UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the World Food Programme, UN Women, World Health Organization, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Updates on the Escalating Conflict in Lebanon and the Middle East

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said that the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres had issued a statement that unequivocably condemned the massive strikes by Israel across Lebanon on 8 April and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk had also issued a statement on the strikes.

As the situation continued to deteriorate, the UN reiterated the need for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities, full respect for international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and healthcare workers; sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access to all those who needed it; and urgent funding for its humanitarian operations, Ms. Vellucci said.

Allison Oman, Country Director in Lebanon, World Food Programme (WFP), said the past 48 hours in Lebanon had been among the most difficult that had been seen in recent months. A sharp escalation in hostilities on Wednesday resulted in devastating consequences, with hundreds of casualties reported within a matter of hours. Behind these numbers were families, communities, and lives abruptly shattered.

WFP’s team was safe and accounted for but not untouched. One staff member had lost his home during the bombardment. WFP teams on the ground were navigating insecurity, uncertainty and rapidly changing conditions to continue to deliver life-saving assistance. Ms. Oman recounted travelling on a convoy to a border village in the south and seeing not only the gratitude of the population when it arrived, but also a local bakery that had had its glass front destroyed an hour earlier sweeping up the glass and preparing their ovens to cook with the wheat flour that would be delivered. Their food stocks were very low, and the convoy was essential to help them keep going. Due to the complex operating environment, the convoy had taken over 15 hours on a journey that would normally have been just a few hours.  Needs were growing rapidly, and safe and sustained access was critical for WFP to continue delivering needed assistance to affected communities, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

This was not just a displacement crisis but was also rapidly becoming a food security crisis. There were already clear signs of rising food prices across Lebanon. In just one month, the price of vegetables had surged by more than 20 per cent and bread prices had increased by 17 per cent. For families who were already struggling, this was deeply concerning. Prices were rising, incomes were disrupted, and demand was increasing as displacement continued. In southern parts of Lebanon, more than 80 per cent of markets were no longer functioning, with many traders reporting less than one week of essential food stocks remaining. Markets in relatively safer areas such as Beirut were still operating but were under increasing strain.

The escalation was pushing vulnerable communities even closer to the edge. Before the March crisis began, Lebanon was already facing a severe economic crisis, with around 900,000 people across Lebanon were facing food insecurity. WFP’s latest analysis, likely to be released next week, indicated that this number was set to rise.

WFP had been on the ground since the very first hours of this escalation, responding immediately as the situation unfolded. It had already reached more than 440,000 conflict-affected people, on top of ongoing assistance programmes with emergency cash and food assistance. It had distributed the equivalent of two million meals to families caught up in the crisis. The response was being carried out under the leadership of the Lebanese Government and in close coordination with partners. It was only possible thanks to the generous support of donors, whose continued commitment was critical as the needs continued to rise.

WFP was on the ground and remained committed to delivering. It was adapting its operations in real-time, working with partners to scale up assistance as the situation evolved. But it could not do it alone, and the space for humanitarian action had been compromised. Food was more than just assistance for the affected families– it was stability, dignity and, in many cases, a lifeline.

In response to questions, Ms. Oman said the whole food system had been hit by the supply chain disruptions caused by the conflict. The impact of fuel price rises, and lower fertiliser and fuel deliveries was beginning to be seen. Ports remained open in Lebanon, so goods were still able to come in, but it was a constrained environment.

Despite being struck, the Qasmiyeh Bridge was now operational and there had been a delivery this morning. Since 2 March, the WFP logistics cluster had been able to launch 10 conveys, with the latest convoy launched this morning. Around 70 trucks had delivered goods to between 40,000 to 60,000 people. There needed to be more convoys to meet the needs of the people. There were between 50,000 and 150,000 people in Lebanon who relied on humanitarian assistance. The convoys delivered food, water, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits and essential goods.

Dr Abdinasir Abubak, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in Lebanon, said that what happened on 8 April was one of the deadliest incidents since the conflict started. In a very short time, there had been so many air strikes in civilian areas. The result was that civilians had paid the price. According to the Ministry of Health’s latest figures, there were over 300 deaths and 1,150 injuries on 8 April. Many more people were still missing, believed to be under the rubble. There were also many body parts that had yet to be identified. Over 1,000 injured people had flooded to hospitals in and outside of Beirut.

The health system had already been under strain over the last 40 days, responding to mass casualties. Yesterday, the Minister of Health activated the mass casualty protocol that would lead to increased blood donations and increased supplies available to hospitals. The supplies that were available in the country even before the mass casualty event on 8 April were not sufficient to last one month. However, the amount of supplies used to respond to the 8 April incident should have been enough to last for three or four weeks. There was now a risk of shortages of trauma medical supplies, including medications, blood products and supplies for trauma management.

The Ministry of Health appealed yesterday to the international community for more supplies to be delivered. WHO was working with partners to find ways of ensuring that hospitals maintained adequate supplies in case there was another mass casualty.

The evacuation order issued yesterday covered an area in Beirut’s Jnah that included two major hospitals managing casualties from the 8 April attack, the Rafik Hariri University Hospital and Al Zahraa Hospital. These two hospitals currently had 450 patients, of whom 50 were in the intensive care unit. Yesterday and last night, WHO worked through diplomatic channels to ensure that these hospitals were not attacked. There were no other hospitals in the area that could handle these 450 patients.

Healthcare workers had been disproportionately impacted by this conflict, which had not only caused the loss of life but also impacted access to services, especially in areas affected by conflict. This morning, Israel had issued another warning that ambulances would be attacked. Healthcare workers, health facilities and ambulances were all protected under international law. Unless these services were available, lives could not be saved.

Many healthcare workers had been displaced and were in shelters. WHO was working with the Ministry of Health and partners to support these healthcare workers to return to hospitals and primary healthcare facilities so they could better serve people in need. It was also working with partners to secure more supplies and ensure that response activities were sustained.

In response to questions, Dr Abubak said WHO was calling for ambulances and hospitals not to be militarised. Ambulances needed to be used purely for paramedics, who intended to save lives. WHO had communication channels with parties to the conflict, through which it was calling for de-escalation and for first responders to be protected. It was critical that they had the opportunity to serve and save lives.

As of yesterday, casualty figures from the 8 April attack released by the Lebanese Ministry of Health showed that there had been over 300 deaths and over 1,100 injuries. However, the Ministry of Health had not finalised the count yet, with many people still missing. By the end of today, there would be more disaggregated data on casualties.

Hospitals and healthcare workers treating mass casualties were overwhelmed. Rafik Hariri University Hospital and Al Zahraa Hospital were at full capacity. If there was another mass casualty today or tomorrow, there would not be enough space in these hospitals. After receiving the evacuation warning yesterday, WHO had received assurances that these hospitals would not be attacked. Patients were still in these hospitals and there was no place to evacuate them to.

Responding to questions on the identity of casualties and whether the sites that were attacked were military sites, Christian Lindmeier for the World Health Organization (WHO) said it was not WHO’s mandate to determine whether the sites that were attacked were military sites or not, or who were combatants and who were not. Healthcare needed to be protected in all circumstances and was not to be misused. Misuse of medical facilities did not justify attacks on them, however.

Sofia Calltorp for UN Women said that UN Women welcomed the announcement of the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran and echoed the alarm expressed by the United Nations Secretary-General at the wave of Israeli strikes across Lebanon. Reports indicated that hundreds of people had been killed and injured in this week alone, including women and girls. UN Women continued to call for a lasting peace and justice in the region, one that upholds the safety and dignity of women and girls.

On 28 February, the first strike of the recent escalation, 168 girls were reportedly killed when a strike hit their primary school in Minab in Iran. Since then, hundreds of women and girls had reportedly been killed across the region. Some 204 women had reportedly been killed in Iran, while in Lebanon, 102 women were killed prior to the 8 April bombardment. Women and girls had also reportedly been killed in Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the United Arab Emirates.

Millions of women and girls had been forced to flee their homes, including an estimated 1.6 million in Iran and 620,000 in Lebanon. Displacement was exposing them to heightened risks, particularly in overcrowded and unsafe conditions. It was also cutting off access to healthcare, protection, and livelihoods, while increasing unpaid care burdens.

The destruction of civilian infrastructure in the region was further limiting access to safe shelter, clean water, and essential services. Even before the latest escalation, an estimated 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza and 70,000 pregnant women in Lebanon needed maternal health services, many already facing significant barriers to adequate care. Damage to hospitals and health systems would further constrain access to life-saving and essential services.

Food insecurity had become an increasingly urgent concern. Across affected countries – including Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, and Iraq – 24 million women and girls were facing deepening food insecurity driven by price volatility, disrupted supply chains and declining purchasing power in a highly import-dependent region. In Gaza alone, nearly 790,000 women and girls were experiencing crisis-level or worse food insecurity.

Women’s rights organizations, which were critical to humanitarian response and peacebuilding across the region, were operating under shrinking civic space, escalating security risks, and severe funding gaps. Women human rights defenders had faced intimidation, arbitrary arrest, detention, and, in some cases, lethal violence.

UN Women was on the ground across the Middle East region, scaling up protection, livelihoods support and coordination, and ensuring women’s voices led the response and recovery. It called for de-escalation, protection of all civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, gender-responsive humanitarian action, and for the two-week ceasefire to become the foundation for a just, enduring, and comprehensive peace for all women and girls across the region.

Read the full press release here.

Eujin Byun for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said UNHCR was urging that all civilians in Lebanon, including the more than one million displaced people, be protected at all times, as the country reeled from the largest and most devastating attacks of the current conflict on 8 April. Around 100 locations were hit within 10 minutes with no warnings, including densely populated neighbourhoods in Beirut already sheltering thousands of displaced people. Families who had already fled early hostilities in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and southern Lebanon were once again uprooted.

Areas previously considered safe were struck this time, triggering panic and forcing people to flee for the second or third time. The destruction of the Qasmiyeh Bridge had made access to Tyre even more restricted and made moving between northern and southern Lebanon much more difficult. For many families from southern villages, return was no longer possible, as the entire community had been partially or completely destroyed. Some 150,000 people were estimated to still be in the south, and they needed a safe route to flee if they were forced to again.

Humanitarian needs were rising sharply. Access to affected people was increasingly constrained. There were almost 700 severely overcrowded shelters hosting over 138,000 displaced people. Nearly half of Lebanon's public schools were now functioning as shelters, leaving children once again out of class and grappling with the fear, anxiety, and repeated displacement.

Despite immense challenges, UNHCR and partners continued to support the Government-led response with emergency relief, shelter repairs, and protection services. So far, it had assisted more than 151,000 displaced people in collective shelters and 31,000 in hard-to-reach areas. Alongside expanded financial assistance, it was providing specialised protection support for the most vulnerable, including separated children and people with disabilities. It was also supporting over 250,000 people who had crossed into Syria, including 39,000 Lebanese.

With one in five people in Lebanon currently displaced, and UNHCR operations in the country just 19 per cent funded, immediate and sustained support and a lasting end to the hostilities were now critical.

In response to questions, Ms. Byun said all civilians needed to be protected from strikes, including displaced persons. Out of the one million people who were already displaced, 35 per cent were children. Over 680 shelters in Lebanon hosted 140,000 displaced persons. Of those displaced and sheltering in collective sites, 25 per cent were children, eight per cent were older people, and over one per cent were pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.

War in Sudan Enters its Fourth Year

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said that three years after the beginning of the conflict in Sudan, the relentless fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces had set off the world’s most devastating humanitarian crisis, inflicting untold suffering on civilians. Sudan was now the largest hunger and displacement crisis on the planet.

Ms. Vellucci reported that a social media campaign that was launched by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the occasion of this terrible anniversary, the hashtag for which was #3YearsTooLong.

Marie-Helene Verney, Representative in Sudan, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said that over the last three years, a quarter of the population of Sudan had been displaced - around 14 million people. There were still around 12 million people displaced, nine million were internally displaced and around four million were in neighbouring countries - most in Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt.

Over the last year, there had been no clear progress towards a resolution to the conflict. Fighting was ongoing in large parts of the country. Over the past year, there had been an increase in aerial bombardments, which were targeting civilian infrastructure with no warnings. In the last year, there had also been a continuation of very severe human rights and international humanitarian law violations, including conflict-related sexual violence, killings, massacres, abductions and forced recruitment. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had reported crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes with genocidal intent in El Fasher and the Darfur region.

Women and girls were at particular risk, facing conflict-related sexual violence, including while fleeing for safety. The health and justice systems in many parts of the country had collapsed, creating a climate of impunity, which needed to be tackled. There was a real sense of helplessness. UNHCR was trying to respond to individual cases but was continuing to see repeated instances of sexual violence. Even before a ceasefire was reached, a message needed to be sent that there would be consequences for actions that constituted war crimes. 

Children were also very much at risk. Ms. Verney said she had met a woman at a displacement site whose husband and eldest son had been killed, and her second eldest son had been retained at a checkpoint by combatants under suspicion that he would join the opposing forces. She had had to disguise the nine-year-old boy as a girl, because even nine-year-old boys were being kidnapped. Some children had not been able to go to school for four years. In neighbouring countries, UNHCR had recorded, around 58,000 children who had arrived unaccompanied.

Egypt, South Sudan and Chad and other countries hosting the more than 4.5 million refugees fleeing the conflict were at breaking point. These countries had their own challenges and the reduction in humanitarian assistance had left many of them countries and the refugees who arrived there with impossible choices.

Some 14 million people had been displaced, and the situation was extremely fluid. There were displacements ongoing in the Kordofan region. Since 2025, both refugees and internally displaced persons were trying to go back to parts of the country where conflict had abated. The people returning to places like Khartoum, which had had its infrastructure destroyed and heavily mined, needed support. Some 90 per cent of the hospitals in the city were destroyed and schools were closed.

The social fabric of Sudan had been destroyed. It was time to rebuild the country and create a more inclusive society that could eventually participate in a lasting peace. Dangerous journeys were ongoing, and if returns could not be stabilised, people would move again, many on the dangerous journey northwards through Libya towards Europe. Three years into the terrible war, 14,000 Sudanese had arrived in Europe, a 232 per cent increase from their number in 2023. 

The solution was not forced returns. UNHCR did not consider any parts of Sudan to be safe for returns yet. The only solution was a ceasefire and lasting peace. At the very least, there needed to be more investment in humanitarian assistance and in reconstructing the parts of the country that were relatively safer.

This was the world's largest humanitarian crisis, its largest displacement crisis, and one of the world’s worst protection crises, but it remained very largely underfunded. Humanitarian partners in the country had received 16 per cent of the 2.8 billion United States dollars that they needed for this year.

Currently, it was hard to see a clear sign of an end to the conflict. But UNHCR was calling for a ceasefire and for lasting peace that was built on inclusion of all parts of the country and of society. That was needed to end the tragedy for millions of Sudanese, but also to mitigate the risk of a further regional spillover.

In response to questions, Ms. Verney said the price of delivering shelter kits and supplies had doubled since the beginning of the conflict. WFP was looking at rerouting supplies through the Cape of Good Hope, but that would add 25 days to the journey and increase the cost of transportation by 50 per cent. Sudan reportedly had 45 days of fuel left.

Many Sudanese were currently living in Gulf countries, playing a huge role in the economy of the country and supporting the humanitarian response of local responders. These people were no longer able to send remittances, and many of them had returned to Sudan, which had a further destabilising impact.

Hongjie Yang, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative in Sudan, said urgent attention was needed to address the still extremely dire food security situation in many parts of the Sudan. For example, Khartoum state was former the second largest producer of vegetables and fruits and had hosted many fattening farms and slaughterhouses, however these had been destroyed by the war. Due to the destruction of the central veterinary laboratory, vaccines for livestock could no longer be produced locally.

FAO was deeply concerned about spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East further reducing food supplies later in 2026, while famine risks continued in some hotspots. This was especially worrying given already constrained access to critical agricultural inputs among Sudan’s most food insecure and violence-hit populations. The latest Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission reported cereal production down 22 percent from 2024 – a worrying trend amid high acute food insecurity.

As the main planting season approached, FAO urgently called for immediate funding for emergency seed distributions in Sudan. With over 21 million Sudanese facing acute food insecurity – including 6.3 million in the most extreme conditions – the situation remained dire for rural households, particularly in conflict-affected regions such as Darfur and Kordofan.

FAO’s emergency seed campaigns had proven to be highly cost-effective, producing enough food to feed nearly 18.8 million people for twelve months. For every United States dollar (USD) invested in delivering sorghum seed to households, 30 USD worth of sorghum was produced. In 2025 alone, FAO reached 833,000 households with 8,200 tonnes of staple crop seeds, directly increasing food availability and mitigating hunger in the hardest-hit areas. FAO’s sorghum seed distribution last year contributed an estimated 22 per cent of national sorghum production, valued at 594 million USD.

The impact of timely seed distribution was clear. Emergency seed support had enabled vulnerable families to cultivate their land, even amidst insecurity and displacement, increasing food availability in local markets, while contributing to overall national cereal production.

However, funding shortfalls threatened to undermine gains made in local food production and deepen the need for costly food assistance in the second half of the year. Delays or gaps in seed provision risked driving millions further into crisis, especially as agricultural input costs soared and market access remained restricted. The cost per beneficiary remained modest, and local seed multiplication efforts had further boosted planting rates and resilience.

FAO urged donors to act swiftly. With just 10 million USD, the Organization could support 190,000 households in famine-risk areas with seeds, inputs, and machinery services. Scaling up funding would allow expansion to reach up to 1.5 million households nationwide, reinforcing food security and reducing humanitarian needs. Investing now in emergency seed inputs was not only lifesaving, but it was also the most efficient and sustainable way to strengthen Sudan’s agricultural systems, protect livelihoods, and ensure that rural communities were equipped to withstand future shocks.

The window for action was closing rapidly. FAO stood ready to deliver, but urgent financial support was required to secure Sudan’s next harvest and prevent further deterioration of food security situation, especially for the most vulnerable households.

In response to questions, Mr. Yang said the supply and price of fertiliser in Sudan was being affected by the conflict in the Middle East, with the planting season coming very soon. FAO was mitigating the rising electricity costs by using solar systems in several of its projects. It was calling on donors to increase the solar components of projects.

Dr Shible Sahbani, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative and Head of Mission in Sudan, said that three years of war had had an impact on the health sector. More than 40 per cent of the population had urgent health needs; that was more than 21 million people. Fighting had decreased in many parts of the country, but had intensified in Darfur and Kordofan, with hot spots in West Darfur, West Kordofan and North Darfur, where the population faced high protection risks and extreme limitations of access to basic services, mainly health care.

Dr Sahbani said he had returned from Khartoum a few days ago, where he had seen first-hand the gaps in basic services, which could not respond to the needs of the people that had stayed and were returning to their homes. The people he had spoken with are filled with hope of rebuilding their lives, but they were faced with broken basic systems, including health services. Hospitals were overflowing with patients yet operating with less than optimum capacity; once overflowing medical warehouses had been ruined and left with skeletal structures. The number of health workers did not match the patient load. Despite efforts from WHO and partners to distribute medical supplies, needs could still not be met.

In other conflict hotspots, access to health care was even harder. A bombardment of attacks on the few remaining functional hospitals and health facilities over the past several months had rendered them non-functional. Health workers had been killed, injured, detained and tortured. Patients and their families risked death as they sought healing and were increasingly hesitant to seek health care.

Over the three years of war, WHO had verified 217 attacks on health care, with 2,052 deaths and 810 injuries. Some 16 of the attacks took place in the past three months, leading to 194 deaths and 320 injuries.

Since 2025, there had been an increase in the frequency and deadliness of attacks. The casualties of these attacks included a woman in labour, who was killed when the ambulance transporting her to the hospital was hit; a doctor who was killed while making rounds in a paediatric ward; a scrub nurse who was killed while assisting in a caesarean section; a mother who was injured while on the operating table for a caesarean delivery; and children who were killed within the walls of a hospital.  Disease outbreaks were also widespread - malaria, dengue, measles, polio, hepatitis E, and diphtheria were reported from several states.

WHO had been on the ground since the start of the conflict, ensuring access to health care by maintaining a lifeline of essential medicines and medical supplies for partners. It was responding to disease outbreaks; reviving and strengthening disease surveillance; assisting in the treatment of patients; building laboratory capacities; strengthening infection prevention and control; and providing direct operational support to keep facilities running.

Since April 2023, WHO’s technical and operational support had ensured continuity of health services in Sudan. Over 3,000 metric tons of critical medicines and medical supplies had been distributed; over 4.1 million people were treated in hospitals, primary health care facilities and mobile clinics; and over 46 million people were vaccinated against cholera, measles, rubella, diphtheria and polio through WHO support.

Sudan’s health sector required 325.3 million USD for the humanitarian response in 2026, and WHO required 167 million USD. WHO would continue responding to the humanitarian crisis while supporting early recovery and rehabilitation of the health system in accessible states. For this, it called on donors and partners to continue standing with the people of Sudan and support response operations through sustainable funding. 

WHO also called for unrestricted access to all areas of Sudan, for the protection of health care, and, above all, for parties to the conflict to put Sudan’s people first and choose peace.  Without peace, there could not be health.

In response to questions, Dr Sahbani said that most humanitarian agencies, including WHO, had logistics hubs in the United Arab Emirates, so the war in the region had impacted its capacity to respond in terms of time and cost. There were some supplies in Sudan that allowed WHO respond immediately, but additional stock needed to come in, and demand from Middle Eastern countries was adding to competition for the supplies. Roads were not safe, and delivery costs were high, adding to the challenge.

Announcements

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent would convene its fifth session in Geneva next week, marking its first five years and focusing on expanding rights and advancing justice under the Second International Decade for People of African Descent.  Hundreds of participants, including human rights activists of African descent from around the world, were expected to take part in the four-day session, to be held from 14 to 17 April 2026 in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations.

The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would open next Monday at 10 a.m. its 117th session (13 April-1 May, Palais Wilson), during which it would review the reports of Serbia, Slovenia, Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Burkina Faso, and Cuba. The Committee would also have a meeting with States parties on Thursday, 30 April from 3 to 6 p.m.

The Committee against Torture would open next Monday at 10 a.m. its 84th session (13 April-1 May, Palais Wilson), during which it would review the reports of Tajikistan, Italy, Gabon, and Pakistan.

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