UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Rolando Gómez of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Telecommunications Union. 

Humanitarian Situation in Gaza and East Jerusalem Schools

Juliette Touma, for the United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), speaking from Amman, said it had been a sad day for children attending UNRWA schools in occupied east Jerusalem. Yesterday, heavily armed Israeli authorities entered three UNRWA schools, forcing 550 children from their classrooms. One UNRWA colleague was also detained, and later released. Following an order by Israeli authorities, UNRWA had then been forced to evacuate the remaining six schools in the Occupied East Jerusalem, leaving 800 children without education. Ms. Touma emphasised that education was a blatant human right which should never be violated. Israeli authorities were denying Palestinian children their basic right to education. UNRWA schools needed to remain open, to safeguard an entire generation’s right to education. 

Another school in Gaza had been hit; there was no escape for the people of Gaza. Death followed them wherever they went. No place was safe, and no one was spared. 30 displaced people sheltering in the school had died, and it had previously been home to 2,000 people seeking refuge. There was significant inaction and indifference to what was happening in Gaza. Families in Gaza were being bombed, children were being burned alive and people were starving. It was estimated that four UNRWA schools had been hit, the vast majority with displaced families living in them. Hunger was spreading in Gaza. It had been nine weeks since Israeli authorities had imposed a siege on the Gaza strip restricting any supplies. Those working with children in Gaza were reporting increasing numbers of malnutrition.

Responding to questions from the media regarding a document proposing a new model for distributing aid in Gaza, Ms. Touma said it was impossible to replace UNRWA in Gaza. It was the largest humanitarian organization, with more than 10,000 people working across the Gaza strip delivering supplies and managing shelters for the displaced families. It was difficult to imagine a humanitarian operation without UNRWA.

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said the UN was aware of the document discussed and would only participate in an operation which respected the United Nations’ humanitarian principles of independence, humanity and impartiality. The UN was calling for the blockade to be lifted; when the ceasefire was in place the world had seen the positive impact. It was vital that food, aid and healthcare were delivered to the people of Gaza. 

James Elder, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said the ceasefire had meant a huge improvement in the nutritional situation of girls and boys. It meant food in the markets, repaired water systems, access to health care, health facilitates and medicines. Now all of this had been blocked. The only thing entering Gaza right now were bombs. This was a profound moral collapse; it was very clear that the resumption of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip was urgent and essential. 

After careful analysis, it appeared the design of the plan presented by Israel to the humanitarian community would increase the ongoing suffering of children and families in the Gaza Strip. It was dangerous for civilians to go into militarized zones to collect rations, as it further entrenched forced displacement for political and military purposes. The most vulnerable people, the elderly, children with disabilities, sick and wounded who could not travel to the designated zones would face horrendous challenges in getting aid. UNICEF was also concerned about family members being separated while trying to get aid from five locations, in a territory that lacked any safety due to ongoing bombardments. According to UNICEF, more children would likely to suffer and risk death and injury as a consequence of the plan as it contravened basic humanitarian principles and appeared designed to reinforce control. 

There was a simple alternative: lift the blockade, let humanitarian aid in, and save lives. UNICEF was also concerned about the proposal to use facial recognition as a precondition to access aid, as this went against all humanitarian principles. According to the plan, there would only be 60 trucks delivering aid to the Gaza Strip every day, which was one tenth of what was being delivered during the ceasefire and not nearly enough to meet the needs of 1.1 million children, and 2.1 million people. The use of humanitarian aid as a bait to force displacement, would create the impossible choice between displacement and death.

Ms. Touma said during the ceasefire, supplies were being distributed. Looting had decreased substantially, due to the increase in humanitarian supplies, which were largely managed by the United Nations and UNRWA. Several attempts to exclude the United Nations from aid delivery during the war had not succeeded.

Jen Laerke, for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said there had been multiple recent meetings with Israeli officials to reconcile their concerns with those of the UN, emphasizing that aid operations should be conducted in line with humanitarian principles; however, these concerns had not been addressed. The plan presented did not meet the minimum requirements for humanitarian support and would not allow the UN to resume lifesaving activities prior to the total blockage of Gaza. Discussions were ongoing on how to meet people’s needs everywhere, and how to facilitate the aid which was available just a few kilometers away. 

Responding to further questions, Margaret Harris, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said there were a huge number of people who needed medical evacuations. Since the resumptions of hostilities on 18 March 2025, just 122 patients had been medically evacuated. There were more than 10,500 patients in need of urgent evacuation, more than 4,000 of which were children.

Responding to another question, Jens Laerke said he had referred to verbal briefings received by the COGAT. Mr. Gómez repeated that the UN would not follow any plan which contravened its humanitarian principles. UNRWA was the backbone of its operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, along with humanitarian partners and UN agencies. 

Responding to another question, about whether the Israeli plan enabled the UN to have any participation, Mr. Laerke said before the crisis of October 2023, there were 600 trucks entering Gaza every day. During the ceasefire there were around 800 trucks a day coming in, which was the scale needed. UNRWA was at the center of the infrastructure delivering the aid. The infrastructure wasn’t perfect, but it saved lives. The plan had not been presented to the UN in a way which allowed them to participate in a principled humanitarian manner.

Mr Elder said as the plan had been presented, it didn’t comply with Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid and provide humanitarian relief. 

Responding to further questions, Mr. Elder said the nutritional situation of children across the Gaza strip was abhorrent as no aid had been allowed in for nine weeks now, and the only thing allowed in were bombs and missiles. 

Ms. Touma said UNRWA had 90 schools open across the west bank. In Gaza, schools had been closed since the 7 October 2023, so children hadn’t been going to schools for 19 months now. The majority of UNRWA schools had been turned into shelters. Over 800 hits had been recorded on United Nations UNRWA facilities with the vast majority being schools. Two-thirds of the schools used as shelters had been hit. 

Responding to another question regarding the diversion of aid, Ms. Touma said UNRWA was a direct delivery service provider, with operations 100 percent managed by United Nations staff, and supplies brought by United Nations trucks and stored in UNRWA warehouses. There had not been aid diversion, and when reports had been received of aid diversion, investigations had been launched into these reports. It was difficult to counter what continued to be claims, when international media continued to be banned from reporting in Gaza. It was hoped that international media would be able to return to Gaza to independently verify these claims.

Mr. Laerke said there had been regular meetings with Israeli authorities in recent weeks, and the engagement continued. The UN had been transparent about incidents of looting; the real problem was the blockage of hundreds aid trucks which needed to be entering the Gaza strip every day. This was the crux of the humanitarian crisis.

Mr. Elder said having the international media on the ground was of utmost importance. There were much needed supplies including incubators, schoolbooks, anesthetic, which were being blocked under a blanket statement of aid diversion.

Ms. Touma said UNRWA had over 3,000 trucks with critical aid stuck outside Gaza which was being wasted. The clock was ticking, the gates must reopen, and the siege must be lifted as soon as possible. It was important to continue to release hostages from Gaza and see the standard flow of humanitarian supplies.

Ms. Harris said WHO had not seen any diversion of medical aid. Supplies were reaching the health facilities they were meant to serve. It was not about failure of aid delivery in Gaza, it was a failure to bring it in. There were trucks lined up to bring in supplies, it had been 68 days since aid was allowed in, and the need for that aid was only increasing.

New toolkit from WHO on cycling and pedestrian safety

Etienne Krug, Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Department for the Social Determinants of Health, said next week marked the 8th United Nations Global Road Safety Week starting Monday 12 May, under the theme “Make Walking and Cycling Safe,”. Every two minutes, at least one pedestrian or cyclist was killed on the world’s roads. Pedestrians and cyclists made up a quarter of the 1.2 million deaths every year on the world’s roads, with traffic deaths being the leading cause of death for children and young adults. 

WHO had launched a new toolkit to help governments make walking and cycling safe. It included guidance on integrating walking and cycling to all relevant policy areas, building safer infrastructure and ensuring better behavior by those using cars. There would be events all over the world this week, including a global online event opened by the Director-General of WHO. 

The full press release can be viewed here.

Rolando Gómez for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said in the context of Road Safety Week an exhibition was taking place at the Palais des Nations at 1pm today. 

WFP warns of deepening hunger in West and Central Africa

Ollo Sib, Senior Research, Assessment and Monitoring Regional advisor for the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking from Dakar, said the food security situation in the Sahel remained dire, with 36 million people struggling to meet their basic food needs, expected to rise to 50 million people in June. WFP had visited communities across the Sahel who were facing unprecedented droughts in some areas, and flooding in others, resulting in a loss of crops and livestock. Millions of farmers in the Lake Chad basin were worried that they would not have enough food to meet their basic needs. People in the Menaka region were facing catastrophic food conditions. This year, the cost of food had risen by 50 percent compared to the five-year average. The income from selling one goat today, would barely provide people with one half of a bag of millet. Across the region, there were the same stories, and now was the time to act and address this urgent food insecurity. 

Lifesaving activities needed to come first. WFP required 700 million USD to meet the critical and urgent needs of five million people for the next three months. A massive investment was needed to increase the scale of operations, and coordination was key. An instrument had been developed to bring all humanitarian actors together to respond to the crisis, however only 40 percent of the response plan was currently funded.  Coordination was key to bring everyone together and respond to the food crisis. It was hoped the voices across the region would be heard.

Costa Rica’s solidarity with refugees threatened with major funding cuts warns UNHCR

Ruvendrini Menikdiwela, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, said she had spent the last week in Costa Rica and other countries in the Americas region. Costa Rica was a country which needed attention, currently hosting over 200,000 refugees which constituted about four percent of the population. 83 percent of those refugees were from Nicaragua, and with social and political tensions in the country increasing, there was a constant influx of Nicaraguans coming into Costa Rica, with between 3,000 to 7,000 new asylum seekers being registered every month.

Costa Rica, despite its constraints, had shown a deep-seated commitment to receiving and hosting refugees on its territory. This commitment had been reaffirmed by the Government and also the refugees themselves, who were extremely appreciative to the Costa Rican authorities. Over the past few years, this commitment had been facilitated through UNHCR and donors, enabling thousands of Nicaraguan refugees and asylum seekers to be provided with legal support, mental health support, access to education, job training and placement, as well as contribute to the local economies. This also included the indigenous population -  the Miskito community - who had previously been ostracized in Nicaragua. 

Costa Rica's longstanding commitment to hosting refugees was now in jeopardy because of the funding crisis. UNHCR in Costa Rica had been compelled to reduce their operational budget by 41 percent, which had a direct impact on the government's ability to provide assistance and protection to these people. There had been a 77 percent drop in the operational registration of asylum seekers, with many being unable to receive documents which gave them access to basic local services. The asylum system had over 200,000 cases as a backlog, and which would take several years to be resolved. UNHCR required 40.4 million USD to keep operations open in Costa Rica this year. This was an appeal to all, as the assistance provided by the Costa Rican Government and UNHCR was critical and lifesaving. The lack of services in countries like Costa Rica for the refugees and asylum seekers also meant that these same people could feel compelled to move onwards and seek asylum or services in other countries in the global north. This may appeal to State’s self-interest to continue funding these operations.

The full statement can be viewed here.

Responding to questions, Ms. Menikdiwela said the number of refugees in Costa Rica had not change significantly in the past couple of months; there were 220,000 cases pending but the Government had not been able to address these due to a lack of resources and capacity. The Government was unable to register the new asylum seekers as they did not have the funding traditionally provided by UNHCR and other donors. This meant asylum seekers could not access the documents which allowed them to have access to basic services. The Government had pleaded with UNHCR to help them to help the refugees and asylum seekers. The Government needed continual funding from UNCHR to meet these obligations. UNHCR had never heard any indication of drastic measures such as deportations, but funding would remain as a key factor.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day and ITU 160th anniversary

David Hirsch, for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said Saturday, 17 May, was World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), commemorated annually on the date of ITU’s founding in 1865. This year also marked the 160^th anniversary of ITU’s efforts at the forefront of technology innovation and connecting the world. On 17 May, a public outdoor event would include guest speakers on ITU’s work bringing connectivity to everyone, everywhere. There would also be a lightshow, contributed by ITU160 Platinum Partner, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with images projected on the ITU Tower to tell the story of 160 years of technology for humanity and how ITU was laying the foundations for the future of global telecommunications. This was a free public event taking place on the esplanade adjacent to ITU Headquarters with formal activities beginning at 21:00 CEST. The special commemoration of WTISD would also be live streamed on ITU social media channels. 

Announcements

Rolando Gómez, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said the Secretary-General had expressed his heartfelt congratulations to his holiness Pope Leo the 14th and to Catholics around the world.

The Secretary-General was completing a three-day long visit to Copenhagen where he met with the Chief Executive Board. Responding to questions, Mr. Gómez said during the meetings in Copenhagen, the UN80 initiative was discussed which focused on identifying and improving efficiencies and making the UN more fit for purpose. The gathering had presented an important opportunity to address this reform process, which was ongoing. 

Mr. Gómez drew attention to the statement of the Secretary-General through which he expressed concern about recent drone attacks in Port Sudan.  Responding to questions about the impacts of the attacks, Mr. Gómez said there was a big country team based in Sudan with many UN colleagues. The Secretary-General was calling for an end to the conflict and unimpeded access to humanitarian supplies into the country

Mr. Gómez also said the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would close its 115th session this afternoon, and issue its concluding observations of Ukraine, Mauritius, Republic of Korea, Gabon and Kyrgyzstan. 

The Committee on the Rights of the Child would open its 99^th session next Monday at 10am, during which it would review the reports of Norway, Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Romania, Qatar and Brazil.

The second part of the 2025 session of the Conference on Disarmament would begin next Monday 12 May, still under the presidency of Kazakhstan. 

Mr. Gómez then read a statement on behalf of the Human Rights Council, which said the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development would hold its 26th session from 12 to 15 May 2025, at the Tempus building in Palais de Nations.  The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, would open the session on Monday 12 May at 10 a.m., with over 30 State, UN, civil society and academic representatives to deliver statements during the session.

Finally, Mr. Gómez said at 12 p.m. there would be a press conference with the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, with several speakers.

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