Noon briefing of 14 April 2026
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE U.N. SYSTEM,
TUESDAY, 14 APRIL 2026
SECRETARY-GENERAL/PRESS STAKEOUT
Ladies and gentlemen of the media,
Thank you very much for your presence.
Justice is meant to be blind. But today, too many are choosing to turn a blind eye to justice itself.
Around the world – and starkly in the Middle East – respect for international law is being trampled. Rules governing the use of force and the conduct of hostilities are ignored. Civilians are exposed to intolerable harm. Humanitarian obligations are disregarded.
Even the protections afforded to the United Nations and our personnel are violated.
This wholesale assault on international law has consequences. Lawlessness breeds chaos. Lawlessness fuels suffering. Lawlessness leads to destruction.
This is not the moment to retreat from international law. It is the moment to reaffirm it.
That is why later this week, I will travel to The Hague to mark the eightieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice.
The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and a pillar of the international legal order. For eight decades, the Court has fulfilled that role with distinction.
But this visit is not simply about commemorating an anniversary. It is about sending an unmistakable message.
A message that the United Nations stands firmly behind the institutions and principles designed to protect peace, justice, sovereignty and human dignity. A message that international law applies to all States, without exception, and that respect for its rules is not optional. A message that in a world moving toward greater fragmentation and sharper power competition, international law is indispensable.
Without it, instability spreads, mistrust deepens, and conflicts spiral out of control.
This applies everywhere – and it applies urgently to the conflict in the Middle East. There is no military solution to this crisis. Peace agreements require persistent engagement and political will. Serious negotiations must resume.
The ceasefire must be preserved – and extended as necessary. International navigational rights and freedoms – including in the Strait of Hormuz – must be respected by all parties.
It is time for restraint and responsibility. It is time for diplomacy over escalation. It is time for a renewed commitment to international law.
MIDDLE EAST ENVOY
The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for the Middle East Conflict and its Consequences, Jean Arnault, is visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Personal Envoy Arnault looks forward to listening to senior officials in the Kingdom to understand firsthand the impact of the conflict on the country and the region.
Mr. Arnault will seek the views of Saudi Arabia on a comprehensive settlement. He looks forward to learning from the rich diplomatic experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the search for regional stability.
The Personal Envoy also hopes to discuss ways the United Nations can support regional efforts.
LEBANON
The humanitarian situation is grave as hostilities continue unabated. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that more than one million people have been displaced by hostilities. Some 140,000 people are currently sheltering in 680 collective sites, many of them overcrowded, and people are struggling to meet their basic needs. Many more remain outside formal shelters in sub-standard conditions.
Attacks on healthcare and humanitarian workers continue with impunity, with a total of 133 attacks on healthcare recorded by the World Health Organization (WHO) since the start of the conflict. These attacks have resulted in more than 80 deaths and over 190 injuries.
The health system remains under severe strain. At least 55 primary healthcare centres and 6 hospitals have been forced to close due to hostilities, while 14 hospitals and 7 primary healthcare centres have been damaged. Health partners, including the WHO, continue to support the Ministry of Public Health, and have provided more than 39,000 subsidized health consultations and delivering medication to over 58,000 people.
On Sunday, a Lebanese Red Cross paramedic was killed and another paramedic injured in the municipality of Beit Yahoun, Bint Jbeil district, while responding to an earlier strike. According to the International Federation of the Red Cross, the ambulances were clearly marked and the mission had been notified in advance. This is the second Lebanese Red Cross volunteer killed since the beginning of the conflict.
Humanitarian funding remains insufficient. One month after the joint launch of the Lebanon Flash Appeal, aiming to reach one million people over three months - only 22 per cent of funds have been received – that is just $67 million out of the $308 million required. While contributions to date are appreciated, more support is urgently needed to sustain and scale up the response.
In southern Lebanon, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), continues to report clashes in the area of operations, including in Bint Jbeil, Al Qantara, Qabrika, Deir Siriane and Meiss el Jebel. UNIFIL also reports continued strikes towards Israel and Israeli airstrikes and shelling in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces have also continued demolition of buildings outside UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqoura.
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that in half of all displacement sites across Gaza, people are affected by skin diseases and cases are on the rise. This is according to site management partners who have surveyed more than 1,600 displacement sites.
In addition, rodents and pests are frequently observed in 80 per cent of the sites. The UN and its humanitarian partners have distributed mechanical traps and sprayed chemicals, but only on a limited scale, as we rely largely on locally-available items. And partners have supported livestock owners with pest-control supplies.
Partners are also raising awareness on personal hygiene, sanitation and the safe use of chemicals in affected sites, and where to seek medical advice.
More approvals are needed to take in pest-control chemicals, hygiene supplies and the engine oils and spare parts needed for pumping, rubble removal and other operations.
Today, OCHA and humanitarian partners visited the Al Ittihad displacement site in Khan Younis, following an alert from families living in tents on ground where the soil has eroded and is at risk of collapse. Humanitarian partners will support 25 families who decided to temporary relocate for their safety while partners begin the necessary repairs.
OCHA says that more than one million people are living in unsafe shelters and makeshift tents and urgently need durable shelter solutions. This includes repairs to damaged homes and the entry of emergency shelter equipment.
Meanwhile, reports continue of Israeli strikes and shelling hitting residential areas, putting civilians at risk. Yesterday, at least two children were reportedly injured in Khan Younis. OCHA reiterates that civilians and civilian facilities must always be protected.
YEMEN
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, briefed the Council members on Yemen. He said that for the past ten weeks, the parties have been in direct negotiations under UN auspices in Amman on conflict-related detainees - the longest round yet of negotiations on this issue. He added that while significant progress has been made, the talks have not yet come to a successful conclusion, and the parties need to make additional compromises. He urged the parties to redouble their efforts and bring this process to a positive conclusion.
For her part, Edem Wosornu, Director of OCHA's Crisis Response Division, said that more than 22 million people, nearly half of the population, across Yemen need humanitarian aid, and that number is rising. She stressed that right now, the gap between the resources we have and the soaring humanitarian needs is widening. Last year’s appeal was only 29 per cent funded – one of the biggest shortfalls in a decade.
Both officials urged the de facto authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the 73 UN colleagues and to halt all criminal proceedings, which lack due process. These detentions violate UN privileges and immunities and are crippling the UN's ability to carry out its mission, with direct consequences for the Yemeni people. We continue to call for the release of all staff from international and national NGOs, civil society organizations and former diplomatic missions.
SUDAN
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher earlier today warned that, three years into the war, Sudan remains a test the world is failing.
Nearly 34 million people in Sudan - or almost two out of every three people - need humanitarian assistance, as hunger tightens its grip, children face acute malnutrition and women and girls are subjected to widespread and brutal violence. Sudan remains the largest humanitarian crisis globally.
Mr. Fletcher called for urgent action to stop the fighting, protect civilians, ensure safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and mobilize the funding needed to sustain life-saving operations.
Mr. Fletcher will join other leaders at the Third International Sudan Conference in Berlin tomorrow, which marks three years since the conflict in Sudan began.
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that more than 19 million people still face acute hunger in Sudan, and famine continues to haunt parts of the country as violence, displacement and economic collapse grind on. WFP food assistance has dropped by 14 per cent since January, as compared to last year, due to a lack of resources; the agency urgently requires more than $600 million to sustain life-saving operations in Sudan for the next six months.
The UN Children’s FRund (UNICEF) reports that nearly 250 children were killed or maimed in Sudan in the first three months of this year. This is a 50 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Drone strikes have reportedly killed nearly 700 civilians in the first three months of this year. Yesterday, a drone strike in Ed Daein, East Darfur State, reportedly killed nine civilians and injured 27 others, including a child and health-affiliated workers.
At the same time, humanitarian operations are being further constrained. In North Darfur State, restrictions on communications equipment are disrupting aid coordination and undermining efforts to reach people in need.
The violence must stop. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected in line with international humanitarian law. Humanitarian access must be rapid, safe, unimpeded and sustained, and the response must be fully funded to save lives.
FORUM ON PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT
The Fifth Session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent is taking place from 14-17 April in Geneva.
Addressing the Forum in the Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that he sees three elements that can guide efforts to deliver racial justice and equality for people of African descent: First, adopting and enforcing anti-racism laws, policies and practices can lay the foundation for safer, fairer, and more inclusive societies where people of African descent can thrive. Second, efforts must be inclusive of young people, civil society and more - all the stakeholders. Third, building and maintaining momentum towards reparatory justice for the legacies of the past.
And in a video message, the Secretary-General says that the fight against racism is inseparable from the wider struggle for human rights and human dignity. He added that this Forum is a crucial platform for driving meaningful change, and called for bold steps to promote, protect and fully respect the human rights of people of African descent.
UKRAINE
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today said that despite a brief Easter ceasefire, front-line hostilities continue to cause civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. According to authorities and humanitarian partners, at least a dozen civilians were killed and more than 140 other injured over the past four days. The regions of Donetsk, Kherson and Sumy have been particularly impacted.
OCHA notes that civilian casualties nearly doubled in March compared with February, reaching their highest level since July 2025, with 211 people killed and more than 1,200 injured. This is according to the Human Rights Monitoring Mission to Ukraine.
The UN and its humanitarian partners are assisting people impacted by the latest strikes by providing first medical and psychological aid and distributing shelter materials, and cash assistance.
VENEZUELA
A significant minority of Venezuelans living outside their country in Latin America would consider returning home if socioeconomic and other conditions there improved, according to a survey from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
The survey shows that Venezuelans in the region are starting to focus on the question of whether to return, but it also highlights the complex factors influencing return intentions amid ongoing regional displacement challenges.
Just over one third surveyed indicated a possible intention to return home, with 9 per cent considering it within a year. The primary motivation cited was family reunification.
INTERNATIONAL DAY
Today is World Chagas Disease Day. Often called a “silent disease,” Chagas disease disproportionately affects the poorest. And this year puts women and girls at the center: calling for screening, treatment, expanded care, stronger policies, greater awareness and empowering women to help prevent and stop transmission.