HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANIE TREMBLAY
ASSOCIATE SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
WEDNESDAY, 7 MAY 2025
SECRETARY-GENERAL’S TRAVEL
The Secretary-General is Denmark today, where tomorrow he will chair the meeting of the Chief Executives Board of the United Nations which brings together the heads of the UN system.
Earlier today, the Secretary-General met with Ms. Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Denmark’s steadfast cooperation with and support for the United Nations, including for its role as host of UN agencies as well as its constructive role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Denmark’s steadfast cooperation, as well as its constructive role as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
Prior to meeting the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General toured UN City, the compound in Copenhagen that houses United Nations offices in the Danish capital. During a townhall meeting, the Secretary-General congratulated the staff for the work they are doing.
This evening, the Secretary-General and the heads of the United Nations system are attending a welcome diner hosted by the King and Queen of Denmark.
YEMEN
The UN welcomes the announcement made by the Sultanate of Oman regarding an agreement between the United States and the Houthis in Yemen on 6 May, and commend Oman for its efforts in this regard.
The UN had consistently called for restraint and de-escalation in and around Yemen and the wider region. We also have called for an immediate cessation of Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels in line with relevant Security Council resolutions. We reaffirm the need for all to respect the rights and obligations relating to maritime navigation in accordance with international law. We remain committed to supporting the Yemeni parties to reach a negotiated political settlement to end the conflict.
The UN encourages all parties to engage constructively with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to this end.
SUDAN
Moving to Sudan, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, expressed deep concern over the ongoing drone strikes in Port Sudan, which is a hub for our humanitarian operations and key entry point for aid.
Mr. Fletcher stressed that international humanitarian law must be respected and that constant care must be taken to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure.
Flights of the UN Humanitarian Air Services – or UNHAS – to and from Port Sudan have been suspended since May 4th. The World Food Programme, which manages UNHAS, says it will resume air operations as soon as conditions allow.
These disruptions are impacting the movement of humanitarian personnel into Sudan and onward to other parts of the country, further straining the delivery of urgently needed assistance. Meanwhile, OCHA reports that drone attacks have also affected the states of Kassala and River Nile. Earlier this week in Kassala, strikes near the airport displaced about 2,900 people and led to the temporary suspension or relocation of some aid activities.
Meanwhile, River Nile State is still facing a power blackout following a drone strike on the transformer station in Atbara on April 25th. The outage is contributing to growing fuel and bread shortages and long queues at petrol stations and bakeries.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that the situation there is growing worse by the day. Yet we and our partners are committed to staying and delivering to help alleviate the suffering of the people exhausted by many months of fighting.
Attacks on schools sheltering displaced people continue to be reported, leading to casualties. Yesterday in Deir al Balah, an UNRWA school in Al Bureij camp was hit twice in several hours, with dozens of people reportedly killed, including women and children. Another school in Gaza city sheltering displaced people was also struck yesterday, with reports that 20 people were killed.
Across Gaza, community kitchens serving hot meals continue to shut down, as they use up their last remaining supplies. As of yesterday, one in every three community kitchens supported by the UN and our partners in Gaza has closed.
That's more than 60 kitchens closed out of nearly 180 - in just a matter of days. Our colleagues on the ground report that adults are prioritizing their children over themselves when they do manage to find some sustenance.
On a related note, our colleagues working to prevent malnutrition report that there are no more malnutrition prevention supplements left in stock in Gaza. While some malnutrition treatment stocks remain, these will also be depleted soon unless the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo.
On education, our partners have been analyzing satellite imagery to determine the extent of damage to school structures across Gaza. Their initial results indicate that over 95 per cent of school buildings have sustained at least some level of damage.
Meanwhile, the water, sanitation and hygiene situation is increasingly bleak. A new report by partners found that last month, 90 per cent of families they assessed were facing water insecurity, forcing difficult choices between essential needs such as cooking and washing their hands. Over three quarters of families reported a worsening water situation, amid a decrease in both water quantity and water collection points, and as displacement orders drive a growing number of people to seek shelter at overcrowded sites.
The UN and our partners stand ready to distribute assistance at scale as soon as the crossings reopen for the entry of cargo. More than 240,000 metric tonnes of supplies are ready to be dispatched from warehouses outside Gaza – that’s in addition to the large quantities of supplies already waiting at the crossings themselves to enter the Strip.
OCHA also stresses the need for Israeli authorities to facilitate humanitarian movements inside Gaza. Today, they denied three quarters of the UN's requests – that's six out of eight. Half of the denied requests were to retrieve critical supplies from militarized areas.
UKRAINE
Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that airstrikes yesterday and today resulted in further civilian casualties across the country.
The latest attacks in the cities of Sumy, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv killed six civilians and injured nearly 30 others, including 10 children, and damaged homes, according to local authorities. Nearly 40 additional casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure were reported in front-line regions. The hostilities there damaged multiple residential buildings, electricity networks and agricultural assets.
After the overnight attacks, aid organizations provided emergency support and set up response centres to complement the efforts of first responders and local authorities. They deployed emergency teams to the affected sites to assess people’s needs.
Several local NGOs are registering impacted people for cash assistance.
Aid organizations and local authorities also continued to support evacuees from border communities at the transit centre in Sumy City. Nearly 500 residents were evacuated from the border area in just the last day. The transit centre provides temporary shelter for new arrivals, as well as food, hygiene products and other basic necessities – in addition to administrative, social, medical and psychological support.
HAITI
From Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is mobilizing assistance for people displaced by deadly violence in the Artibonite Department late last month. OCHA led a humanitarian mission there yesterday to assess needs and coordinate response efforts.
And the International Organization for Migration reports that nearly 13,000 people were forced to flee their homes due to armed attacks in the commune of Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite. Dozens of people were reportedly killed, and scores of homes were damaged. Most displaced people are sheltering with host families, while others are staying at displacement sites, including nearly a dozen that have opened in response to the crisis. However, ongoing insecurity forced four other sites – hosting nearly 500 people – to close.
Armed groups have also reportedly attacked police installations and damaged agricultural infrastructure.
Meanwhile, OCHA is leading efforts to coordinate the humanitarian response in Haiti’s Centre Department, where displaced people urgently need shelter, food, water, healthcare and education assistance.
Insecurity and severe funding shortfalls continue to hamper access and response efforts, particularly in southern areas. Security incidents have been reported along two national roads that are vital arteries for aid delivery.
OCHA is engaging with all parties to ensure safe and sustained access for humanitarians to reach people in need in Haiti, wherever they are.
SECURITY COUNCIL
This afternoon Security Council will convene at 3:00 pm for a briefing on Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Mohamed Khaled Khiari, will brief.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FORUM
Today is the start of the Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals. For two days, the Forum brings together scientists, innovators, academia, civil society, private sector, and young people to discuss the power of science, technology and innovation to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
From mental health platforms for refugees in Türkiye to biodegradable sanitary products tackling period poverty in Kenya, ten outstanding innovators from around the globe will also join this year’s Forum to demonstrate their solutions and how science, technology, and innovation are driving tangible impacts across the SDGs.
The Forum will also focus on the SDGs under review at this year’s High-level Political Forum, namely the SDGs on good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, life below water and partnerships.
