UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, as well as representatives and spokespersons of the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Food Programme, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Famine in Gaza
Tom Fletcher, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, urged the media to read the new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report in full, and to see it in human terms, rather than just mere numbers. This report was an irrefutable testimony: famine was unfolding in Gaza now, the famine which could have been prevented if only aid had been allowed in. It was a famine within few hundred meters of food and on fertile land. It was a famine that hit the most vulnerable first, each with a name and with a story, stripping people of dignity before stripping them of life. It was a famine that the humanitarians had repeatedly warned of, but that international media had not been allowed to cover from within. It was a famine in 2025, watched over by drones and other modern technology. It was a famine on everyone’s watch; it was the world’s famine which asked everyone “What did you do?”. It was a predictable and preventable famine, caused by cruelty, enabled by indifference, and sustained by complicity. This famine should shame the world to do better. Mr. Fletcher asked for an immediate ceasefire and for the opening of all crossings to allow for unimpeded aid access. It was too late for far too many, but not for everyone in Gaza. “Enough! For humanity’s sake, let us in,” concluded Mr. Fletcher.
Responding to questions from the media, Mr. Fletcher said this was a moment of collective shame. The international community had been watching it happen in real time, and it would have been even more closely watched had international media been allowed into Gaza. This famine could have been prevented had all the trucks with aid been let in. People in Gaza did not need to read the IPC report; they had known too well their own situation for many weeks and months. It was important to recognize that there was a growing constituency in Israel that supported allowing aid into Gaza.
On 6 August, UN humanitarian agencies and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had held a meeting at the US Mission in New York, confirmed Mr. Fletcher. Experienced humanitarians had a know-how and knew how to deliver aid; what others did was up to them, but UN humanitarians had to be allowed to do their job in accordance with the established, tried and tested humanitarian standards.
OCHA was in regular contact with US officials, said Mr. Fletcher, and US President Trump had issued a clear instruction that the starvation in Gaza ought to be ended. Humanitarians would need to be allowed to operate at scale, he reiterated. During the ceasefire earlier this year, 600 to 700 trucks had been brought in Gaza every single day; the same should be allowed to happen now, as this was essential to end the starvation. Commercial access at scale into Gaza was also needed, as well as access for UN humanitarian partners. When calling for unimpeded access into Gaza, it was a call for the entire humanitarian community, including NGO partners.
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), said that as famine was now confirmed in the Gaza Governorate, according to the just released IPC report, the Secretary-General had issued the following statement: “Just when it seems there are no words left to describe the living hell in Gaza, a new one has been added: ‘famine’. This is not a mystery -- it is a man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself. Famine is not only about food; it is the deliberate collapse of the systems needed for human survival. People are starving. Children are dying. And those with the duty to act are failing. As the occupying power, Israel has unequivocal obligations under international law – including the duty of ensuring food and medical supplies of the population. We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity. No more excuses. The time for action is not tomorrow -- it is now. We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and full, unfettered humanitarian access.”
Ms. Vellucci also read a statement by Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA): “Months of warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Famine is now confirmed in Gaza city. This is starvation by design and manmade by the Government of Israel. It is the direct result of banning food and other basic supplies for months including from UNRWA. The spread of famine can still be controlled by a ceasefire plus allowing humanitarian organizations to do their work and reach starving people with aid. Time for political will!”
Jean Marten Bauer, Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis at the World Food Programme (WFP), speaking from Rome, confirmed that famine was now reality in Gaza. When famine was declared, there was widespread starvation, illness, and mortality. All three thresholds were now reached in Gaza City. Famine required more than a usual response: it was a tipping point and there was an urgent need for more medical practitioners. This was the first time famine had been declared in the Middle East, said Mr. Bauer. There had indeed been many warnings of upcoming famine. More information on IPC classification and conditions for famine to be declared can be found here.
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory, connecting from Gaza, said that in July alone, a record number of malnourished children had been recorded in Gaza. Before the current crisis, there had been no malnutrition in Gaza. Hunger and malnutrition were not only about empty stomachs, but they also provided fertile ground for numerous diseases as they weakened the body. It should not be forgotten that this was a man-made crisis. The time for action was now, without any more excuses. An immediate ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian access, and release of all hostages were all needed now. Humanitarians needed protection, and health care had to be protected, stressed Dr. Peeperkorn. Essential services and local food production ought to be restored without delay. The minimally functioning hospitals were under enormous strain, said Dr. Peeperkorn. Every pillar in Gaza had been torn apart. WHO warned that plans to intensify military operations would have terrific on people, and lead to innumerous more casualties. UN and WHO had done whatever was possible to maintain the crumbling health system. Parties to the conflict, reminded Dr. Peeperkorn, were obliged to protect civilians caught in the midst of conflict.
Jeremy Laurence, for the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), read the statement by the High Commissioner Volker Türk: “The famine declared today in Gaza Governorate by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is the direct result of actions taken by the Israeli Government. It has unlawfully restricted the entry and distribution of humanitarian assistance and other goods necessary for the survival of the civilian population in the Gaza strip. We have already seen deaths from starvation and malnutrition across the strip. The Israeli military has destroyed critical civilian infrastructure and almost all agricultural land, banned fishing, and forcibly displaced the population – all drivers of this famine.”
Full statement is available here.
Replying to questions, Mr. Bauer, for the WFP, said that air drops were not going to resolve the problem. The famine had to be addressed in a more comprehensive, rapid response. Dr. Peeperkorn, for the WHO, said that, while there was some value to airdrops, there was an established, tried and tested system in place to deliver aid by land. Airdrops could help, but they could also be very dangerous, and people had been killed in the process. Instead of funding airdrops, those funds should better be invested in the well-established, ready ground operations. Mr. Bauer, on another question, said that the worry was that the numbers, especially among the starving children, could get even worse rapidly, which was why the siege had to end right now.
Responding to further questions, Dr. Peeperkorn spoke of a huge increase in trauma patients, with all hospitals becoming massive trauma wards. Malnutrition, explained Dr. Peeperkorn, could be both a primary cause of death and a key contributing factor, weakening the organism and making it more susceptible to a range of diseases. Recovery from both trauma and other diseases took way more time if the patient was malnourished. Even medication was more effective if the patient was well nourished, he explained.
Mr. Laurence, for the OHCHR, reiterated it was a war crime to use starvation as a method of warfare; it was Israel’s responsibility to allow entry of humanitarian aid. Dr. Peeperkorn said that this was a man-made malnutrition crisis which could also be fixed by men. Malnutrition could lead to stunting, and among very young children it could be deadly very quickly as their nutrition needs were significant. One of the effects of malnutrition was lethargy and the overall lack of energy, something that Dr. Peeperkorn could observe across Gaza. Mr. Bauer specified that while, for the time being, famine had been declared in Gaza Governorate, IPC phase 5 was affecting between 500 and 600,000 people across Gaza.
Responding to Israel’s comment on the famine declaration, Mr. Bauer stressed that IPC was a gold standard across the world; indicators used in the case of Gaza had been used in other countries around the world, including Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. IPC had a strong governance mechanism with experts seriously reviewing data. There were different ways to measure malnutrition, he explained. For famine to be formally declared, he explained, three severe, concurrent thresholds had to be met: at least 20 percent of households faced extreme food shortages; at least 30 percent of children under five suffered from acute malnutrition; and death rates were at least two per 10,000 people daily due to starvation and disease. The IPC manual also provided that mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) on children could be used as an indicator; this approach had been used for years and in different contexts. Dr. Peeperkorn reiterated that IPC was a well-established, serious, factual global system including 21 respected organizations from the UN and beyond. He pleaded that something be done immediately for the situation to be reversed.
Situation in As Sweida, Syria
Adam Abdelmoula, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, speaking from Damascus, said that he, as part of a UN team, had visited As Sweida this week, where he had met with the local community, displaced families, officials, and local NGOs. What the team had seen in As Sweida was deeply alarming. More than 185,000 people were displaced; many were sheltering in schools, and the school year was approaching. The displaced were also putting a strain on host communities, and very few shops remained open, selling goods at exorbitant prices. There was a shortage of medicine and medical equipment, said Mr. Abdelmoula. Across the Governorate, there was a serious shortage of essential medicine and fuel. On the way from Damascus to As Sweida, destruction could be seen everywhere. Twelve aid convoys had been dispatched to the region, reaching 300,000 people, but much more was still needed. While humanitarian need was critical, restoring full critical access was crucial. UN appreciated facilitation of humanitarian access and cooperation with the Syrian Red Crescent. The humanitarian response for Syria remained severely underfunded, warned Mr. Abdelmoula, appealing for a continuous, consistent support of the international community.
Answering questions from the journalists, Mr. Abdelmoula said that while the Gaza crisis was longer-lasting and more profound, Sudan, like each humanitarian crisis, ought to be adequately addressed.
RSF killing of civilians in Darfur and overall health situation in Sudan
Jeremy Laurence, for the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that brutal attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the besieged city of El Fasher and the adjoining Abu Shouk camp for displaced persons in North Darfur had resulted in the killing of at least 89 civilians over a ten-day period up to 20 August. OHCHR feared that the actual number of civilians killed was likely higher. In the latest attacks documented by the Office, between 16 and 20 August, at least 32 civilians had been killed; at least 57 civilians had been killed in previous attacks on 11 August. Such attacks were unacceptable and had to cease immediately. OHCHR was particularly horrified that among the most recent spate of civilian killings, 16 appeared to have been cases of summary executions. Most of the victims had been killed in Abu Shouk camp and belonged to the African Zaghawa tribe, according to information gathered by the OHCHR. The humanitarian situation in El Fasher had reached a critical point after more than a year of siege. There was a growing risk of famine in both the city and other areas of North Darfur.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on all parties to the conflict to take concrete measures immediately to ensure the protection of civilians, including safe passage for those wishing to leave conflict-affected areas, and to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian assistance for those in need.
Full statement is available here.
Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that all 18 states in Sudan were reporting cholera cases; over 100, 000 cases and more than 2741 deaths had been reported since July 2024; 62 percent of all cases from Khartoum, Jazirah, Gedaref and White Nile States, and 12 percent of cases were children under five. In Darfur, the disease had spread all over the state in recent months, and it was also actively spreading across the three Kordofan states. Cholera was a treatable disease, stressed Mr. Lindmeier. El Fasher in Darfur State was suffering a severe humanitarian and public-health crisis driven by active conflict, blockade, and mass displacement. Access to healthcare within Sudan continued to be severely restricted, said Mr. Lindmeier; 38 percent of all facilities were non-functional, and child vaccinations had seriously decreased. Acute malnutrition was also growing; some 20,000 children had been admitted for acute severe malnutrition this year. Attacks on healthcare continued to mark the conflict in Sudan; at least 177 attacks had been verified, having led to 1,176 recorded deaths and 362 injuries. Gender-based violence was on the rise. WHO was supporting 60 health centers and over 100 nutrition stations, informed Mr. Lindmeier.
Olga Sarrado, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), added that cholera had also spread to eastern Chad, which was hosting large numbers of Sudanese refugees and where 735 cases had been confirmed, with 50 deaths. The outbreak was spreading rapidly, affecting six refugee camps, with a high case-fatality rate. There was a real risk of the disease spreading farther, as the amount of water delivered to refugees was inadequate, and the shelters were overcrowded.
Mr. Laurence, for the OHCHR, responding to a question, stressed that the OHCHR was consistent calling out breaches of international humanitarian law and international human rights law regardless of where they happened.
Eighth anniversary of the military assault on Rohingya in Myanmar
Jeremy Laurence, for the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that, as another years was passing with no justice for the violence which started on 25 August 2017 in Myanmar, the question remained of when the enduring misery for these and ongoing crimes would end, particularly for the long-suffering Rohingya community. Ending impunity and ensuring the Rohingya’s rights to security, citizenship and equality were essential for breaking the cycle of violence. Since November 2023, the human rights and humanitarian situation in Rakhine had sharply deteriorated, further deepening the already life-threatening conditions faced by the Rohingya. Both the military and the Arakan Army had committed and continue to commit serious atrocity crimes against the Rohingya with impunity — in flagrant violation of international law, including the provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk implored the international community to step up support for the Rohingya by increasing humanitarian funding to secure access to basic needs and essential services, and to resolutely support international accountability processes.
OHCHR statement can be read here.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), informed that the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was concluding this morning the review of the report of Finland. On 26 August, CRPD would close its session and issue its concluding observations on the four countries reviewed during this session: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kiribati, Maldives, and Finland.
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