Noon briefing of 2 April 2026

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STEPHANE DUJARRIC,

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES

THURSDAY, 2 APRIL 2026

MIDDLE EAST 

Earlier this morning the Secretary-General spoke to you at the onset of the second month of the Middle East crisis, and he warned that we are on the edge of a wider war that would engulf the whole Middle East with dramatic impacts around the globe.  He said that when the Strait of Hormuz is strangled, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable cannot breathe. 

The spiral of death and destruction must stop, Mr. Guterres said, and diplomatic efforts deserve the space and support to succeed -- anchored firmly in international law, including the Charter of these United Nations. 

He said that he remains in close contact with the parties and is dispatching his Personal Envoy, Jean Arnault, to the region to support these efforts.   

Once again, he told the United States and Israel that it is high time to stop the war and told Iran to stop attacking their neighbours.                               

Also, Jean Arnault, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Middle East conflict and its consequences, is finalizing arrangements to travel to the region. He will visit countries affected by the conflict and meet with authorities there. He also plans to meet the facilitators of the diplomatic track to discuss ways and means for the UN to contribute to efforts to bring about a comprehensive and durable settlement to this conflict. 

UN INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON 

Earlier today, in Lebanon, in Beirut, there was a solemn ceremony that took place at the Beirut International Airport to pay tribute to our three fallen peacekeepers from the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). They are Corporal Farizal Rhomadon, Major Zulmi Aditya Iskandar and First Sergeant Muhammad Nur Ichwan. All are from the IndonesianArmed Forces, and they lost their lives in two incidents. One on March 29th and another on March 30th. And they lost their lives while bravely implementing their mandate and peacekeeping duties as part of UNIFIL. The three peacekeepers were posthumously awarded the UNIFIL and Lebanese Armed Forces medals in recognition of their dedicated service to UNIFIL’s mission in south Lebanon.  

Meanwhile the picture on the ground remains concerning and bleak. UNIFIL reports continuing rocket fire towards Israel, and airstrikes and artillery shelling impacting several locations in southern Lebanoncoming from Israel. The Israel Defense Forces have expanded their incursion into the area towards the west, with a tank and clashes seen in areas in Sector West, located about 12 kilometres north of the Blue Line.  

The hostilities continue to endanger the peacekeepers. This morning one peacekeeper was wounded in the shoulder by a bullet at a UN position near Meiss Jebel in Sector East. UNIFIL immediately issued a stop-fire request. The peacekeeper received treatment in the position’s on medical facility. The falling bullet likely originated from clashes between Hizbullah and the Israel Defense Forces in that area.  

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the peacekeepers demanded that the Israel Defense Forces remove an Israeli flag they have erected near a UN position in Kafer Kela that is in Sector East. The flag undermines the perception of UNIFIL’s impartiality and risks drawing fire toward peacekeepers amid the ongoing clashes that we are seeing. The UNreminds all actors again of all their obligation to avoid any action that could put the lives of peacekeepers at further risk. 

LEBANON/HUMANITARIAN 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that one month since the start of the ongoing escalation in the country, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate at an alarming speed. More than 1.1 million people have now been forced from their homes, having to flee their homes sometimes more than once, as displacement orders from the Israelis continue to impact newer areas. 

In one month, nearly 15 per cent of Lebanon’s territory has been impacted by displacement orders issued by Israel. While many have fled, finding refuge in shelters, with relatives, or in informal settlements, others are remaining and urgently need assistance. 

Hospitals are struggling to keep up. Half of the facilities that are supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in areas impacted directly by the conflict have been forced to close due to the violence. Many healthcare workers themselves have been forced to move. Hospitals and primary healthcare centres are overwhelmed and understaffed.  

UN partners working in health are working to maintain essential services. UNFPA has deployed nine mobile health units across Lebanon to provide maternal care and emergency obstetric support in collective shelters. Services also include care for survivors of sexual violence, psychosocial support and the distribution of dignity kits and essential supplies for pregnant women and new mothers. 

However, the response is facing growing constraints. Disruptions to major global transport routes are delaying the delivery of critical assistance to those who need it the most.  

UN partners are also working to re-route shipments and secure alternative supply lines, but gaps remain at a time when needs are rapidly increasing. 

As the situation worsens, our calls to the international community remains the same: an immediate de-escalation of hostilities, the protection of civilians, the protection of healthcare centres, the protection of humanitarian workers, and the full and unimpeded humanitarian access, especially to the south of Lebanon, and urgent funding for us to be able to respond to the fast-growing needs, and the pace that is needed. 

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that people’s needs in Gaza continue to far exceed what aid organizations can provide amid severe restrictions and other impediments. This underscores the urgent need for the authorities to facilitate the work of our humanitarian partners and allow a wider range of critical items to enter the GazaStrip through available crossings. Unfortunately, as you know, only one crossing is open to cargo at this point.

On food security, we and our partners have completed distributions for March this week, reaching every other family with rations covering half of the minimum caloric requirements. UN partners are also serving nearly 1.5 million meals and producing about 130,000 two-kilogram bread bundles every single day. But this is far from enough. The limited entry of commercial goods, particularly cooking gas, continues to constrain what kitchens and families can prepare. Nearly one in two households still rely on unsafe cooking methods, including the burning of trash.             

On health, UN-supported emergency medical teams provided about 23,000 consultations in the last week of March alone. That was throughout Gaza. But persistent delays in clearing specialized medical and surgical equipment continue to limit the ability for us to provide complex healthcare.  

On shelter, most people remain displaced, and the response is still limited to short-term solutions. More durable shelter support depends on the entry of equipment and materials that are not easily approved, including those needed to clear debris and explosive ordnance or to fix damaged homes. During the last week of March, our partners reached nearly 14,000 families with assistance, including tarpaulins and household items, prioritizing people whose belongings were flooded by the recent rainstorm.  

On the education front, our partners tell us that last week’s rains damaged at least 15 temporary learning spaces, disrupting services for some 20,000 students.      

Led by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), education partners continue setting up specialized tents for learning and distributing stationery and recreational items for children.  

In the West Bank, OCHA casualty figures for the first three months of this year indicate that two out of every three Palestinian fatalities occurred after the regional escalation on 28 February – in other words, 22 of the 33 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces or settlers. In addition, you will recall that four other Palestinians, all women, were killed in the West Bank by falling munitions during an Iranian missile attack.  

More than 200 settler attacks caused casualties or property damage in March, impacting over 100 Palestinian communities. That is about six attacks a day.  

The UN and its partners continue to support the health system in the West Bank, as well as families who have been displaced or otherwise affected. 

But to prevent further violence and reduce people’s needs over time, Palestinians must be protected, perpetrators must be held to account for these unlawful attacks, and policies driving such needs must be reversed. 

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate there due to the continuing violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. In Ituri province alone, our humanitarian colleagues note that at least 30 people were reportedly killed yesterday in armed attacks in the locality of Bafwakoa, that was in Mambasa Territory, bringing the number of civilians killed there to more than 100 since March 11th. Local humanitarian partners also report that more than 390 people have been abducted in the same period alone. The violence has triggered new waves of displacement, adding to the more than 50,000 people already displaced in the territory. 

UN partners also tell us there has been widespread looting, including food, medicines and medical supplies, from health facilities. Nine health facilities in Mambasa Territory have suspended operations also since March 11th. That, of course, severely limit access to healthcare for more than 55,000 human beings. And these people were already underserved to start with. 

In South Kivu province, local sources report that at least 20 civilians have been killed and around 10 others injured in clashes since March 23rd in the territories of Uvira, and also in the territories of Kalehe and Mwenga. Homes and livestock have been damaged, forcing families to flee. Humanitarian needs are rising, particularly as access to food and health care remains limited. 

In neighbouring North Kivu, continued fighting in Masisi territory displaced about 6,000 people between March 28th and 29th, adding to the more than 180,000 people already displaced there. 

Despite the insecurity, our partners continue to provide assistance where they can. Between March 16th and 27th, more than 30,000 people received food assistance in Mweso town in Masisi. OCHA urges all armed groups to respect international humanitarian law, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to facilitate safe and unhindered humanitarian access. 

The humanitarian response plan fo the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains critically underfunded. Sadly, no surprise there. The $1.4 billion Humanitarian appeal is only 30 per cent funded, with just over $421 million received so far. As needs grow, the response needs more funding, more cash.

SOUTH SUDAN 

In South Sudan, amid the difficult news we are seeing globally, there are also some hopeful developments to note. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that in Upper Nile State, Indian peacekeepers from the Engineering Unit have successfully reopened a key section of the Malakal–Renk main supply route, which had been closed since last year’s floods. 

This new road alignment, which entailed reclaiming land from floodwaters to restore the road, will provide safer access, significantly improving mobility in the area and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need in local communities. 

These efforts also underscore the vital role that the peacekeeping mission plays in supporting stability and enabling critical assistance to reach vulnerable civilians in some of the most challenging environments.       

UN-GCC/SECURITY COUNCIL 

In New YorK, Khaled Khiari, our Assistant Secretary-General for [the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific], briefed the Security Council on its first-ever consideration of cooperation between the United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).  

He said that amid heightened regional tensions, partnership with regional and subregional organizations such as the GCC is vital in advancing peace, security and stability. Mr. Khiari also welcomed the GCC’s engagement on key issues in the Middle East, including the occupied Palestinian territory, Sudan, Yemen, Lebanon and Syria. 

This afternoon, the Council will reconvene for a briefing on Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States. Mr. Khiari will brief again. Also briefing will be the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.             

STEPHEN LEWIS 

In a statement issued yesterday, the Secretary-General said that he was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Stephen Lewis – a tireless humanitarian and diplomat, and steadfast champion of the values of the UN. 

He was not only a diplomat, but also an activist at heart — relentless in pressing the world to confront injustice and act. As the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, he refused to allow this crisis to be discussed in abstract terms, demanding action measured in lives saved, not in words spoken. And his deep engagement with African continent endured throughout his life, including in recent years when he continued to speak out for equitable access to health interventions and support for affected communities. 

GUINEA-BISSAU 

The UN Peacebuilding Fund has approved $2.5 million for an initiative in Guinea-Bissau to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. The initiative will address systemic corruption by building the capacity of oversight and audit institutions, advancing digital solutions and reinforcing partnerships with national stakeholders at national and local levels. 

The peacebuilding initiative, to be implemented by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC), will prioritize strengthening civilian institutions, civil society, and justice and accountability mechanisms at the community level for continued peacebuilding impact. It builds on past UN investments in the country in those areas. 

INTERNATIONAL DAYS 

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. We celebrate the talents and contributions of autistic people who enrich our world. The Secretary-General calls for renewed commitment to inclusion and embracing diversity. 

On Saturday, it is International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. In his message, the Secretary-General calls on all Member States to adhere to relevant instruments, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, and urges all those who have recentlywithdrawn to rejoin. 

On Sunday, it is the International Day of Conscience. A Day that highlights the need to uphold the values of peace, tolerance and solidarity, and to act with conscience for a more just and sustainable world. 

FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION 

Bangladesh paid its dues in full to the Regular Budget. Romania’s payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 98.