SECRETARY-GENERAL
In Geneva today, the Secretary-General concluded the informal meeting on Cyprus that he convened with the two Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers of Greece, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
Speaking to the press at the end of the meeting, the Secretary-General said the
discussions were held in a constructive atmosphere, with both sides showing clear commitment to making progress and continuing dialogue.
The Secretary-General added that the leaders have agreed to a group of initiatives to build trust: opening four crossing points; demining; the creation of a technical committee on youth; initiatives on the environment and climate change, including the impacts on mining areas; solar energy in the buffer zone; and the restoration of cemeteries.
Mr. Guterres said that the leaders also agreed to hold another meeting in the same format at the end of July, as well as to the appointment of a Personal Envoy to prepare the next steps.
As we mentioned earlier, the meeting was held in the context of the Secretary-General’s good offices efforts on the Cyprus issue and as agreed with the two leaders on 15 October 2024.
The Secretary-General will be leaving for Brussels shortly, where he will meet with European Union leaders – and you will recall that this is something he has been doing in the month of March for the past few years.
Tomorrow, he is scheduled to meet Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, as well as Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament. And we will keep you updated on his activities in Brussels.
GAZA
The Secretary-General expressed his shock earlier today at the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, and he strongly appeals for the ceasefire to be respected, for unimpeded humanitarian assistance to be reestablished, and for the remaining hostages to be released unconditionally. Speaking to the press in Geneva, he said the situation in Gaza was intolerable, with hundreds of people having been reportedly killed.
Muhannad Hadi, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said that the killings were unconscionable, adding that a ceasefire must be reinstated immediately.
People in Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering, he said, and an end to hostilities, sustained humanitarian assistance, release of the hostages and the restoration of basic services and people’s livelihoods, are the only way forward.
Volker Türk, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, added that the last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis. The only way forward is a political settlement, in line with international law. Israel’s resort to yet more military force will only heap further misery upon a Palestinian population already suffering catastrophic conditions, he said.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY- HUMANITARIAN
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the Israeli military has ordered people to evacuate areas in Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis. This marks the first evacuation order issued in more than two months – since 15 January. Many people have already been displaced, seeking safety elsewhere.
OCHA notes that the area covered by the evacuation order totals about 23 square kilometres – more than 6 per cent of the Gaza Strip – and includes more than a dozen sites sheltering displaced people. The area is also home to three clinics and one field hospital, with additional medical facilities located nearby. OCHA warns that no guarantees have been provided for the safety, protection and wellbeing of those ordered to leave, let alone for those staying behind.
The World Health Organization says medical evacuations planned for today have been denied and is calling for the resumption of such evacuations.
And the UN and our partners working in education report that activities have stopped in more than 300 facilities across the Strip, depriving thousands of children from their right to education.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, briefed the Security Council this morning and said that overnight, the worst fears we have for Gaza have materialized. Once again, he said, the people of Gaza are living in abject fear, and modest gains made during the ceasefire are being destroyed.
Mr. Fletcher, who spoke by VTC from Brussels, said that the present suspension of aid and commercial materials is reversing the progress achieved during the ceasefire. Essential survival resources needed are now being rationed.
This total blockade of life saving aid, basic commodities and commercial goods will have a disastrous impact on the people in Gaza who remain dependent on a steady flow of assistance into the Strip, he warned.
The 42-day ceasefire proved what’s possible, he told the Council: Aid delivery was enabled, and we scaled up quickly and effectively. Over 4,000 trucks of aid per week entered Gaza. We reached over two million people. And our polio vaccination targets were exceeded, reaching over 600,000 children.
Mr. Fletcher said that we cannot and must not accept a return to pre-ceasefire conditions or the complete denial of humanitarian relief. Civilians must be protected, and their essential needs must be met. International law must be respected.
The Under-Secretary-General said humanitarian aid and commercial essentials must be allowed to enter Gaza; we must renew the ceasefire; and the humanitarian response must be funded.
U.N. INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to urge all parties to avoid any action that could upset the current delicate calm along the Blue Line.
On Sunday, UNIFIL observed an air attack near Yarun, including an IDF Apache helicopter crossing the Blue Line from south to north and firing two rockets towards the village. The rockets passed over UNIFIL positions before impacting approximately 500 meters north.
UNIFIL requested the IDF to halt firing near peacekeeping personnel. On the same day, a UNIFIL patrol reported two impacts south of Kfar Kila and later in the evening, UNIFIL also observed three airstrikes from an IDF helicopter and one drone attack. UNIFIL has continued to observe IDF activities north of the Blue Line, including an airstrike by a helicopter near Yarun yesterday.
UNIFIL has also discovered three ammunition caches in the area of operations. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) were informed. The Mission continues to work in clearing roads throughout the area of operations. During the weekend, UNIFIL assisted local communities with medical activities, including blood donation, as well as supporting the LAF in their redeployment in south Lebanon.
The Mission’s work will continue to be critical in helping the Lebanese State restore its own services and authority.
We continue to urge Israeli forces to fully withdraw south of the Blue Line, and we continue to support the Lebanese Armed Forces in their deployment in the south of Lebanon.
SYRIA
Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that we and our partners continue to deliver aid across the country. This includes restoring water supplies, providing food and nutrition assistance, distributing winter aid, and supporting vulnerable mothers and children.
Following recent violence in the coastal areas, UNICEF and its partners provided 20,000 liters of fuel as well as water disinfection to restore the water supply to Lattakia governorate last week. And today, our partners began distributing 2,500 hot meals and other food items to displaced people in the city of Banyas.
In the northwest, OCHA says that humanitarian aid continues to enter through the Bab Al-Hawa crossing. On 14 March, ten WFP trucks carrying more than 240 metric tonnes of food supplies for some 40,000 people who crossed into Idleb.
Finally, yesterday, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, attended the Brussels 9th Conference on Syria, where donors pledged €5.8 billion for Syria and its neighbors. Addressing the conference, Mr. Fletcher said that the people of Syria do not need us to be commentators and problem observers – they need us to move with urgency. He added that the price of failure will be much greater for all of us than the cost of success.
SOMALIA
The UN in Somalia strongly condemned the terrorist attack that took place today in Mogadishu on a convoy carrying the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Our colleagues in the country expressed their condolences for the bombing’s victims, wished a speedy recovery for the injured, and said that the UN stands shoulder to shoulder with all Somalis against terrorism.
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
Turning to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that fighting in the east of the country continues to claim the lives of civilians and to displace people.
Violence in both South Kivu and North Kivu provinces is forcing people to flee to the neighbouring provinces of Maniema, Tanganyika and Tshopo. The presence of aid workers in these provinces remains very limited, and humanitarian needs have long gone unmet due to a lack of funding.
In Maniema province, our partners report that, as of 14 March, more than 100,000 people had crossed into Lubutu territory from North Kivu’s Walikale territory, adding to 8,000 people who had already arrived in Lubutu since early January.
In South Kivu, clashes in Walungu Territory last week killed six civilians and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
Still in South Kivu, ongoing clashes in the town of Uvira and surrounding villages have forced at least 30,000 people to seek refuge in Fizi territory, since 15 February.
Turning to North Kivu, our partners estimate that 15,000 people have returned to villages in the Rwanguba area of Rutshuru territory since the end of January. OCHA and our partners are seeking to address urgent needs in the areas of health, including mental health, as well as providing essential household items and food.
And in Ituri province, the Fataki General Hospital in Djugu Territory has remained closed since 14 March due to recent clashes and attacks in the area, according to local health sources.
D.R. CONGO/PEACEKEEPING
And in response to some of your questions yesterday, we can say that our peacekeeping colleagues in the DRC continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation in North and South Kivu as clashes and movements of the M23 armed group persist. MONUSCO notes the current geographical extent of M23's positions, with their northernmost point just south of Lubero in Northern North Kivu and their westernmost point north of Walikale. Their easternmost position remains near Goma, while their southernmost reach extends 60 km north of Uvira. Notably, M23 was reportedly sighted 75 km northwest of Uvira.
The Mission also continues to protect civilians in the Grand Nord of North Kivu and Ituri province where 60 per cent of the Force remains deployed.
SOUTH SUDAN
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Nicholas Haysom, expressed concern that South Sudan is poised on the brink of relapse into civil war, which threatens to erase the hard-won peace gains since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement in 2018.
During a meeting of the African Union Peace and Security Council on South Sudan, Mr. Haysom told our peace partners that the peace process and its mechanisms remain the key to the restoration of peace, however they are on the verge of collapse. “There is only one path out of this cycle of conflict and that is through the Revitalized Agreement,” he emphasized.
SOUTH SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
On the humanitarian front, our Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan, Anita Kiki Gbeho, today expressed deep concern over escalating tensions in Upper Nile State, emphasizing the urgent need to protect civilians and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers. Since late February, the violence has displaced about 50,000 people, of whom 10,000 have crossed into Ethiopia.
The insecurity has led to the temporary relocation of nearly two dozen humanitarian workers and the closure of the cholera treatment unit in Nasir, worsening the ongoing cholera outbreak. In a statement, the Humanitarian Coordinator called on all those involved in the fighting to respect and protect the population, humanitarian workers and critical infrastructure – and to facilitate unimpeded access for aid organizations to deliver essential assistance to the impacted people. With these current global funding cuts, Ms. Gbeho also stressed that resources must be protected so that critical support can continue to be provided to the most vulnerable people.
The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, issued late last year, calls for $1.7 billion to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to 5.4 million people in South Sudan, over half of them are children. To date, the appeal is under 11 per cent funded, with less than $175 million received.
TROPICAL STORM JUDE
Turning to Southern Africa, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Regional Office reports that nearly 420,000 people have been affected by Tropical Storm Jude.
Thousands of people have displaced across Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique after the storm hit the region between 6 and 16 March.
Jude brought heavy rains and strong winds, leaving a trail of destruction across in many parts of the three affected countries. It damaged infrastructure and crops, blocked roads and disrupted people’s access to essential services.
In Madagascar, education was heavily impacted, with more than 300 classrooms destroyed, leaving over 80,000 students out of school. This storm is the third consecutive severe weather system to affect the country since February. We and our humanitarian partners are supporting the Government-led response efforts by assisting with search-and-rescue operations, activating emergency operation centres, and mobilizing resources.
In Mozambique, to respond ahead of the storm, the so-called Anticipatory Action programme was activated, with $6 million from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund disbursed three days ahead of Jude’s landfall. The capacity to respond in the country is already overstretched in the wake of two recent Cyclones: Chido and Dikeledi.
In Malawi, the UN and our partners are working with the Government to providing search-and-rescue support, as well as cash, food and shelter assistance. While the rains are beneficial for agriculture, especially for countries recovering from severe drought, we are concerned that the storm may lead to a spike in cholera cases, particularly in Malawi and Mozambique.
HAITI
In Haiti, the International Organization for Migration today said that in just one month, intense violence has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee—yet another record in Haiti’s worsening humanitarian situation.
IOM said that in the last two months, the security situation has sharply deteriorated even further in the capital, with escalating attacks on civilians, eroding the few remaining gang-free areas, and forcing repeated and record displacements.
IOM remains on the ground, engaging with affected families, assessing urgent needs, and delivering aid throughout the country. Last month, IOM provided clean water and hygiene support to more than 16,000 people, while 3,700 people benefited from emergency shelter, hygiene kits, medical care and psychosocial support.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
We would like to say thank you to our friends in Vientiane and Bratislava for their full payment to the Regular Budget. The payments from Laos and Slovakia bring the number of fully paid-up Member States to 77.
