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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

**Noon Briefing Guest

Just on a programming note, we had scheduled our friend Georgette Gagnon, the Deputy head of Mission in Afghanistan to brief you, but we thought that there was already too much stuff on the menu for today. So, as an act of humanitarian gesture towards all of you we postponed her until tomorrow, because it is important to hear about Afghanistan.

**Secretary-General/Travels

Our Secretary-General landed in Türkiye a short while ago to begin his Ramadan solidarity visit, which we announced yesterday. Tomorrow, he will meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations that support refugees. He will also visit the Ankara Provincial Directorate of Migration Management, one of the provincial branches of the Presidency of Migration Management responsible for procedures related to foreigners in Türkiye.

This visit, as we told you, is intended to highlight the generosity of Türkiye in hosting refugees. Drawing on his previous leadership as High Commissioner for Refugees, the Secretary-General will engage participants on issues related to their situation. He will underscore the important and complementary role of civil society organizations in supporting the protection and service delivery, and encourage strengthened cooperation between civil society and Government, and this to enhance coordination and ensure that timely support reaches the most vulnerable.

In Ankara, he is scheduled to receive the Atatürk International Peace Prize on behalf of United Nations staff around the world. While in the Turkish capital, he will meet with officials, including the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hakan Fidan, and President [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan. Discussions will focus on the UN-Türkiye partnerships and of course on the situation in the wider region. He will also attend a Ramadan iftar meal tomorrow night.

More information on his meetings will be shared as we go along, and we will share with you the remarks that he will deliver in Ankara tomorrow at the Atatürk ceremony. We will share that under embargo with you.

**Security Council

Back here in the Security Council this morning, there was a meeting on Lebanon, going on as you well know. We had three briefers from the Secretariat. First one was Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, noting that amid an already devastating escalation in the Middle East, the decision by Hizbullah to attack Israel on 2 March has again drawn Lebanon into a conflict it neither sought nor can it afford.

Ms. DiCarlo stressed that to prevent further loss of life and to create the space for meaningful political engagement, violence must stop. She emphasized that the United Nations will continue to work closely with all concerned to restore calm and to protect civilians.

Also briefing members was Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Head of our Peace Operations [department]. He said that in this dangerous and precarious environment, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) remains on the ground implementing its mandate as far as the security conditions on the ground allow it. He noted that there have been several incidents that have jeopardized the safety and security of our peacekeepers, stressing that all parties bear a clear and unequivocal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers.

For his part, Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said that we and the broader humanitarian community are fully mobilized to complement the efforts that are being led by the government of Lebanon in addressing this humanitarian crisis. He noted that we and our partners have provided over 500,000 hot meals, distributed over 270,000 litres of bottled water, provided hygiene items and household supplies and 123,000 litres of fuel to sustain critical services, adding that the Rapid Response Teams are delivering life-saving supplies in shelters and 125 health-sector-supported mobile primary healthcare units are providing services. Child protection and psychosocial support are being expanded, alongside the preparations for emergency cash assistance for vulnerable families and children.

In the midst of this crises, and cooperation and coordination with the Government of Lebanon, a three-month, hyper-prioritized Flash Appeal will be launched in Beirut later this week, Mr. Fletcher told Council members. He noted that this emergency scale-up comes on top of an existing humanitarian programme under the 2026 Lebanon Response Plan.

Mr. Fletcher added that he will support these efforts with a rapid response allocation of $15 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund and that will help scale-up life-saving support work, and additional funds will be released through a reserve allocation from the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund. All those remarks have been shared with you.

**Lebanon

From the ground, our peacekeepers, as Mr. Lacroix said, are continuing to implement their mandate, and I can tell you that, today, they continue to record a growing number of incidents across the Blue Line, including rockets and projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel, and air strikes by the Israel Defense Forces impacting southern Lebanon, including Bayt Lif in Sector West and Qabrikha, Ett Taibe and Raabatt Talateen in Sector East.

UNIFIL notes that heavy artillery shelling by Israel has also been reported in various areas of Sector East. UNIFIL has also observed ground movements from the Israeli Defense Forces including near Alma al-Shab, Yaroun in Sector West and El Adeisse in Kafer Kela and Khiyam in Sector East. The Mission continues to facilitate humanitarian access in support of those impacted by the ongoing hostilities. We urge all involved to avail of diplomatic channels to avoid further escalation and return to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to Gaza, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have more details on how ongoing restrictions on aid operations are worsening an already critical humanitarian situation. One example we can share with you today is about the growing number of generator failures in hospitals due to the lack of spare parts and lubricating oil. As you can imagine, these generators are running just about 24 hours a day. Our humanitarian partners are coordinating fuel support and continue to engage with authorities and others for the entry of generators, supplies to maintain them and energy solutions to prevent any further disruptions to health services.

Meanwhile, our partners working on health and the Ministry of Health in Gaza report high levels of infections spread by insects, and that can be found in many of the displacement sites throughout Gaza. Nearly 23,000 suspected cases were recorded last month alone. Supplies of hygiene kits, insecticides and scabies treatment remain critically low, limiting our ability to respond. We and our partners are coordinating efforts to pinpoint hotspots and rapidly deploy teams to strengthen the response to prevent further outbreak of scabies.

On emergency shelter assistance, since Sunday, our partners have provided tents, bedding and kitchen essentials to nearly 7,000 families. This is on top of assistance that has been provided by local authorities or directly by Member States. We once again stress that these materials provide only limited protection and that longer-term solutions are critically needed before the summer. We and our humanitarian partners reiterate that we need our work to be facilitated and not hindered, and we need fewer restrictions.

Turning to the West Bank, OCHA warns that Palestinians' access to their places of work and where they receive services continues to be impeded by tightened movement restrictions imposed by Israeli security forces. These largely impede movement between cities and keep iron gates at the entrance of many villages closed.

At the same time, high levels of violence are persisting. New figures indicate that more than 180 Palestinians have been displaced due to settler attacks and access restrictions across the West Bank since the onset of the regional escalation.

This brings the total number of Palestinians displaced within this context so far this year to more than 1,500 people, 90 per cent of the number for all of last year. OCHA reminds us that more than 40 per cent of those displaced are children, and that displacement deepens people's reliance on humanitarian aid support and is often associated with the loss of economic livelihoods. OCHA also calls again for the protection of Palestinians in the West Bank and for the perpetrators of violence against them to be held to account.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

Moving to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where, as you have seen, a new escalation of violence this morning in Goma has tragically resulted in the death of one of our UNICEF colleagues. The Secretary- General joins the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in expressing his outrage and that our colleague Karine Buisset was killed in a drone strike on a building that was housing aid workers. Karine was a dedicated humanitarian who worked tirelessly to support children and families impacted by conflict and crisis.

We, along with UNICEF, extend our deepest condolences to her family, her friends and her colleagues at UNICEF. As we said many times, the parties must ensure the protection of civilians and those providing life-saving assistance. Humanitarian personnel must never be a target. This is international law. It is not up for debate, nor is up for negotiation. It must be respected.

According to our OCHA colleagues, this is the second humanitarian worker killed in the DRC this year, and we are only, sadly, at the beginning of March. Since January, at least 92 incidents impacting humanitarian workers have been reported across the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last year, more than 650 such incidents were recorded, with 13 humanitarian workers killed and 41 injured across the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika and Maniema.

Today, UN peacekeepers, [including] from the Mission's firefighting section, responded for emergency support and also for the initial assessment of the strike in Goma. Our Acting Head of the Mission, Bruno Lemarquis, strongly condemned today's escalation of violence, which notably involved, as we told you, the use of armed drones, which endangers civilians and UN personnel. The use of drones, he said, is deeply concerning.

He called for a swift, independent and credible investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. The Mission also reiterated our call on all parties to immediately cease hostilities, in accordance with their commitments to respect the ceasefire; to prioritize the path towards the political solution and to capitalize on the gains recently achieved within the framework of peace efforts.

**Sudan

From Sudan, where the situation also remains tragic, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that they are alarmed by continued attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure we have seen in recent days. In South Kordofan, the Sudan Doctors Network tell us that artillery shelling yesterday in Dilling struck residential areas, killing 7 civilians, including a child, and injuring 13 other people.

Elsewhere, local sources tell us that civilian casualties occurred on Monday when vehicles travelling on the road linking North Darfur to Northern State came under attack. Critical infrastructure has also been impacted. One of Sudan's largest power stations, the Um Dabakir Thermal Power Station in Rabak, in White Nile State, was reportedly struck by drones yesterday, causing fires to two transformers and triggering major [power] outages in Kosti town and parts of Rabak.

We, along with our partners, are continuing to deliver assistance where possible, food, shelter, water, healthcare, cash, nutrition and protection support. Despite restricted access, insecurity and severe funding shortfalls, humanitarian organizations in Sudan reached 2.6 million people just in January with aid, out of the over 20 million people we aimed to reach across the country.

**Ukraine

In Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that civilians were killed and injured in overnight attacks across the country. Residential buildings, education facilities and energy infrastructure also sustained damages. That is what local authorities are telling us. As of this morning, parts of the Dnipro, Donetsk and Kharkiv regions remained without electricity due to attacks on energy infrastructure. Also today, a drone strike on a public bus in Kherson reportedly injured more than a dozen civilians.

Meanwhile, evacuations continue. Yesterday, 440 people were evacuated from front-line areas in the Donetsk region. We, along with our partners, are distributing emergency shelters' material and providing psychosocial assistance. More broadly, in January this year, we and our humanitarian partners reached more than 950,000 people across Ukraine.

**Humanitarian Funding/87 Million Lives Campaign

Earlier today, our friend Tom Fletcher, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, also spoke to reports from Geneva about his efforts for the UN to reach 87 million people with life-saving aid, for which we need $23 billion. Mr. Fletcher said that the developments of the past two weeks further confirm that we're living in a time of brutality, a time of impunity and a time of indifference. He noted that we are overstretched, under sustained attack and under-resourced, but we refuse to give up on the people that rely on us to just survive.

Mr. Fletcher launched a new campaign today to rediscover solidarity and our humanity, even in these toughest of times. He said that, so far, we have received $5 billion for the plan, with additional pledges and announcements bringing the total to $8.7 billion, but that we still face a massive gap. Governments alone can't carry the full burden, he stressed, calling on civil society, the private sector and the public to show support.

"We're not asking you to choose between a hospital in Brooklyn, London or Mexico City, or a hospital in Kandahar, Akobo or Port-au-Prince," he said. "We're just asking you to recognize that maybe the world can spend a little bit less on weapons this year and a little bit more on doing something extraordinary and world-changing."

**Financial Contribution

Before we go to your questions, we have two new Member States who paid in full, which means that we have a quiz. This country, which is a landlocked, is extremely mountainous. Ninety per cent of the terrain is covered by the Tian Shan mountain range, and its geography is often compared to that of Switzerland. […] Kyrgyzstan. We say thank you to our friends in Bishkek.

This other country is renowned for its wine industry, and has the world largest wine cellars, which has over 2 million bottles of wine. It is not France, no. It is also a major exporter of walnuts. It is landlocked, and it is in Europe. Yes, [Republic of] Moldova. It took you a while, but you got [Republic of] Moldova. So, we thank our friends in Chişinău as well for their payment in full. And they paid in cash, not in wine. Okay. Linda Fasulo.

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Steph. Steph, I was wondering if the SG, I mean, I know he's traveling, has been in touch with the Gulf States or Iran in the last day or two?

Spokesman: Yes. He continues to be in touch with a number of parties. Notably, he was in touch with the Foreign Minister of Iran [Seyed Abbas Araghchi] yesterday, and we issued that readout. Pam?

Question: Steph, I know you're not in charge of what the Security Council passes, but there…?

Spokesman: That is true.

Question: But, there is a resolution that's going to vote in a few hours, and there were requested changes that would have taken out, which I think is not out, the Article 51, Chapter 7 provision on self-defence. Does the Secretary-General believe the Gulf States, in this case have a right to self-defence? Thank you.

Spokesman: I think your preamble allows me to answer the question in the following way, that there are intense negotiations going on with the Security Council and it would not be helpful for the Secretariat to speak to it.

Question: All right. But, on that front, does the Secretary-General have anything going on about trying to bring these countries together to stop?

Spokesman: Well, as I said, the Secretary-General has been speaking to a number of parties, notably in the Gulf and further afield, yesterday to Iran, pushing towards doing whatever he can, and however he can be helpful towards an end to the conflict. Farnoosh?

Question: Thanks, Steph. Just a follow-up. The Iranian Foreign Minister put out their own readout of the call with the Secretary-General, and they said that Mr. Guterres confirmed, and you know, I think the word was confirmed that Iran has the right to self-defence. Wondering if you also have that portion of the readout?

Spokesman: I mean, what I'll share with you our readout, which is that the Secretary-General and the Foreign Minister discussed, obviously, the current situation in the region, the military escalation. The Secretary-General reiterated his position articulated in previous statements, and I think what he said in the Security Council on that Saturday meeting very much still stands. He recalled the needs for all sides to fully respect international law and international humanitarian law, as well as to refrain from any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, and also expressed deep concern at the regional spillover and the impact of the ongoing conflict on the global economy.

Question: And sorry. I have one other question. The US, the commander of the US Central Command said today that the US used AI to help military hit more than 5,000 targets in Iran. Given the public reporting and analysis that it's likely a US strike that hit the girls' school in Iran, is there a concern by the UN, by the SG about the use of AI in these conflicts?

Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General has been expressing his concern about the use of AI in conflict well before the start of this conflict, especially when it comes to the use of autonomous weapons that are released without any human control. Abdelhamid, then Alex.

Question: Thank you, Steph. I heard the speeches of the three UN officials, but I wonder why Rosemary DiCarlo [Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs] just started from the attack by Hizbullah, as if nothing happened before that. Israel has been violating [resolution 1701 (2006)] from November 2024. Why there is no background about what happened? Similar to what happened 7 October 2023.

Spokesman: I think, she was addressing the situation for this particular escalation of the conflict. The Secretary-General's report on Security Council [resolution] 1701 (2006) is out. It reports very transparently all of the violations of the Blue Line we [have] seen, and we've given the background over and over again. I think, everyone knows that this is happening as part of a larger tensions or conflict that we've had over the years between Lebanon and Israel.

Question: But, don't you see that when Israel violates this resolution, there is no outcry? It violates [resolution 2803 (2025)], the ceasefire in Gaza every single day, and nothing is happening.

Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think…

Correspondent: But, if it happens the other way…

Spokesman: I mean, I think just if you heard what I said today, UNIFIL was reporting on the IDF troop movements, was reporting on the Israeli shelling, and was reporting on the shelling going the other way. Alex?

Question: Thanks, Steph. On the Secretary-General's call with Mr. Araghchi [Iran Foreign Minister], who initiated the call?

Spokesman: The Iranians did.

Question: Thanks. And secondly, there have been some reports saying that the Secretary-General will attend European Union Leaders Summit on 19 March in Brussels. Could you please confirm the date?

Spokesman: Not in a position to confirm it. As we know, we confirm travel a bit closer to the date. Yes, sir.

Correspondent: Thank you, Steph. I could probably anticipate your answer to the question.

Spokesman: This is great. I love questions where people anticipate my non-answers.

Question: Also, on the Security Council meeting later today, GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] members are set to propose a draft resolution rejecting strikes on their territory as a breach of sovereignty, which we know the Secretary-General has been open in this condemnation for. Is the Secretary-General, however, concerned that the draft does not also condemn the actions of Israel or the United States, which he has likewise described as illicit?

Spokesman: I will give you the same answer as I gave Pam. It's not helpful for the Secretary-General to insert himself while negotiations are going on on a resolution. The Secretary-General's own position was laid out very clearly last, was is just last Saturday [28 February]? God, yeah. Last Saturday. What we want to see out of the Security Council is, we always wanted to see, is a unified voice that helps achieve peace and an end to conflict. Okay. Thank you all. See you tomorrow for another happy [Thursday].