Noon briefing of 14 October 2025

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY FARHAN HAQ,

DEPUTY SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

TUESDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2025

SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVEL 
The Secretary-General is now on his way back to New York, after he attended the Sharm El Sheikh Summit for Ending the War in Gaza.  
During the conference, the Secretary-General had conversations with a number of key interlocutors regarding the UN increasing its humanitarian efforts in Gaza.  

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 
Turning to the situation in the Gaza Strip, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that since the ceasefire plan came into effect, the UN and our humanitarian partners have been able to move more freely across parts of Gaza from which Israeli forces have withdrawn, without coordination with Israeli authorities. This improved access has allowed partners to scale up the response to the most urgent needs. 
Yesterday, the World Health Organization said that within 24 hours of the ceasefire, an emergency medical team was deployed to Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza city, and eight trucks carrying medical supplies entered the Strip, including insulin, lab supplies and essential medicine. 
WHO teams also reached the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Younis to retrieve cancer and other life-saving medications, as well as intensive care unit equipment — including incubators, ventilators and patient monitors — and transferred them to Nasser Hospital, also in Khan Younis. 
The UN and our humanitarian partners have also installed a solar panel for a desalination unit in Deir al Balah, as well as new telecommunications hardware to improve connectivity for affected people and humanitarian operations. Efforts to clear debris from roads, particularly those leading to crossing points, are also underway. 
Since yesterday, the Israeli authorities facilitated four UN-led missions to collect medical, health and shelter supplies from the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings. 
The UN and our partners are also assessing people’s needs in areas that had previously been inaccessible so that we can adjust our response efforts. 
Today, an OCHA team visited one of these areas, the Al Kateeba neighbourhood in Khan Younis. They reported extensive destruction, with large amounts of rubble visible throughout. Our partners have begun clearing main roads to facilitate movement and humanitarian access within the area. 
The UN and our partners will continue scaling up operations under our 60-day response plan to reach as many people as possible with life-saving assistance. 
Much more can be done, and for this to happen, as we said, we need more crossings to open, as well as the sustained entry of fuel and cooking gas; security guarantees for convoys; basic infrastructure to be restored; protection of humanitarian workers; the facilitation of NGO access, including through ensuring they are not de-registered; and the rapid injection of funding to support humanitarian operations. 

GAZA-MINE ACTION 
And we have an update from our colleagues at the United Nations Mine Action Service on the severe threat from unexploded ordinance in Gaza. As hundreds of thousands of displaced people and humanitarian workers move through affected areas following the ceasefire, the risk of encountering these deadly remnants of war is high. 
UNMAS and its partners are working tirelessly to protect communities and stand ready to facilitate humanitarian scale-up and mitigate explosive ordnance risks. 
Since October 2023, UNMAS has identified more than 550 explosive ordnance items in areas they have been able to access, though the full extent of contamination in Gaza is still unknown. 
Partners are also delivering risk education for communities since 2023, especially children, and training humanitarian and construction workers to operate safely. Their work is critical to saving lives and enabling aid to reach those in need. 
Additionally, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Officers evaluate debris along roads and within damaged buildings to determine whether areas are safe to clear. Their guidance and technical expertise are crucial for mitigating explosive ordnance risks during these high-risk operations. 

**GLOBAL HUMANITARIAN FUNDING 
On the humanitarian funding front, our colleagues from OCHA warn that with fewer than three months left in the year, our appeal to meet global humanitarian needs in 2025 is less than a quarter funded. 
As of the end of September, just 21 per cent – or nearly $9.6 billion – of the more than $45.3 billion needed to support life-saving action around the world this year had been received. This is a staggering decrease of over 40 per cent compared to the same time last year. 
OCHA stresses that these funding gaps are having devastating consequences for millions – leaving people without healthcare, families without food, and children without education: 
In Afghanistan, more than 420 health facilities have closed this year, forcing 3 million people to go without critical care. 
In Somalia, food aid had to be slashed – meaning that only 350,000 people will receive support in November, compared to 1.1 million people in August. 
And in Bangladesh, half a million Rohingya refugee children have lost access to education in Cox’s Bazar. 
We and our partners are doing all we can to reach as many vulnerable people as possible with the limited funding available. You’ll recall that in June, OCHA launched a hyper-prioritized global appeal within this year’s broader Global Humanitarian Overview – a plan that aims to meet the most urgent needs of 114 million people. 
OCHA also calls on donors to step up their investment in humanitarian aid. At a time when global needs are immense, more support is critical to saving lives. 

UKRAINE 
Moving to Ukraine. OCHA says that a UN humanitarian convoy came under attack today in the Kherson region while delivering medicine, hygiene items and shelter materials to the front-line town of Bilozerka. The town, heavily impacted by the war, had not received assistance for months. 
The inter-agency convoy of four humanitarian trucks, clearly marked and led by OCHA, was hit by drones while offloading supplies, with two WFP trucks set on fire. Luckily, no humanitarian workers were injured. The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned the attack by the Russian Federation Armed Forces, stressing that such attacks are a gross violation of international humanitarian law. 
Meanwhile, authorities report that hostilities yesterday killed five civilians and injured nearly 30 others nationwide. The heaviest impact was recorded in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions, where homes, a hospital and a church were damaged. 
Evacuations of civilians from front-line areas continue, with more than 200 people, including 40 children, having been moved yesterday. 
According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, civilian casualties rose by more than 30 per cent in 2025 compared with last year. In September alone, 214 civilians were killed and 916 injured, mostly near the front line in the Donetsk and Kherson regions. Short-range drones caused nearly one third of all casualties, while long-range missile and drone strikes accounted for another 30 per cent. Attacks on energy infrastructure increased by 15 per cent month-on-month, including 12 incidents in Kherson region. 

UNIFIL 
Moving to the situation in Southern Lebanon. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to monitor and report violations of resolution 1701 in its area of operations. 
Peacekeepers yesterday found an unauthorized weapons cache in Sector East including a tunnel and bunker with a rocket launcher, rockets and fuses. 
Meanwhile, UNIFIL continued to report Israel Defense Forces military presence and activities in the area of operations. Yesterday the peacekeepers observed an Israeli battle tank firing heavy machine gun bursts and smoke shells across the Blue Line in the Markaba area in Sector East. 
Also, since yesterday, UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force has been conducting a training exercise with Lebanese Navy cadets, who will remain aboard a Maritime Task Force vessel until the end of the week, enhancing their skills in carrying out maritime operations. 

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS 
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Brasília, Brazil, to attend the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting (Pre-COP) for the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP30). 
In her opening remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General acknowledged the potential of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as engines of climate-smart development and growth — but warned that current commitments remain insufficient to keep global warming below the 1.5°C threshold. 
Looking ahead to COP30, she emphasized that climate adaptation must be central to the outcome, including support for national plans, prioritization of public finance for adaptation — particularly for LDCs and SIDS — and scaling up innovative solutions. She underscored that climate action must become the defining driver of sustainable development in this decade. 
At Pre-COP, the Deputy Secretary-General will meet with Heads of Delegation from negotiating parties and senior Brazilian government officials. Discussions will focus on NDCs, preparations for COP30, and strengthening cooperation between countries and the United Nations on climate action. 
She is expected to return to New York tomorrow, 15 October. 

LIBYA 
Hanna Tetteh, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, briefed the Security Council this morning on the UN-facilitated political roadmap which aims to unify Libya’s state institutions, preserve and strengthen the unity of the country, as well as renew their legitimacy through presidential and legislative elections 
She told Council members that Libya cannot afford continued delays or disruptions in the completion of the roadmap. She called on all Libyan leaders to engage constructively in their efforts to ensure that the first steps in the roadmap are completed, to allow for the preparations towards elections. 
Ms. Tetteh encouraged Libyan leaders to work with the UN Mission, UNSMIL, which is ready for discussion and constructive engagement to achieve the stated objectives of the roadmap. Should UNSMIL’s current engagement fail to reach sufficient consensus to move forward with the roadmap implementation, the Mission will adopt an alternative approach and seek the support of the Security Council to advance the Libyan political transition to reach a meaningful conclusion. 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 
The UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomes the signing of the Joint Verification Mechanism on 14 October 2025 in Doha by representatives of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Alliance Fleuve Congo/Movement of March 23 (AFC/M23). This development marks a significant step forward in efforts to de-escalate tensions and advance the peace process in eastern DRC. 
Facilitated by the State of Qatar, with the support of the United States and the African Union, the mechanism aims to ensure compliance with the ceasefire and to create conditions conducive to addressing the root causes of the conflict through inclusive dialogue. 
MONUSCO commends the spirit of cooperation and mutual commitment demonstrated by the parties and underscores the importance of constructive engagement to restore lasting peace and stability in the region. 
The Mission also welcomes the call for broad-based support from the Congolese people, civil society, religious leaders, and the media to amplify messages of peace, reconciliation, and hope. 
The Mission urges all stakeholders to seize this opportunity to advance the peace process, with the protection of civilians remaining central to all efforts.

MONUSCO also welcomes the communiqué issued by the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) on 10 October regarding the repatriation plan for the FDLR. According to the press release issued on Friday, this follows the operational order, recently agreed upon under the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism of the Washington Agreement.

MONUSCO will continue to closely coordinate with the Congolese authorities to identify concrete modalities through which the peacekeeping mission can provide appropriate support, in close coordination with relevant stakeholders.

This is in line with the Mission’s mandate, particularly in the areas of disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration, and resettlement (DDRRR). MONUSCO remains committed to supporting the voluntary repatriation of members of foreign armed groups. These efforts are ongoing, including in the current context in Goma, despite the complexity of the situation on the ground.

**GUEST TODAY AND TOMORROW 
Noon briefing guest is Roberto Benes, he is UNICEF’s (United Nations Children's Fund) Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. 
He will join us from Haiti to brief on the situation there. 
Then, tomorrow, noon briefing guest will be Jean Martin Bauer, WFP’s (World Food Programme) Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, who will provide an overview of WFP’s report entitled, “A lifeline At Risk”. 
And Ross Smith, WFP’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, who will focus on the six countries that are at most critical risk this year as a result of funding cuts.