Noon briefing of 27 October 2025

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC​,

SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

MONDAY, 27 OCTOBER 2025

SUDAN 

During his press conference in Malaysia, the Secretary-General responded to a question about reports indicating that the Rapid Support Forces had captured the Sudanese army headquarters in the city. Mr. Guterres said this marked a terrible escalation in the conflict. He stressed that it is high time for the international community to speak clearly to all countries interfering in the war and providing weapons to the warring parties, urging them to stop. The Secretary-General noted that the problem is not only the fighting between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, but also the growing external interference that undermines prospects for a ceasefire and a political solution. 

Amid these developments, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.   

According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 26,000 people fled El Fasher between yesterday and today towards the localities of Melit and Tawila, where OCHA teams are on the ground monitoring the situation and coordinating the response to the needs of the impacted population. We underscore that people seeking to leave the area must be able to do so safely, voluntarily and with dignity. 

Fighting has also intensified in North Kordofan State, where reports indicate that several civilians were killed and infrastructure looted over the weekend.  

We once again call on all parties to immediately halt hostilities, uphold international humanitarian law, and ensure the unhindered delivery of life-saving assistance to people in dire need across Sudan. 

SECRETARY-GENERAL/MALAYSIA 

The Secretary-General has just wrapped up his program in Malaysia, where he took part in the ASEAN-UN summit. In his remarks at the summit, he condemned once again the bloodshed in Myanmar and urged all parties to halt the fighting, protect civilians, allow unimpeded humanitarian access, and engage in an inclusive political process. The release of those arbitrarily detained, including democratically elected leaders, is essential, he added. 

The Secretary-General told ASEAN leaders that under current conditions, any elections in Myanmar risk further exclusion and instability. 

Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General held a press conference, in which he reiterated his call for an immediate end to the violence in Myanmar and for a credible path back to civilian rule. 

Turning to climate, the Secretary-General said the stakes are perilously high for Southeast Asia, where climbing temperatures, rising seas and worsening storms threaten lives, livelihoods and entire communities and countries. Next week, when leaders gather in Brazil for COP30, they must agree on a credible plan to close the gap to 1.5 degrees and mobilize $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035 for developing countries, he said. 

Also today, Mr. Guterres delivered remarks at an event to mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, organized by the Malaysian authorities. All of those remarks were shared with you. 

And Mr. Guterres will be back in New York tomorrow. 

THAILAND/CAMBODIA 

In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General welcomed the Joint Declaration between Cambodia and Thailand as a means to consolidate the July ceasefire. 

The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the important role played by Malaysia, as Chair of ASEAN, and the United States in facilitating this Declaration. We are committed to supporting all efforts aimed at promoting peace, stability, and development in the region. 

VIETNAM 

On Saturday, in Hanoi, Vietnam, the Secretary-General took part in the high-level event marking the opening for signature of the UN Convention against Cybercrime. 

In his remarks, the Secretary-General said this new convention is a powerful, legally binding instrument to strengthen our collective defences against cybercrime. He added that it is also a promise that fundamental human rights such as privacy, dignity, and safety must be protected both offline and online. 

Over the weekend, the convention gathered 72 signatories. According to our colleagues in the Treaty section, that number is one of the most significant for a multilateral treaty deposited with the Secretary-General in the last 10 years. 

And as the Secretary-General said during his joint press conference with the Prime Minister of Vietnam (Pham Minh Chinh) on Saturday, now, we must turn signatures into action.                    

YEMEN 

Today, the de facto authorities arbitrarily detained one more UN personnel. This follows the detention of five of our coworkers in recent days, including two UN female colleagues, bringing the total number of detainees to at least 59, some have been in detention for years. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the continued arbitrary detentions.

In a related development, Houthi security members entered several UN offices in Sana'a on Sunday and over the past few days, confiscating IT and communications equipment and assets. 

We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel from the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations and diplomatic missions. They must be respected and protected in accordance with applicable international law.  

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that over the weekend, people continued to move across the Gaza Strip. Since the ceasefire, more than 470,000 movements of people have been recorded towards the north.   

Families are trying to return to their destroyed homes, though many structures are unstable and unexploded ordnance poses a risk. Our partners tell us that water, food and essential services are still desperately needed.    

Meanwhile, aid continues to enter the Strip. Between Friday and Saturday, more than 300 truckloads were collected from the Palestinian side – mostly from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing. The aid in these trucks included thousands of pallets of wheat flour, supplies for hot meals, canned food and rice.  

The supplies also included diapers and jerrycans, as well as hundreds of pallets of health supplies, such as medical equipment and medicine. Tarps, tents and winter clothes also entered Gaza.  

While we don’t yet have the data on the cargo collected on Sunday, we can tell you that hygiene kits, shelter supplies and post-partum kits entered the Strip. Additionally, yesterday, the UN Office for Project Services distributed some 329,000 litres of diesel to support health, food security, telecommunications and other critical humanitarian operations.  

As of Sunday, our partners, working with 170 community kitchens, delivered more than one million hot meals, mostly in south and central Gaza. With 15 UN-supported bakeries producing tens of thousands of loaves of bread in Deir al Balah, Khan Younis and Gaza City, community kitchens and shelters across hundreds of sites are distributing bread for free.    

Over the weekend, our partners continued their work on reducing explosive ordnance risk, reaching nearly 3,200 people in central and southern Gaza. This is increasingly important as people are on the move. Overall, since 7 October 2023, humanitarians have recorded 150 explosive ordnance incidents which led to casualties, including among children.   

As for the West Bank, OCHA tells us that since the olive harvest season started on 9 October, more than 85 Israeli settler attacks on farmers and their land have repeatedly disrupted harvesting. These incidents have resulted in the injury of more than 110 Palestinians and the vandalization of over 3,000 trees and saplings across 50 villages. Last week alone, 17 attacks were recorded in 14 towns and villages, mostly in the Ramallah governorate.   

UNIFIL 

Turning to the situation along the Blue line between Israel and Lebanon. 

We are very concerned about the incident that occurred on Sunday in which an Israeli drone dropped a grenade in the vicinity of a UNIFIL patrol and subsequently an Israeli tank fired a shot at the peacekeepers in Kafr Kila in the area of operations. Fortunately, no injury or damage was caused to our peacekeepers and assets.  

This incident came after an earlier one in the same location, where an Israeli drone flew over a UNIFIL patrol in an aggressive manner. UNIFIL peacekeepers employed defensive countermeasures to neutralize the drone. 

Any actions that may endanger the safety and security of the peacekeepers are completely unacceptable and must cease immediately.                                      

LEBANON/ISRAEL 

The Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, began a visit to Israel today as part of her regular consultations with stakeholders key to the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). 

During her visit, Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli officials for discussions on recent developments, particularly those related to the implementation of resolution 1701 and the November 2024 Cessation of Hostilities arrangement, all with the overarching goal of advancing security and stability on both sides of the Blue Line. 

Earlier this month, the Special Coordinator also held meetings in Lebanon with senior officials, including President Joseph Aoun. They discussed prevailing regional and domestic developments, with a focus on matters related to resolution 1701.                   

UKRAINE  

From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that attacks over the weekend and this morning led to dozens of civilian casualties and further damage to homes and energy infrastructure. Children are among the injured. The most impacted regions are Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.  

Meanwhile, evacuations of civilians continue from front-line communities in the Donetsk region. Between October 24th and 26th, more than 900 people were evacuated.  

The Ukraine Humanitarian Fund continues to support local and national NGOs in facilitating safe evacuations and rehabilitating collective centres ahead of the winter season. Since May, the Fund has released $13 million for the Kharkiv region to assist people living near the front line impacted by airstrikes.                    

The allocation, implemented by 15 partners, nearly 60 per cent of them local NGOs, reached some 76,000 residents, half of whom are women and girls. They were assisted through cash assistance, as well as shelter, health, water, sanitation and hygiene support. Our partners also provided assistance on the prevention of gender-based violence.  

HURRICANE MELISSA 

Turning to the Caribbean, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Hurricane Melissa has reached Category 5, bringing destructive winds, dangerous storm surge and catastrophic rainfall across the region. 

OCHA’s Regional Office is coordinating closely with Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams, as well as with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and emergency authorities, on readiness and response. OCHA is deploying staff to Cuba and Jamaica this week, as conditions allow, to reinforce coordination and preparedness efforts across the region. 

In Jamaica, the UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu, is supporting national preparedness and response efforts, in close coordination with the Government.  

The World Food Programme is providing logistics support, including generators, while UNICEF has pre-positioned water and sanitation supplies, as well as materials for child protection. The Pan-American Health Organization is reinforcing health emergency operations, while the International Organization for Migration is preparing shelter support. For their part, the UN Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Population Fund are mobilizing for early recovery and protection. 

In Haiti, OCHA and its partners are supporting authorities with ahead of further impact. This includes pre-positioning relief supplies, including medical and nutrition supplies, as well as supporting with cash assistance, early-warning messaging and community outreach.                                                                      

Authorities report that priority needs include emergency shelter, essential household items, hygiene and cleaning kits, safe water and additional logistical support to reach isolated areas. 

And in Cuba, where the hurricane is anticipated to hit tomorrow night, the Anticipatory Action Framework was fully activated yesterday, with a $4 million allocation released from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund ahead of the storm. This allowed our partners to pre-position food and essential supplies – including rice, grains, hygiene kits, fuel vouchers and portable water-treatment plants – in the eastern provinces. OCHA continues to support the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team to prepare for the hurricane with authorities. 

SOUTH SUDAN

A mobile court has been deployed to Bunj, Maban County, with support from the Judiciary of South Sudan, the Ministry of Justice, and UNMISS. Beginning on 24 October, the court will hear 63 serious criminal cases, including those involving murder and sexual and gender-based violence. Led by two high court judges and a county judge, it aims to clear long-standing case backlogs, some dating to 2020. The initiative enhances access to justice, accountability, and rule of law, particularly for women and vulnerable groups. “Mobile courts strengthen justice and build trust in institutions,” said Anees Ahmed, the Director of the Rule of Law Advisory Section, UNMISS.  

UN WOMEN  

A new UN Women report, At Risk and Underfunded, warns that sweeping aid cuts are jeopardizing the organizations essential to ending violence against women and girls. Based on a global survey of 428 women’s rights and civil society groups, it finds that over a third have suspended or shut programs, while more than 40 per cent have scaled back critical services, including shelters, legal aid, and healthcare.  

With an estimated 736 million women experiencing physical or sexual violence, UN Women calls on governments and donors to protect and expand funding to prevent backsliding.  

EXHIBITION 

At 6 pm today in the Visitors Lobby there will be an exhibit to mark the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.  

Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix and other senior officials, will present the photo exhibition Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace. The exhibition comes courtesy of our Peace and Security pillar, UN Women and the Elsie Initiative Fund. 

The event will include a creative performance by Do Nsoseme Dora, a Congolese poet and photographer whose work focuses on women’s rights and gender equality in the DRC, as well as a guided tour of the exhibition.  Please contact our peacekeeping colleagues for more information. 

INTERNATIONAL DAY 

Today is World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. Under the theme “A Window to the World,” this year’s observance celebrates how film, sound and video connect cultures, histories and generations. It reminds us that audiovisual archives preserve our shared memory, reflecting humanity’s diversity and keeps our collective story alive for future generations.  

BRIEFINGS TOMORROW 

Tomorrow, at 11:00 a.m., there will be a briefing here by Mariana Katzarova, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Russian Federation, following the presentation of her report to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.  

Then, at 1:00 p.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, following their presentation to the General Assembly’s Third Committee.  

Lastly, at 2:00 p.m., there will be a hybrid briefing by Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 (oPt), following her presentation to the General Assembly’s Third Committee. 

**GUEST TODAY 

Noon briefing guest today was Denise Brown, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan.