support and protection.
And in a video message, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that the rights of all U.N. staff must be fully respected.
Out of the 52 detained colleagues, 23 as you know are arbitrarily detained in Yemen alone. Eight of those are from the Human Rights Office. “Their continued detention is a grave injustice,” Mr. Türk said.
On this Day, the UN renews the calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
SYRIA/SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning at the Security Council, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, told Council members that Syria stands at a crossroads: either to return to violence or to overcome the conflict and revive the economy. To take the right path, Syria needs increased and continued international support, he said.
For his part, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, said that we are making progress on the humanitarian front. We are now using more routes to deliver aid.
He added that the reality is still grim. 16 million people – nearly three-quarters of the Syrian population – lack sufficient food, water, shelter, and medicine. We need to move with greater urgency, while we can – he said.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, as intense hostilities continue for a second week.
Yesterday in southern Gaza, OCHA and the World Health Organization visited Nasser Hospital, which was damaged in an attack on Sunday night. The team met hospital staff and spoke to emergency medical teams working at the facility, which is the largest referral hospital in south Gaza. WHO said two people were killed and eight injured when Nasser’s surgical ward was hit, with nearly three dozen in-patient beds destroyed. In a social media post, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros stressed that health care should be protected and must not be militarized.
In North Gaza governorate last night, two additional evacuation orders were issued following reports of rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups towards Israel.
Between 100,000 and 120,000 people are living in the areas newly placed under evacuation, including 27,000 people sheltering at nearly four dozen displacement sites. Two hospitals, one primary healthcare centre and one medical point are within the evacuation zone – while another hospital and six other primary healthcare centres or medical points are located within 1,000 metres.
Since 18 March, more than 120,000 people are estimated to have been displaced from areas under evacuation orders. These areas cover about 15 per cent of the Gaza Strip – that's roughly the size of Manhattan. This percentage does not include the "no-go" zones along Gaza's perimeter and the "Netzarim corridor."
Once again, OCHA stresses that civilians must be protected whether they move or stay. Civilians who leave for safer areas must be allowed to return as soon as circumstances allow.
OCHA reiterates that civilians must be able to receive the humanitarian assistance they need, wherever they are. All of this is required by international humanitarian law.
Due to the evacuation orders issued as of yesterday afternoon, the UN partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene report that more than 100 water wells and over three dozen water reservoirs are currently inaccessible – meaning they cannot be operated, maintained or repaired. This places additional strain on facilities that are still running, since they must work overtime, putting stress on generators and pumps.
OCHA reports that most attempts by humanitarian organizations to coordinate access with Israeli authorities in Gaza are being denied. These denials are preventing humanitarian workers from doing even the most critical tasks, such as collecting supplies left at the border before the cargo closure began or delivering fuel to bakeries that rely on generators to keep feeding people.
Yesterday, five out of seven attempts to coordinate humanitarian access with Israeli authorities were denied. Today, six out of nine were rejected.
At least 220 temporary learning spaces in Gaza remain closed, which is keeping more than 60,000 children from accessing any form of learning. Public schools will remain closed for in-person classes until at least the end of Ramadan due to the renewed escalation of hostilities.
OCHA warns that supplies continue to dwindle, with no cargo having entered Gaza in over three weeks. Some critical supplies will only last for a few more days unless the entry of cargo into Gaza resumes. Food partners report a surge in demand for bread over the past few days. This is due to lack of cooking gas and rising wheat flour prices, which are preventing households from baking at home.
As of yesterday, 18 bakeries out of more than two dozen supported by the World Food Programme in Gaza are still operational.
UN INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon signed a memorandum of understanding with the Lebanese Armed Forces yesterday, renewing by this the Mission’s support for both humanitarian and operational demining in southern Lebanon, through 31 December 2026.
The memorandum of understanding provides the framework for UNIFIL’s assistance to the Government of Lebanon in a range of humanitarian mine action activities, such as mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal. Such operations are crucial for protecting civilians and UNIFIL personnel from the danger of explosives and ensuring greater mobility for the Mission personnel.
This is the third time this understanding has been renewed – the first one was signed in 2020.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is alarmed by the growing toll that violence is taking on civilians in the province of Ituri, in the country’s east.
Last night, armed groups attacked the Loda displacement site in Djugu Territory, killing six displaced people and injuring many, according to local civil society representatives.
Clashes in the province also continue to displace civilians and to hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid, with relief operations largely suspended across conflict-affected areas due to the violence.
OCHA says it is very concerned by the proliferation of armed groups and violence in Ituri province. Since the start of the year, more than 200 civilians have been killed, with over 100,000 people having fled their homes in a province where 1.4 million people were already displaced.
Elsewhere in eastern DRC, hostilities in parts of North and South Kivu provinces also continue to put civilians at risk. According to local civil society groups, yesterday, three girls were abducted and raped by armed men in Kalehe Territory in South Kivu. This is part of a larger pattern of appalling sexual violence and other rights violations that have surged as fighting has escalated.
The UN calls on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law. All parties must do everything they can to protect civilians in military operations and to ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access. Civilians must be protected and able to access the essentials they need to survive.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO / MEDIATION
And also on the DRC, the UN notes the communique issued yesterday by the Presidency of Angola announcing their decision to step down from their mediation role between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The UN commends President Lourenço for his unrelenting efforts and encourages the parties to remain engaged to find a political solution to the current crisis, building on the achievements of the Luanda and Nairobi processes.
The UN also takes note of the second East African Community /Southern African Development Community summit of Heads of State held yesterday on the situation in eastern DRC, including the appointment of a Panel of Facilitators.
BURUNDI
The World Food Programme are telling us they have mobilized additional assistance in Burundi to support the large influx of families fleeing violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Since the beginning of the year, nearly 70,000 people have sought refuge in Burundi, including many who made dangerous river crossings and walked long distances in search of safety.
The majority of those who have arrived in recent weeks -60,000 men, women and children - have been registered for food assistance, doubling WFP’s total refugee caseload there to 120,000 in just a few weeks.
The agency is providing hot meals to the new Congolese refugees, who are housed in temporary transit camps, schools, churches and sports stadiums.
UNHCR – for its part, said there is inadequate sanitation facilities, limited health care and overcrowding in and around the stadium where many have been sheltering. A new site to host refugee arrivals is already over capacity.
Both agencies need additional funding to sustain current operations, and also to ramp up response efforts in the DRC and in neighbouring countries, where growing needs exceed available resources.
SUDAN
Turning to Sudan, the UN is gravely alarmed by continued attacks on civilians across the country.
Last night in North Darfur, dozens of casualties were reported when an air strike hit a market located about 40 kilometres north-west of El Fasher. The UN is also deeply concerned about escalating attacks on populated areas in Khartoum.
In eastern Khartoum yesterday, there were reports of civilians killed and injured when artillery struck a mosque during evening prayers. Civilian casualties were also reported on Sunday as a result of heavy shelling in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin city.
The UN reminds all parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to take all possible measures to avoid harm to civilians.
On the health front, the ongoing hostilities and recent funding cuts by major donors have severely disrupted health services in Sudan, including in the Darfur region. Last month alone, nearly half of all reported attacks on healthcare facilities in Sudan occurred in Darfur.
The UN’s partners working in health report that most facilities in the region have only one to two months of supplies remaining, with acute shortages in North and South Darfur states.
The UN and its partners continue to do all they can to meet the rising needs – despite funding shortfalls and access constraints, including due to the ongoing hostilities.
In North Kordofan, located to the west of Khartoum, the partners assessed recently that nearly 58,000 people – including displaced people, returnees and residents – are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
A health partner is now operating a facility and mobile clinic, and distributions of food and non-food items are planned.
The UN continues to urge the international community to step up support for the humanitarian response in Sudan – both through increased funding and by pressing all parties to protect civilians – including aid workers – and ensure safe and unhindered access to people in need.
SOUTH SUDAN
Following reports of renewed escalation in some areas in South Sudan, the peacekeeping mission there is continuing its intensive engagements with key national actors to try and broker a peaceful solution.
During meetings today with officials including both the Vice President of the country, and the Minister of Defense, head of the peacekeeping mission, Nicholas Haysom, reiterated the urgent need to protect civilians, strictly adhere to the ceasefire, and resolve tensions through dialogue rather than military confrontation.
The mission received reports of fresh aerial bombardments in Jikmir, near Nasir in Upper Nile State, as well as new clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition near the capital Juba.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that a massive attack yesterday in Sumy City – northeast of the country, close to the border with the Russian Federation – resulted in several dozen civilian casualties, including children.
According to local authorities, nearly 100 civilians, including more than 20 children, were injured. Two schools, a hospital and multiple homes were also damaged in the attack, according to the authorities and partners on the ground.
Complementing the efforts of the first responders, and immediately after the attack, humanitarian organizations provided first aid and helped transport the wounded to the hospitals. They also distributed shelter materials, blankets and other necessities to the people whose homes were damaged.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Mattias Schmale, condemned the attack in Sumy and recent drone strikes in the cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv.
Since the escalation of the war in 2022, the Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has verified more than 2,500 child casualties in Ukraine. It also noted an alarming increase in child casualties in 2024, caused by explosive weapons in territory controlled by Ukraine, due to intensified attacks along the front line in the Donetsk Region and increased use of long-range missiles, drones and air-dropped bombs in large cities.
MYANMAR
Turning to Myanmar, the highly volatile security situation continues to impact civilians, with armed clashes, shelling, airstrikes and drone attacks increasingly reported in conflict-affected areas in the past two weeks.
Airstrikes in the regions of Magway and Mandalay in the northwest have reportedly resulted in dozens of civilian casualties and destroyed civilian infrastructure, including dozens of homes, according to local sources.
The continued use of airstrikes and drone attacks poses a serious threat to civilians, further aggravating humanitarian needs and raising concerns about the protection of civilians in conflict-affected areas.
The attacks worsen an already dire humanitarian situation, where more than one third of the population – or nearly 20 million people – need assistance and 3.5 million people are internally displaced. Civilians face acute food insecurity and the near collapse of critical public services.
Despite insecurity, severe underfunding and other challenges, the humanitarian partners reached more than 4 million people with assistance last year.
The UN and the humanitarian community reiterate the call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarian workers and assets. The UN also stresses the need to facilitate safe, sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to the most vulnerable people.
ECUADOR
Turning to Ecuador, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that, at the request of the Government, a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team arrived in the capital, Quito, yesterday to support authorities to respond to the environmental emergency caused by a major oil spill.
The oil spill in the Esmeraldas province in the northwest of the country, has severely contaminated key water sources, leaving half a million people without access to safe water and sanitation.
There are reports of an increase in respiratory illnesses and gastrointestinal disorders, leaving children, the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions at heightened risk.
CHILD MORTALITY
Today, the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation warned that decades of progress in child survival are now at risk as major donors have announced or indicated significant funding cuts to aid. The group said that these cuts are causing healthcare worker shortages, clinic closures, vaccination programme disruptions, and a lack of essential supplies, such as malaria treatments. These cuts are severely impacting regions in humanitarian crises, debt-stricken countries, and areas with already high child mortality rates. Global funding cuts could also undermine monitoring and tracking efforts, making it harder to reach the most vulnerable children, the Inter-agency Group warned.
Since 2000, child deaths have dropped by more than half and stillbirths by over a third, fueled by sustained investments in child survival worldwide.
In 2022, the world reached a historic milestone when child deaths dropped slightly below 5 million for the first time. However, progress has slowed, and too many children are still being lost to preventable causes.
The group members called on governments, donors, and partners across the private and public sectors to protect the hard-won gains in saving children’s lives.
