HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 28 MARCH 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL / SOUTH SUDAN
In remarks to the press today on the unfolding situation in South Sudan, the Secretary-General urged the leaders to end the politics of confrontation, to release detained military and civilian officials now and fully restore the Government of National Unity.
Mr. Guterres also urged the guarantors of the peace agreement from the regional and international community to speak with one voice and to support the peace process. Mr. Guterres reiterated that we will work in close cooperation with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, otherwise known as IGAD.
The Secretary-General also called for dialogue and de-escalation for the sake of the long-suffering people of South Sudan. Three out of four South Sudanese need assistance, he sounded the alarm, that’s 9.3 million human beings in total. This is a humanitarian nightmare, he said.
SOUTH SUDAN / PEACEKEEPING
The Special Representative in South Sudan and Head of the peacekeeping mission there, Nicholas Haysom, just finished a meeting with President Salva Kiir.
Mr. Haysom shared the Secretary-General’s concerns with the President that the country risks slipping into widespread conflict due to the recent political and security developments. Our peacekeeping colleagues tell us that the President, in response, reiterated his previous public message that he is steadfast in his commitment not to take the country to war.
Mr. Haysom offered our full support to help de-escalate the tensions and encouraged the President to exercise leadership and take the necessary steps to give all South Sudanese confidence that peace will prevail in their country
SOUTH SUDAN / HUMANITARIAN
We can’t stress enough how deeply worried we are about the risk of the situation there worsening for the people of South Sudan.
This humanitarian crisis is being driven by violence, by food insecurity, by political instability, by climate shocks, by disease outbreaks as well as the spillover from the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
Dozens of casualties have been reported due to the ongoing violence in the country in recent weeks, with up to 120,000 men, women and children having been forced to fleee their homes. The levels of acute hunger remain high, with some 7.7 million people who are severely food insecure and 650,000 children under the age of five at risk of severe acute malnutrition.
Regarding disease outbreaks – a cholera outbreak in South Sudan is yet to be contained, with more than 42,000 cases reported and nearly 800 deaths. Once again, we call on the parties to put their weapons down and put all the people of South Sudan first.
And at this critical juncture, we also appeal to Member States to swiftly supply the resources we need to stem the growing humanitarian crisis in the country, particularly in the face of funding cuts, So far, we’ve received just over 10 per cent of the $1.7 billion needed to reach 5.4 million people in South Sudan this year – which means we only about $174 million in our bank.
SOUTHEAST ASIA EARTHQUAKE
The Secretary-General expressed his condolences to the governments and people of Southeast Asia who were impacted by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit earlier today.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Myanmar and the de-facto authorities there have called for international assistance and we are mobilizing teams and support.
We are gathering information on the number of people impacted, damage to infrastructure and immediate humanitarian needs, in order to guide our response in the best way possible. We will share more updates and information as it becomes available.
our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has made an initial allocation from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund of $5 million to support life-saving assistance in support of the operations of recovery following the earthquake.
Meanwhile, Julie Bishop, the Special Envoy for Myanmar, said on social media that the earthquake is heartbreaking for the people of Myanmar and added that her thoughts are with all those affected across the region.
The earthquake will compound an already dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, where nearly 20 million people need assistance across the country, including more than 3.5 million people displaced from their homes.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation in all the affected countries and provide support and assistance as needed.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that clashes in parts of the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu as well as Ituri are continuing to harm civilians and forcing them people to flee their homes.
In South Kivu, violence between armed groups in the territories of Uvira and Mwenga has displaced nearly 11,000 people since 9 March. That is what local humanitarian sources are telling us.
OCHA is working with community leaders in the area to facilitate humanitarian access to assess needs and provide aid. However, relief efforts are being impeded by insecurity and logistical constraints, leaving displaced communities in urgent need of food, of shelter, of safety, water and healthcare.
In North Kivu, local civil society groups report a fragile calm in the town of Walikale, where clashes over the last week forced thousands of families to flee from there. Displaced families remain reluctant to return home in the area, with schools and markets still closed and access to farmland also blocked.
In Ituri, where we have been consistently flagging concerns of escalating tensions and violence, on 26 March, an armed group destroyed dozens of homes in Djugu Territory, forcing, yet again, people to flee their homes.
Finally, local civil society groups in Maniema Province, west of South Kivu, warn that armed men have been occupying a school in the provincial capital Kindu since 23 March, depriving over 1,000 children of a chance of an education. We call upon all parties to ensure they vacate the school immediately.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
And some positive news to flag from the Central African Republic. Last year, nearly 20,000 Central African refugees returned to their homeland voluntarily. The UN Refugee Agency says this was the highest annual number of people returning to the country since the voluntary repatriation programme began in 2017, adding that this marks a key step toward sustainable peace and development in the region.
Between 2017 and 2024, close to 53,000 Central Africans returned home to their country, where we have a very active peacekeeping mission.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
In Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that intensified hostilities continue across the Strip, with more civilians killed and injured and critical infrastructure damaged. Many people are reportedly trapped under the rubble or in the streets, and ambulances and civil society teams are unable to reach them.
In southern Gaza, OCHA reports that efforts are continuing to extract casualties and recover ambulances in the Tal as Sultan area of Rafah, where a ground operation started on Sunday and military activities are ongoing.
Today, the Israeli forces dropped leaflets to announce a three-hour window for people who have been trapped by the fighting in Tal as Sultan to leave the area on foot. You will recall that the displacement order for that area was originally issued on Sunday.
We reiterate once again that civilians must be protected under international law. Civilians fleeing fighting must be allowed to do so safely, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows.
OCHA reports that the space for families to survive in Gaza is shrinking. The displacement orders issued last week by the Israeli military – combined with the “no-go” zones, where the Israeli authorities require humanitarian movement to be coordinated with them – account for more than half of Gaza’s territory, about 52 per cent.
Meanwhile, thousands of pallets – mostly containing food items – are waiting to enter Gaza. Our humanitarian partners warn that subsidized bakeries will run out of flour very soon.
We and our partners are attempting to coordinate access to Kerem Shalom to conduct an inventory of the remaining cargo that is waiting on the platform there and that we are not able to access.
However, so far Israeli authorities have denied our attempts to reach the crossings and collect those supplies intended for distribution prior to 2 March.
Our broader efforts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza also continue to be routinely denied. OCHA reports that six such attempts today were made, four were denied.
Meanwhile, our partners in Gaza warn that temporary dumping sites are full, and people are disposing of waste in inhabited areas, sometimes just metres away from where they live. This raises public health concerns, with partners reporting an increase in cases of skin diseases.
Turning to the West Bank, OCHA notes that Israeli operations there have continued for more than nine weeks, driving displacement and humanitarian needs.
We and our partners continue to reach displaced families, including by providing water, shelter, food parcels, hygiene kits and other essential items.
Partners are also highlighting the growing toll on the mental health of those affected, with many suffering from stress, anxiety and depression.
Meanwhile, there are currently some three dozen public schools in Tulkarm and Jenin that have switched to remote learning. This is due to insecurity and because schools are serving as shelters for the displaced.
LEBANON
As you heard from the Secretary-General, we are indeed seriously concerned about the escalation across the Blue Line, including three rockets fired from southern Lebanon towards Israel this morning, as detected by UNIFIL, and Israeli airstrikes, including in southern Lebanon as well as southern Beirut - the first such strikes on Beirut since the cessation of hostilities came into effect, resulting reportedly in civilian casualties.
We urge all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from further escalatory activities, which endanger civilians. Our Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert together with the Head of the UN peacekeeping mission (UNIFIL), Lt. General Aroldo Lázaro, are in contact with all actors with the aim of de-escalating the situation and preventing any further incidents, which pose grave threats on both sides of the Blue Line.
Since the cessation of hostilities went into effect, almost a million people returned to their communities in the south of Lebanon, but over 93,000 remain displaced.
The hostilities have also claimed more than 4,000 lives in Lebanon, and today’s developments represent a worrying escalation.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to support people impacted by the conflict, including people who are still uprooted and host communities.
We repeatedly call on all the parties to respect their obligations according to international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure on both sides of the Blue Line.
UN Peacekeepers remain in position and continue to monitor and report on the situation on the ground.
It remains crucial, of course, that the parties undertake tangible steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 and uphold their commitments made under the cessation of hostilities agreement.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ZERO WASTE
Sunday is International Day of Zero Waste. As we mentioned yesterday, this year’s theme is: Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles.
In his message, the Secretary-General said Earth is a fashion victim as textile production often uses thousands of chemicals – many of them harmful to people and the environment. It devours resources, like land and water. And it belches out greenhouse gases – inflaming the climate crisis. Yet clothes are being produced at a staggering rate.
The Secretary-General said we need a different and more sustainable approach. He called on consumers to secure change through their choices; governments to put regulations in place that promote sustainable practices and decent jobs, and businesses to embrace resource efficiency in their supply chains.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT – UNTMIS
The Secretary-General today is appointing James Swan of the United States as his Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS). The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to Mr. Swan as he has been working as the acting Special Representative since May 2024, and is pleased to announce that Mr. Swan accepted to continue to lead the United Nations in Somalia during this critical period.
He is an experienced diplomat with a long career in African countries facing complex transitions.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION
Brunei Darussalam has made a full payment to the Regular Budget. Brunei’s payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 85.
BRIEFING
Monday, the UN will be closed for Eid al-Fitr.
On Tuesday, 1 April, at 3:00 p.m., there will be a briefing by the President of the Security Council for the month of April, the Permanent Representative of France, Jérôme Bonnafont.
He will brief reporters on the programme of work of the Security Council for the month of April.
