HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 19 MAY 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL /IRAQ
The Secretary-General landed back in New York a few hours ago. He will be in Headquarters at about 3 o’clock for the resumed session with the General Assembly on the UN80 initiative and that will be webcast.
In Iraq, where he attended and addressed the Summit of the League of Arab States. In the remarks that he delivered, the Secretary-General reiterated our constant calls for an urgently needed permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the need for free flow of humanitarian aid. “Only a two-State solution can deliver sustainable peace,” he said.
He also spoke about the situation in other parts of the region, including Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Sudan and Somalia. And underscored the vital partnership between the United Nations and the League of Arab States.
On the margins of the Summit, he held a trilateral meeting with the Chairman of the African Union, Mahamoud Youssouf, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Mr. Abu Al-Ghait.
Their meeting focused on Sudan, and how to better cooperate and maintain a regular contact to better coordinate all initiatives in relation to peace in Sudan.
He also met with the Prime Minister of Jordan, Jafar Hassan, where they discussed developments in the region, and obviously what is going on in Gaza. Separately, he discussed the situation in Lebanon with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam of Lebanon.
On Sunday, he spoke with the Prime Minister of Iraq [Mohammed] Shia' Al Sudani. The Secretary-General during those talks reaffirmed that we remain fully committed to continuing to support the Government and people of Iraq following the planned departure of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq [UNAMI]. As you know, the mission’s mandate will not be extended beyond 31 December of this year.
The Secretary-General also addressed the UN staff in Baghdad to express his thanks to them. He laid a wreath at a memorial in the UN Compound in honour of 22 of our colleagues, who as you know, were brutally killed during the terrorist attack at the Canal Hotel on August 19 2003. Mr. Guterres said that “this memorial is as a clear reminder of the vital work that the United Nations does around the world — and the dangers our people face in carrying out that work.”
GAZA
The Secretary-General is alarmed by the intensification of Israeli air strikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip, which have resulted in the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in recent days, including many women and children, and, of course, large-scale evacuation orders.
The Secretary-General calls for the rapid, safe, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to civilians, in order to avert famine, alleviate widespread suffering, and prevent further loss of life.
The Secretary-General continues to call for a permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and welcomes the ongoing efforts by the mediators to reach a deal in Gaza. He has repeatedly warned that the continued violence and the destruction will only compound civilian suffering and heighten the risk of a broader regional conflict.
The Secretary-General reiterates that civilians must be respected and they must be protected at all times, and that all parties must strictly adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The Secretary-General firmly rejects any forced displacement of the Palestinian population.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said today in a statement that the Israeli authorities have temporarily allowed us to resume limited aid delivery into Gaza, following 11 weeks of complete blockade, and amid a spike in the military offensive. This is a welcome development that should remain in place.
Today, he said, nine of our trucks were cleared to enter, via the Kerem Shalom crossing. But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed, and significantly more aid must be allowed into Gaza, starting tomorrow morning.
Mr. Fletcher said we have been reassured that our work will be facilitated through our existing and proven mechanisms to deliver humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. He said he is determined that our aid reach those in greatest need, and that the risk of theft by Hamas or other armed groups be minimized.
He urged the Israeli authorities to open at least two crossings into Gaza, one in the north and one in the south. He also urged them to simplify and expedite procedures; remove any quotas; lift access impediments within Gaza and not to conduct attacks in areas and times of deliveries; and allow us to cover a whole range of the huge needs of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
To reduce looting, he added, there must be a regular flow of aid, and humanitarians must be permitted to use multiple routes. Commercial goods should complement the humanitarian response.
Today, Israeli authorities issued a displacement order covering 40 neighbourhoods in Khan Younis – an area encompassing most of the governorate, or about 23 per cent of the whole of the Gaza Strip. It is affecting thousands of people and hundreds of humanitarian facilities, including wells, including pumping stations, including health facilities and including schools. Overall, almost half a million people have been displaced across the Gaza Strip since mid-March.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues tells us that since yesterday, increased heavy shelling and ground advances by Israel have occurred in the north and south of Gaza, killing and injuring many Palestinians, causing mass displacement and additional destruction.
Attacks against healthcare facilities continue. Yesterday, in North Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital was struck, putting scores of patients and medical staff at risk. In Khan Younis governorate, operations at primary healthcare clinics in Al Qarara and Deir al Balah were forced to cease operations, after the Al Qarara facility came under direct attack. And today, an Israeli airstrike hit Nasser Hospital, affecting 15 pallets of medical supplies that had been donated by our partners and that had been delivered about three weeks ago to that hospital.
Partners working in water, sanitation and hygiene services tell us that in Beit Lahiya, solid waste management has come to a halt, with groundwater wells either damaged or non-functional. Water trucking operations have also decreased significantly in the north of the Gaza strip. Thousands of litres of fuel are needed each week to provide minimal water and sanitation services to the population.
Meanwhile, Israeli authorities continue to deny attempts for humanitarian movements, including one to retrieve fuel from Rafah, and that was today. A request for the acting Humanitarian Coordinator Susanna Tkalec’s to visit the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis was denied five times. Overall, six of the 10 coordinated movements were denied today.
UKRAINE
In Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that hostilities over the weekend caused dozens of civilian casualties across the front-line regions. In the Sumy region, an airstrike hit a public bus, killing at least nine people and injuring seven others. That is what local authorities are telling us. Humanitarian partners supported impacted families and evacuated children of those killed and injured to safer areas in the country. In the Donetsk region, civilians were killed and injured between airstrikes. The cities of Kostiantynivka, Pokrovsk and Lyman have been heavily affected. That is what local authorities are telling our colleagues on the ground. In Kherson, authorities reported casualties and damage to numerous homes. The attacks have also impacted humanitarian operations.
In its latest access report, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the increased use of long-range combat drones — now striking up to 15 km from the front line — is worsening access constraints. Incidents impacting humanitarian personnel, assets and facilities rose to 37 in March and April, up from 27 in January and February of this year. Meanwhile, a new food security assessment by WFP [World Food Programme], the FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] and the Kyiv School of Economics found that one in three families in front-line areas and bordering regions face moderate to severe food insecurity.
Nearly 70 per cent of families surveyed reported skipping meals or cutting health and education costs. Female-headed households and low-income households are among the most vulnerable. The report calls for urgent international support to stabilize food access, support agriculture, and protect livelihoods.
LIBYA
Libya’s Presidency Council and the UN Mission in Libya - UNSMIL - have established a truce committee building on the fragile peace reached last week. The Committee, which met for the first time on Sunday, is focused on facilitating a permanent ceasefire with emphasis on the protection of all civilians, and to agree on security arrangements in Tripoli.
UNSMIL welcomes the Presidency Council’s leadership on its commitment to de-escalate tensions and foster peace. The Committee, headed by the Chief of General Staff of the Libyan Army, General Mohammed Al-Haddad, demonstrates a commitment from all sides to avoid further escalation and ensure that all parties abide with their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.
UNSMIL reiterates the United Nations Security Council’s concerns over the reports of civilian casualties during this week's violence and calls for an immediate and unconditional, permanent ceasefire. Those responsible for such attacks and for non-compliance with the truce arrangements and international humanitarian and human rights law must be held accountable.
78th WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY
And just today, the Secretary-General addressed the 78th World Health Assembly via a video message. He stressed that now more than ever, our world needs a coherent global health architecture that responds rapidly to crises and strengthens protection and wellbeing for all.
Mentioning WHO’s Pandemic Agreement, the Secretary-General urged WHO member states to make history to strengthen global preparedness against pandemics, to ensure equity and solidarity in responding to health threats and to uphold the promise of health as a fundamental human right. He also urged WHO member states to match ambition with resources – by strengthening investment in the World Health Organization and ensuring the sustainability and predictability it needs to build a healthier, safer, and fairer world for all.
WORLD FAIR PLAY DAY
Today is World Fair Play Day, a celebration dedicated to promoting sports practiced in the spirit of friendship, solidarity, tolerance, inclusion, and non-discrimination.
