HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,
DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 9 JUNE 2025
 

SECRETARY-GENERAL/OCEAN CONFERENCE
The Secretary-General delivered remarks this morning at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, which is co-hosted by France and Costa Rica.  In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that although the sea that has sustained life for millennia, we are failing to protect the ocean - thanks to overfishing, plastic pollution and rising temperatures. 
He urged all countries that have not yet ratified the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction to do so. He also issued a strong call to all countries to agree on an ambitious and legally binding treaty on plastic pollution this year.
Underscoring his support for the work of the International Seabed Authority, the Secretary-General said the deep sea cannot become the Wild West. 
Mr. Guterres urged Member States to advance progress on Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is unfortunately one of the least funded SDGs. He encouraged the conference participants to be bold in all their efforts, saying, “The ocean of our ancestors – teeming with life and diversity – can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.”
In the afternoon, the Secretary-General spoke at the Africa for the Ocean event, co-hosted by Morocco and France. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that with over 30,000 kilometres of coastline and 38 coastal states, Africa is a maritime powerhouse. “Its future is also written in its waters,” he said, adding that this blue wealth is too often undervalued and overexploited. He said that investments have too often bypassed Africa, even as its marine resources were exploited by others.
Also this afternoon, the Secretary-General had a productive meeting with civil society representatives from around the world active in ocean action. He highlighted the current paradox: despite major breakthroughs —such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction— the crisis facing the oceans is worsening.
The Secretary-General noted similar dynamics in climate action: while renewable energy is expanding rapidly, emissions continue to rise. The ocean-climate connection, he warned, is deteriorating —marked by rising temperatures, accelerating sea-level rise, glacier melt, coral bleaching, and growing plastic pollution. He also pointed to the threat of mass displacement from vulnerable river deltas.
He emphasized the importance of civil society perspectives, momentum, and insights to accelerate progress and increase global attention on ocean, climate, and biodiversity action.
On the sidelines of the conference, the Secretary-General held a number of bilateral meetings.

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that the crisis in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels of despair as people continue to go hungry across Gaza. Many are forced to risk their lives in search of food, as we receive more reports of people being killed and injured near non-UN distribution sites.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, just this morning, 29 casualties arrived at the ICRC field hospital in west Rafah, eight of whom were dead. Almost all had explosive trauma wounds, with two others admitted with gunshot wounds. The UN reiterates that civilians must always be protected. No person, anywhere, should be forced to choose between risking one’s life and feeding one’s family.
Fuel stocks in Gaza are critically low – putting further strain on critical services and humanitarian operations. Over the weekend, some 260,000 litres of fuel were looted in northern Gaza. Prior to this, the UN had repeatedly attempted to reach these stocks to retrieve them, but these attempts were denied by the Israeli authorities.
Since 15 May, the missions to retrieve this fuel were denied by the Israeli authorities 14 times. The UN attempts to reach fuel supplies in Rafah, in the south of Gaza, also continue to be denied. The UN warns that unless a solution is found in the coming days, the entire aid operation could come to a standstill.
Since the Israeli authorities allowed limited amounts of aid to enter Gaza on 19 May, the UN and its partners have only been able to collect about 4,600 metric tonnes of wheat flour from the Kerem Shalom crossing. Most of it was taken by desperate, starving people before the supplies reached their destinations. In some cases, the supplies were looted by armed gangs.
The UN reiterates that Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility with regards to public order and safety in Gaza. That should include letting in far more essential supplies, through multiple crossings and routes, to meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting.
UN partners working on food security in Gaza estimate that between 8,000 and 10,000 metric tonnes of wheat flour is required to reach all families across the Strip with at least a single bag of flour to ease the pressure on markets and reduce desperation – alongside other diverse food supplies. Beyond this, the sustained and unrestricted flow of aid into Gaza must resume as soon as possible.
Over the weekend, there were no missions to collect supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Israeli authorities informed us that the crossing would remain closed on Friday and Saturday. The UN also continues to face major impediments that hamper our ability to conduct these operations. These impediments include unacceptably dangerous routes, a severe shortage of vetted drivers, and delays – with our teams having to wait, often for hours, for military activities to pause. 
Today, the UN is leading a mission to deliver supplies that entered via Kerem Shalom to Gaza City. That movement is still ongoing, so we won’t have more to share before tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, operations by the Israeli forces in the north have continued over the past week, destroying roads and disrupting Palestinians’ access to essential services. The UN and its humanitarian partners continue to respond, including by providing water, sanitation and hygiene assistance to tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the northern West Bank.

LEBANON 
Turning to Lebanon, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs remains gravely concerned by the humanitarian impact of ongoing military activities on civilians, including in the wake of Israeli air strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs late last Thursday – just ahead of Eid Al-Adha. Additional strikes were recorded in the southern village of Ain Qana that same night.
Thousands of residents from the densely populated neighbourhoods targeted by the Israeli air strikes on June 5th fled their homes following displacement orders. This marks the fourth such strike on Beirut since the cessation of hostilities came into effect in November 2024. Civilians in Lebanon continue to be affected by Israeli military operations, exacerbating protection concerns, impeding the safe return of displaced people, hindering humanitarian access, and further driving needs. 
Along the Blue Line, hostilities have persisted on a near-daily basis, including artillery shelling, demolitions and air strikes, particularly in areas where the Israeli army maintains a military presence and has erected physical barricades and warning signage. 
Preliminary official assessments by the Beirut Area Reconstruction Committee indicate extensive damage from the air strikes, including to a school for people with disabilities. Nine residential buildings were completely destroyed, while more than 70 sustained partial damage. Some 115 housing units were destroyed, reportedly resulting in the displacement of about 300 families, who have been hosted by relatives. Continued military operations by Israel in Lebanon remain a driver of humanitarian needs, particularly in the South. 
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 82,000 people remain displaced across the country, while over 981,000 people have returned to their communities of origin.

SECURITY COUNCIL
This morning, the head of our Office for Central Africa, UNOCA, Abdou Abarry, spoke by videoconference to the Security Council.  He first highlighted progress accomplished in the past months, including in Chad, which concluded its political transition, and in Gabon, where progress towards full restoration of the constitutional order was achieved. 
But, against this backdrop, he also highlighted the impact of budgetary constraints on humanitarian operations, notably in Chad, where the 2025 humanitarian response plan is currently funded at only 9.3 per cent, compared with 19.5 per cent at the same time last year.  
Turning to the work of his office, Mr. Abarry said the current financial situation is impacting his office and forcing him and his team to rethink their plans and working methods – in a context where several electoral processes are planned in the region this year and in 2026.
Mr. Abarry, said the countries of the region are resolutely committed to the principles and values of the United Nations, as well as to the Pact for the Future. He called on Security Council members for their continued support, particularly at this critical time. 

NIGERIA
Turning to north-east Nigeria, Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher has released $6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund – or CERF – to respond to the worst malnutrition crisis to hit the region in five years. Mr. Fletcher stressed that we need to get food to those in urgent need and get systems in place to reduce the risk of future crisis. 
Our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are deeply concerned about the impact of escalating food insecurity in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states – in the north-east of the country – during the lean season between June and August. This year, 1 million children under 5 in these areas are at risk of severe acute malnutrition – that’s double last year’s figure and the highest number in at least five years. 
The new funding from CERF will help partners meet the most urgent nutrition and health needs of vulnerable people in north-east Nigeria, particularly women and children. 
Our humanitarian colleagues note that it comes at a critical time, as brutal funding cuts by key donors disrupt humanitarian response efforts. In Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, these cuts mean humanitarians no longer have the capacity to prevent a further worsening of the situation. Just over a month ago, the UN and the Government of Nigeria launched a plan for the lean season that seeks $160 million to 2 million people with life-saving assistance.