HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL/PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The Secretary-General is still in Papua New Guinea and this morning, he delivered an address at the Parliament during a special session to mark the country’s 50th anniversary of independence.
He told the members of Parliament that for the past half century, the people of New Guinea have worked to have a single nation out of many traditions, many islands, many tongues.
The country has undertaken the daunting task of forging a single nation from profound diversity. It is a path that demands courage and vision, the Secretary-General said, adding that the United Nations is proud to accompany the country on every step.
Turning to climate, the Secretary-General said that time and again we have seen climate leadership flow not from countries with the most wealth and power –– but from those who know the stakes firsthand.
Papua New Guinea is home to seven percent of the world’s biodiversity, and some of the largest coral reefs and rainforests on the planet.
Mr. Guterres said we must be ever vigilant in safeguarding these crucial ecosystems, adding that the country has made the case that national protection deserves global support.
During the day, the Secretary-General met with the leaders of the Autonomous Bougainville Government. He also met with Papua New Guinea’s women leaders.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General is scheduled to travel outside the capital. He will be back in New York on Saturday morning.
SENIOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENT
The Secretary-General is appointing Khassim Diagne of Senegal as Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
He will succeed Colin Stewart of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for his strong leadership and dedicated service throughout his tenure.
Mr. Diagne brings more than 25 years of experience in international affairs and senior leadership within the United Nations system. He is currently serving as Ad Interim United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali, a role he has held since October 2024.
YEMEN
This morning the Houthi de facto authorities broke into the UNDP complex in Sanaa.
So far, the UNICEF and WFP offices remain under the Houthi control. Since our last update on the detentions during the past two days, 18 national staff are now detained by the Houthi de facto authorities.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns the forced entry into UN premises in Sana’a.
We reiterate that the safety and security of UN personnel and property must be guaranteed, and that the inviolability of UN premises must be respected at all times.
We, once again, reiterate the immediate and unconditional release of all those who have been detained yesterday and before that, including all other personnel from the United Nations, international and national non-governmental organizations, civil society and diplomatic missions.
AFGHANISTAN
Turning to Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Office says that following the earthquake over the weekend, assessments and response efforts continue amid challenging conditions. Aftershocks last night in Chakway and Nurgal districts, two of the most affected districts of Kunar province, are causing further hardship, with many families staying outdoors.
They also impact rescue efforts and assessments in the region. Despite the difficult conditions, food and shelter distributions have started, as well as the provision of health assistance, including through mobile health and nutrition teams.
Our humanitarian colleagues say that urgent priorities remain shelter, medical supplies, drinking water, food and sanitation. The UN Mine Action Service has warned that 25 square kilometers of land is contaminated by explosive ordnance in areas impacted by the earthquake.
Needs remain immense, and the UN calls on all who are able to provide support to the earthquake response.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the Gaza Strip, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that further intensification of the continued offensive on Gaza City, amid ongoing famine, will push civilians into an even deeper catastrophe.
Today, our colleagues supporting displacement sites warned that the escalating hostilities in Gaza City are having horrific humanitarian consequences for people living at these sites, many of whom were previously displaced from North Gaza. They say that many households are unable to move due to high costs and a lack of safe space to move to – with older people and those with disabilities especially affected.
Our partners report that between 14 and 31 August, more than 82,000 new displacements have been recorded, including nearly 30,000 movements from north to south.
Our partners describe conditions at displacement sites as deplorable and overcrowded, with debris and waste accumulating near or within living areas. High temperatures have intensified these unsanitary conditions, leading to widespread rodent and insect infestations. As a result, there are mounting health risks, with children developing skin rashes. Water supplies are inadequate, leading to large crowds around distribution points that make it difficult for the most vulnerable to reach supplies. Delivery trucks are often unable to get to displacement sites, forcing families to travel long distances for water.
OCHA reports that inside Gaza, the UN and our partners’ movements also continue to face impediments. Out of 16 missions coordinated with Israeli authorities yesterday, five faced extremely long delays before receiving the green light from the Israeli authorities to move, including efforts to collect supplies from the crossings.
Despite the challenges, teams were able to pick up aid, including medical supplies and fuel from the Kerem Shalom crossing. Two of the impeded missions were only able to be partially accomplished. Eight other humanitarian movements were facilitated yesterday, while three had to be canceled by the organizers.
Between 17 and 30 August, the UN and our partners collected over 6,900 metric tonnes of wheat flour, food parcels, and bulk food supplies through daily convoys reaching the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. They delivered 60 metric tonnes of concentrated fodder to 600 livestock holders. And they helped operate 99 community kitchens providing 468,000 daily meals.
To address malnutrition, they dispatched therapeutic formula in quantities sufficient to treat over 3,000 children for about six weeks; enough complementary food to support over 1,400 infants and young children for up to two weeks; and high-energy biscuits sufficient for 4,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women for two weeks. They also collected supplements and other nutrition supplies from the crossings.
To support Gaza’s crippled health system, they provided 10 hemodialysis machines and hospital beds in the south, distributed reproductive health kits and 16,000 packs of diapers, led a blood donation campaign, collected a range of medical items from the crossings, trained medical staff, and supported the evacuation of 82 of the thousands of patients who could not be treated in Gaza.
To mitigate water, hygiene and sanitation concerns, our partners trucked 15,300 cubic metres of drinking water every day to over 1,600 collection points across the Strip.
They also helped install a new desalination plant and rehabilitate two wells, and distributed hygiene kits to over 6,000 families across more than three dozen displacement sites.
These are just some examples of the important work being done on the ground. But OCHA reminds us that overall, what aid workers are able to do is far from enough. A ceasefire is needed urgently, and so is the opening of all land routes for larger volumes of essential supplies – including commercial ones.
U.N.I.F.I.L.
Moving to the situation in southern Lebanon. We are seriously concerned about an incident that took place on 2 September in which Israel Defense Forces drones dropped grenades in the vicinity of UNIFIL peacekeepers who were carrying out mandated tasks in support of implementation of Security Council resolution 1701.
The mission said that this is one of the most serious attacks on UNIFIL personnel and assets since the cessation of hostilities agreement of last November. One grenade impacted within 20 metres and three within approximately 100 metres of UN personnel and vehicles. The drones were observed returning south of the Blue Line.
Thankfully, no one was injured.
The Secretary-General stresses that any acts that endanger the lives of the peacekeepers are completely unacceptable.
He demands that the parties uphold their responsibilities to ensure the safety and security of the peacekeepers and inviolability of UN installations.
SUDAN
Turning to the situation in Sudan. We very much welcome the announcement that the Adre border crossing from Chad will remain open for the movement of humanitarian supplies and personnel until 31 December 2025.
Adre is an essential lifeline for millions of people mainly in the Darfur region, as well as parts of Kordofan.
Our humanitarian colleagues report that since August of last year, more than 86,000 metric tonnes of vital aid have passed through this crossing point, which was enough to provide assistance to over 3.1 million people in that region.
We remain committed to providing the much-needed support to people as access allows. Darfur as you well know, has been hit hard by the devastating landslide in Jebel Marra. Our colleagues at the World Food Programme tell us that they are doing everything possible to send aid, but the area is largely cut off by floods.
Across Sudan in general, the heavy rains and flooding are making it even harder to deliver vital supplies. Fighting is also fueling the spread of cholera and other infectious diseases.
We reiterate that the only way forward is an immediate end to hostilities and a coordinated diplomatic engagement.
TRIP ANNOUNCEMENT
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, is visiting the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 3 to 7 September.
The mission follows his most recent visit in February-March this year and will serve to reaffirm the United Nations continued support for ongoing peace processes and the protection of civilians, in pursuit of peace and stability in the DRC and the wider Great Lakes region.
Mr. Lacroix will begin his visit in Kinshasa tomorrow. There, he will meet with national authorities, including the President and the Prime Minister, as well as representatives of opposition parties and religious groups to exchange on recent political and security developments and the UN Mission’s activities.
The Under-Secretary-General will then travel to Bunia, Ituri Province, where he will meet with provincial authorities, security actors, civil society, local communities, and the UN Mission personnel. His programme will also include a stop at UN Mission’s operating based in Fataki.
Throughout his visit, Mr. Lacroix will emphasize the importance of sustained cooperation with Congolese partners, regional and international stakeholders, and underscore the UN Mission’s continued support to peace and security efforts, in line with Security Council resolution 2746 (2024).
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Turning to the Democratic Republic of Congo, OCHA says that continued violence in the eastern province of South Kivu continues to claim civilian lives and drive new displacement.
In the northern part of the province, in Kalehe territory, our partners on the ground report that clashes between armed groups persisted as recently as yesterday.
According to local sources, at least 22 women were raped during armed clashes in several villages of the territory between 22 and 31 August.
Our local partners report that the victims did not receive medical care within the critical 72-hour period following the incidents amid shortages of resources – including medical supplies – and security constraints. Sadly, due to recent funding cuts, more than half of the gender-based violence services have been suspended across the country.
The violence also forced nearly 23,000 people to flee their homes, - which is in addition to the more than 128,000 people who already had been displaced in Kalehe between May and August of this year.
In Kalehe territory, the UN and our humanitarian partners are providing nutrition support, health care and assistance in agricultural recovery.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring territory of Walungu, armed clashes between 24 and 27 August left at least twelve civilians dead and several others injured, according to our local partners. The clashes also displaced more than 4,000 people. An estimated 100,000 displaced people in Walungu currently remain without assistance, as the deteriorating security situation has forced our humanitarian partners to suspend their operations in parts of the territory since early August.
Access restrictions and severe funding shortfalls continue to hamper the response.
The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, which seeks $2.5 billion to assist 11 million people, is currently funded at less than 15 per cent, with $376 million received to date. This shortage in funding severely limits our ability to reach all the people who are in desperate need.
EDUCATION
In an analysis released today, the UN Children’s Fund warns that as global education funding faces steep cuts, an estimated 6 million additional children could be out of school by the end of 2026, around one-third of them in humanitarian settings. The analysis notes that such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million. This is the equivalent of emptying every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.
According to UNICEF, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts. This is a 24 per cent drop from 2023.
The analysis warns that essential services such as school feeding programmes, sometimes a child’s only nutritious meal of the day, could see funding slashed by more than half, while support for girls’ education is also set to decline significantly.
**Guest Note
Tomorrow, our Noon Briefing Guest will be Tess Ingram, the Communication Manager for UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Regional Office. She will brief on the situation of children in Gaza City amid famine and increasing military operations, particularly focusing on malnourished children in overcrowded hospitals and children injured by conflict. She will be briefing virtually from southern Gaza.
