HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANIE TREMBLAY,
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
FRIDAY, 16 MAY 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL/IRAQ
Today, in Baghdad, the Secretary-General met with the President of Iraq, Abdul Latif Rasheed. They discussed regional issues. The Secretary-General thanked the Iraqi President for the hospitality shown during the summit and the continued and enhanced UN-Iraqi cooperation.
The Secretary-General also met today with the African Union Commission Chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf. Mr. Guterres also met with the Sudanese delegation that is attending the summit, and he underscored the UN’s interest in a dialogue that can lead to a solution in the country, as well as the importance of protecting civilians.
The Secretary-General also held discussions today with the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Badr Abdel Aty. They discussed the situation in Gaza and Sudan, among other topics.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will attend the Arab League Summit. He is expected to address the situation in Gaza, to talk about Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and others.
UKRAINE/RUSSIA TALKS IN ISTANBUL
Regarding questions about the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations that took place today in Istanbul, the Associate Spokesperson said that the UN welcomes today's talks - the first such direct negotiations in three years, including discussions on a potential ceasefire and large-scale exchange of Prisoners of War. The UN notes the important role of Turkiye and the United States in facilitating these discussions. The UN hopes this process will lead to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Ukraine, which would serve as a critical step towards creating the conditions for a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions. The UN stands ready to support all meaningful efforts to that end.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/ANGOLA
Also, as we mentioned, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Angola to chair the annual retreat of UN Resident Coordinators from Africa. The retreat started today and will continue until Sunday. Discussions there will focus on accelerating the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, advancing the Pact for the Future, and mobilizing investments for key transitions across the continent.
Earlier today, the Deputy Secretary-General visited the Lobito Corridor, a key infrastructure and trade initiative linking Angola with neighboring countries. She highlighted its potential to diversify the economy, boost trade, and create jobs.
Ms. Mohammed also visited the Nutrition Unit and Cholera Treatment Centre at Benguela General Hospital, where UN agencies such as the UNICEF and the World Health Organization are supporting efforts to strengthen the nutritional response and also contain a cholera outbreak.
Yesterday, the Deputy Secretary-General met with the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, as well as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Téte António. As Angola marks 50 years of independence and assumes the presidency of the African Union, discussions focused on the country’s leadership in advancing peace and driving sustainable development.
Ms. Mohammed reaffirmed our support for Angola’s efforts to accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda. She is expected to return to New York on Monday, 19 May.
KUWAIT
The Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo will pay her first official visit to the State of Kuwait, and this is taking place on Monday, 19 May. She will meet with senior Government officials to discuss cooperation between the UN and Kuwait, as well as developments in the region.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that intense hostilities continued overnight across the Gaza Strip, killing and injuring many Palestinians, and causing mass displacement and additional destruction.
At least 250 people have reportedly been killed in the past 36 hours. This is according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today described the reported killing of at least 45 children over the past two days as “yet another devastating reminder that children in Gaza are suffering first and foremost, having to starve day after day only to be the victims of indiscriminate attacks.” The agency said the daily suffering and killing of children must end immediately.
In northern Gaza, more than 150 injured patients are reported to have arrived at the Al Awda and Indonesian hospitals, and this is also according to the Ministry of Health. Rescue teams are reportedly unable to access many parts of North Gaza governorate, as air strikes and artillery shelling continue.
Attacks have continued to impact healthcare facilities, including the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis, which was rendered out of service by a series of strikes on and around its premises. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the hospital’s closure has cut off vital services, including neurosurgery, cardiac care and cancer treatment – which are all unavailable elsewhere in Gaza.
The ongoing hostilities are also putting hospitals in northern Gaza – and the patients and staff there – at risk. WHO says a strike near the Indonesian Hospital spread fear, disrupted access, and raised the risk of closure.
In Jabalya, another strike yesterday near Al Awda Hospital caused additional damage to the facility, according to the hospital management.
OCHA warns that these attacks are destroying valuable equipment and depriving people of access to life-saving services. They also put additional strain on hospitals that are still operating, particularly those accepting high numbers of trauma cases as attacks continue. Healthcare staff and facilities must always be protected.
The intensification of operations by Israelis forces comes after several displacement orders were issued for areas in North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates in the past three days. The situation remains extremely volatile and unpredictable.
In northern Gaza, some 17,000 people have been displaced so far from Jabalya and Beit Lahiya since yesterday afternoon. People are fleeing without their belongings to neighbouring areas in the north.
Farther south, since yesterday afternoon, thousands of people were forced to flee areas of eastern Deir al Balah and eastern Khan Younis.
Meanwhile, all crossings into Gaza remain closed for the entry of cargo for a 75th straight day. Inside Gaza, ours and our humanitarian partners’ movements are severely constrained, which is hampering our ability to respond to immense needs.
Despite these challenges that are enormous, the UN and partners continue to mobilize assistance as the situation allows. In a positive development, 18 kitchens that had previously closed were able to reopen, thanks to community members sharing their remaining food stocks. This brings the total number of hot meals prepared today to 340,000, compared to fewer than 250,000 yesterday.
All kitchens that are still functioning have adjusted the size and content of the meals they provide in order to further stretch dwindling supplies and avoid a total shutdown.
The humanitarian community continues to call for the total blockade on Gaza to be lifted to allow in desperately needed supplies – as well as the protection of civilians and an immediate reinstatement of the ceasefire.
Turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that settler vandalism continues, damaging critical infrastructure and disrupting the livelihoods of affected communities. In one herding community in Jericho governorate, at least three incidents involved settlers damaging water pipes serving the community, disrupting access to water for several households. Residents report that such attacks on the water network occur daily, severely undermining their already limited access to water for both domestic and livestock needs.
WEST BANK
The UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory calls for an end to the senseless killings in the occupied West Bank. Israel must stop all extrajudicial executions and other unlawful use of force in the occupied West Bank, the Human Rights Office said. Over the last two weeks, Israeli security forces have killed two Palestinian men in summary executions, while seven Palestinians were killed in conditions that raise concerns of the use of unnecessary or disproportionate lethal force, our human rights colleagues say.
Meanwhile, yesterday, armed Palestinians reportedly shot and killed a pregnant 30-year-old Israeli woman on the highway near Brukhin settlement, west of Salfit, also injuring her husband.
Following the incident, Israeli security forces closed several checkpoints in the northern and central West Bank and imposed severe movement restrictions, particularly around Burqin and Salfit, while an Israeli minister called for “flattening” Palestinian villages in response. Israeli security forces must ensure that measures adopted following the attack complies with international law, including the prohibition of collective punishment.
LEBANON
This morning, a patrol of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon was conducting a routine operational activity in Sector West when it was confronted by a large group of individuals in civilian clothing. The individuals attempted to stop the patrol using aggressive means, wielding metal sticks and axes, resulting in damage to the patrol vehicles.
In response, the peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) used non-lethal force to ensure the safety of both the peacekeepers and those present. During the patrol's withdrawal from the scene, according to initialinformation, shots were fired at the patrol and peacekeepers returned fire. No injuries were reported.
The mission immediately informed the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) of the incident and they subsequently escorted the UNIFIL patrol safely back to base.
The UN reiterates that UNIFIL’s full freedom of movement is critical to accomplishing its mandate, which requires the mission to be able to act independently and impartially.
The UN reminds all actors that UNIFIL’s mandate provides for its freedom of movement, and any restriction on this is a violation of resolution 1701.
It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting Security Council-mandated tasks are targeted. The UN calls on Lebanese authorities to ensure that UNIFIL peacekeepers can carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction.
LIBYA
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) reports that the situation in Tripoli today remains calm but tense, with demonstrations continuing today. The UN urges all concerned parties to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and calls on all security forces to respect the right to peaceful assembly and to ensure the protection of civilians.
The Special Representative Hanna Tetteh has been engaging with the main political and security actors in Tripoli to de-escalate tensions, to strengthen the ceasefire, and to facilitate a resolution of the conflict among the armed groups.
This morning, Ms. Tetteh briefed the Security Council in closed consultations and she provided additional details on the evolving situation on the ground, and the proposed way forward.
YEMEN/SOMALIA
As mentioned several times in the past few months, the humanitarian sector has seen unprecedented funding cuts, forcing us and our partners to drastically reduce life-saving programming, putting millions of lives at risk across the world. Over the past two months, we have overhauled our response to humanitarian crises in line with the Humanitarian Reset set out by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher.
In Somalia, the UN and our partners will now target 1.3 million people. This is a reduction of more than 70 per cent from 4.6 million people initially targeted for this year. The re-prioritized response will cost $367 million, a 74 per cent reduction from the $1.4 billion requested for this year.
This does not mean that there has been a reduction in overall humanitarian needs and requirements – but rather, given the massive global funding shortfalls, we want to use the resources that we do receive to ensure that the most life-saving assistance reaches the most vulnerable people. All needs and responses identified in the 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan remain valid and urgent. If additional funding becomes available, responses will be expanded to cover all identified people targeted, as was originally planned.
In Yemen, the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA), together with the humanitarian community, had called for $2.4 billion this year. But this week, an addendum to this year's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan was released, identifying the most critical life-saving activities within this year's Plan, calling for $1.4 billion to ensure we can reach 8.8 million people.
As in other crises, the consequence will be dire if we fail to deliver: millions more people will be acutely hungry and lack access to clean water, education, protection and other essential services. Mortality and morbidity are poised to surge as health facilities close and disease outbreaks multiply.
SUDAN
Turning to Sudan. Our Word Food Programme colleagues in the country tell us that a convoy is en route from the Dabbah crossing in Northern State to El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, where people are trapped by fighting and facing a humanitarian catastrophe. The convoy is carrying more than 900 metric tonnes of WFP food and nutrition supplies for tens of thousands of people. It also includes two UN Children’s Fund trucks with education, health, and nutrition supplies. Currently, the Word Food Programme is providing digital cash transfer to people in El Fasher, with 250,000 people reached in March and again in April, but physical access to deliver supplies into the city has been nearly impossible. The Word Food Programme stresses that this life-saving assistance must arrive in El Fasher safely, to support families facing famine.
WFP adds that more aid deliveries are being planned to El Fasher in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, another WFP aid delivery has arrived in Tawila, 75kms west of El Fasher. This is the second WFP convoy to arrive in recent weeks. WFP notes that hundreds of thousands of people have fled to Tawila to escape horrific violence in Zamzam and El Fasher in the last month. These deliveries are part of WFP’s efforts to rapidly expand assistance to people across Sudan, especially those facing famine or at risk of famine in 27 areas across Darfur, Kordofan, Al Jazirah and Khartoum.
MALI
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, also had a statement on Mali today in which he called on the transitional President to repeal the decree dissolving all political parties and “organisations of a political nature”, adding that any restrictions of political participation must be consistent with Mali’s international human rights law obligations.
Mr. Turk also urged the Malian transitional authorities to refrain from extending the transitional period again, and to publish an election timetable without delay, in order to enable Malians’ full enjoyment of their political rights, guaranteed in international human rights law.
COLOMBIA
The Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that in just the first five months of 2025, more than 66,000 people were newly displaced due to fighting between non-state armed groups. This represents a 28 per cent increase compared to the total number of people recorded to be newly displaced in all of last year.
By the end of last year, more than 7.3 million people were internally displaced by violence and conflict, the third largest number in the world, behind Sudan and Syria.
The UN, along with its partners, continue implementing a $3.8 million allocation from the UN Central Emergency Fund - allocated in February this year - to help more than 56,000 impacted people in Catatumbo where fighting has been fierce this year. However, despite the sharp rise in humanitarian needs, our ability to respond is severely curtailed by funding shortfalls.
The UN humanitarian partners have been able to respond to just 25 per cent of identified needs, leaving tens of thousands without aid. The $342 million Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is 14 per cent funded with $48.5 million received so far.
SAGARMATHA SAMBAAD" - EVEREST DIALOGUE
Today, the Secretary-General addressed via a video message the "Sagarmatha Sambaad" - Everest Dialogue, which is taking place in Nepal, in Kathmandu. He said that during his visits to Nepal he saw firsthand how the rooftops of the world are caving in, with Nepal losing close to one-third of its ice in just over thirty years.
The Secretary-General pointed out that Nepal – and so many other vulnerable frontline countries – did not cause this tragedy, but are living with the impacts. He stressed that the world has much to learn from Nepal’s climate leadership and that the world must act without delay to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach – with the biggest emitters in the lead.
INTERNATIONAL DAYS
Today is the International Day of Living Together in Peace. The Day aims to uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony.
Today is also the International Day of Light, which is celebrated on 16 May each year, and it is the anniversary of the first successful laser surgery in 1960.
And tomorrow is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, and there is a message from the Secretary-General on this. He says that the benefits of technology remain deeply unequal, adding that this year's focus of the Day on gender equality in digital transformation is both timely and urgent.
***The guests at the Noon Briefing were Arif Husain, the World Food Programme’s Chief Economist, along with Rein Paulsen, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Director of the Office of Emergencies and Resilience, as well as Joan Matji, UNICEF’s Director of Nutrition and Child Development. They spoke with journalists about the 2025 Global Report on Food Crises.
