Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefings
Good afternoon, everyone. In a short while, I will be joined by my guest, Luke David Irving, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He will join us virtually from Jerusalem to discuss the situation of unexploded ordnance in Gaza.
And, tomorrow, my guest will be Andrew Saberton, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Executive Director for Management. He will be here to brief on his recent visit to Gaza and the West Bank. Then, at 2:30 p.m., there will be a briefing here by Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, and Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, following the presentation of their reports to the General Assembly’s Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Briefing Council members, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Officer-in-Charge of the Mission, Milbert Dongjoon Shin, commended and congratulated the people of Kosovo on the peaceful and inclusive atmosphere of the local elections held on 12 October. He called on all parties to maintain the same calm and inclusive environment in the run-off elections set for 9 November.
Mr. Shin reiterated the concerns regarding the potential impact of the closures of Serbia-run institutions, on access to health, education and culture. He stressed that it is important that Pristina authorities genuinely engage all concerned communities, prior to enforcing decisions that affect everyday lives, and that they seek viable alternatives in order to avoid or minimize negative impacts. His full remarks have been shared with you.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that families in the Gaza Strip continue to move towards areas that are newly accessible since the ceasefire, with some seeking shelter in displacement sites that are already overcrowded. Our partners monitoring the flow of people across the Strip report that on Sunday, they recorded nearly 13,800 displacements towards Gaza City and North Gaza, and about 4,100 movements towards the east. OCHA reports that humanitarian partners on the ground continue to scale up their operations as outlined in the 60-day plan, expanding their presence in areas that were previously inaccessible and increasing assistance to meet growing needs.
Our partners working on food security report that, as of Sunday, food parcels were being distributed at over two dozen locations in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, reaching more than 15,000 households there. These food parcels include rice, lentils, beans, chickpea paste, tomato paste and fortified sunflower oil. Partners are working to expand the number of distribution points to ensure that people can obtain food closer to where they live.
Additionally, on Sunday, 21 partners prepared and delivered some 944,000 meals through 178 community kitchens. This is an increase of some 286,000 daily meals in about three weeks. Sunday’s total included 69,000 meals from 13 kitchens in the north, and 875,000 meals from 165 kitchens in the south and central areas.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that it had dispatched four pallets of medical supplies from its southern warehouse to key health facilities and partners to help ensure the continuity of health services across the Gaza Strip. The supplies included medicines for diabetes and other chronic conditions, treatments for infections and malnutrition, and pain management medication.
Our partners providing shelter materials are also doing everything possible to scale up. On Sunday, they distributed 300 tents to vulnerable households in Khan Younis and 14,700 blankets to families in 16 displacement sites across the Al Mawasi area, also in Khan Younis. Our partners stress that far greater volumes of shelter materials must be allowed into Gaza before the winter season begins. This will require Israeli authorities to authorize more humanitarian organizations to bring in those supplies. So far, only a limited number of UN agencies and partner organizations have such permissions.
Meanwhile, OCHA reports that we and our partners continue to collect humanitarian supplies brought in through the UN 2720 mechanism via the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings. Overall, since the ceasefire came into effect on 10 October — and as of this past Sunday, 19 October — our teams have been able to collect 10,638 metric tons of essential supplies from those crossings. This is based on UN 2720’s tracking, and those efforts are ongoing.
The UN and our partners also continue to offload supplies at the available crossings. Between 17 and 19 October, 303 UN and partner trucks with 6,455 pallets of aid were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings, according to the UN 2720 mechanism. More than two thirds of that cargo was food — and about a fifth was water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.
Meanwhile, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says that two weeks into the start of the 2025 harvest, it has already seen severe attacks by armed settlers in the West Bank against Palestinian men, women, children and foreign solidarity activists. In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 757 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage — a 13 per cent increase over the same period in 2024.
**Deputy Secretary-General
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in London to speak at the Financial Times Africa Summit 2025. Now in its twelfth year, the Summit gathers ministers, business leaders, policymakers and investors to discuss the continent’s future. In her keynote interview, the Deputy Secretary-General highlighted Africa’s economic growth despite global headwinds including the debt crisis, the investment opportunities in renewable energy and climate-smart agriculture, and the potential of Africa’s youth population.
Earlier today, the Deputy Secretary-General met with Katie White, UK Minister for Climate, to discuss the COP30 [thirtieth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] meeting and raising climate ambition. She will also meet with the Baroness Chapman of Darlington, the Minister for International Development and Africa, to exchange views on international development cooperation and advancing UK-UN cooperation in countries to support the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York tomorrow morning.
**Lebanon
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) continues to discover unauthorized weapons caches as well as unexploded ordnance. Yesterday, peacekeepers found rockets, explosive shells as well as smoke and illumination grenades in Sector East. UNIFIL peacekeepers also continue to report Israel Defense Forces military presence and activities in the area of operations. Yesterday, they observed intensive drone activity in Sector West and approximately 300 rounds of small arms fire from south of the Blue Line impacting in the Kafr Chouba area in Sector East.
UNIFIL continues to train Lebanese Armed Forces personnel as they extend State authority in southern Lebanon. Yesterday, Lebanese soldiers started a week-long training with UNIFIL peacekeepers in Sector West focusing on conducting patrols and setting up checkpoints.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, OCHA reports that as escalating violence deepens the already devastating humanitarian crisis in North Darfur State, we and our partners continue to scale up our response efforts where access allows. Yesterday, in the town of Tawila, an OCHA team met families who had walked for four days to escape the violence in the besieged state capital, El Fasher, which is about 50 kilometres or 31 miles away. On Sunday and Monday alone, some 350 families — mostly women, children and older people — arrived in dire condition, some of them injured along the way. Dozens of young men who fled with the group are still missing, raising serious protection concerns.
We and our humanitarian partners have provided food, water and basic medical care to the new arrivals, but needs far exceed available resources. Tawila now hosts more than 600,000 people displaced from El Fasher and surrounding areas — and many displaced families lack shelter, adequate food or safe water. OCHA is coordinating with authorities, donors and partners to mobilize additional capacity, resources and support.
On the ground in El Fasher, repeated attacks continue to imperil civilians. Local sources report that yesterday, heavy shelling struck central parts of the city, endangering thousands of civilians in one of El Fasher’s most densely populated areas. Local authorities report that more than 109,000 people are displaced across 127 sites, most lacking food, clean water and medical care. Several community kitchens shut down last week due to the depletion of supplies.
Once again, OCHA stresses that the siege on El Fasher must be lifted immediately, and safe passage must be ensured for civilians wishing to flee and for humanitarians determined to deliver vital aid. Elsewhere in North Darfur, a drone strike reportedly hit the main market in Kabkabiya town, underscoring the severe risks facing civilians amid expanding hostilities.
Meanwhile, in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, drones reportedly struck the international airport at dawn today, just one day before it was due to reopen for domestic flights for the first time since the conflict began. The attack raises grave concerns over the safety of vital transport infrastructure in the country. OCHA reiterates the Secretary-General’s call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those in need.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that in the last five days, continued attacks across the country caused multiple civilian casualties. According to local authorities, the regions of Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipro, Kherson and Chernihiv were among those most impacted. Multiple strikes on energy infrastructure in the Chernihiv and Kyiv regions overnight caused large-scale blackouts and water disruptions, affecting over 150,000 people. The attacks come as temperatures drop across Ukraine, raising concerns over the ability of affected communities to heat their homes and maintain essential services.
Our humanitarian colleagues reiterate the importance of reliable funding to sustain the efforts of the humanitarian community as part of the Winter Response Plan. Meanwhile, we continue to support Ukrainian responders at the forefront of relief efforts. Last year, nearly two thirds of the more than $160 million allocated through the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund — which is managed by OCHA — went to local organizations.
**Forests
And last, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today released a report showing that deforestation has slowed in all of the world’s regions in the last decade. However, the report notes that forest ecosystems worldwide continue to face challenges, with the current rate of deforestation at 10.9 million hectares per year still too high. FAO’s latest data show that forests cover 4.14 billion hectares — about one third of the planet’s land area. In addition to slowing deforestation rates, the report highlights further positive news for the world’s forests. This includes more than half of forests now covered by long-term management plans, and one fifth of forests now being within legally established protected areas. The full report is available online. Any questions for me before we go to our guest? Yes, Dezhi.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Is there any update on the interruption of the border crossing? Is there any new information on the Rafah border crossing and others, which still remain closed?
Deputy Spokesman: We cannot yet report on opening of the Rafah crossings. We’re still in talks to see what can be done, because we do desperately need as many crossings to be open as possible. Like I said, the crossings we’ve been using have been the Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings right now. Right now, those have been the ones… and we’re trying…
Question: Just for understanding, that’s the border crossing UN is using. It’s not all the border crossings that so far are opened?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that some bilateral aid is also coming in. And hopefully, that may be going in through other crossings. Right now, we only have those two. Yes, please? And Namo.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. One question on the city of Afrin in Syria. Media reports indicate that in that predominantly Kurdish city, the new authorities have removed Kurdish language curriculum from the books and imposed Arabic as the sole language of instruction. I just want to know if you have seen those reports and if the Secretary-General has any comments to make on this. Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we cannot confirm those reports, although we’re aware of the media reports on this. What I can tell you is that the Secretary-General strongly believes in the right of people everywhere in the world to speak the languages that they choose to speak and to learn all the different languages of those areas. So, we want to make sure that the basic language rights of people are protected. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. My question is about Japan. As you know, Japan has elected the first female Prime Minister. Could you give me a comment on Japanese new prime minister? And one more. What do you think about the next Secretary-General being a woman, should it be?
Deputy Spokesman: There’s been widespread support, including, as you know from what he said, from the current Secretary-General for having a woman Secretary-General. Obviously, that decision is in the hands of the Member States, and we don’t have a say in that particular process. But, you will have also seen that a larger number of Member States are talking about that. Regarding the selection of the first woman Prime Minister of Japan, obviously, that is another sign of a step forward for women’s representation in leadership. And of course, we look forward to working with the new Government once it is formed. Yes Alex?
Question: Thank you so much, Farhan. Yes. Vice-President [of the United States] J. D. Vance said that implementation of [Donald J.] Trump’s Gaza plan going better than expected. Do you share his opinion?
Deputy Spokesman: From our standpoint, what we want to do is make sure that all the parties abide by all their commitments. I believe Stéphane [Dujarric] pointed this out yesterday. From our side, certainly, we are pleased with the progress being made in recent days in terms of getting aid in, and this is something that our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, [has been] in the region to push for, and he has been in touch with US and Israeli officials in terms of trying to make sure that we can get aid in as rapidly and as efficiently as possible. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. The Hamas-run press office in Gaza said that only 980 trucks of aid have entered Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October. So, that’s far below the expected 6,600 trucks. And this is also short of the number that you have given us. So, what’s your comments on that?
Deputy Spokesman: I would just like to tell you about the numbers that we had just now about trucks and in terms of our tracking. Like I said, in terms of the tracking from our 2720 mechanism, our teams have been able to collect more than 10,600 metric tons of essential supplies during the nine days between when the ceasefire came into effect and this past Sunday, and we’re trying to get more of that aid in. Dezhi, and then we’ll go.
Question: Yes. In Israel, Jared Kushner today said that the reconstruction of Gaza under IDF, which means Israeli military’s control, is being strongly considered. What is the US position? Should there be the presence of IDF in Gaza while reconstruction?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we’ve made clear again that we want to make sure that all of the various agreements that the parties have entered into are fulfilled by the various parties.
Question: So, which means, if IDF [Israel Defense Forces] will be there for construction, it should be also agreed by Gazans, no matter it’s whoever, the Hamas or whichever authorities?
Deputy Spokesman: From our standpoint, what we want is that we want to make sure that the parties continue to implement the ceasefire in Gaza. And beyond that, the Secretary-General urges the parties to honour their commitments under the ceasefire, ensure the protection of civilians, and avoid any actions that could lead to renewal of hostilities and undermine humanitarian operations. And of course, what our main concerns are at this stage is to make sure that we can accelerate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and prevent any return back to the conflict. So those are our priorities. And with that, let me now turn to our guest.