UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
Rolando Gómez, of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the World Intellectual Property Organisation, the Organisation Internationale pour la Francophonie, and the GIGA Connectivity Forum.
Needs grow as 1.4 million return to Afghanistan in 2025
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s Afghanistan Representative in Kabul, said UNHCR was urgently seeking funding to protect over 1.4 million people who had returned or been forced to return to Afghanistan so far this year, including over 1 million from Iran. Daily returns from Iran increased significantly after the 13th of June, with the highest number recorded on the first of July, when over 43,000 people returned. Arrivals from Pakistan increased sharply in April, with nearly 150,000 people returning that month. UNHCR teams were at the borders receiving and assisting streams of exhausted, hungry and scared people every day. Staff and structures were absolutely inundated. UNHCR had deployed additional staff and was providing essential relief items, hot meals and emergency financial assistance to help meet immediate needs, but amid funding constraints and given the scale and pace of returns, would not be able to sustain support for more than a few weeks.
These returns were part of a complex protection crisis, and UNHCR was concerned that the returns were happening in extremely difficult conditions and that some of them were not voluntary. Many people who returned said that they had felt compelled to leave as they saw other fellow Afghans being deported. Since the so-called 12-day War in Iran, the human consequences persisted, with people streaming in, people doubly uprooted from Afghanistan, many of whom were born in Tehran and other places, stripped of belongings, having undertaken perilous, difficult and exhausting journeys, seeming not to know what to do in Afghanistan.
UNHCR urged countries in the region to ensure that returns to Afghanistan were voluntary, safe and dignified. Forcing or putting pressure on Afghans to return risked further instability in the region and onward movements towards Iran, Turkey and Europe. The international community must urgently and substantially increase funding to meet both critical needs of the border upon arrival and to provide longer-term assistance to help returnees settle back in Afghanistan.
UNHCR's response in Afghanistan this year was only 28% funded. The international community must not turn its back on the people of Afghanistan at this pivotal moment, but stand with them to restore hope and to give them a fighting chance of recovery, stability and prosperity.
In response to a question on funding and how much money was needed in total, Mr. Jamal said the total budget, including assistance at the borders, was USD 216 million, and 170 million of this was still needed.
Responding to a further question regarding a recent statement by the German Interior Minister in which he stated that he was going to talk to the Taliban with regard to the return of Afghans from Germany, Mr. Jamal said that UNHCR continued to have a non-return advisory for Afghanistan, feeling that the conditions on the ground were not appropriate for returns, and urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans.
Ravina Shamdasani, speaking for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, added that it was not appropriate to return people to Afghanistan. The Office had been documenting continuing human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly violations of the rights of women and girls who had effectively been rendered invisible, stripped of their voices, of their rights to employment, to education, to freedom of movement. But the Office had also continued to document other instances of human rights violations, including executions Rolando Gómez, speaking for the UN Information Service, said that earlier this week the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan issued a report providing a grim update of the human rights situation in the country in Afghanistan with a focus on the rights of women and girls, who were still being denied the opportunity to join the workforce accessing services without a male relative and girls are still deprived of the right to education. He also noted that Tom Fletcher, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, was in the country earlier this week and had announced a record USD 16.6 million to help vulnerable communities mitigate the effects of drought in the north and north-east of that country.
Update on the challenged lifelines in Gaza
Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, said the senseless killing in Gaza must stop. Multiple attacks in recent days hitting sites hosting hungry displaced people and people trying to access food had killed and injured scores of Palestinians. Since October 2023, an estimated 90 people had been killed daily on average, and more than 200 injured. The health system in Gaza was on its knees amid shortages of medical supplies, fuel and an influx of injuries. No fuel had entered Gaza in over 120 days. WHO currently had minimal fuel reserves in northern and southern Gaza, barely enough to keep 17 partially functional hospitals running for a short period. A limited quantity of UN fuel reserves were in an area that was currently inaccessible.
This week WHO representatives had visited Shifa and Nasser hospitals. The lack of fuel was crippling Shifa Hospital, compounded by a stream of never-ending injuries. The hospital was operating at minimum capacity and had been forced to reduce services to preserve fuel for critical care. The hospital was overwhelmed and severely under-resourced. Beds were full, and patients were once again being treated on the floor. There were 13 patients in the ICU dependent on life support, which would be cut off if power ran out. Hundreds of patients were coming in daily, the majority of whom had a combination of multiple injuries, draining limited resources at a fast rate. The Nasser medical complex was overflowing with patients, with daily injuries in tens and hundreds coming from so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital was operating as a massive trauma ward, going from 300 beds to supporting 700 patients amid limited resources and fuel. The hospitals were constantly making the difficult choice to deprioritise patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiac conditions, in order to save lives in the emergency rooms and operating theatres. This would have a long-term impact and cause a wave of preventable deaths and unnecessary suffering. Nasser Hospital remained close to the evacuation zone, and it must be protected.
There had been a rise in meningitis cases in children; mostly viral with some bacterial as well. Typically, in the June to August period, there was a notable rise in viral meningitis registered every year, however, this year there was an increase in cases compared to this time in previous years. Hospitals did not have tests available to differentiate between viral and bacterial meningitis, risking delayed or incorrect treatment, putting more lives at risk and straining already limited resources.
On 2 July, after three weeks of no medical evacuations, WHO evacuated 19 child patients and 39 companions to Jordan, and 4 patients and 7 companions to Türkiye. During the evacuation, strikes near the convoy damaged the bus, ambulances and vehicles transporting the patients, their companions, and WHO staff. No injuries were reported, but the incident was distressing for the patients and families. Since 18 March 2025, only seven medical evacuations had taken place. More than 10,000 people in Gaza still needed medical evacuation.
WHO needed routes to open. The supply routes also needed to open. There were urgent needs for anaesthesia, cultures, and lab supplies.
Everybody knew what was needed, Dr. Peeperkorn concluded. Gaza needed to be flooded with food: this would stop the mass casualty incidents, it would also stop the fighting for food, the desperate violence. Flood the markets with food, make sure that wash and water was supplied, make sure there was essential medicine, medical supplies and, of course, a regular supply of fuel, he urged. The ceasefire was really needed, and it must happen, and happen now.
Mr. Gómez added that these points had been echoed by the United Nations Secretary-General in a statement issued yesterday, in response to the
deepening humanitarian crisis, in particular the recent multiple attacks hitting sites hosting displaced people, and the relocation of nearly 30,000 people in just one day this week.
Responding to a question, Dr. Peeperkorn said it was difficult for hospitals to make the difference between viral and bacterial meningitis, as they lacked the supplies. There were approximately 300 cases. It was very difficult to get data from hospitals in the situation, but there appeared to more of an increase than in previous years. Injuries seen in Nasser were all confirmed by health workers and families that they came from the so-called “safe” non-United Nations food distribution areas. Gaza needed to be flooded with food to stop the scramble from desperate people and even organised people trying to get their hands on the food. What was seen from this crisis constantly was that every time the situation got a little better, there was a squeeze, a blockade or such, making it harder for the United Nations and others to distribute food, and the situation, which was already disastrous, moved beyond being disastrous. Desperate people made disastrous decisions, with young boys being sent to get food and being killed or maimed for the sake of one bag of flour. A majority of the cases being reported were all related to the so-called safe non-United Nations food distribution sites. This could all be stopped if the market was flooded with food.
Responding to a number of questions from journalists on the situation at sites specifically related to and operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Dr. Peeperkorn stated that the WHO team was not at these so-called safe distribution sites; it witnessed the consequences and got reports from the patients and their families and friends, and from these reports, could say that the majority of these injuries were related to the so-called non-United Nations food distribution sites run by the GHF. However, he could not provide exact figures and could only give the figures derived from the reports made to the WHO. He also noted that there were mass casualty events linked to all trucks coming into Gaza, as there were limited food supplies with just a trickle coming in. Any supplies that came in attracted hundreds of mainly young boys and men would flood them.
Mr. Gómez noted that the GHF deliveries did not meet the basic standards needed for humanitarian delivery, nor the high standard the United Nations would require in line with international law. The humanitarian teams in Gaza needed to coordinate their efforts with the Israeli authorities. During the month of June, out of nearly 400 such coordination attempts, 44% were outright denied by the Israeli authorities. Another 10% were initially accepted but faced impediments. It was very complex situation.
On a question regarding exactly who was shooting at people at the non-United Nations food delivery sites, Dr. Peeperkorn said the WHO was not at the sites and did not know who was shooting, and only saw the results, which were clear, graphic and horrific. WHO was trying to analyse and monitor to see who was responsible. Mr. Gómez added to this that if there were more eyes and ears on the ground, credible reports could be made. What was needed was a ceasefire, accountability, justice, and the return of hostages. All these things could be done. The United Nations had been pleading for these for months.
Ravina Shamdasani, speaking for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the Office had recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys as of the 27th of June, since which there had been further incidents, and were probably an undercount. Colleagues had pointed out the challenges of verifying information because the Office didn’t have eyes and ears on the ground, however, it was doing what it could to try to verify these figures, but perhaps it would never be possible to grasp the full scale of what's happening here because of the lack of access. On who was responsible, it was clear that the Israeli military had shelled and shot at Palestinians trying to reach the distribution points. There must be an investigation, there must be access, there must be an independent inquiry and accountability for these killings.
Regarding a question on the killing of Marwan al Sultan, Director of Indonesian hospital in Gaza, and his children and wife, Dr. Peeperkorn expressed WHO’s condolences to his family and staff, noting that he was a great human being and a great medical doctor. Of course, these killings had an impact, but health workers would often move on to other health centres and assist. However, there was an impact on the number of health workers. A disproportionate number of health staff, particularly EMTs, were denied entry to Gaza by the Israeli authorities.
Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda
Following a question on whether there had been any movements/ returns since the signing of the peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, Mr. Baloch said UNHCR welcomed the agreement signed in Washington on 27 June between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of Rwanda and commended the efforts of regional and international partners who made this important milestone toward lasting peace and stability possible. For decades, violence and instability in the DRC had forced millions of families to flee their homes, often multiple times, stripping them of safety and hopes for the future. This agreement offered a chance to stop the cycle of violence and displacement and focus on solutions that restored dignity, stability and opportunity.
However, figures showed that since the beginning of 2025, nearly 120,000 people had fled the DRC for neighbouring countries. In the week prior to the signing of this agreement, violence and insecurity continued to displace people and also caused loss of life. This had been a long-running humanitarian situation and displacement crisis, with 1.1 million refugees who had fled the DRC to neighbouring countries, the majority to Uganda. Inside the DRC itself, there were 7 million internally-displaced persons.
Mr. Gómez noted that the Secretary-General had also issued a statement on the Agreement.
IFRC humanitarian response in Myanmar since the earthquake
Nadia Khoury, Head of Delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross in Myanmar, said that on Sunday, 6 July, it would be 100 days since two powerful earthquakes struck central Myanmar, taking lives, causing injuries and destroying and damaging dozens of thousands of homes, schools, hospitals and places of worship. The next 100 days would be critical, shaping how people can move from survival to recovery and rebuild their lives. Together with IFRC and Red Cross and Red Crescent partners, Red Cross volunteers and staff had reached close to 200,000 people with a range of services including emergency shelter, health care, safe water, and cash assistance. Although the relief phase was almost over, the IFRC was closely monitoring the ongoing monsoon and cyclone season and would be ready to respond with additional relief items. In parallel, it was crucial to restore the dignity and safety of affected people as quickly as possible during this early recovery period.
Recovery meant helping as many people as possible to return to their homes and supporting them in rebuilding their livelihoods. It was significantly more costly than the relief phase; this was a real window of opportunity to move from temporary solutions to permanent progress. The IFRC was therefore calling for even greater support of its Myanmar Earthquake Emergency Appeal. Helping people to move back to earthquake resilient shelters and rebuilding livelihoods, takes more time and a larger investment than providing immediate relief after a disaster. Still, the IFRC’s international emergency appeal has received only 22% of the funds needed to help the Myanmar Red Cross meet its earthquake response goals, and without increased support, it could not reach the scale of recovery that communities urgently needed at this critical juncture, in what was already a fragile and complex situation.
The IFRC played a critical role in providing technical expertise on long-term recovery and international coordination to assist the Myanmar Red Cross in these efforts and to mobilise international support for the next 100 days and beyond. Today, the danger was not over, but it was changing. Acting now could stop this from becoming a longer and ultimately more costly crisis. The international community must continue to stand with the people of Myanmar: the next 100 days would shape the future for thousands of families.
Arrest of Journalists in Azerbaijan
Responding to a question regarding recent arrests of seven journalists who had been arrested in Azerbaijan, Ravina Shamdasani said the OHCHR was following this and looking into the details. The High Commissioner had raised concerns about respect for media freedoms in Azerbaijan and the treatment of journalists and of media workers, as well as for activists and other individuals who had been arbitrarily deprived of liberty.
Humanitarian and Human Rights Situation in Ukraine
On a question regarding the use by Russia of chemical weapons in Ukraine, Ms. Shamdasani of OHCHR said the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OCPW) had confirmed the presence of toxic chemicals in several locations, which had confirmed the use of toxic chemicals against Ukraine on several locations. The Office had documented the use of many different weapons by Russia in Ukraine, including the use of cluster munitions in heavily populated areas. The High Commissioner had repeatedly warned that due to the wide area effects of cluster munitions, their use in populated areas was incompatible with international humanitarian law. It had also documented the use of mines and other heavy weaponry.
Upcoming Events
Edward Harris, speaking for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), said the WIPO Assemblies were taking place from Tuesday, 8 July, through Thursday, 17 July. More than 1,000 delegates were expected, including 40 or so Ministers, to review the Program of work for the next 26-27 biennium as well as program activities in 2024. On Wednesday, 9 July, the World Intangible Investment Highlights report would be launched, which looked at 2024 activity and longer-term trends in investments in data, software, R/D, brands and other intellectual property-backed assets that are increasingly important to global GDP.
The WIPO Global Award winners press release would be issued on Friday 11 July, with an announcement and ceremony at WIPO, with ten winners this year. Launched in 2022, the WIPO Global Awards celebrated small businesses, start-ups and university spinouts that leveraged Intellectual Property (IP) and backed innovation and creation in an exceptional manner to achieve business goals and improve society. Many member States would be hosting cultural and other events highlighting innovation and creativity, including China, India, Oman, Armenia, Albania, Peru, Indonesia, Grenada, and Qatar.
Henri Monceau, Permanent Observer of the Organisation Internationale pour la Francophonie (OIF), said last year, on 23 September, the General Assembly adopted the World Digital Compact, which was the first text resulting from a global intergovernmental negotiation. For the last two decades, digital governance has been an issue which based on a multiparty model involving governments but also the technical community, industry, civil society, and the the academic world. This was a structure which was put in place from the World Summit for the Society of Information in 2003 and onwards over many meetings, the twentieth of which will start next Monday, 7 July, at the same time as the AI for Good Global Summit. This meeting will have to submit proposals to the General Assembly of the United Nations, proposals which will be the subject of a decision in December.What was at stake were questions which were fundamental on the quality of the information, on digital sovereignty and the way in which the data was used, and on the access of cultures and peoples to AI. This wass the reason why OIF mobilized all the actors of the French-speaking digital space in Geneva this weekend around these problematic issues, namely digital inclusion, cultural and linguistic diversity, and the governance of the data. There would be more than 50 intervenants, including the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Amandip Singh Gill, the Director General of UNESCO, the President of the Internet Society and many others.Nobuntu Ndlovu, GIGA Communication Manager, speaking on the Giga Connectivity Forum 2025, said the Forum would be taking place next week on the sidelines of the World Summit for the Information Society and of the AI for Good Global Summit. GIGA was a joint initiative between UNICEF and ITU with the sole mission of supporting Governments in connecting schools to the Internet by 2030 and ensuring that every young person had access to information, opportunity and choice.GIGA operated with four models: map, model, finance and contract. It went into countries to map the schools to understand where they were in order to understand what the big challenge looked like, how many schools were connected, how many were not. But connecting schools was not enough, as it also needed to do the modelling to understand the infrastructure that was required to support these schools. GIGA therefore worked with Governments to model and finance partnering with them to enable them to understand what the best procurement practices could look like, working from a contracting perspective to actually enable them to drive pooled procurement as part of the model.
GIGA had mapped 2.2 million schools, with 24,000 active schools, resulting in 11 million children benefiting from connectivity. This was not enough. With technology moving at such a fast pace, there were fears that there was going to be a huge gap and a huge disconnect across the globe. This Forum was a combined effort of countries across Europe.
Announcements
Rolando Gómez, speaking for the International Telecommunications Union, said beginning on Monday, the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) +20 High Level Event 2025 would run through Friday, 11 July.Stakeholders from over 150 countries will help shape the vision for the next phase of the world's digital transformation. Outcomes will contribute directly to the UN General Assembly's 20-year review of WSIS scheduled for December 2025 in New York.
Also on Monday, there would a press tour at Palexpo of the AI for Good and WSIS conference facilities. Exhibitors and their AI technology will be on display, beginning at 17:00.
On Tuesday, the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 would open, also running through Friday, 11 July. AI governance, standards, skills and capacity will be in focus at the event, featuring talks from AI leaders and 100+ demos showcasing AI innovations to deliver better healthcare and education, reduce disaster risks, ensure water and food security, and bolster economic resilience.
There was a press conference on AI superhumanity scheduled for Wednesday 9 July at Palexpo at 12:00
Speaking for the Information Service, Mr. Gómez noted that Secretary-General António Guterres would be leaving tomorrow for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to attend the 17th summit of the BRICS countries. He had been invited to speak at an outreach session on strengthening multilateralism, economic financial affairs and artificial intelligence on 6 July. On Monday, 7 July, the Secretary-General would address the second outreach session on the environment, COP 30 and global health. During his visit, the Secretary-General would also be having a host of bilateral meetings.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women would close its 91st session this afternoon at 5 pm and issue its concluding observations on the countries reviewed during this session: Mexico, Thailand, Ireland, Afghanistan, San Marino, Chad and Botswana.
The Human Rights Committee would be continuing its 144th session over coming weeks.
At roughly 4 p.m. this afternoon, the Human Rights Council will begin action on various resolutions and decisions.
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